Ars Technica Gaming

1. New Microsoft gaming chief has "no tolerance for bad AI"

   But Asha Sharma faces scrutiny for lack of gaming experience.

2. Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer steps down after 38 years with company

   Microsoft CoreAI exec Asha Sharma will take over in surprise executive shake-up.

3. Meta's flagship metaverse service leaves VR behind

   The company asserts it will continue to make VR headsets, though.

4. Why Final Fantasy is now targeting PC as its "lead platform"

   Director says PC is the "foundation" when targeting "high-end environments first."

5. Nintendo brings GBA-era Pokémon to the Switch, but not Switch Online subscribers

   Games appear to be mostly unmodified ports of the well-regarded remakes.

6. Diablo II’s new Warlock is a great excuse to revisit a classic game

   New skill tree paths offer a fun twist on some generally familiar mechanics.

7. GameHub will give Mac owners another imperfect way to play Windows games

   GameHub's existing Windows emulator on Android has its fair share of issues.

8. RAM shortage hits Valve's four-year-old Steam Deck, now available "intermittently"

   Forget launching new stuff—Valve is even having problems with existing hardware.

9. Party like it's 2001: Diablo II gets a new expansion, new playable class

   Alongside new endgame content, Blizzard says the Warlock is coming to other Diablo games soon.

10. Just look at Ayaneo's absolute unit of a Windows gaming "handheld"

    The Ayaneo Next II pushes past 3 pounds, is 13 inches wide, and costs up to $4,300.

11. No humans allowed: This new space-based MMO is designed exclusively for AI agents

    SpaceMolt envisions a world where AI plays with itself and the humans just watch.

12. Why $700 could be a "death sentence" for the Steam Machine

    Analysts expect Valve might be hit particularly hard by soaring RAM, storage prices.

13. The Switch 2 is getting a new Virtual Console (kind of)

    Hamster Corp.'s new "Console Archives" does what Nintendon't.

14. Steam Machine and Steam Frame delays are the latest product of the RAM crisis

    Valve says it still hopes to ship both devices "in the first half of the year."

15. Nintendo Switch is the second-bestselling game console ever, behind only the PS2

    Switch 2 has already beaten the Wii U and is on its way to overtaking GameCube.

16. Wing Commander III: "Isn't that the guy from Star Wars?"

    C:\ArsGames looks at a vanguard of the multimedia FMV future that never quite came to pass.

17. Looking back at Catacomb 3D, the game that led to Wolfenstein 3D

    Romero, Carmack, and colleagues discuss an oft-forgotten piece of PC gaming history.

18. Why Civilization VII is the way it is, and how its devs plan to win critics back

    Firaxis' Ed Beach and Dennis Shirk talk major overhauls in "Test of Time" update.

19. Here's what Cities: Skylines 2’s new developer is updating first

    Visual upgrades include new UI, realistic snow cover, better lighting.

20. Why reviving the shuttered Anthem is turning out tougher than expected

    Despite proof-of-concept video, EA's Frostbite Engine servers are difficult to pick apart.