community Archives

AppWizard

July 10, 2025

“Star Wars: Battlefront 2 jumped from 135th on the monthly best-selling titles chart in April to 12th in May,” analyst says, illustrating the community’s efforts: “It ranked 5th across the PC aggregated storefront tracking”

Star Wars Battlefront 2 rose 123 spots in the US best-selling games chart in May 2025, reaching the 12th position after being 135th in April. This surge is attributed to the celebration of Star Wars Day and increased calls for a sequel, with peak concurrent players on Steam hitting 35,892, up from 10,489 in 2021. The game became the fifth best-selling game on PC, surpassing titles like Black Ops 6 and Red Dead Redemption 2. Despite this resurgence, EA is focusing on franchises like Battlefield, The Sims, Skate, and Apex Legends, raising doubts about the development of Star Wars Battlefront 3.

AppWizard

July 10, 2025

Warner’s ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Remains Atop Weekly U.K. Home Entertainment Sales Chart Through July 9

The Minecraft Movie is set to bring the block-building universe to life with a fresh narrative focused on adventure, creativity, and friendship. It will explore the vast possibilities of the Minecraft world, featuring elements like crafting, exploration, and survival while introducing new characters and challenges. The film has a star-studded cast and a visionary director, aiming to create a visually stunning experience that resonates with fans. The production team is engaging with the gaming community for input and feedback, building anticipation for the film's release.

AppWizard

July 10, 2025

Minecraft vs. Roblox: Which Video Game is #1 in 2025?

Roblox reported 79.5 million daily active users (DAUs) in Q1 2025, while Minecraft had 140 million monthly active users (MAUs) in 2023. Roblox generated .8 million in revenue in Q1 2025, compared to Minecraft's million for the entirety of 2023. 54% of Roblox users are under 13 years old, while Minecraft appeals to a broader demographic, including adults. Roblox focuses on user-generated content and social interaction, while Minecraft emphasizes creativity and nostalgia.

AppWizard

July 10, 2025

The power of game-based learning with Minecraft Education

Game-based learning through Minecraft Education effectively engages students across various subjects, promoting critical thinking, teamwork, and creativity while equipping them with essential digital skills. The platform offers ready-to-use, standards-aligned resources in subjects like coding, AI, science, history, and math, transforming education into an enjoyable experience. Minecraft Education prepares students for a digital world by providing hands-on experiences that enhance digital citizenship, responsible AI usage, and coding fluency. Specific programs include "CyberSafe AI," which focuses on digital citizenship and AI literacy; "Hour of Code," which involves solving coding puzzles in a theater setting; and "GameCode," where students create their own mini-games. The platform also addresses core subjects and STEM education through immersive experiences like "Ocean Heroes," which teaches marine conservation; "Data Explorers," which emphasizes data collection and analysis; "Ratio Riddles," which engages students with foundational math concepts; "Peter is Here: AI for Cultural Heritage," which explores architectural history; and the "James Webb Space Telescope Challenge," which invites students to explore the universe. Minecraft Education fosters creative classroom environments through activities like "Wheel of Steve," which enhances collaboration and critical thinking, and "Renewtopia," which teaches about renewable energy sources. The platform supports educators with resources and a community to integrate game-based learning effectively.

AppWizard

July 10, 2025

Minecraft Creator Weighs in on Stop Killing Games Initiative

Notch, the creator of Minecraft, has expressed support for the Stop Killing Games movement, which advocates for gamers' rights to access online and live-service games they have purchased. He highlighted concerns about the current state of digital gaming, where games are often sold as licenses rather than outright ownership. Steam has introduced a warning label on purchases to clarify that users are acquiring a license, which reflects limitations on gamers' control over their purchases. The Stop Killing Games movement aims to ensure guaranteed access to digital games even after official support ends and has gained over 1.2 million signatures in the EU. While Notch supports the movement, he chose not to sign the petition to avoid aiding AAA studios, preferring to compete with better terms for users. He advocates for studios to relinquish control over servers, shifting power dynamics in favor of the gaming community. If successful in the EU, the initiative could inspire similar legislative changes elsewhere.

