Steam Free Weekend (April 26-30) and massive discounts on Arma games

After already welcoming 4+ million players to its highly-rated military sandbox game, Bohemia Interactive is calling in additional reinforcements by hosting a Free Weekend for Arma 3 on Steam. The Free Weekend starts on April 26 at 19:00 CEST (all time zones) and ends on April 30 at 19:00 CEST. It provides all Steam users with the opportunity to try out the complete Arma 3 base game. Plus, if they wish to continue playing after the Free Weekend, people can pick up Arma and nearly all of its DLC packs at massive discounts of up to 66% (and 80% off previous Arma games).

Arma 3 is an authentic military shooter game, in which you enter a massive military sandbox terrain to engage in diverse tactical combat. Players have access to a wide variety of gear and weapons – and are able to operate all sorts of military vehicles such as tanks, helicopters, and jets. The game also offers a large number of singleplayer scenarios (including a story-driven campaign) and multiplayer modes. Plus, there’s a powerful yet intuitive 3D Scenario Editor for users to create their own scenarios, as well as the Arma 3 Zeus interface that lets users act as a real-time Game Master for other players in multiplayer.

On top of that, Arma 3 fully supports all types of player-created content and modifications, which can be easily shared with other players via the Arma 3 Steam Workshop. The Workshop already hosts 50,000+ publicly shared items, ranging from weapons, vehicles, and uniforms to new gameplay features, singleplayer or co-op campaigns, and community-made multiplayer modes such as the original PLAYERUNKNOWN’s Battle Royale.

Since the initial release of the Alpha version on Steam Early Access in 2013, Arma 3 has come a long way by introducing lots of additional content, new features, and improvements. The game has received 75 free platform updates and 10 DLC packs, which have helped to achieve an impressive average playtime per Arma 3 user of 150+ hours. In a new infographic poster, Bohemia Interactive provides a quick overview of Arma 3′s development and how people have engaged with the game so far.

For more information about Arma 3, please visit the official website at www.arma3.com.

Source: TechPowerUp!

NVIDIA has releases GeForce 397.31 WHQL drivers. The drivers see NVIDIA discontinue regular support for 32-bit versions of Windows. It also sheds support for GPUs based on NVIDIA “Fermi” GPU architecture (GeForce 400 series and 500 series). The drivers also add first official support for NVIDIA RTX real-time ray-tracing technology. To use it, you’ll need a GPU based on NVIDIA’s next-generation “Volta” architecture (such as the $3,000 TITAN V), the latest major version of Windows 10, and Microsoft DXR developer package. The drivers also add support for Vulkan 1.1 API. Besides the above three, GeForce 397.31 WHQL is game-ready for “BattleTech” and “FrostPunk.”

You can download the new GeForce 397.31 WHQL drivers from GeForce Experience and GeForce.com.

ALERT!

NVIDIA GeForce 397.31 WHQL Drivers Put GTX 1060-Powered Systems Into Endless Restart Loop

TechPowerUp! is reporting that numerous GTX 1060 owners have reported on the official NVIDIA forums that they were unable to complete the installation of the 397.31 drivers. Users were prompted to restart their systems to complete the installation process, but once they have done so, they were presented with the exact screen over and over again putting their systems into an endless restart loop. While NVIDIA is investigating the bug, GTX 1060 owners are encouraged to roll back to a previous version of the drivers as a stop-gap solution. The workaround consists of rebooting the affected system in safe mode and running Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to completely remove the 397.31 drivers. Users can then proceed to install the previous 391.35 drivers normally.

By Ian Boudreau @ Wargamer

One of the things that keeps me coming back to ArmA 3 is its stern-faced commitment to realism in an unchangeably goofy video game world. There’s something David Lynchian about the whole affair – you’re never quite sure whether the developers are completely earnest or if you’ve just gotten a wry wink at the absurdity of it all.

Take the latest Tanks DLC package. I’ll run through the vital statistics later, but there’s such a funny juxtaposition of an obsessively intense focus on simulating real-world military operations with the realization that a lot of what happens in the military isn’t any fun. While I was gleefully thundering around in my Rhino MGS, a tank destroyer introduced in this new pack, some incoming mortar fire blew out my front two passenger-side tires.

The damage model is detailed enough so that this has a pretty severe impact on handling. But then I got out of the Rhino, clicked a prompt, and had the tires back in action in about 25 seconds total.

