Better performance and crisper colors with new ‘Engine Room’-update.

Performance is key when making a difference in World War 2 as portrayed in the MMOFPS Heroes & Generals. This is something the game developers at Reto-Moto are acutely aware of and one of the major reasons for introducing a new render engine for the game.

“Our community has been very active and helpful in testing the new render on our prototype servers. We have seen a 20 percent framerate improvement on average, and 70 percent of the players that took part in latest test of the new render reported either a better or much better performance,” says Henning Semler, Lead Render Programmer and co-founder of Reto-Moto.

Heroes & Generals is running on its own proprietary technology called Retox. The ‘Engine Room’-update is the result of a complete rewrite of the render engine optimizing it for a modern dataflow by using advanced multi-threading techniques so it better utilizes multiple CPU-cores, improving game performance.

Another reason that Heroes & Generals is seeing a general boost in performance is the decision to end support for DirectX 9 based graphics cards as the old technology in part served as a hindrance to game performance.

Heroes & Generals now supports mixed resolution rendering making it possible for players to keep the user interface at a higher resolution while playing with low resolution gameplay setting to further increase performance on low spec computers.

In addition to the improvements in performance, the ‘Engine Room’-update also introduces a new tone mapping system providing crisper and more saturated colors in the game. As well as Temporal Anti-Aliasing giving players a more stable image with less pixel flicker when in motion.

As part of the ‘Engine Room’-update players also have been given the option to try out a new DirectX 12 experimental setting.

Heroes & Generals is now translated into Brazilian Portuguese bringing the total number of language options for the game to nine.

The full changelog for the ‘Engine Room’-update can be found here.

Heroes & Generals is available for free at HeroesAndGenerals.com.

Square Enix Collective®, the platform that brings diverse and quality indie titles to market, has inked a deal with Derby-based Bulkhead Interactive™ to exclusively publish ‘old-school’ multiplayer WW2 shooter Battalion 1944 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

This time last year Battalion 1944 smashed its crowdfunding campaign with a promise to recapture the core action of classic multiplayer FPS game and propel WW2 into the next generation. Having grown up playing the sensational WW2 shooters from the turn of the century, the designers at Bulkhead Interactive have utilized the most up-to-date industry technology to create a visceral and heart-thumping multiplayer experience featuring raw, skill-based infantry combat across tight, focused, and competitive maps.

After the huge success of last year’s The Turing Test™, Bulkhead Interactive chose once again to partner with Square Enix Collective for their latest title. Fans are the heart of multiplayer games and by choosing to work with Square Enix Collective, Bulkhead Interactive knows the task of expanding and nurturing Battalion 1944’s community is in very experienced hands.

To announce their partnership, the team at Bulkhead Interactive released this video explaining why Square Enix Collective is the ideal publisher for Battalion 1944.

Fight in real world locations such as the streets of Carentan, the forests of Bastogne and many more in our spiritual successor to the great multiplayer shooters of the past. Precise aim with your Kar98, covering fire with your M1 Garand and quick thinking with your Thompson are key to your success, all packaged into a competitive multiplayer environment. In short, Battalion 1944 is an infantry based first person shooter with an emphasis on raw skill. No grinding, no ‘exosuits’, just you and your skill as a player.

More game info available at the Battalion 1944 website.

When we released Panzer Corps six years ago, our goal was to revive a genre by going back to its roots. We worked with Flashback Games and The Lordz Games Studio and with the help of a vibrant community to create a new classic that would start a new era in wargaming. We had goals, hopes and objectives, but we couldn’t possibly imagine the impact this game would have had in the wargaming and strategy gaming communities.

The release of Panzer Corps marked the return of a long-neglected gaming formula, which we knew still had a large and loyal following. Its spectacular success brought an almost forgotten genre back into fashion, it inspired multiple clones and literally gave new life to an entire market.

After over five years of expansions, mods, challenges and tournaments, a brand-new installment of the franchise is ready to take the strategy gaming segment by storm again. This time, with even bigger ambitions.

Panzer Corps 2 is currently in development using Unreal Engine 4, to allow an impressive leap forward in both technological capabilities and visual impact. Hundreds of World War 2 units will be shown with a level of quality and detail never seen before in a wargame.

