gaming industry Archives

AppWizard

May 31, 2025

One of the best puzzle games on Steam just got its first update in 11 years and is also verified for Steam Deck: ‘We couldn’t resist including some visual, aural, and input adjustments’

The Swapper is a sci-fi puzzle game originally launched in 2013 that involves cloning mechanics and explores themes of personal identity, presented in a unique Claymation art style. Recently, Facepalm Games released significant updates for the beta version of The Swapper on Steam, the first in over a decade, aimed at addressing bit rot and enhancing the game with visual, aural, and input adjustments. The updates include light dithering, improved depth of field, updated textures, and bump-map anti-aliasing for better visuals, as well as natural sound panning and louder text blips for improved audio. The update also fixed various bugs, including critical issues related to hidden terminals. The developers of The Swapper later created the successful roguelike Noita, and the game's writer contributed to The Talos Principle and its sequel.

AppWizard

May 31, 2025

Minecraft mobile revenue surges 44% following movie release

Mobile in-app purchases for Minecraft increased by 44% following the release of A Minecraft Movie. There was a 9% rise in active users on mobile platforms and a 41% increase on consoles. From January to mid-May 2025, daily active users for Minecraft on mobile fluctuated between 8.5 million and 10.5 million, with a peak above 10.5 million in early April. In April, Minecraft’s mobile revenue reached a three-year high of 9,000 in gross player spending. For Fallout, the release of the Fallout TV show led to a 77% rise in daily active users for Fallout Shelter and a 150% increase in in-app purchase revenue, reaching nearly 0,000 in daily mobile IAP revenue. Fallout 4 on PC saw daily unit sales peak at over 25,000 units. This engagement peak for Fallout titles occurred around mid-April and returned to baseline levels by July 2024.

AppWizard

May 30, 2025

Ready at Dawn and Ubisoft vets found new studio Atlantis

A new gaming venture, Atlantis Studio, has been formed by former employees from Ready at Dawn, Ubisoft, and Midgar Studio. It is led by Ru Weerasuriya, founder of Ready at Dawn, and writer Nico Augusto. Weerasuriya previously worked at Blizzard and was the studio head at Ready at Dawn until March 2025, after its acquisition by Meta. Atlantis Studio aims to create a collaborative environment for game development and will focus on titles for PC and console platforms using Unreal Engine 5.

AppWizard

May 29, 2025

I love that DOOM: The Dark Ages requires ray tracing, and I hope more games follow

DOOM: The Dark Ages requires a graphics card with ray tracing hardware, specifically at least an NVIDIA 20-series card, making older models like the GTX 1080 incompatible. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle also necessitates ray tracing capabilities, raising concerns about performance on existing hardware. Billy Khan from id Software stated that ray tracing significantly reduces game development time, allowing for real-time adjustments. Ray tracing has been part of the graphics card landscape for over seven years, with all current consoles supporting it. NVIDIA's latest RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 cards have faced driver issues affecting gameplay, while alternatives from AMD and Intel, as well as NVIDIA’s 30 and 40-series cards, can still provide good performance. Other studios, like 4A Games, have begun incorporating ray tracing into their development processes.

BetaBeacon

May 29, 2025

Microsoft Copilot for Gaming AI Game Assistant Enters Beta on Android, iOS

Microsoft has introduced the Copilot for Gaming beta, an AI companion designed to assist players in their video game endeavors. The tool allows players to ask for assistance, inquire about play history and achievements, receive game recommendations, and catch up on games they haven't played in a while. The beta is currently available on Android and Apple devices in specific regions, with plans to expand to Windows PCs in the future.

AppWizard

May 28, 2025

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time has sold half a million copies

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time has sold over 500,000 copies within three days of its launch. The game was released on multiple platforms, including PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch. It became the second highest grossing title on Steam, following Counter-Strike 2. Developer Level 5 expressed gratitude for the support and released a new illustration to celebrate the achievement.

BetaBeacon

May 28, 2025

Flappy Bird Returns to Android Without Crypto Elements Via Epic Games Store

- The original Flappy Bird game has been re-released on the Epic Games Store without any crypto features. - The new version includes enhanced features such as local leaderboards and achievement systems. - The return of Flappy Bird to the Epic Games Store signifies a shift in the Android gaming distribution landscape. - The creators of Flappy Bird are still considering incorporating crypto features in the future, but the current version is crypto-free. - Android users can currently only access the game on the Epic Games Store, with no information on availability on iOS or Google Play Store.

AppWizard

May 27, 2025

‘A Minecraft Movie’ Again Tops Weekly Fandango at Home Chart Through May 25

Minecraft is set to make its cinematic debut with a film adaptation that aims to capture the essence of the game while introducing a narrative appealing to both fans and newcomers. The film will explore themes of adventure, friendship, and imagination, featuring iconic elements from the game such as crafting, building, and exploring unique landscapes. A talented cast has been assembled, and visionary directors known for their work in animation and live-action films are involved in the project. The film seeks to set a new standard for video game adaptations by prioritizing narrative depth and character development. The release date of the film has not been disclosed.

AppWizard

May 27, 2025

Fantasy co-op roguelite action game LORT announced for PC

Big Distraction, a new studio formed by veterans of the AAA gaming industry, has announced its first project, LORT, a cooperative roguelite action game for up to eight players set in a cursed fantasy realm. The game is scheduled for release on PC via Steam in the fourth quarter of 2025. LORT allows players to engage in battles, loot treasures, and accumulate power-ups while working together or playing solo. Key features include customizable weapons, over 100 unique power-ups, challenging bosses, and the ability to shape gameplay experiences through selected ingredients and quests. An announcement trailer and screenshots are available for viewing.

AppWizard

May 23, 2025

Rokky acquires ChinaPlay store

PC distribution platform Rokky has acquired the Chinese storefront ChinaPlay. The financial details of the deal are undisclosed. ChinaPlay connects global developers with the Chinese gaming audience, which consists of approximately one million annual users. Rokky's co-founder and CEO, Vadim Andreev, highlighted the challenges global publishers face in accessing China's gaming market, noting that the acquisition aims to provide a direct route to China's 322 million PC gamers. Denis Glukhov, product lead at ChinaPlay, stated that the acquisition will enhance their presence in the Chinese market and improve connections between global publishers and Chinese gamers. Plans include expanding local forum presence, enhancing the loyalty program, and diversifying the catalog of publishers.