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Phantom Liberty sold 3 million copies in 1 week, CD Projekt ecstatic about 'phenomenal' results
Cyberpunk 2077's one and only expansion, Phantom Liberty, enjoys impressive success after just one week on the market.
CD Projekt has some exciting news to share with investors: Phantom Liberty has sold around 3 million copies in 1 week on the market. The news comes after the triumphant announcement that Cyberpunk 2077 also broke 25 million lifetime sales. The last leg of purchases in the 13-month period from September 2022 - October 2023 was actually driven by interest from the Phantom Liberty expansion.
In a live stream to investors, CD Projekt Chief Financial Officer Piotr Nielubowicz offers more color around the sales figures and what they mean for the game's long-term potential:
Bayonetta director Hideki Kamiya leaves PlatinumGames after 23 years
After decades of action games, Hideki Kamiya is leaving PlatinumGames.
Hideki Kamiya is a unique figure in the video games industry. Kamiya has gained a following and notoriety for his--for lack of a better term--"salty" nature, but now the developer shares a heartfelt message.
It turns out that the famed Bayonetta series director is leaving PlatinumGames after 23 years with the Japanese games studio. Kamiya says that he will continue making games, but has not revealed exactly where he will go after Platinum. It's possible that NetEase or another publisher has snagged Kamiya to help fulfill plans for worldwide expansion.
Continue reading: Bayonetta director Hideki Kamiya leaves PlatinumGames after 23 years (full post)
CD Projekt spent over $100 million on Cyberpunk 2077's development
UPDATE: CD Projekt has clarified that the 450 million PLN budget was for all of Cyberpunk 2077's development, and not just the expansion and the next-gen versions of the game.
CD Projekt Group management gives eye-opening updates on Cyberpunk 2077's post-release development budgets, confirms high price tag for both Phantom Liberty and new-gen versions of the game.
Games are extremely expensive to develop. They're so expensive that most AAA publishers are clawing back as much savings as possible through drastic employee reductions and outright cancellations. Now CD Projekt gives us an idea of how much money they've spent on Cyberpunk 2077's continued development.
Continue reading: CD Projekt spent over $100 million on Cyberpunk 2077's development (full post)
Cyberpunk 2077 is a huge success with 25 million sales
Cyberpunk 2077 has sold 25 million copies since launching in 2020, CD Projekt RED today confirmed.
It looks like CD Projekt's redemption arc with Cyberpunk is finally complete. The release of Phantom Liberty and punctuates years of controversy, tumult, and an impressive turnaround with the sci-fi RPG. The expansion comes alongside the latest major update for Cyberpunk 2077--the ambitious Update 2.01--and essentially sunsets the game as CD Projekt moves on to other games (a new Cyberpunk sequel and numerous Witcher games).
In today's investor day presentation, CD Projekt Group management highlighted their operational performance. This includes updates on game sales. The company says that Cyberpunk 2077 has now sold 25 million+ copies worldwide across all consoles and PC. Another huge update: CD Projekt's total game sales have now broken 100 million, meaning that the Witcher trilogy has sold at least 75 million copies (the Witcher update isn't new--CD Projekt divulged this info a bit ago).
Continue reading: Cyberpunk 2077 is a huge success with 25 million sales (full post)
New iOS 17.1 beta fixes a Messages search bug that's been driving some iPhone 15 owners crazy
If you bought a new iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Pro last month and noticed that you can't find messages that you know are there, you aren't alone. There's a bug that causes the search feature in the Messages app to only display messages that were received after transferring content to a new iPhone. No messages received on the old iPhone would be found.
That's the bad news. The good news is that Apple now appears to be in the process of fixing all of that with a new report noting that the iOS 17.1 beta 2 release has fixed the issue for those who were previously impacted.
The news comes after MacRumors reported that the older messages have started to appear in search results for some people, although there are a couple of caveats to keep in mind. One of those is that the iPhone might take a day or two for the bug fix to start working, likely due to the amount of indexing of old messages that is needed in the background. Some people also noted that they had to go into the Settings app and disable search settings for Messages before restarting their iPhones. Only after restarting and then re-enabling search did the messages start to appear as expected.
