COVID-19 pandemic Archives

AppWizard

May 8, 2025

A couple met, then married, in ‘Minecraft’

Sarah Nguyen, 24, from Oregon, and Jamie Patel, 25, from England, recently got married in Minecraft, a game where they first met as children. They chose this virtual venue to symbolize their shared home despite the physical distance in their relationship. The trend of virtual weddings is growing, with other couples also marrying in games like Roblox and Animal Crossing, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, which led many to rethink traditional wedding plans. This shift has resulted in a rise in digital officiants and non-traditional wedding formats, with Minecraft weddings becoming increasingly popular in 2025.

AppWizard

May 7, 2025

‘He’s very good at finding really cool people’: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s director found its composer on Soundcloud and lead writer on Reddit

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 features a soundtrack composed by Lorien Testard, who created 154 tracks totaling over eight hours of music. The soundtrack has surpassed 1.5 million streams and was the number one selling album on Bandcamp last week. Testard was discovered by the game's director, Guillaume Broche, through Soundcloud. Lead writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen initially auditioned for a voice acting role after responding to a Reddit post by Broche and later transitioned to her current role. Broche credits the Covid-19 pandemic for helping him find talented individuals online, allowing the game to compete with larger-budget titles despite having a mostly junior team.

AppWizard

May 2, 2025

‘A Minecraft Movie’ breaks box office records despite controversy

Fans of Minecraft attended the release of "A Minecraft Movie" on April 4, featuring the character Steve, voiced by Jack Black. The film's production began in 2014 but faced delays, resuming in 2022 under director Jared Hess. The trailer released in September 2024 received criticism for its animation style and use of live-action actors. Despite this, the film has grossed 3 million globally, making it the highest-grossing film of the year and setting a record for game-to-film adaptations. Audience reactions varied, with some, like FSU junior Grace Martin, changing their initial negative views after watching the film. Siblings Jacqueline and Savanna Paré found it nostalgic, connecting it to their childhood experiences with the game. The film also included references to popular Minecraft YouTubers, enhancing its cultural impact.

AppWizard

March 25, 2025

Minecraft’s Jack Black and Jason Momoa Reveal Which Video Games They’ve Played the Most

Jack Black and Jason Momoa discussed their different experiences with video games in an interview. Black shared his immersive experience with Red Dead Redemption Part Two, playing it for 400 hours during the pandemic, while Momoa expressed caution about gaming due to his addictive personality. He reminisced about playing Street Fighter, favoring characters Ryu and Blanka. The development of A Minecraft Movie has been lengthy, initially announced in February 2014, facing production delays and changes in directors. Originally set for a May 2019 release with a budget of 0 million, the film's progress was hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Principal photography began in January 2024 in Auckland, New Zealand, after delays from the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. The film aims to combine live-action with advanced visual effects to create a realistic representation of Minecraft. Black and Momoa have developed a strong friendship during production, with both actors promoting the film together. A Minecraft Movie is scheduled to be released on April 4, 2025.

AppWizard

December 20, 2024

11 Bit Studios makes layoffs

Poland's 11 Bit Studios announced a restructuring that resulted in an undisclosed number of layoffs and the cancellation of Project 8, its first console-focused game, which began development in 2018 with a team of 37 staff members. The company invested approximately PLN 48.4 million (around .8 million) into Project 8. The decision to cancel the project was based on a comprehensive evaluation that identified several challenges, including disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. The president of the board, Przemysław Marszał, indicated that changing market conditions and revised sales forecasts raised doubts about the project's profitability, leading to the conclusion that further extensions of the production timeline and budget increases would be necessary.

BetaBeacon

December 13, 2024

Your O2 Android phone will now come with Epic Games Store preinstalled

Epic Games Store will be pre-installed on Android devices on the O2 network, offering popular titles like Fortnite and creating a more competitive ecosystem for Android gamers.

BetaBeacon

November 28, 2024

What happened after Plague Inc.? The dev’s next game looks to find out

After Inc. is a 4X strategy game that takes place after a worldwide zombie pandemic.

AppWizard

November 23, 2024

Minecraft trailer blue cube decoded: The mysterious symbols explained

MINECRAFT is set to have a film adaptation featuring Jack Black, with the trailer released on November 19, 2024. The movie, titled A Minecraft Movie, has a cast that includes Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa, and Danielle Brooks. The plot follows Jason's character and his friends as they enter the Overworld, a key setting in the Minecraft universe. Jack Black plays the character Steve, who is connected to mysterious blue cubes featured in the trailer. A Reddit user claims to have deciphered symbols on these cubes, revealing a message: “Iron, Gold, Stone, Gate, Head, Home,” which fans speculate may relate to instructions for Jack Black’s character. The film is scheduled for theatrical release on April 4, 2025, after several delays from its original date of May 24, 2019.

AppWizard

November 19, 2024

Minecraft enters real world with $110m global theme park deal

Minecraft is partnering with Merlin Entertainments to create physical attractions, including themed rides, hotels, and retail experiences, starting in the UK and the US. Merlin will invest over £85 million in the initial phase, with two attractions set to open in 2026 and 2027. The partnership, named “Adventures Made Real,” aims to expand to additional countries in the future. Minecraft has 140 million monthly players and is the best-selling video game of all time, having sold over 300 million copies since its launch in 2011. The game is also set to have a film release next April and an animated series on Netflix. In 2022, Merlin partnered with Sony Pictures to integrate the Jumanji franchise into its parks and expanded its collaboration with Peppa Pig. In 2019, a consortium led by the Lego family acquired Merlin for £6 billion.

AppWizard

November 14, 2024

NatWest blocks bevy of messenger apps on staff devices

NatWest Group has formally banned a range of messaging applications, including WhatsApp, Meta's Messenger, Skype, Telegram, Signal, Viber, Snapchat, Discord, WeChat, and Line, to enhance regulatory compliance and communication oversight. This ban, effective from November 6, applies only to company-issued devices and is aimed at protecting the bank and its stakeholders from regulatory complications. The prohibited apps are seen as lacking proper record recovery options, which could hinder compliance documentation. Employees are discouraged from using personal devices for business communication on these platforms. The decision comes amid increased regulatory scrutiny of banks' recordkeeping practices, highlighted by significant fines imposed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority is also looking into financial institutions' usage of encrypted messaging apps. Approved communication channels at NatWest include Microsoft Teams, Viva Engage, Zoom, Outlook, Symphony Chat, and SMS, all of which allow for record retrieval.