creative freedom Archives

Winsage

May 29, 2025

Microsoft is ruining Windows customization

Customizing a Windows PC has become increasingly complex and frustrating due to several factors. Microsoft has introduced more locked-down UI elements with Windows 10 and 11, which complicates the customization process. Frequent and substantial updates alter UI elements and introduce new features, creating challenges for developers of customization tools to maintain compatibility. Microsoft has also removed certain legacy features that facilitated customization, limiting the capabilities of these applications. Additionally, some customization apps are labeled as malware, discouraging users from installing them and hindering the customization ecosystem. As a result, many users feel that the joy of customizing their Windows experience has diminished, as streamlined interfaces lack the flair and personality of earlier versions.

AppWizard

April 29, 2025

What can we expect from Minecraft 1.21.80 Update | Esports News – The Times of India

The 1.21.80 update for Minecraft introduces several quality-of-life improvements, including the Flat World Presets feature, which allows players to select templates for flat world creations such as "Redstone Ready," "Snowy Kingdom," and "Water World." This feature is accessible in the Advanced tab on the Create New World screen and enhances player customization. The update also upgrades Mojang's Realms service by adding server region preference settings, enabling players to choose the geographical location of their Realm and providing information about the active server region upon logging in. Additionally, the update aligns the random offset behavior of trees, plants, and environmental blocks between Bedrock and Java editions, promoting consistency across platforms. Various fixes are included, such as resolving a bug with the "invincible pet" mob and changing the use of fireworks for Elytra to prevent unintended activations.

AppWizard

April 17, 2025

Jared Hess Is Still a Sundance Guy: Why the Smash Hit ‘Minecraft Movie’ Feels a Little Like an Indie Film

Jared Hess, director of “A Minecraft Movie,” admires Robert Eggers’ reinterpretation of “Nosferatu” for its distinct personality and unexpected storytelling elements. Hess gained recognition with “Napoleon Dynamite” at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, which became successful through word-of-mouth. “A Minecraft Movie” has earned over million at the box office after three weekends, significantly surpassing “Napoleon Dynamite's” total earnings. Hess's children served as unofficial consultants during the film's development, contributing to its personal touch. Adapting “Minecraft” posed challenges due to its lack of a traditional narrative, but it also allowed for creative freedom, particularly with the character of Steve. The film was primarily shot in Auckland, New Zealand, and Hess emphasized collaboration with game developers to balance fidelity to the source material with innovative storytelling. Despite mixed critical reception, Hess maintains his comedic style focused on character and story, and he hopes for broader opportunities in Hollywood.

AppWizard

April 17, 2025

We called its first cyberpunk setting ‘cooler than Night City,’ and now the studio behind The Ascent says it’s making ‘the kind of game that every developer wants to work on’

Neon Giant, the Swedish developer known for the co-op shooter The Ascent, is working on a new first-person game that emphasizes "player agency" and creativity. The project features a distinctive aesthetic with retro technology and is described as "ludicrously ambitious." The studio, founded by a small team of over 20 individuals, aims to maintain its autonomy and creative freedom, ensuring that team members can contribute to the vision without traditional management constraints. Many staff members have prior experience in director roles at major studios. The new game is expected to focus on creating a believable and reactive world, moving towards immersive simulation. Further details and updates from Neon Giant are anticipated soon.

AppWizard

April 11, 2025

Zerat Games removes controversial visual novel from Steam

Developer Zerat Games has withdrawn its visual novel from the Steam platform to avoid complications with Valve, while defending the game's themes of incest and sexual violence as fetishes. The studio expressed understanding that some may find these themes disgusting but advocated for the exploration of desires without harm. The game's removal followed actions taken by Valve in the UK, Canada, and Australia, where UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the content as illegal and mentioned new regulatory measures being implemented. Zerat Games aims to promote dialogue on diverse expressions of human sexuality despite societal challenges.

