community Archives

AppWizard

April 2, 2026

First Minecraft park to open in London

Chessington World of Adventures in Greater London will unveil the world's first fully immersive Minecraft theme park next year, a collaboration between Merlin Entertainments and Mojang Studios. The park, named Minecraft World, will feature attractions such as a thrilling roller coaster, interactive adventures, block-built playscapes, and themed retail and dining options. Angela Jobson, Senior Vice President of Global Brand at Merlin Entertainments, highlighted the project's goal of creating an authentic world for Minecraft fans to explore and engage with the game in a new way.

AppWizard

April 2, 2026

Minecraft’s April Fools update makes inventory management even worse

On April 1, Mojang released a fictional Java Edition snapshot called the Herdcraft Update, which humorously eliminated the inventory system and introduced a mechanic where players could herd blocks and items like livestock. This update allowed players to command blocks to follow them and use them in crafting grids on the ground. The announcement included absurd patch notes and a FAQ section about the herding mechanic. Community reactions were mixed, with some appreciating the creativity of the April Fools' update while others expressed disappointment that it did not address the actual inventory issues in a meaningful way. The Herdcraft Update continues Mojang's tradition of using April 1 to humorously critique its own game.

AppWizard

April 2, 2026

Everything we know about Sulfur Cube in Minecraft

The upcoming release of Chaos Cubed for Minecraft introduces a new underground biome and a creature called the Sulfur Cube. The Sulfur Cube is a passive, bucketable mob found in the Sulfur Caves biome, immune to fall damage, and can split into smaller cubes upon impact. These smaller cubes can grow larger over time when nurtured with golden dandelions. The Sulfur Cube can absorb various blocks, including all wood variants, stone, coral, slime, honey, sculk, froglight, resin, ore, metallic blocks, ice, concrete, sulfur, and cinnabar, but cannot consume walls, stairs, slabs, or fences. Once it absorbs a block, it becomes impervious to damage from player attacks and most mobs, instead being launched away from the attack. Players can retrieve the absorbed block using shears. The Sulfur Cube is expected to debut in the second quarter of 2026, following its appearance in the recent Minecraft Bedrock beta.

AppWizard

April 2, 2026

Billy the pickpocket is the unluckiest man in Crimson Desert

A newcomer in the streets of Hernand apprehended Billy, the notorious pickpocket and most wanted man in the area, during an attempted theft. Instead of turning him over to the authorities, the newcomer believed that addressing deeper societal issues was more important. The Crimson Desert subreddit featured a clip of a bounty poster for Billy, who attempted to steal again but was subdued. Billy's petty thievery is driven by economic challenges, and players are encouraged to consider letting him go as an act of charity. His antics serve as a reflection of the complexities of crime and survival in Hernand.

Tech Optimizer

April 2, 2026

Norton Review 2026: Solid Antivirus With Great Safe Browsing Tools and Parental Controls

Norton Antivirus has a score of 8.3/10. It offers extensive parental controls on some plans, cloud backups for sensitive data, and a high-quality safe browser. However, its identity theft protection features are limited to US-based users, it has higher resource usage than most competitors, and reaching human customer support can be difficult. Norton began as an antivirus company in 1982 and has expanded to include a password manager, safe browser, cloud backups, and privacy monitoring tools. The LifeLock plans provide identity theft protection and insurance for US users. The antivirus software features easy setup, optimization tools for Windows and MacOS, scam detection, and privacy monitoring. Norton offers various plans, including Norton AntiVirus Plus, Norton 360 Standard, Norton 360 Deluxe, and Norton 360 with LifeLock Select Plus, each with different features and pricing. The plans can cover multiple devices, with costs starting at a competitive rate for the first year. Norton’s antivirus software includes real-time protection, manual and automated scans, and scan scheduling. Its parental controls are a notable feature, and while cloud backups are available, storage may be limited. Free tools include a password manager, data breach scan, and safe browser. Norton’s usability is straightforward, with an intuitive account setup and installation process. The antivirus operates with moderate resource usage, maintaining a low footprint during routine tasks. Norton has a strong reputation for malware detection, maintaining a perfect security ranking from AV-Test and high online detection rates from AV-Comparatives. Its password manager and backup systems use AES-256 encryption, and its VPN follows a no-logs policy. Customer support options include a community forum, knowledge base, and 24/7 live chat and phone support, though email support is not available. Norton is considered a good value for families and budget-conscious users, with pricing starting at an affordable rate for single-device coverage. It is suitable for users seeking active threat protection and parental controls, though alternatives like Bitdefender or Malwarebytes may be better for those prioritizing efficiency and advanced features.

