awards Archives

AppWizard

May 23, 2025

A MINECRAFT MOVIE Levels Up to Another Major Milestone

A MINECRAFT MOVIE has become one of the top 75 highest-grossing films of all time, currently ranking 75th with a global total of 0,696,673, surpassing BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY. It is also the highest-grossing domestic release of the year and the second highest-grossing film worldwide. The film has received praise for its uplifting worldview and themes of friendship, courage, and redemption, though it includes action violence, mild foul language, and frightening imagery. It has been nominated for the Kid’s Choice Awards, with stars Jason Momoa, Jack Black, and Emma Myers receiving individual nominations. The success of A MINECRAFT MOVIE indicates a growing trend in Hollywood towards video game adaptations, potentially leading to films based on franchises like Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, Fortnite, and Roblox.

AppWizard

May 23, 2025

Light No Fire: Everything we know about Hello Games’ planet-sized survival game

Hello Games is set to unveil a new game titled Light No Fire, an open-world survival adventure confined to a single planet, comparable in size to Earth. The game features a multiplayer, procedurally generated fantasy world with creatures like skeletons, dragons, and bipedal rabbits, and includes rustic cabins and low-tech weaponry. It emphasizes adventure, building, survival, and exploration, allowing players to construct homes, tame mounts, and explore the landscape. The game encourages collaboration among players, who can build communities or explore solo. The trailer indicates interactions with structures like obelisks and ruins, but specific mechanics are not yet revealed. Hello Games is working on both Light No Fire and ongoing updates for No Man's Sky simultaneously. The multiplayer capacity for Light No Fire is unclear, with the trailer showing interactions among up to ten players, while No Man's Sky supports up to thirty-two players in a single instance.

AppWizard

May 22, 2025

‘Just stick to your guns’: Neil Druckmann isn’t phased by all the hate Intergalactic got, ‘There’s stuff happening with media right now that you just have to ignore’

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet debuted at The Game Awards, where Naughty Dog showcased the game towards the end of the event. The trailer received mixed reactions, with viewers criticizing it as a "DEI game" and expressing discontent over its "woke" agenda due to the protagonist being a Black woman. Doug Cockle, voice actor for Geralt in The Witcher series, defended diversity in storytelling, while Neil Druckmann, co-president of Naughty Dog, expressed excitement for the game, describing it as having the "deepest gameplay" the studio has produced. The trailer featured a retro spaceship and introduced a new bounty hunter protagonist, with a nod to classic anime.

AppWizard

May 20, 2025

What’s driving growth in the Chinese video game industry?

The Chinese game industry has experienced significant growth, with popular titles like Genshin Impact and Black Myth: Wukong driving global interest. Black Myth: Wukong sold 10 million copies within a week of its August 2024 launch and won Game of the Year at the 2024 Steam Awards. The single-player game market in China is becoming more sustainable, with a shift in focus due to the success of titles like Black Myth: Wukong. Developers are adapting their strategies, although challenges such as high production costs, competition, and issues related to work culture persist. Local governments are actively supporting game development through licensing, tax breaks, and grants, with initiatives aimed at integrating cultural themes into games. Despite layoffs in the industry, a robust social safety net exists to support affected employees.

AppWizard

May 18, 2025

Warner Bros. Scores Unexpected Hat Trick: “Final Destination,” “Sinners,” “Minecraft” Year’s Biggest Hits

Warner Bros. has achieved significant success in 2025 with three blockbuster films. "Final Destination: Bloodlines" earned over million domestically and million worldwide. "A Minecraft Movie" grossed million globally, with 40% from the U.S. and 60% from international markets. "Sinners," directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, has made million globally. The success of these films has improved the outlook for Warner Bros. executives Mike DeLuca and Pam Abdy, who were previously facing potential dismissal. Anticipation is building for the upcoming "Superman" film directed by James Gunn.

