figures Archives

AppWizard

May 21, 2025

Doom: The Dark Ages has hit three million players

Doom: The Dark Ages has attracted over three million players since its release, making it the largest launch in Id Software's history, according to Bethesda. The game reached this milestone seven times faster than its predecessor, Doom Eternal. More than two million players engaged with the game on Xbox, likely through Xbox Game Pass. It ranked as the second highest-grossing title on Steam during its launch week, behind Counter-Strike 2. Doom: The Dark Ages peaked at 31,470 concurrent players, while Doom Eternal had 104.9k concurrent players during its opening weekend. The launch of Doom Eternal coincided with COVID-19 lockdowns, which may have influenced player engagement.

Tech Optimizer

May 20, 2025

Running I/O intensive workloads on PostgreSQL with Amazon EBS io2 Block Express

Databases are essential for organizations, and their performance is critical to user experience and operational efficiency. AWS introduced Amazon Elastic Block Store (Amazon EBS) io2 Block Express in December 2020 to address performance issues related to storage latency during database operations. This solution enhances storage management for high-performance database servers, supporting up to 256,000 IOPS and 4,000 MiB/s throughput per volume, with a maximum volume size of 64 TiB and sub-millisecond disk I/O latency. A performance comparison was conducted between PostgreSQL databases on Amazon EBS gp3 and io2 Block Express, utilizing the HammerDB benchmarking tool. The analysis involved four tests: OLTP Load test, OLTP Stress test, OLAP Load test, and OLAP Stress test, using r5b.24xlarge EC2 instances. Results indicated that io2 Block Express outperformed gp3 by 2.08 times in transactions per minute (TPM) and provided significantly lower latency for both OLTP and OLAP workloads. Key differences between gp3 and io2 Block Express include durability, with io2 offering 99.999% durability compared to gp3's 99.8% – 99.9%. The maximum IOPS for gp3 is 16,000, while io2 supports up to 64,000 IOPS. Pricing for gp3 is approximately ,375.36/month, while io2 Block Express costs around ,408/month, reflecting its premium performance capabilities. In benchmarking tests, io2 Block Express demonstrated superior performance, achieving 3.95 times faster average performance than gp3 across all scenarios. It is particularly suitable for mission-critical applications requiring consistent sub-millisecond latency and high durability.

AppWizard

May 17, 2025

LEGO Minecraft Woodland Mansion Fighting Ring

The LEGO Minecraft Woodland Mansion Fighting Ring set is designed for children aged 10 and above and allows them to recreate battle scenes from the Minecraft video game. It features a functional fighting ring, score-keepers, a mansion facade, a removable chest, and a weapons rack. The set includes characters like Steve, Garrett, Henry, a baby zombie, a chicken jockey, and a great hog. It comes with interactive accessories such as weapons and potions, and the LEGO Builder app provides 3D instructions for building. The set is currently priced at £35.99, down from £44.99.

AppWizard

May 17, 2025

Tabletop Game Shop Simulator Announced For PC

Knight Fever Games, in collaboration with Ludogram, has announced Tabletop Game Shop Simulator, a digital board game store management simulator. Players can manage and expand their own game shop, design layouts, set prices, hire staff, collect and paint miniatures, and engage with the community through events. The game was announced at the Games Made in France event, but does not have a confirmed release date. Players will navigate supply and demand, manage finances, and aim to become a prominent part of the board gaming community.

AppWizard

May 16, 2025

Dead Island 2 is free to own this week on Epic Games Store

Dead Island 2 is available for free on the Epic Games Store until May 22nd. The game is praised for its pre-baked lighting and performance on PC, and it has been recognized for its graphics in 2023. Players report a smooth gameplay experience with minimal issues, and the game has made the Top 10 Best PC Graphics list. Initially, it did not support NVIDIA's DLSS but a free mod allows players to use DLSS instead of AMD's FSR. The game sold over one million copies in its first three days and surpassed two million by May 2023. There is speculation about a potential Dead Island 3, but no official announcements have been made.

AppWizard

May 15, 2025

Ubisoft reports massive dips in revenue and bookings for 2024/25

Ubisoft reported a revenue of €1.9 billion for the fiscal year ending March 2025, a 17.5% decrease from the previous year. Net bookings fell by 20.5% to €1.84 billion, while net bookings from the back catalogue dropped 13.5% to €1.3 billion. Despite these declines, the company generated positive free cash flow and completed its initial cost savings program ahead of schedule, with plans for an additional €100 million in savings over the next two years. The launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows was highlighted as a significant event for the company.

Winsage

May 15, 2025

3 reasons Windows 11 is the best advertisement Linux ever had

Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0 support for installation, creating compatibility issues for users with older hardware, even if the hardware is otherwise capable of running the OS. Many users are still on Windows 10 as the support deadline approaches, with some considering Linux as an alternative since it does not impose TPM 2.0 restrictions. Linux distributions can be installed on machines lacking TPM 2.0, allowing users to retain their existing hardware. Older CPUs, typically from Intel's 7th generation or earlier, are often incompatible with Windows 11 but can run Linux efficiently, sometimes improving application performance. Linux offers more customization and less bloat compared to Windows, appealing to users frustrated with Windows 11's limitations. The shift to Windows 11 has prompted some users to explore Linux as a viable alternative.

AppWizard

May 15, 2025

Why did the Colts delete their Minecraft schedule release video?

The Indianapolis Colts' 2025 NFL schedule release video, featuring Minecraft-inspired humor and jabs at league figures, was removed shortly after its debut. A notable joke involved a portrayal of a Tyreek Hill dolphin being "arrested" by the Coast Guard, which has led to speculation about the video's removal due to its controversial nature. The full video, including the dolphin joke, is still available online.

AppWizard

May 15, 2025

NFL schedule release: Colts delete their ‘Minecraft’-inspired video, after Chargers do exact same thing

The Indianapolis Colts and the Los Angeles Chargers both created "Minecraft" themed videos to roast their upcoming opponents during the NFL schedule release day. The Chargers have a history of using pop culture in their videos, while the Colts' similar approach led them to delete their video shortly after posting it, likely due to the resemblance to the Chargers' content. The Chargers' video included a disclaimer for using "Minecraft," which the Colts' version lacked, raising potential trademark concerns. The Colts later released a backup video featuring players guessing their opponents. Other teams, like the Los Angeles Rams and the New York Jets, also employed various creative strategies for the schedule release.

AppWizard

May 13, 2025

Google announces new security features for Android for protection against scam and theft

Google unveiled new security and privacy features for its Android platform, focusing on safeguarding calls, screen sharing, messages, device access, and system-level permissions. Key measures include blocking unsafe actions during calls with unknown contacts, restrictions on side-loading apps from unverified sources, and limiting accessibility permissions to prevent scams. Users on Android 6 or later will not be able to disable Google Play Protect, which scans for harmful applications. Enhanced screen-sharing protection includes reminders to stop sharing after calls and a warning screen for banking apps when sharing with unknown numbers. Google Messages will improve scam detection using on-device AI for various fraud types. Verification keys in the Google Contacts app will allow users to authenticate contacts, with end-to-end encryption for verified conversations. Identity Check protection requiring biometric authentication will be extended to more devices, and stricter controls on Factory Reset functions will be implemented. Google is also enhancing its Play Protect program to detect unsafe apps and strengthening Advanced Protection Mode for public figures, along with introducing a new Find My Hub feature.