AppWizard

April 2, 2026

Stormgate, the StarCraft-like RTS that launched last summer, is losing online multiplayer support because its server partner was bought by an AI company

Stormgate, a real-time strategy game, will cease online play support at the end of April following the acquisition of Hathora, its server provider, by Fireworks AI. A patch for offline gameplay will be released by Frost Giant Studios. Hathora announced the termination of support for Stormgate and other games, with a final date set for May 5. The game raised nearly .8 million through Kickstarter and private investments but has received mixed reviews on Steam, with low player engagement. Frost Giant Studios hopes to revive online play in the future if a partner is found, but current financial challenges may limit this possibility. The offline patch will allow players to engage with the campaign and solo modes.

AppWizard

April 2, 2026

Shinji Mikami’s next game was just stealth-announced in a YouTube video and it sure looks like the creator of survival horror is back doing what he does best

In 2023, Shinji Mikami founded a new studio called Unbound, marking his third studio creation after PlatinumGames and Tango Gameworks. Unbound recently launched its website, attracting the attention of Shift Up, a Korean publisher, which announced the complete acquisition of Unbound. Mikami emphasized the importance of nurturing young talent and expressed confidence in creating a "masterpiece of a game." Unbound currently has around 50 staff members and is expanding its workforce for an upcoming project. Mikami conveyed his enthusiasm for the creative process and addressed gamers, asking them to wait a little longer for the game's release.

AppWizard

April 2, 2026

‘What’s your salary? I told him, and he said no problem, we’ll double. And those days are gone:’ Listening to game dev legends reminiscing in 1989 about the ‘golden days of computer games’ already being over is a trip

Cassette tape recordings from the 1989 Computer Game Developers Conference reveal insights into the gaming industry's evolution. Robert Garriott of Origin Systems expressed concerns about an oversaturated PC gaming market, reflecting ongoing industry anxieties. A panel titled "The Golden Days of Computer Games" highlighted nostalgia for gaming history. Steve Cartwright credited Activision co-founder David Crane for his entry into game design, while M.U.L.E. designer Danielle Bunten Berry lamented the shift from a product-oriented mindset to one influenced by market demands. Garriott noted the decline of the "one programmer, one product" model, emphasizing the need for specialization and the importance of marketing in contemporary game development. Despite these challenges, indie development continues to thrive, with small teams creating celebrated titles. The complete panel recording is available from the Video Game History Foundation.

Winsage

April 2, 2026

Wine has been translating Windows games to Linux since 1993, but Proton is what made it effortless

Wine is a compatibility layer, not an emulator, that translates Windows API calls into POSIX equivalents, allowing Windows applications to run on Linux. Proton, developed by Valve, builds on Wine and includes additional components like DXVK and VKD3D-Proton to enhance performance for Windows games on Linux through Steam. For Steam users, Proton is recommended for a streamlined gaming experience, while Lutris is suggested for those outside the Steam ecosystem. Wine has been in development since 1993, focusing on recreating the Windows API, but faced challenges with gaming compatibility. Cedega was an early attempt to improve gaming support over Wine but ultimately declined. Valve's development of Proton was motivated by the need for better compatibility for Windows games on Linux, especially highlighted by the launch of the Steam Deck. Wine struggled with synchronization issues and handling direct kernel access by Windows applications, which Proton addressed with seccomp-bpf filters and syscall user dispatch. Both Wine and Proton are crucial to the current state of Linux gaming.

AppWizard

April 2, 2026

Garry’s Mod successor s&box finally arrives on Steam on April 28

Facepunch Studios has announced that their sandbox game, s&box, will launch on Steam on April 28. The game will allow users to create and export their own games as standalone titles on Steam without fees to Facepunch, thanks to a licensing agreement with Valve. Garry Newman, the founder of Facepunch, aims to give back to the gaming community, reflecting on his experiences with previous titles. The price for s&box is expected to be between unspecified amounts, making it accessible for developers and gamers.