AppWizard

July 9, 2025

Modder behind the ‘Swiss army knife of PC gaming’ deletes their 20 year-old Steam account with anti-Valve manifesto: ‘By the end of my bitter dealings with Valve… there was zero hope’

Kaldaien, the creator of the graphics and performance enhancement tool Special K, has deleted their Steam account after two decades, citing frustrations with Steam's update policies and the platform's evolution since 2002. They criticized Steam for becoming bloated and complicating software compatibility, making older games unplayable due to updated requirements. Kaldaien expressed concerns about the diminishing freedom for gamers to purchase from various sources and criticized the Steam Input API for obstructing access to alternative input options. Despite being a Steamworks partner, they felt unresponsive to Valve and noted that some issues stem from developers' choices rather than Steam itself. Kaldaien's experiences highlight the concentration of power in Valve's hands and raise questions about the long-term implications for gamers reliant on a single platform.

AppWizard

July 9, 2025

TapTrap Android Exploit Allows Malicious Apps to Bypass Permissions

A new Android vulnerability named TapTrap allows malicious applications to bypass the operating system's permission system without requiring special permissions. It exploits activity transition animations to mislead users into granting sensitive permissions or executing harmful actions. Researchers from TU Wien analyzed 99,705 applications on the Google Play Store and found that 76.3% are susceptible to this attack. TapTrap uses low-opacity animations (approximately 0.01 alpha) to make sensitive permission dialogs nearly invisible while still registering touch events. The attack can last up to six seconds and can lead to unauthorized access to critical functionalities like the camera and microphone, and even device administrator privileges. TapTrap bypasses existing defenses against tapjacking in Android, affecting popular web browsers as well. A user study showed that all participants failed to detect at least one variant of the attack. As of June 2025, Android 15 remains vulnerable, with no timeline for a comprehensive fix. The vulnerability has been assigned two CVEs, and researchers disclosed their findings to Google in October 2024. They propose solutions to mitigate the risks, including blocking touch events during low-opacity animations and setting an opacity threshold of 0.2.

AppWizard

July 9, 2025

Square Enix invests in Danish dev BetaDwarf

Square Enix has invested in the Danish indie developer BetaDwarf to enhance its production capabilities. The financial details of the investment are undisclosed. BetaDwarf is currently developing a top-down RPG called Vaultdwellers. Square Enix's General Manager of Business Development, Hideaki Uehara, expressed enthusiasm for the investment, highlighting the quality of BetaDwarf's work and the potential for collaboration. BetaDwarf's CEO, Steffen Kabbelgaard, noted the value of Square Enix's support, emphasizing the progress made on Vaultbreakers and the positive impact of the partnership on their production efforts.

AppWizard

July 9, 2025

Superman Skin Pack available for free in Minecraft

Minecraft is introducing free themed content for players in anticipation of the release of DC's latest Superman film. This includes a variety of skins based on characters from the Superman universe, such as Lois Lane, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Mr. Terrific, and Superman. All skins are available at no cost, enhancing the gaming experience and fostering community among fans. Additionally, there are plans for a more extensive Superman downloadable content (DLC) package, with details to be shared in the future.

AppWizard

July 9, 2025

Steam Users Buy Games They’re Never Going to Play, Says Analyst

Steam remains the largest online gaming store for PC users, despite Epic Games' efforts to compete. Valve takes a 30% revenue cut from developers, while Epic takes only 12% after the first million in revenue. Steam's popularity is attributed to its large community of gamers who often buy games they do not play. Analysts note that Valve has successfully marketed to individuals overwhelmed by entertainment options, creating a scenario where gamers feel they might eventually play the games they purchase. A survey indicated that many players add games to their wishlist without trying them. An example is Chris Wray, who owns 6,062 games on Steam but has only played about 20% of them. Steam frequently offers significant discounts, especially during sales events.