Games Archives

AppWizard

June 26, 2026

New York Has a Gamer Mayor Now — and a $2.6 Billion Game Industry to Match

In June, New York City celebrated the NYC Battle of the Boroughs Champions at a press conference on June 10, recognizing the winners of the 2026 Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs. Among the winners was Team Hyper Pigmentation, an all-girl squad that won back-to-back titles. The city's digital games sector supports approximately 7,600 jobs, contributing billion in wages and generating a total economic output of billion. The NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment (MOME) has established the Game Development Industry Council, launched the NYC Summer of Games campaign, and funded grants for developers. New York City's digital gaming ecosystem has an annual economic impact of .6 billion, with around 380 digital gaming firms, 65 percent of which are small or indie studios. The share of open roles in the gaming industry increased from 15.1 percent to 29.2 percent between Q3 2024 and Q1 2026. The Summer of Games features events from May through September, including the NYC Video Game Festival and the Tribeca Games Gallery. Mayor Zohran Mamdani is recognized as the first "Gamer Mayor," engaging with gaming culture and platforms like Twitch. Jones-Harvey emphasizes the importance of addressing affordability issues to retain talent in the gaming industry. She advocates for recognizing video games as a vital part of New York City's cultural landscape, alongside music, film, and theater.

AppWizard

June 26, 2026

LEGO Built a Creeper That Hides a Secret Inside Its Head and Amazon Just Made It Cheaper Than the LEGO Site

The LEGO Minecraft Creeper set (set number 21276) contains 665 pieces and features a detachable head that reveals a hidden compartment with a first-version Creeper minifigure and a TNT element. The buildable figure stands over 8 inches tall and has four poseable legs, allowing for various display configurations. It is designed for builders aged 10 and up and is priced at .99 on LEGO's official website, while Amazon offers it for a lower price, taking advantage of LEGO's no-discount policy. The set is part of LEGO's Minecraft collection and has sold over 5,000 units in the past month, making it an Amazon's Choice product.

AppWizard

June 26, 2026

Odessa hosting free ‘Minecraft’ movie night

The Parks and Recreation Department in Odessa, Texas, is hosting an outdoor cinema event on Thursday, June 26, at 8 p.m. at Lions Club Park, featuring "A Minecraft Movie." Attendees are encouraged to arrive an hour early to enjoy yard games. The event is free and takes place at 4341 Esmond Drive, Odessa, Texas 79762. For more information, residents can visit odessatxparks.org or call 432-368-3548.

AppWizard

June 26, 2026

Minecraft Update 3.41 Released on June 25 to Apply Fixes

Mojang released a hotfix for Minecraft on June 25, identified as update 3.41, which includes technical enhancements for gameplay stability and user experience. The update resolves an issue preventing players from joining Experiences when 'Screen Animations' was disabled, addresses an ID collision for split-screen guests on Nintendo Switch, fixes a glitch with projectiles from upward-facing dispensers, and corrects several crashes that could disrupt gameplay, including one in the main menu on Switch.

AppWizard

June 26, 2026

Minecraft Bedrock Update 26.31 Released as Patch 1.051

Minecraft Bedrock version 26.31 (console version 1.051) was released on June 25, focusing on bug fixes. Key updates include: - Resolved an issue preventing players from joining Experiences when 'Screen Animations' was disabled, which caused freezing. - Fixed an ID collision issue for split-screen guests on Nintendo Switch. - Corrected a bug preventing projectiles from launching from upward-facing dispensers. - Addressed multiple crashes during gameplay and a crash issue in the main menu on Switch.

BetaBeacon

June 26, 2026

11 Essential Apps Every Retro Gamer Needs On Their Phone

RA Tracker is an unofficial companion app for RetroAchievements that allows users to track their progress, browse leaderboards, and look up achievement sets. It connects to your account via the public API and is free to download from the Google Play Store.

BetaBeacon

June 26, 2026

Android 17’s new foldable gaming mode could make flippy phones more fun

Android 17 is introducing a dedicated gaming mode for foldable devices that features a virtual gamepad with touch controls. The virtual gamepad includes a D-pad, virtual sticks, action buttons, triggers, and more, and can be customized to suit user preferences. The mode is compatible with games that support physical controllers and can be easily activated by unfolding the device. The goal is to enhance the gaming experience on Android devices and cater to users who prefer physical controls for certain games.

AppWizard

June 26, 2026

Video Games Are Changing, And Meccha Chameleon’s Absurd Popularity Is Proof

Meccha Chameleon, a multiplayer hide-and-seek game launched on Steam, has sold seven million copies shortly after its release, achieving this milestone just two days after announcing five million sales. In comparison, Resident Evil Requiem took two months to reach the same figure. The game allows players to disguise themselves as objects in their environment, fostering quick thinking and creativity. It is priced at .99 and does not include microtransactions, offering a full experience reminiscent of earlier gaming eras. The success of Meccha Chameleon highlights a trend towards smaller, accessible games in a market increasingly dominated by larger titles.

AppWizard

June 26, 2026

Nightdive’s Thief remaster is adding a weapon wheel and other UI changes, ‘but we’re not forcing you to use it’

Daniel Grayshon from Nightdive Studios discussed the remastering of Thief: The Dark Project, highlighting the original controls, such as the blackjack assigned to number 2 and water arrows to 4. Nightdive aims to preserve the core experience of the game while refining the controls. Grayshon introduced a weapon wheel for easier access to tools, replacing the cumbersome tab key method. This change is intended to enhance gameplay fluidity, allowing for quicker selection during critical moments. The weapon wheel is optional, catering to players' preferences and muscle memory.

AppWizard

June 25, 2026

It’s wild of Rockstar to ask us for $80, minimum, without showing a GTA 6 gameplay trailer

Rockstar has announced the commencement of preorders for Grand Theft Auto VI, despite the absence of any actual gameplay footage. The minimum preorder price is set at an unspecified amount, with an "Ultimate Edition" available for an additional , which locks certain gameplay features. To date, there have been two trailers for the game, focusing on narrative elements rather than gameplay, and recent promotional images have not provided gameplay content. Many fans feel frustrated by the lack of evidence to justify their investment, especially those without current-generation consoles who are considering waiting for a PC release.