NVIDIA GeForce Now is getting some huge games in October, including Assassin's Creed Mirage
NVIDIA has announced a raft of games that'll be brought into the GeForce Now streaming fold during October.
There'll be 60 new games debuting on the streaming platform throughout this month, with 29 coming this week.
Those 29 are spearheaded by Assassin's Creed Mirage, the big-name release that arrived today.
Google will keep your Pixel 8 running for seven years, including spare parts
When Google announced the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro it also announced that the two new phones would get a whopping seven years of software updates which is a long time to keep a phone ticking along. Now, the company has also confirmed that the same seven-year timeframe applies to hardware, too.
The seven-year software updates are a huge deal for people who like to keep their phones around for a long time or hand them down to their kids. Years upon years of updates is something that is normally offered by Apple, but Google's move to do the same is positive indeed. It includes OS updates, security fixes, and new features, too. But if you're going to keep your Pixel 8 around for longer thanks to new software updates, what if you break it?
Now, Google confirmed to Android Authority that it will also offer repairs for the new phones for the same seven-year time period, ensuring that if you break it in six years you can safely assume that Google will be able to source the parts required to fix it. You'll be able to buy Pixel 8 parts from iFixit as well, the website reports.
Intel's Arc A310 GPU finally goes on sale in the US - but the price doesn't make any sense
Intel's Arc A310 graphics card is not a new product, but it is new to the US market, with a major retailer just having listed the GPU for sale.
Originally, this was a product made and sold to PC manufacturers, and mostly outfits over in China, but now, the Arc A310 is in stock and available from Newegg in the US.
The model is the Sparkle Arc A310 Elf and it's a modest spec sitting at the bottom of the Alchemist line-up, with only 6 Xe-Cores and 4GB of VRAM (64-bit bus).
There's no going back to iOS 16 if you don't like iOS 17 anymore
Apple released iOS 17 last month and that's now the only version of its software that you can install on your iPhone - unless you have an old iPhone that doesn't support it, of course.
That's after Apple stopped signing iOS 16.6.1 alongside iOS 17 and IOS 17.0.1, a move which means that iOS 17.0.2 and iOS 17.0.3 are now the only version of its software that can be installed on iPhones all around the world. By stopping signing those specific releases Apple prevents people from installing them on their devices.
Apple often stops signing older versions of iOS in an attempt to prevent people from exploiting the security holes that have been patched in newer releases so this move isn't new in that regard. Apple's iOS 17.0.2 does involve some important security fixes, too.
Continue reading: There's no going back to iOS 16 if you don't like iOS 17 anymore (full post)
Windows 11 setup is boring? Not anymore, you can play a game while you wait
Windows 11's installation process - or any operating system, for that matter - is a pretty dull affair involving a lot of foot-tapping, but a new addition from Microsoft tries to make the initial OS setup a good deal more fun.
As The Verge reports, while setting up Windows 11 on a Surface Laptop Studio 2 and applying updates, Microsoft offered up the chance to play a game.
This is a surfing game that's a modern version of the SkiFree mini-game from way back when, challenging you to dodge obstacles as you whizz down a course (and avoid the marauding yeti - changed into a kraken for the surfing version). There are also other modes like slalom and time trial, too.
Apple's iPhone 15 Pro overheating fix (probably) doesn't make its A17 Pro any slower
Apple's iPhone 15 Pro has been around for a couple of weeks at this point and while it's been largely well-received, there is one specific issue that people seem to have come across. That issue is that their new iPhones can get a bit warm during use, often when downloading updates or using certain apps. Now, Apple has released iOS 17.0.3 with a tweak that is designed to fix that - but how did it do it and will it make your new iPhone slower?
With Apple's iPhone 15 Pro coming with a new A17 Pro chip for improved performance and gaming experiences, some had assumed that it was the silicon causing the heat issues. With that in mind, it stood to reason that Apple would slow the chip down to try and keep the heat to a minimum. However, that doesn't seem to have been the case.
New Geekbench tests run by 9to5Mac suggest that Apple hasn't sought to fix its heat issue by slowing down the A17 Pro performance, although it does appear that benchmark scores for the chip are highly variable, as is often the case.