The move to a fully 3D engine is a natural evolution of the game, but the core gameplay will always remain true to its roots: pay tribute to the classic gameplay of a distant golden age of strategy gaming, refine it, perfect it and use the most recent technologies to enhance these experiences and bring them to a new generation of gamers. In other words, strike the perfect balance between tradition and innovation, both in visuals and gameplay.

Check out the Panzer Corps 2 Announcement Trailer.

We will disclose more details about the game as we move through the development process, so make sure you follow us on the forum and on the Flashback Games site.

Source: TechPowerUp!

NVIDIA has just released Version 378.78 of its GeForce driver suite provides the optimal gaming experience for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands and includes DirectX 12 optimizations which provide additional performance increases for a variety of titles. This release also adds official support for the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, and updates the SLI profiles for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Titanfall 2, and Tom Clancy’s The Division. ANSEL support for Ghost Recon Wildlands is also baked into this update, which joins the likes of Dishonored 2, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst, Watch Dogs 2, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and The Witness, with Mass Effect: Andromeda support coming in at the game’s launch.

According to NVIDIA, average performance gains across all titles stands at around 16%. NVIDIA boasts of a 33% (no, that isn’t a typo) on Tomb Raider; 16% on Hitman; Gears of War 4 sees a boost of 10%; Ashes of the Singularity makes do with 9%; and Tom Clancy’s The Division will get a 4% increase.

You can download the new GeForce 378.78 drivers from GeForce Experience and GeForce.com.

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.

• Arctic Announces the Freezer 33 Series CPU Coolers
• MSI Releases Z270 GAMING M6 AC Motherboard
• Thermaltake Launches the New Core P7 Tempered Glass Edition E-ATX Wall-Mount Case
• ADATA Releases the SD600 External 3D NAND SSD
• EK Water Blocks Introduces Sleeved EK-XTOP Revo D5 PWM Pumps
• GIGABYTE Teases GeForce GTX 1080 Ti AORUS
• Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Introduced
• Pioneer Unveils the BDR-211UBK Blu-ray XL Writer

Tomorrow, March 10th, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti goes on sale. Featuring the most powerful and efficient hardware we’ve ever designed, the $699 GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is up to 35% faster than the GeForce GTX 1080, and is even faster in games than the $1200 NVIDIA TITAN X.

The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti achieves this feat through its implementation of 3,584 CUDA Cores, and 11GB of next-gen GDDR5X Video Memory (G5X VRAM) running out of the box at 11 Gbps. Even faster than the G5X memory on the GeForce GTX 1080 and NVIDIA TITAN X, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti’s blisteringly-fast G5X memory further increases memory bandwidth and takes performance to new heights.

In addition, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition features a new high-airflow thermal solution that’s cooler and quieter than previous designs, maximizing the potential of GPU Boost and enabling overclockers to achieve even faster speeds. And under the hood efficiency is improved thanks to a new 7-phase power design with 14 high-efficiency dualFETs that deliver better power efficiency at the highest usage and power levels.

We have a roundup of reviews on the new GeForce GTX 1080 Ti and the Founders Edition listed below:

• HARDOCP
• TOM’S HARDWARE
• HARDWARE CANUCKS
• PC PERSPECTIVE
• GURU3D
• THE TECH REPORT
• TWEAK TOWN
• HOT HARDWARE
• HEXUS
• TECHPOWERUP! (Founders Edition)
• HARDWARE ASYLUM (Founders Edition)
• LANOC REVIEWS (Founders Edition)
• OC3D (Founders Edition)

Today, Ubisoft® announced Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, the largest action-adventure open world game ever created by Ubisoft, is now available on Xbox One, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. You can watch the official launch trailer here.

Developed by Ubisoft Paris*, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands is a military shooter entirely playable in up to four player co-op or single-player from beginning to the end. Players have total freedom of choice to accomplish their missions how they want and watch as the world reacts to their actions. Players can choose to move quietly in the night, go in hot at dawn, or work together to execute a sync-shot that takes out enemies in one fell swoop. Each choice has a consequence, and players must improvise or adapt their plans to ensure the completion and success of each mission.

In Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, players will discover a fictional Bolivia, a few years from now, in which players must take down the Santa Blanca drug cartel by any means necessary. Behind enemy lines, players will hunt down targets and discover intel with the help of over 60 vehicles, which include cars, motorcycles and even helicopters that they can commandeer. To topple the cartel, players will have to fight their way to El Sueño, Santa Blanca’s ruthless leader, by breaking down the Santa Blanca Cartel’s operation piece by piece as they sever alliances between the drug lords and the corrupted government.

For the latest on Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands and all of Ubisoft’s games, please visit www.ubiblog.com.

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, please visit games official website.

Developers Share Information on Design Process and Evolution of Upcoming Tactical FPS, Answer Fan Questions This Friday

Tripwire Interactive is excited to return to PAX East this weekend with an exclusive panel on their upcoming hardcore tactical first-person-shooter, and sequel to the smash hit Rising Storm, Rising Storm 2: Vietnam. Key members of the Tripwire team will be discussing how the design process for the game has evolved, as well as what’s in store for the game as it progresses towards its launch later this year. Fans in attendance will be able to participate in a Q&A with the developers and earn a chance to win some swag, so be sure to stop by for the latest information on this highly anticipated title! Fans can also watch a livestream of the panel here on Twitch.

More game info can be found on the official Rising Storm 2: Vietnam website.

CI Games, creators of the Sniper: Ghost Warrior and Lords of the Fallen series of games, has announced that Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 will be delayed until Tuesday, April 25, 2017.

After some internal discussion with the development team, a decision was made to delay the release three more weeks to complete some final implementations based on feedback CI Games received during the beta.

“We’ve worked tirelessly creating a whole new Sniper Ghost Warrior experience set in an ambitiously crafted open world new to the series,” said said Marek Tyminski, CEO of CI Games. “While it’s an unfortunate decision to delay the game one last time, we believe these final changes will result in a better experience for players worldwide on day one. Thank you for your patience – we know the wait will be worth it.”

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 tells the story of brotherhood, faith and betrayal in the most complete sniper experience ever. Take the role of an American sniper named Jonathan North, who is dropped into enemy territory in northern Georgia, nearby Russian borders. Explore large open-world maps with dynamic weather and a day and night cycle that actually impacts play and decisions. Customize weapon equipment, accessories, vehicles and a drone, and utilize the three pillars of gameplay to your liking: Sniper, Ghost and Warrior.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 launches on the PlayStation®4 system, Xbox One and Windows PC on April 25, 2017. To learn more about Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3, visit the games official website.

Latest Expansion for Crusader Kings II Takes a Leap of Faith

In a world ruled by fear of the afterlife, the wise person takes good care of their soul. Do good works. Build new churches. Defend the faith against heretics, heathens and the corruption that lurks in the heart of all. But what if there were more to the spiritual world than charity and chants? What if you could unlock the secrets of the universe – or turn your back on God entirely? Are you ready to gamble your eternal soul in Crusader Kings II: Monks and Mystics?

Monks and Mystics is the newest expansion to Paradox Development Studio’s beloved classic Crusader Kings II. In this new add-on, your ruler has the chance to join religious societies to improve their standing with both humankind and God (or the gods). Join a monastic order and pursue traditional virtues and learning, or seek out the kind of knowledge only available to those skilled in alchemy and astrology. You can even join underground religious cults to weaken the church or pray to elemental forces of darkness to unlock new and terrible powers.

Monks and Mystics features include:

• Monastic Orders: Special societies devoted to religious learning and pious behavior for most of the world’s faiths.
• Secret Societies: Assassins, underground religious orders, and devil worshipers operate in the shadows to undermine the established order.
• Relics and Treasures: Find religious relics, craft masterwork weapons, or commission spectacular jewelry to add to the glory and power of your realm.
• New Councilor Commands: No more idle advisers, as your councilors can put their skills to work while attending court.

Crusader Kings II: Monks and Mystics is available now on Steam and the official Paradox store for $14.99, and includes new units and portraits for the English and German cultures.

The bells of the abbey are calling you to serve. The chants of the witches summon you to the coven. Let these songs be the backdrop to your machinations. We are also pleased to release the new Hymns of Revelation Music Pack, just $1.99 on Steam or the official Paradox store. Watch the official Crusader Kings II: Monks and Mystics release trailer here.