digital storefronts

AppWizard
April 19, 2025
PC gaming in 2025 features a mix of innovative remasters, indie titles, and new intellectual properties, providing a wide range of experiences for gamers. The most played games on Steam include Counter-Strike 2, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, and Dota 2, with Counter-Strike 2 leading in player engagement due to its esports scene. Notable new releases include Blue Prince, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, and Promise Mascot Agency. Other popular games outside Steam are Minecraft, Fortnite, and Valorant. Genre-specific leaders include South of Midnight for action, Myst (Remastered) for adventure, and Street Fighter 6 for fighting. Upcoming anticipated titles include Grand Theft Auto 6 and Elden Ring: Nightreign. Trends in 2025 highlight esports engagement, indie innovation, purposeful remakes, and cinematic storytelling. Last Epoch's Season 2 update has revitalized player interest with new content and enhancements. The year 2019 was significant for PC gaming, with acclaimed titles like Resident Evil 2, Control, and Disco Elysium, and marked by the influence of digital distribution platforms.
AppWizard
April 18, 2025
PC game publishers are seeking innovative revenue enhancement methods and new audience engagement. Rokky, founded in 2009, has grown from five to around 60 employees and offers a distribution platform that connects game publishers with various digital storefronts, focusing on markets outside Europe. The company collaborates with publishers for content and engages stores for sales, easing the burden on publishers managing multiple relationships. Rokky highlights the potential of untapped markets in China and Asia, where traditional advertising is restricted. They have established connections with local marketing agencies and influencers to navigate these challenges. Andreev advises leveraging influencer partnerships for marketing in China, emphasizing the importance of social media. The grey market poses challenges for publishers, where game keys are resold at inflated prices across regions. Rokky suggests region-locking keys and adjusting pricing strategies based on local economic conditions to mitigate revenue loss from cross-border sales. Andreev envisions a future shift towards seamless activation processes, moving away from traditional key-selling methods to instant activation upon purchase, enhancing the user experience.
AppWizard
March 25, 2025
Microsoft is reportedly considering a new Xbox model that may function more like a personal computer, allowing access to various digital storefronts such as Steam and the Epic Games Store. A leaked user interface from the Game Developers Conference supports this idea. If true, this could enable gamers to play Sony titles like God of War Ragnarok and The Last of Us 2 on an Xbox device. However, this model would challenge Microsoft's traditional console business strategy, as it could lead to revenue sharing with companies like Epic and Valve. Opinions in the gaming community are mixed regarding whether Sony would block its games from being played on this new Xbox platform.
AppWizard
March 24, 2025
Microsoft has faced criticism from the PC gaming community due to frequent Windows updates causing crashes and altering features. The Universal Windows Platform (UWP), introduced in the mid-2010s to unify operating systems, faced backlash from gamers for restricting access to game files and complicating third-party software use. Many developers bypassed UWP, leading Microsoft to reintroduce Win32 games by 2019. DirectX 10 was exclusive to Windows Vista, resulting in only 87 games being developed for it due to the unpopularity of Vista and lack of backward compatibility. Games for Windows Live (GFWL) aimed to bring Xbox Live to PC but became frustrating due to its closed ecosystem, leading to accessibility issues and unplayable titles after server shutdowns. Microsoft has since improved the gaming experience on Windows, focusing on user choice and compatibility, with features like Auto HDR and DirectStorage integrated into Windows 11.
Winsage
March 12, 2025
CodeWeavers has released CrossOver 25, enhancing the gaming experience for Mac users by expanding support for games from digital storefronts like GOG Galaxy and the Epic Games Store. The update includes Wine 10.0, Wine Mono 9.4.0, vkd3d 1.14, MoltenVK 1.2.10, and D3DMetal 2.1, improving compatibility and performance. D3DMetal 2.1 enhances performance for major titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and adds support for The Last of Us: Part 1, along with other DirectX 11 games. The introduction of DXMT allows for running DirectX 11 titles on macOS, with reported performance improvements for lower-spec Macs. CrossOver 25 launches Steam faster and simplifies the setup process, featuring a new configuration system that optimizes graphics settings automatically. It can also enable AVX for titles requiring specific settings to run on Apple Silicon. CrossOver 25 is available for purchase, including a 12-month support option, while CrossOver Life offers a long-term solution for gamers.
TrendTechie
February 22, 2025
1. **Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game** was removed from digital storefronts in 2014 due to copyright issues and remained inaccessible until a re-release was announced by Ubisoft in 2020. 2. **P.T.**, an interactive teaser for Silent Hill, was removed from the PlayStation Network after its cancellation by Konami, making it unplayable for those who had downloaded it, with access only for those who had not deleted it. 3. **Tekken Revolution**, a free-to-play game released in 2013, had its servers shut down in 2016, rendering it unplayable. 4. **Battlefield Heroes** was closed down after becoming inundated with pay-to-win elements, despite attempts by fans to create private servers. 5. **Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII**, released in 2004 for Japanese mobile phones, was shut down in 2018, and Square Enix stated that the original code has been lost, making it a complete loss.
AppWizard
February 6, 2025
CD Projekt Red is known for its role-playing games, particularly The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, and owns the DRM-free platform Good Old Games (GOG). GOG recently added Dino Crisis 1 and 2, which received modern enhancements like 4K support. The platform launched the Dreamlist feature, allowing users to suggest games for addition, with over 3,000 suggestions received. Popular requests include the Fable series and Black & White games, which are only available in physical formats. The Fable franchise is seeing renewed interest due to an upcoming reboot. Command and Conquer: The Ultimate Collection and Resident Evil CODE: Veronica X are also highly requested on the Dreamlist. Additionally, there is a strong desire for a DRM-free version of the original Diablo 2. The Dreamlist reflects the community's enthusiasm for reviving classic games, although some titles may present technical challenges for GOG.
TrendTechie
February 4, 2025
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was released on PC on January 30th after being a PlayStation 5 exclusive for over a year. It is available for purchase on digital storefronts like Steam and the Epic Games Store. The PC version features enhancements such as ray tracing support, high graphical settings, DLSS and FSR, 4K resolution support, ultra-wide monitor adaptation, and official Russian voice acting and subtitles. The standard edition is priced at €60 (approximately 6,150 rubles), and the expanded edition is €70 (around 7,200 rubles). Reports of the game being leaked on torrent sites emerged within half an hour of its release. Specific system requirements for optimal performance have not yet been disclosed.
AppWizard
February 4, 2025
Samsung has launched the Galaxy S25 series, making Google Messages the default messaging application and retiring the Samsung Messages app. Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra users will only have access to Google Messages, unlike previous models that allowed the option to use Samsung Messages. Existing Samsung Messages users can still use the app if it was installed prior to its removal from stores, but it is no longer available for download, raising concerns about future support and security. A Samsung spokesperson confirmed the decision to transition to Google Messages, citing improved Rich Communication Services (RCS) functionality. The response from users has been mixed, with some expressing dissatisfaction about the enforced switch. This change marks a trend towards standardization in the Android messaging ecosystem.
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