entertainment Archives

AppWizard

August 13, 2025

Net sales down 15.2% at Square Enix

Square Enix reported a 15.2 percent decline in net sales for the quarter ending June 2025, with revenue at Y59.3 billion (approximately 2 million). The digital entertainment segment saw net sales drop to Y32.9 billion (3.6 million), a 25 percent year-on-year decline, while the HD games sector experienced a 27.6 percent decrease to Y8.9 billion (.4 million). Despite the sales challenges, operating profit surged to Y1 billion (.7 million), a 1,900 percent increase from last year's Y50 million (approximately 0,000). The MMO segment also faced a 23.2 percent decline in net sales, totaling Y9.6 billion (.2 million). Square Enix noted a lack of comparable new releases this year to stimulate sales growth.

BetaBeacon

August 13, 2025

22 Best Tower Defense Games To Strategize Your Way Through In 2025

- Defense Grid: The Awakening was developed by Hidden Path Entertainment and released on December 8, 2008 for Xbox 360 and PC. - The game is considered a standout in the tower defense genre, offering engaging gameplay and strategic depth. - It features a main storyline with up to eight hours of gameplay, new tower upgrades and types, and 20 distinct maps with various enemy types. - Defense Grid: The Awakening continues to impress players over a decade after its release, remaining a must-play for fans of the genre.

AppWizard

August 12, 2025

Tourism New Zealand Launches AI Trip Planner with Minecraft Integration to Inspire Global Travellers

Travellers can use an AI trip planner powered by GuideGeek technology on newzealand.com, which provides real-time answers to travel inquiries and connects to a fully playable Minecraft destination created by Tourism New Zealand. The AI offers personalized travel tips based on individual interests and integrates data from over 1,000 travel information sources. The Minecraft collaboration features digital recreations of New Zealand locations, enhancing engagement and curiosity about actual sites. Since its launch in late 2024, the AI has attracted around 200,000 unique users, who engage 600% more than average visitors. The initiative promotes New Zealand's cultural heritage through collaboration with Māori groups and local businesses, supporting both popular and lesser-known destinations. Future enhancements for the AI tool may include voice assistance and itinerary sharing.

AppWizard

August 12, 2025

Waze is dropping support for older Android versions

Waze will stop providing updates for devices running Android 9 Pie or earlier, with the latest beta version requiring a minimum of Android 10 for installation. This change affects users with older tablets and in-car entertainment systems. Existing users can still use core functionalities of the app, but new features will not be available. Google Maps remains an alternative for those unable to upgrade, as it supports all systems beyond Android 8 Oreo.

AppWizard

August 12, 2025

Remedy revenue up 63.5% despite Firebreak underperforming

Remedy Entertainment reported a 63.5% increase in revenue for the second quarter, totaling €16.9 million, due to increased game sales, royalties, and reduced development costs. The CEO, Tero Virtala, noted that the new title FBC: Firebreak contributed significantly to this growth, supported by minimum guarantees from Microsoft and PlayStation. However, the game has not met expectations on the Steam platform, with most players engaging on PlayStation and Xbox. Remedy is committed to improving the game based on player feedback and has started rolling out patches for ongoing development.

AppWizard

August 12, 2025

Android Auto users could soon get a significant upgrade making it easier to use

The code for Android Auto contains support for up to seven app columns, an enhancement that is not yet available to users but suggests potential future improvements to the user interface. Currently, the app tray accommodates up to five columns, which can vary based on the vehicle's screen size. Google has been updating Android Auto while maintaining its existing framework, and the anticipated increase in app columns may cater to the evolving design of in-car displays. Additionally, Google Assistant will transition to the new Gemini system, allowing hands-free app access through voice commands.

AppWizard

August 11, 2025

Rod Fergusson is leaving Blizzard

Rod Fergusson, the general manager of the Diablo franchise, has announced his departure from Blizzard Entertainment. He joined Blizzard in February 2020 after over 15 years with the Gears of War franchise. Fergusson expressed fulfillment in his time at Blizzard, having driven the Diablo franchise forward with four major launches. Xbox head Phil Spencer acknowledged Fergusson's contributions to the franchise. The future leadership of the Diablo franchise at Blizzard remains uncertain.

AppWizard

August 11, 2025

Sega’s games business reports 13% dip in sales

Sega reported a 13 percent decrease in sales for the first quarter of its fiscal year, with the Consumer segment generating ¥44.6 billion, down from ¥51.3 billion the previous year. The operating income for the gaming division dropped 66 percent from ¥8.9 billion to ¥5.2 billion. Sales of new games declined by 33 percent from ¥3.9 billion to ¥2.6 billion, while catalogue sales decreased by 21.4 percent from ¥11.2 billion to ¥8.8 billion. Sega Sammy, the parent company, experienced a 22.7 percent decline in net sales, totaling ¥81 billion for the quarter.

BetaBeacon

August 10, 2025

8 forgotten Android classics I still play today

Dead Trigger is a single-player, story-driven first-person zombie shooter game that offers a fairly pure experience without pushing micro-transactions for upgrades. The game was optimized for Tegra chipsets and had stunning graphics for its time. It remains playable despite looking a bit dated and offers bite-sized missions for players.

AppWizard

August 9, 2025

Blizzard’s ex-CEO says Battlefield 6 will “boot stomp” Call of Duty this year because the franchise has “gone downhill” — calls it a victory for players as COD “won’t be lazy” anymore

Mike Ybarra, former president of Blizzard Entertainment, expressed on social media that he believes "Battlefield will boot stomp CoD this year," suggesting that the competition will push Call of Duty to improve. Battlefield 6 is taking a back-to-basics approach and has shown strong interest with over 250,000 players in its open beta. Critics have noted Ybarra's bias against Call of Duty, which is now owned by Microsoft, and pointed out that despite criticisms, Call of Duty has outsold Battlefield 1. Ybarra described Call of Duty as "a mess," citing issues like cheating and large installation sizes. Battlefield 6 is set to release on October 6 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with modest hardware requirements and a default 60 FPS mode on Series S consoles.