Apple could ditch OLED for future MacBook Pros over a display familiar concern
Apple's future MacBook Pros might not have OLED displays - at least, not yet. That's according to a new report which suggests that Apple could be about to hang fire on plans to use OLED in its best laptops, choosing instead to stick with ever-improving miniLED technology for the time being.
That's according to the supply chain outlet DigiTimes via a paid-for post seen by MacRumors. In that report, it's said that Apple will choose to avoid OLED for use in MacBook Pro models over concerns that the technology induces screen burn-in on devices that are left powered on for an extended period of time.
In contrast, it's expected that the iPad Pro will start to use OLED displays starting as soon as next year, producing better color reproduction and improved contrast as a result. However, it's thought that Apple is less concerned about using OLED in tablets because they tend not to be left powered on with static images for as long as a laptop might be. That despite Apple trying to convince everyone that iPad Pros are indeed viable laptop replacements.
Apple's 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro refreshes could come this year after all, report hints
The conventional wisdom has been for some time that Apple's best MacBook Pros wouldn't be updated until next year, but that's now been thrown into doubt. That's after a new report by supply chain watchers at DigiTimes claimed that a release in the final quarter of 2023 is still in the cards.
The new report, which is paywalled but picked up by MacRumors, claims that the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros will arrive in the fourth quarter of 2023 which is counter to reports prior to this. The new machines are expected to sport M3 Pro and M3 Max chips, but we don't yet have any M3-based Macs available. Apple is already expected to launch M3-powered 24-inch iMac and Mac mini updates next month, while an updated 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro are also possibilities. The true makeup of that announcement isn't yet clear and is a bone of contention among analysts and well-connected pundits, however. That being said, the one thing that everyone seemed to agree on was that the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros wouldn't be updated until next year.
This new DigiTimes report goes against all of that, saying that the new machines will have improved miniLED backlighting technology that will allow them to run at brighter levels. However, it's thought that the displays won't be made to appear brighter but that Apple will instead use the new headroom to allow the panels to display the same brightness as older models while using less power.
NASA rover captures video of 1.2-mile-high dust devil on the surface of Mars
NASA's latest Mars rover has captured some incredible footage of a dust devil gliding across the Martian surface.
The footage was captured on August 30, 2023, by NASA's Mars rover named Perseverance, with the selection of images that were then converted into the above GIF being snapped by the rover's Navigation Cameras.
The video is comprised of 21 frames that were taken four seconds a part and then sped up 20x. As with dust devils on Earth, Martian dust devils form in a similar way - pockets of hot air close to the surface of the planet rise sharply through the cooler air above it, creating a vortex.
NASA telescope photographs mysterious physics-breaking objects in space
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has conducted observations on the Orion nebula, revealing something that has peaked the interest of astronomers.
The Webb telescope pointed its extremely powerful instruments at the Orion nebula, capturing observations of the Trapezium cluster in different wavelengths of light. The data was used in a study that has been submitted to Nature and uploaded to the preprint server, and reveals the discovery of 42 Jupiter-mass objects that are untethered to any star, seemingly drifting freely throughout the nebula.
The discovery of these objects goes against classical evolutionary formation of stars and planets, as objects of these sizes shouldn't exist according to the laws of physics, per study author Mark McCaughrean of the European Space Agency (ESA). If you are interested in reading more about this story, check out post on the ESA website here.
Here's why Elon Musk just removed headlines from posted links on X
Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform formerly called Twitter, now X, announced back in August that he was going to remove headlines from news links and how they show up in the timeline.
That change has seemingly been implemented, with many users reporting the lack of headlines in posted links to the platform. The initial announcement of the change dates back to August 22, where he commented on some news regarding X's move to remove headlines/text from posted links and only display an image card. Musk said that this idea came from him directly and that these changes would "greatly improve the esthetics" and free up space on the timeline.
Before these changes, Twitter displayed a preview card of the post along with the headline and the summary text. Additionally, Musk believes that this new compact design will free up screen real estate that will enable more posts to be seen on-screen while simultaneously reducing the incentivization for click-bait or inflammatory headlines designed to inflict shock upon the reader.
Continue reading: Here's why Elon Musk just removed headlines from posted links on X (full post)
NASA releases new Hubble image of bright blue twisting spiral arms in space
NASA is releasing a new image snapped by the famous Hubble Space Telescope every day this week, and the latest image published by the space agency highlights a spiral galaxy officially called NGC 6951.
