At the BAFTA Games Awards 2023, actor Christopher Judge, best known for his roles in the games God of War and God of War Ragnarok, addressed the gaming community with a call for unity and an end to the console wars. From his point of view, no matter what platform you like to play on and what game you prefer, we all remain part of one big gaming community. Therefore, Christopher urged all fans of games to be easier in relation to other players, appreciate each other and not get carried away with console wars.

However, in addition, the conversion of Christopher Judge may have another important meaning. There are rumors that God of War and God of War Ragnarok, which are currently only available on PlayStation consoles, may soon be available on PC. In light of this, Judge's message about the unity of the gaming community may be another argument in favor of porting games to PC. If this happens, then a much larger number of players will be able to enjoy these amazing games. In addition, expanding the audience of PC games could be a profitable solution for Sony, the manufacturer of the PlayStation consoles, as it will allow them to generate more revenue and attract even more players to their ecosystem.

Thus, Christopher Judge's message about the unity of the gaming community is an important reminder that regardless of the platform on which players play, they are still part of one big gaming culture. Additionally, this appeal could be an indication that porting God of War and God of War Ragnarok to PC could become a reality in the future.

 

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Microsoft has announced a new DirectX12 GPU optimization feature called GPU Upload Heaps combined with Resizable-BAR. It allows the CPU to have direct and simultaneous access to GPU memory, which can improve performance in DX12 games and reduce RAM usage as it bypasses the need to copy data from the CPU to the GPU.

The new feature is already available in the Agility SDK, and while we don't yet know the exact implications of using it, the performance benefits can be significant. Video card memory sizes and video memory consumption in computer games are increasing every year. As a result, the CPU needs to move more and more data between itself and the GPU.

With this feature, RAM and CPU usage in games can drop noticeably just by reducing the number of data transfers. This is because the processor no longer needs to have copies of the data in both system RAM and GPU video memory for them to interact. Another plus is that the GPU video memory is very fast, so there will be no delays when working with it alone. In fact, on modern high-end graphics cards with fast video memory, CPU access times may improve.

For players, the only requirement will be to have Resizable-Bar or Smart Access Memory support on both devices - both the processor and the graphics card. The resizable-bar is the basis for GPU Upload Heaps, as the feature allows Windows to manage the graphics card's memory directly.

For developers, the feature is already supported by Nvidia, Intel, and AMD drivers. For example, it is already included in the latest Game Ready and Studio drivers from Nvidia (version 531.41 or later) and in Intel/Xe A-series GPUs (with driver 31.0.101.4255 or later).

 

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Square Enix has announced the release date for its new game Final Fantasy XVI, which will be exclusive to the PlayStation 5. The premiere is scheduled for June 22, 2023. The developers have already started polishing the game and looking for bugs.

Final Fantasy XVI is different from previous entries in the series as it moves away from the classic JRPG canon and has more action-packed moments reminiscent of the Devil May Cry series. However, despite this, it will still take players 25 to 35 hours to complete the game in its entirety.

The developers did not specify if the game is a temporary Sony exclusive or if it will be ported to other platforms in the future. A possible port to personal computers is rumored to take place in 2024.

Some journalists have already shared the first previews of the game, while the reviewers were impressed. For the release of Final Fantasy XVI, the developers will prepare a patch of the first day, which will improve the gameplay and fix possible errors.

Thus, fans of the Final Fantasy series are already looking forward to a new game that promises to be unusual and exciting.

 

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CD Projekt released its 2022 financial report, which noted a successful recovery from the failed launch of Cyberpunk 2077. At the end of the year, the company earned $ 221.8 million, which is 7.2% more than last year. Net income increased 66% to $80.8 million, while operating income increased 62% to $87.8 million. The company has invested $46.5 million in the development of its projects.

CD Projekt noted that such high results were achieved without fresh releases, as the whole year was devoted to supporting Cyberpunk 2077, developing the franchise and preparing the ground for future games. Despite the fact that sales of The Witcher 3 declined after the release of the next-gen update, the third part is still significant for the community.

According to the report, most of CD Projekt's employees are busy with the Phantom Liberty add-on for Cyberpunk 2077, and the least effort is devoted to the new game in the The Witcher universe. The company also announced that it was restarting production on The Molasses Flood's Witcher spin-off, Project Sirius, to better align the game with the studio's strategy.

CD Projekt's future plans include opening a new studio in North America, adding multiplayer elements to most of its upcoming projects, and growing its franchises. In addition, the company promises to share news about Phantom Liberty in June, and also pleases fans of the Cyberpunk 2077 franchise by bringing in Idris Elba to play secret agent Solomon Reed.

The company's total revenue and net income in 2022 are the second-highest in the studio's history.

The company plans to continue focusing on and developing its franchises, including The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, as well as adding multiplayer elements to most upcoming titles. As part of this, CDP is considering developing a multiplayer game in The Witcher universe.