Winsage

March 31, 2025

Expanding Copilot+ PC experiences across AMD, Intel and Snapdragon powered devices

Last year, Copilot+ PCs were introduced as the fastest, most intelligent, and secure Windows PCs. They have since integrated new silicon, devices, and AI experiences to enhance user interaction and productivity. New accessibility features include Live Captions, which provide real-time translations in English for audio and video content during virtual meetings and media playback, now available on AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs, with support for Simplified Chinese and translations from over 40 languages. Voice Access has also been updated to improve navigation through voice commands. AI-enabled creativity features are now available on AMD and Intel devices, including Cocreator in Paint, which allows users to create designs using text prompts and freehand drawing, and new tools in Photos for transforming images and creating visuals based on prompts. Some features will be available through the March 2025 Windows non-security preview update, requiring the November 2024 update. Features may vary by device and region, with updates continuing through 2025. Users can check for updates in Windows Settings.

AppWizard

March 31, 2025

Jason Momoa talks Minecraft movie mayhem, 5 all-time metal tracks, and a Dune 3 return

Jason Momoa stars in the upcoming film A Minecraft Movie, directed by Jared Hess. The film is an adaptation of the popular video game, which has sold over 300 million copies and has a monthly player base of more than 170 million. Momoa plays Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, a former video game champion navigating the Minecraft “Overworld.” He describes the filming experience as fun and different from his usual roles, emphasizing the creative freedom he had on set. The character's heavy metal look reflects Momoa's personal style and love for retro gaming. A Minecraft Movie is set to be released in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on April 4th.

AppWizard

March 9, 2025

Battlefield: Bad Company 2’s director had big plans for a third entry in the series, with your squad reuniting for an impossible mission amid a war between Russia and the US over Alaska

David Goldfarb, the director of Battlefield: Bad Company 2, has revealed that he has written initial pages of a script for a potential sequel, Bad Company 3. He shared a detail about a fictional store named "Adiosvidaniya," which reflects current geopolitical issues, particularly regarding Russia. Goldfarb confirmed that the story would continue from the cliffhanger in Bad Company 2, stating, “Russia won and partially took over Alaska.” He also acknowledged a fan theory about reuniting original characters for a mission, responding affirmatively. However, he clarified that his work on the script is a personal project and not a formal plan from DICE, stating that the studio never considered developing Bad Company 3. Goldfarb now leads his own studio, The Outsiders.

AppWizard

March 1, 2025

4A Games’ Ukrainian arm rebrands as Reburn

The Ukrainian branch of Metro developer 4A Games has rebranded as Reburn and is developing a new sci-fi narrative-driven shooter titled La Quimera, which will be self-published. Founded in Kyiv in 2006, 4A Games gained recognition for the Metro series and relocated to Malta in 2014 due to geopolitical issues. CEO Dmytro Lymar explained that the rebranding allows the studio to create a new brand for the new intellectual property while retaining the trademark for the Metro series. The name Reburn signifies renewal and rebirth. 4A Games clarified that the overall company has not undergone a rebranding and that the original team continues to work on the next Metro game.

AppWizard

February 22, 2025

A Skyrim dev broke the game before launch when they made thousands of tiny ants cast individual shadows: ‘Why is the game running so slow?’

Jeff Gardiner, a former producer at Bethesda, highlights the immersive experience in Bethesda's role-playing games, emphasizing the living world around players. After 15 years at Bethesda, he founded Something Wicked Games, the studio behind Wyrdsong. Gardiner recalls the creative freedom at Bethesda, which allowed developers to explore innovative ideas, enriching games like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls. However, this freedom sometimes led to challenges, such as performance issues caused by the addition of butterflies in Skyrim that followed flowers in the player's inventory and ants that inadvertently cast shadows, straining processing power. Gardiner appreciates these challenges as part of the creative journey, noting that Zenimax allowed Bethesda to set its own goals, fostering an environment of trust and autonomy essential for creativity.