NASA has taken to its social media channels and its blog on its website to highlight NGC 6951, explaining the spiral galaxy is located approximately 78 million light-years away from Earth within the Cepheus constellation. This particular spiral galaxy is of interest to astronomers for its stellar history, with researchers estimating that the galaxy reached its peak of star formation around 800 million years ago, and then cooled down production for about 300 million years, only to start back up.
The space agency notes that the average age of star clusters, gravitationally bound groups of stars, is 200 to 300 million years old, while some are as old as one billion years. As for the colors in the image and what they represent - NASA writes dark red represents turbulent regions of gas, and bright blue pinpricks are star clusters. Furthermore, at its core, NGC 6951 harbors a supermassive black hole that is estimated to be 3,700 light-years across and features a ring of stars, gas, and dust.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB with 70W TGP, no PCIe power connector, launches in 2024
NVIDIA is preparing a new GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card for 2024, which will feature the Ampere GPU architecture and 6GB of GDDR6 memory. The current GeForce RTX 3050 features 8GB of GDDR6, while the new card will have cut-down specs including 6GB of VRAM.
The current GeForce RTX 3050 was launched in January 2022, over 18 months ago now, but Wccftech is reporting that an updated GeForce RTX 3050 is on the way with the previous-gen Ampere GPU architecture and 6GB GDDR6 memory. It is a bit strange, given that NVIDIA hasn't launched the GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card, and there's nothing new about that to report... so we're moving on the GeForce RTX 3050, it seems.
NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card will sport the GA107-325-Kx GPU which is based on the PG173 SKU 16 PCB board, but we don't know the CUDA core count. Wccftech is reporting, however, that we'll expect lower GPU clocks of somewhere around 1470MHz, which is another part of the cut-down side of things: the new RTX 3050 will have GPU clocks that are 17% lower than the previous RTX 3050 graphics card.
Google announces new Pixel 8 phones, Pixel Watch 2, and Pixel Buds Pro
Apple made a big Titanium-sized splash with the recent release of the iPhone 15, so it's now Google's turn with the company lifting the lid on its latest generation of smartphone hardware. The big announcement includes pricing and details for the new Google Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel Watch 2, and Pixel Buds Pro. That's a lot of Pixels, so let's break it down.
The new Tensor G3 chip will power the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro, Google's in-house hardware supporting advanced security options, including Face Unlock, improved photo editing, and more. On the security side, Google notes that it will provide seven years of OS and security updates for the Pixel 8, a massive increase over the Pixel 7's three.
Google's flagship Pixel 8 Pro is the one that will go head-to-head with Apple's new iPhone 15 lineup as it will feature the company's new Super Actua Display that is the company's brightest to date - it's legible and clear in direct sunlight and designed for Ultra HDR images.
Continue reading: Google announces new Pixel 8 phones, Pixel Watch 2, and Pixel Buds Pro (full post)
AMD Radeon RX 7900M: high-end laptop GPU launches October 19
AMD will be unveiling its flagship laptop GPU in the coming weeks, with the Radeon RX 7900M mobility GPU getting some leaked details that should excite mobile gamers who want a Team Red laptop GPU solution.
AMD already has a couple of mobile RDNA 3-based GPU solutions on the market right now, with the Radeon RX 7700 and Radeon RX 7600 series graphics chips based on the Navi 33 ASIC. These mobile GPUs are for entry-level and mainstream laptops right now for 1080p and even some light 1440p gaming, but soon there'll be a high-performance Radeon RX 7900M mobile GPU that will power upcoming future high-end Radeon GPU-powered gaming laptops.
The upcoming Radeon RX 7900M mobile GPU will be based on the high-end RDNA 3 ASIC -- Navi 31 in particular -- with 5nm GCDs and 6nm MCDs. The upcoming enthusiast-class mobile GPU will feature a cut-down Navi 31 die, so don't go expecting Radeon RX 7900 XTX desktop graphics performance inside of a gaming laptop.
Continue reading: AMD Radeon RX 7900M: high-end laptop GPU launches October 19 (full post)




