The financial success of CDP in 2022 shows that the company was able to recover from the failure of Cyberpunk 2077 and continues to grow, growing revenues and expanding its business. News about the promotion of existing franchises and the development of new projects pleases CDP fans who are waiting for new quality games.

 

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Naughty Dog has released a second patch for the PC version of The Last of Us Part I, which significantly improved performance and fixed memory issues. The new hotfix 1.0.1.6 was very successful and received positive feedback from gamers who noted a significant improvement in the state of the game after its installation.

The patch reduced the PSO cache, which reduced memory requirements and reduced the number of crashes caused by lack of memory. Animation streaming memory has also been increased, improving performance during gameplay and cinematic cutscenes. In addition, issues with the game crashing on first launch have been fixed.

Gamers have reported many positive changes after installing the patch. Some have reported that VRAM usage has decreased with high quality textures, while others have reported that the game no longer crashes to desktop when DLSS and FSR are enabled.

The Naughty Dog team continues to monitor player reports of various issues. The developers are confident that they will be able to solve all the problems associated with the game. The user rating for The Last of Us Part I on Steam has risen slightly, and now stands at 39% positive reviews.

 

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The organizers of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) have announced that the exhibition will not take place in 2023. An e-mail notifying the cancellation was sent to partners of the Electronic Software Association (ESA), and IGN was the first to report this to journalists.

The ESA said in a statement that the 2023 version of the show did not generate enough interest from exhibitors to showcase the size, strength and influence of the gaming industry.

E3 was scheduled to return to a face-to-face format in 2023, with the participation of the ReedPop team responsible for PAX, Comic Con in New York and Star Wars Celebration. However, according to IGN, poor communication caused the event to fail. Many companies did not confirm their participation until the last moment, or announced that they would miss the exhibition. Even Ubisoft, which hasn't missed E3 for the past 20 years, has turned its back on the event.

At the moment, there is no information on whether E3 will be held later in 2023 or next year.

 

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ChatGPT is a popular AI chatbot that has received a powerful update. The large language model GPT-4, based on artificial intelligence algorithms, provided the platform with new capabilities. OpenAI is already working on the creation of the next version of the model - GPT-5, which may be at the end of this year. GPT-5 will be able to develop to the level of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), that is, become indistinguishable from humans.

GPT-5, formally capable of performing most human-level tasks, will help ChatGPT surpass the capabilities of the human mind in terms of data processing and content generation. The GPT-4 update significantly improved the capabilities of ChatGPT, adding support for multi-modal input, multiple languages, and internet connectivity. GPT-4 successfully passes most of the exams, surpassing the capabilities of the previous version.

GPT-5 training should end in December 2023 and the OpenAI developers believe the model will reach AGI level. According to them, the public will be heatedly discussing whether the model has reached AGI - which means it really will happen. Upon reaching the AGI stage, the system will be able to assimilate concepts and tasks on an equal basis with a person, and a conversation with it will resemble a dialogue with a live interlocutor.

So far, these are only assumptions, because humanity does not yet have an AGI model with which the updated ChatGPT can be compared. However, it will be a significant improvement over GPT-4: the new version will be able to generate faster and more accurate responses than its predecessor, including writing better code. Before that, OpenAI plans to release the GPT-4.5 model, which may show the direction of further development of the platform.

 

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CD Projekt RED is gearing up to talk about the long-awaited Phantom Liberty expansion for Cyberpunk 2077 in June. This was reported in the official twitter account of the game. A specific date for the presentation of the add-on is not yet known, but it can be assumed that it will take place either within the framework of the E3 exhibition, or at one of the presentations of large companies such as Sony or Microsoft.

Fans of the game are looking forward to the release of the Phantom Liberty expansion, which should add new missions and characters to the already familiar world of Cyberpunk 2077. The developers have previously stated that they are planning to release several large expansions for the game, and Phantom Liberty will be the first of them.

Despite some problems that accompanied the release of Cyberpunk 2077, the game remains popular among fans of the genre. The developers of CD Projekt RED are working on improving the game and releasing new content updates to satisfy the needs of their fans.

Phantom Liberty is expected to bring even more players into the world of Cyberpunk 2077 and give them new adventures and experiences. Let's hope that the presentation of the addition will be successful and will be a good sign for the players for the future.

 

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Forspoken, the new action-RPG from Square Enix and the makers of Final Fantasy XV, hasn't been a big hit since its release at the end of January. However, the publisher does not intend to give up and continues to work on the project, releasing a new add-on In Tanta We Trust.

In this DLC, players will discover the backstory of Sinta, one of Atia's matriarchs, in an exciting and incredibly beautiful world of the game. In addition, Frey will witness a fierce battle. The release date for the new chapter of Forspoken is set for May 26 and will be available on PC and PlayStation 5.

Although the game has not received wide recognition, the publisher Square Enix continues to develop the project, delighting fans with new additions. Addon In Tanta We Trust promises an interesting story and exciting battles that will surely interest fans of the genre. Let's hope that the game will find its audience and bring success to developers.

 

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