AppWizard

May 17, 2025

‘Murderbot,’ ‘The Brutalist,’ ‘A Minecraft Movie,’ ‘Duster,’ and the best to stream this weekend

Apple TV+ has released a new sci-fi series titled "Murderbot," adapted from Martha Wells’ "Murderbot Diaries." The show features Alexander Skarsgård as a self-aware cyborg tasked with protecting scientists on an uninhabited planet while secretly binge-watching a space opera. The first two episodes are now available for streaming. FX's "Welcome to Wrexham," a docuseries about a Welsh football club owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, returns for its fourth season on Hulu. " Duster," an action drama set in the 1970s, stars Josh Holloway and is now streaming on Max. Amazon's "Overcompensating," a college comedy created by and starring Benito Skinner, follows a closeted freshman and his outsider friend on a journey of self-discovery, with all eight episodes available on Prime Video. "The Brutalist," a historical drama starring Adrien Brody, is now streaming on Max after winning three Academy Awards. The Apple TV+ documentary "Deaf President Now!" recounts a 1988 protest at Gallaudet University for a Deaf president, directed by Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim. "The Quilters," a documentary short about incarcerated men making quilts for foster children, is available on Netflix. The "Minecraft Movie," featuring Jack Black, is now available for purchase on Amazon. Disney's live-action "Snow White" can now be watched on VOD platforms despite previous controversies surrounding its production.

AppWizard

May 12, 2025

Killing Floor 3’s new release date is late July

Killing Floor 3 is set to release on July 24 via Steam and Epic Games, delayed from its initial date of March 25 due to player feedback from a beta test. The game features intense action where players assume the role of rebel Nightfall specialists fighting against a bioengineered zombie-monster army. Players can unlock new skills and weapons to enhance their combat strategies.

AppWizard

May 4, 2025

Steam Has a New Free Game (And It Has Great Reviews)

Steam has released a new free game called Wuthering Waves, available to anyone with a Steam account. The game can be downloaded, played, and kept at no cost. Compatibility issues may arise for Steam Deck users, as the game's compatibility status is currently listed as "Unknown," but developers are working to resolve these issues. Wuthering Waves is a free-to-play open-world action RPG developed by Kuro Games, which debuted on PC and mobile before launching on PS5 on January 2 and on Steam on April 28. The game is inspired by titles like Death Stranding, Pokemon, and Genshin Impact, and has received mixed reviews on Metacritic but holds an 89 percent positive rating from Steam users, earning a "Very Positive" designation. The game offers approximately 20 hours of main content, with side content extending playtime to 60-70 hours, and completionists may spend around 215 hours to uncover all details.

AppWizard

April 27, 2025

‘Andor,’ ‘You,’ ‘Havoc,’ ‘Babygirl,’ and the best to stream this weekend — plus ‘A Minecraft Movie’ surprise

Andor, the prequel to Rogue One, returns for its second and final season, featuring Diego Luna as Cassian Andor. The 12-episode season will be released in three-episode segments over four weeks. Étoile, a series by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino, follows two ballet companies struggling financially and is streaming on Prime Video. The Netflix series You returns for its fifth season, with all 10 episodes available for streaming. Brett Goldstein's stand-up special, The Second Best Night of Your Life, airs Saturday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and Max. A24’s film Babygirl, starring Nicole Kidman, is now streaming on Max. Other films available include Havoc on Netflix, Freaky Tales on VOD, Ash on VOD, and Azrael on Hulu. Tombstone, originally released in 1993, has a new 4K Ultra HD version available digitally. A book titled A Minecraft Movie: From Block to Big Screen chronicles the making of the Minecraft movie, available at Amazon and other booksellers.

AppWizard

April 26, 2025

The end of The Long Dark is in sight after over a decade in development, culminating in a fifth and final story episode that is ‘3 to 4 times as big’ as episode 4

The Long Dark, developed by Hinterland, was released in early access in 2014 and officially launched in 2017, completing its survival mode. The episodic story mode, "Wintermute," is nearing its conclusion with episode five expected later this year. Creative director Raphael van Lierop highlighted the importance of this final episode, stating it must be great due to the long wait from fans. Hinterland is also developing a sequel, Blackfrost: The Long Dark 2, while continuing to support the original game. Van Lierop mentioned that completing the story mode has been a significant focus for the company, and finishing it will allow them to explore future developments without the pressure of unfinished commitments.