Hi, hello, and welcome to a new edition of the overkill digest newsletter.
I finished Clair Obscur...
What a game. I fully understand why this won every prize imaginable. It truly is a masterpiece, and I'm semi-depressed that it's over. I did everything I wanted to do, so there's no real reason to keep playing post-ending, but I hope there's DLC in the works. I have two story scenarios I want to see explored (but won't share them here for spoiler reasons; email me if you want to talk).
Now, I don't really know what to play next. I am waiting for Kiwami 3 but wonder if there is some smaller game I can play before tackling yet another multi-hour project.
Anyway, let's get to this week's news.
📬 Weekly Digest
Valve sheds more light on the Steam Machine release.
When we announced these products in November, we planned on being able to share specific pricing and launch dates by now. But the memory and storage shortages you've likely heard about across the industry have rapidly increased since then. The limited availability and growing prices of these critical components mean we must revisit our exact shipping schedule and pricing (especially around Steam Machine and Steam Frame).
And:
Our goal of shipping all three products in the first half of the year has not changed.
The rest of the linked blog post is an FAQ with more info on the Steam Controller, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame.
I suspect Valve is waiting for the AI bubble to deflate so memory prices normalize. They likely have a release deadline regardless of cost, but I bet they're holding out as long as possible to hit their original target prices rather than passing higher component costs to the consumer.
From Mac to Linux: Every app I replaced.
I wrote the second part of my "moving to Linux" series. This one is about the alternatives I found for Mac apps I relied on.
It's a long list, but I think I reproduced all the workflows I had on macOS. The next entry might be on how I customized Linux to my liking.
That said, not every Linux experience is a positive one. I blame Ubuntu for probably the majority of his issues, though. No one should use Ubuntu except on servers.
Qobuz gets AI right.
We use AI to enhance user experience and optimize how we work. We refuse to let it replace human judgment, artistic sensibility, or the relationship with our subscribers.
And:
We support AI as a creative tool for human artists (mixing, mastering, composition aid) when it serves an authentic artistic process. What we oppose is industrial production of AI-generated content, without human creative intervention, designed to saturate catalogs or defraud royalty systems, without genuine artistic intent.
The linked post goes into more detail on exactly how Qobuz uses AI.
If you have to use generative AI (and let's be real, as a for-profit company, the cat is out of the bag) this feels like the healthiest way to approach it.
In this charter, Qobuz states that AI is there to help them do their work, not replace human creation. For example, they explicitly state that they create assets with professional designers and photographers. This is the way!
If you want a free two-month trial, click here!
Anbernic reveals the RG Vita and RG Vita Pro.
These look great, although we're still missing a lot of information like specs and price. But they sure are beautiful.
I hope they can at least emulate PS Vita and PSP games.
AYANEO is giving away a free handheld after Pocket S Mini "supply chain communication error".
This couldn't be more on brand for AYANEO.
Instead of shipping with the announced 6,000mAh battery, the Pocket S Mini only has a 4,700mAh battery. So, to apologize, the manufacturer offers either a full refund or a free AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini.
Baldur’s Gate HBO show from The Last of Us writer will pick up where BG3 ended.
The show will feature both new characters and familiar faces, though no details have been released on which characters will appear in the show, nor who will play them. Because a Baldur's Gate 4 is not currently in development, Mazin will likely have a fair amount of freedom when it comes to the show's story, but former D&D head of creative Chris Perkins will serve as a consultant on the set to ensure the series stays true to its D&D roots.
My only ask: Astarion better be played by Neil Newbon himself.
Everything shown at the Nintendo Partner Showcase.
Nintendo’s latest Direct just wrapped, delivering around 20 minutes of updates from various third-party partners. We saw fresh announcements and reveals from Capcom, Konami, and Bethesda (plus a bunch more). Here’s the full rundown of everything shown, with trailers and release info where available.
All the trailers are embedded in the post. I did not expect to see Oblivion.
Over on my personal blog, I wrote about a new experiment I'm starting to hopefully cut my screen time in half.
🔮 Looking Ahead
- Mewgenics (by the maker of The Binding of Isaac) releases in two days.
- Romeo is a Dead Man drops on February 11.
- Yakuza Kiwami 3 releases on Thursday, February 12.
- High on Life 2 ships on February 13 (I somehow missed that a sequel was in the works).
- REANIMAL (by the creators of Little Nightmares) drops on February 13.
OK, that's all. Thanks for reading!
See you,
Kevin