classic games Archives

Winsage

April 3, 2025

Windows wallpapers worth celebrating

Microsoft is celebrating its 50th anniversary by inviting fans to reminisce and has released a collection of exclusive products, including limited-edition Windows wallpapers designed by Microsoft designers and Windows enthusiasts. These wallpapers reimagine iconic moments in Windows history, featuring the four-square logo and inspired by nostalgic elements such as the Windows 95 startup screen and classic games like Mahjong and Solitaire. Designer You Zhang created wallpapers that merge retro and modern styles, while art director Yulia Makhmudova designed a wallpaper featuring Solitaire cards arranged in the shape of "50" and revisited the iconic Tulips motif from Windows XP, adding 50 yellow buds. More ways to celebrate the anniversary can be found on Microsoft Unlocked.

BetaBeacon

March 26, 2025

5 Top PlayStation emulators for Android to relive classic games anytime, anywhere

- ePSXe provides a straightforward setup and stable performance for PlayStation emulation on Android. - DuckStation offers broad compatibility with PlayStation games and enhances graphics with OpenGL and Vulkan rendering. - My Boy! is primarily a Game Boy Advance emulator but includes features useful for PlayStation fans. - Lemuroid works as a multi-console emulator supporting PlayStation and other gaming systems. - RetroArch supports multiple consoles, including PlayStation, but requires individual downloads for each system as plugins.

AppWizard

March 23, 2025

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster Preview – How Nightdive Studios approaches remastering an influential classic PC game

Nightdive Studios has released a series of modern ports and remasters, including a ground-up remake of the 1994 classic, System Shock. They acquired the license for System Shock nearly a decade ago and are now working on the System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster, which has taken considerable time to develop. The remaster will feature optimized controller support for modern consoles and will maintain the original emotional resonance of the game. It will include a Vault with media related to the game's original creation. The remaster is set to be released on June 26 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam, Epic, GOG).

BetaBeacon

March 23, 2025

Goodbye, Ridiculous Fishing: How Android’s 32-bit purge erased my favorite classic games

Google and high-end chipmakers decided to kill 32-bit support entirely in Android 14, leading to benefits such as freeing up system resources, better security, and improved performance. This change means that many 32-bit-only games, including classics like the Metal Slug series and King of Fighters franchise, can no longer be played on newer devices. Options to continue playing these games include using a phone with Android 13 or Xiaomi's flagship phones with a framework to run 32-bit apps, although the latter is limited to the Chinese market. Other suggestions include using a virtual machine running an older version of Android, but this may not work due to hardware limitations.

BetaBeacon

March 22, 2025

This overkill Android Game Boy is better than my memories of the real thing

The AYANEO Pocket DMG is a luxury, Game Boy-styled handheld device that offers a classic vertical format for enjoying retro games.

AppWizard

March 21, 2025

Silent Hill 4, Deus Ex And F.E.A.R. Among Latest Games To Enter GOG’s Preservation Program

GOG has launched its Preservation Program to ensure over 100 classic video games remain accessible on modern systems. Recently, the program expanded to include titles such as Silent Hill 4: The Room, Deus Ex, and the original FEAR. GOG has committed to maintaining these games for compatibility with modern PCs indefinitely. The program also includes Fallout 2, Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption, Alone In The Dark 1 to 3, all eight original Ultima games, and the first three Tomb Raider titles. Silent Hill 4 has been enhanced with previously unreleased scenes. Many of these titles are currently available at significant discounts.

AppWizard

March 21, 2025

27 more classic PC games have joined the GOG Preservation Program, including Silent Hill 4

GOG has expanded its Preservation Program by adding 27 classic PC games, ensuring they remain playable on modern PCs. Notable new titles include Silent Hill 4: The Room, F.E.A.R. Platinum, and three Tomb Raider installments. The complete list of newly added games includes: - Alien Breed + Tower Assault - Alone in the Dark: The Trilogy 1+2+3 - Cannon Fodder - Cannon Fodder 2 - Deus Ex – Game of the Year Edition - Fallout 2 - F.E.A.R. Platinum - Jagged Alliance 2 - Port Royale 3 Gold - Privateer 2: The Darkening - Silent Hill 4: The Room - Tomb Raider Anniversary - Tomb Raider Legend - Tomb Raider Underworld - Ultima 1+2+3 - Ultima 4+5+6 - Ultima 8 Gold Edition - Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption - Wing Commander 1+2 Each game is marked with a special stamp on the GOG store, and GOG provides a Preservation Log detailing updates for compatibility and performance. Silent Hill has been updated for Windows 10 and 11 with modern controller support, while Tomb Raider Underworld has improved DirectX compatibility and cloud save support. The total number of titles in the Preservation Program is now 141, with plans to expand to 500 games by the end of 2025.

AppWizard

March 20, 2025

Only 8 Percent Of PC Gaming Time Was Spent On New Games Last Year, Report Claims

Players are increasingly favoring older titles, with only 8 percent of PC gaming hours in 2024 dedicated to newly released games. The report from Newzoo indicates that PC gamers primarily engage with titles at least six years old, with games like Roblox, League of Legends, and Fortnite accounting for 67 percent of total PC playtime. Games released between two to five years ago contribute 25 percent, while new releases from 2024 make up only 8 percent. On consoles, approximately 44 percent of gaming time on PlayStation and 49 percent on Xbox is spent on titles released six or more years ago, with console gamers dedicating 15 percent of their playtime to new releases from 2024. The gaming industry saw over 18,000 games launched on Valve’s platform in 2024, indicating a significant increase in new releases.

AppWizard

March 18, 2025

Half-Life 2 RTX is the future of PC gaming, for better or worse

Nvidia has released a complimentary two-hour demo of Half-Life 2 RTX for owners of the original Half-Life 2, showcasing advanced features such as full path tracing and neural shaders. The game includes enhancements like improved meshes, materials, lighting, and the Neural Radiance Cache, which optimizes ray-traced indirect light. The demo demonstrates significant upgrades in asset quality and shadow rendering, but the game is resource-intensive, requiring DLSS for playable performance, particularly at 4K resolution. The demo evokes the original game's atmosphere and is seen as a significant step in Nvidia's remastering efforts. There is currently no release date for the full version, but the demo is available for free on Steam.

AppWizard

March 18, 2025

PC gamers spend 92% of their time on older games, oh and there are apparently 908 million of us now

Ben Porter, director at NewZoo, will present insights from the company's annual gaming industry analysis at the Game Developers Conference (GDC). NewZoo's survey indicates that the PC gaming market is growing, with an estimated 873.5 million PC gamers in 2023, projected to rise to 907.5 million by 2024, surpassing the console gaming audience of approximately 653.1 million. A significant portion of PC players, 67%, will spend their gaming hours on titles that are six years or older, while 25% will play games aged two to five years, leaving only 8% for newer releases. The most played games include Counter-Strike: Global Offensive/Counter-Strike 2 (7.1%), League of Legends (6.4%), Roblox (6.2%), Dota 2 (5.8%), and Fortnite (5.4%). Overall, 92% of player time is devoted to games more than two years old, highlighting a preference for established titles over new releases.