Read on…

3 New DLC Packs Plus Season Pass Details Revealed For The Deadfire Archipelago

Obsidian Entertainment, developer of critically acclaimed role-playing games, in partnership with indie publisher Versus Evil, today announced plans for three exciting, in-depth expansion packs for Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. The expansion packs will include new quests that will add to the lore of the Deadfire, new areas to discover, new secrets to reveal, and a whole host of new characters to meet and challenges to overcome!

The first downloadable-content pack (DLC), ‘Beast Of Winter‘ will be available in July 2018, and will take your party to an island populated by a mysterious doomsday cult, that hides an ancient secret. Players will get to experience adventuring in ‘The Beyond,’ a mysterious dimension populated by ancient souls and filled with devilish challenges.

The second DLC ‘Seeker, Slayer, Survivor’ available in September 2018, is a combat-focused expansion taking place on a previously undiscovered island that will challenge the martial prowess of your party, and your tactical skills as a commander, as you embark on a mission to rediscover ancient relics, and pit your party against Eora’s most skilled and savage.

The third DLC, ‘The Forgotten Sanctum’ available in November 2018, will test your party’s allegiance and morality in a quest to help (or obstruct) the great wizards of Eora. Will you befriend, betray or befuddle these venerable mystics as you uncover secrets lost to the generations? The consequences of your actions will be felt across the Deadfire Archipelago whatever you decide.

All three packs are included as part of the Obsidian Edition of Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire which is available for sale now. A Season Pass including all 3 DLC packs will also be available for purchase when the game launches for $24.99. The expansion packs will be sold individually for $9.99 as they are released. FIG Backers that backed at the Collector’s Edition tier or above or included the Season Pass as part of their backer pledge will also receive the Season Pass.

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire launches on May 8th, 2018 on Windows PC, Mac, and Linux platforms and is currently available for pre-order through Steam, GOG.com, Obsidian.net and Versus Evil, as well as other digital retailers.

Check out the Pillars of Eternity II:Deadfire Features trailer HERE.

By Marco Chiappetta @ Hot Hardware

The Samsung SSD 970 Pro and 970 EVO are the company’s latest flagship sold state drives for high-performance desktop and mobile applications. They feature new controllers, the latest NAND, updated firmwares, and some subtle new features, all designed to boost performance and reliability. We’ve got both drives in hand and have put them through their paces on our freshly-updated test bed, alongside a quartet of competing products.

Read the Review Here

Check out these latest hardware announcements for today from around the web. Also included are some hardware news bits, and on some days, a few rumors tossed in for good measure. Click on the links below to read the official press release, visit the products web page, or to an independent news source.

• AORUS Unveils Z370 Motherboards With Exclusive Built-In 32GB Intel Optane Memory
• Tt eSPORTS Announces Iris Optical RGB Gaming Mouse – Now Available Worldwide
• EK Water Blocks Unveils its Own Pre-built Fully Liquid Cooled Ryzen-based Gaming PCs
• Raijintek Reveals the New CWB-RGB CPU Water Block with Addressable RGB LED Lighting
• EK Launches Updated EVGA GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 RGB Full Cover Water Block
• ID-Cooling Unveils New IS-60 Low Profile Top Flow CPU Cooler
• AMD Preparing Combat Crate Hardware Bundles with MSI
• MSI Launches MAG Bunker and MAG Pylon Cases
• EK Water Blocks Releasing its First X470 Series Monoblock for ASUS ROG STRIX X470-F
• Samsung Releases 970 PRO and EVO m.2. SSDs
• X2 Announces the PIRATE 1416 MicroATX Tempered Glass Case
• TeamGroup Announces T-FORCE VULCAN TUF Gaming Alliance Memory
• Cooler Master Announces MasterLiquid ML240R RGB and ML120R RGB

Today, all players that own Battlefield 1 can jump into Rupture for free, which is a map featured in Battlefield 1: They Shall Not Pass, set during the Second Battle of the Marne and characterized by its poppies growing over rusty wrecks. In addition, the next few months will bring even more free content to all Battlefield 1 players including Soissons in May, also from Battlefield 1: They Shall Not Pass, to tackle one of the biggest tank assaults of World War I.

In June, bit-sized epicness is coming to Battlefield 1 in a new mode, Shock Operations. The mode supports 40 players and sees attackers and defenders battling over sectors like in fan-favorite Operations mode, but with the action focused to one single map – ideal for those that don’t have time for a full Operations match. Shock Operations will be available on five maps: Giant’s Shadow, Prise de Tahure, Lupkow Pass, Zeebrugge, and River Somme. Most of these maps are normally only available to owners of Battlefield 1 Premium Pass or standalone expansion packs. However, base game owners will be able to access them too when playing Shock Operations.

Check out the Battlefield 1 blog to stay up to date on what’s to come to Battlefield 1 in the coming months.

Starting today, Call of Duty: WWII players will have an additional ally on their side with the Call of Duty Alexa Skill. Created by Activision and available today in Beta, the Call of Duty Alexa Skill features an array of support options, including personalized player recommendations, updates on in-game achievements and the ability to stay connected with and compare your play with friends. Did you just play a match of Call of Duty: WWII and want to know how you did, as well as how to improve your chances next time? Ask Alexa how to improve your skills, and you’ll get a personalized recommendation ready for your next match. Want to know if your friends are online and playing Call of Duty: WWII? Just ask Alexa. The skill supports all platforms of Call of Duty: WWII and is available free of charge, through the Alexa companion app.

The Call of Duty Alexa Skill employs AI and machine learning to create personalized recommendations, including specific loadouts, play styles, maps, modes, perks and divisions for each player. Using cluster analysis, the machine learning model analyzes more than 20 factors, including accuracy, movement, engagement distance, K/D, shots, score per minute, time played and relationships to other players to make personalized recommendations for each player. The Skill then employs natural language generation to create personalized responses to 2,500 questions about the game and an individual’s performance. Using a soldier-like voice, the Skill can deliver 250,000 distinct responses that incorporate real-time statistics, status and recommendations from the game.

“The Call of Duty Alexa Skill gives every player a personal Call of Duty coach for the first time, using AI and machine learning to analyze how you play and providing tips on how to improve your gameplay based on your individual strengths, weaknesses and play style,” said Tim Ellis, Chief Marketing Officer of Activision. “We know that people play more Call of Duty as their skills improve and the more often they play with their friends. The Call of Duty Alexa Skill is designed to help players improve their Call of Duty skills, connect more easily with their friends and get to the fun faster in Call of Duty: WWII.”

The Call of Duty Alexa Skill can be used during a match, in between matches or away from the game. It serves to not only answer questions about Call of Duty: WWII matches, but also to provide insights with personalized responses, automated insights and real-time play analysis regarding Call of Duty’s blockbuster most recent release. The Skill also provides players with a complete onboarding experience for Call of Duty: WWII, providing key background details and mission objectives, as well as analysis on how to improve their skills. Gamers can also use the Skill to find out who from their friend group is also playing Call of Duty: WWII, or simply hear how they stack up against their friends.

There are 15 categories of features available in the Call of Duty Alexa Skill for Call of Duty: WWII, including:

• Personalized recommendations to improve your skills
• Match summaries, and highlights of your recent gameplay
• Social features, including whether friends are currently playing, and comparing your stats and achievements to theirs
• Contract and order status, both during and after a match, so that you see how close you are to completing the contract and earning a reward
• Latest in-game news, including events and game updates
• Game and features descriptions

For more information on the Call of Duty Alexa Skill Beta, please visit www.callofduty.com/alexa.

AMD today announced the global availability of its 2nd Generation Ryzen Desktop processors, starting with four models optimized for gamers, creators, and hardware enthusiasts: Ryzen 7 2700X, Ryzen 7 2700, Ryzen 5 2600X, and Ryzen 5 2600 processors. Building on the original award-winning 2017 “Zen” architecture, the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors combine the improved “Zen+” core with other major performance, feature, and platform advancements. We have collected a number of reviews on AMD’s new 2nd Gen Ryzen Desktop CPU’s, and you can read them via the links provided below.

• ANANDTECH
• GURU3D (Ryzen 7 2700X)
• GURU3D (Ryzen 5 2600X)
• TOM’S HARDWARE
• HARDOCP
• HOT HARDWARE
• TECHPOWERUP! (Ryzen 7 2700X)
• TECHPOWERUP! (Ryzen 5 2600X)
• PC PERSPECTIVE
• HEXUS
• BIT-TECH

Check out these latest hardware announcements for today from around the web. Also included are some hardware news bits, and on some days, a few rumors tossed in for good measure. Click on the links below to read the official press release, visit the products web page, or to an independent news source.

• AMD Announces Availability of 2nd Generation Ryzen “Pinnacle Ridge” Processors
• ADATA Launches XPG Spectrix D41 RGB DDR4 Memory
• Phanteks Releases Three New Colors for Eclipse P300 Chassis
• Sharkoon Introduces Mechanical, Low Profile Keyboards with RGB Illumination
• Antec Launches Colourful New Mid-range DF500 RGB Chassis
• G.SKILL Announces New Specifications for AMD Ryzen™ 2000 Series Processors and X470 Platform