gaming marketplace Archives

AppWizard

January 11, 2026

Steam Money Saving Tip Is Why PC Gamers Love It So Much

Steam is recognized for its effective pricing strategies, particularly appealing to budget-conscious gamers. The platform is known for frequent sales and giveaways, and it has introduced a feature that alerts users when a game they intend to buy is available at a lower price elsewhere. A user named FaffeJaffe shared an experience on Reddit where Steam suggested a better deal by purchasing a bundle that included both Receiver 2 and its predecessor, Receiver. This proactive approach enhances user satisfaction and reduces refund requests. However, some users have noted that the bundled price can sometimes be higher than purchasing the individual game. Competitors like PlayStation and Xbox do not typically offer similar pricing transparency, which can lead to cumbersome refund processes.

AppWizard

January 5, 2026

Hollow Knight Silksong wins Steam’s Game of the Year with a staggering 43 million votes from PC players

Hollow Knight Silksong won the Game of the Year at the 2025 Steam Awards, receiving 43.8 million votes. It also won the award for Best Game You Suck At. The game was released on September 4, 2025, and experienced significant traffic that caused outages on platforms like Steam and Xbox. It did not win the Game Awards' GOTY, which went to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Players can expect additional content with the upcoming Sea of Sorrow expansion. Other notable awards included Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for Best Soundtrack, Hades 2 as Best Game on Steam Deck, Silent Hill F for Outstanding Visual Style, and The Midnight Walk as VR Game of the Year. Team Cherry is also developing a new release for the Nintendo Switch 2. Baldur’s Gate 3 received the Labor of Love award.

AppWizard

November 7, 2025

“Of course, you must be on Steam. But Steam isn’t the entire world”: CEO of game distribution company says yes, some PC gamers prefer “local” stores to Valve’s mega-shop, and China is a huge factor

Steam is a dominant platform in digital PC gaming, but there are emerging local platforms in regions like China, Eastern Europe, and Latin America that are gaining trust and loyalty among gamers. Vadim Andreev, CEO of Rokky, highlights that while Steam is essential, it does not encompass the entire gaming market. A survey shows that 72% of game developers view Steam as a monopoly, sparking discussions about its classification. Andreev emphasizes the importance of exploring alternative distribution channels for global revenue. Meanwhile, Microsoft and Xbox aim to expand their presence in the gaming market, indicating a shift towards a more inclusive distribution approach.

AppWizard

October 26, 2025

China’s ByteDance reportedly building a Steam competitor — ‘GameTop’ for overseas markets will distribute and publish games like any other store, while harboring a social space with AI-assisted creator tools

Steam's dominance in the PC gaming market is being challenged by new platforms, including the upcoming "GameTop," a gaming marketplace being developed by ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. GameTop is aimed at overseas markets and is part of ByteDance's strategy to enhance its gaming division under new leadership. The initiative follows a shift from aggressive expansion to a focus on operational efficiency. There is an existing app named GameTop on the Google Play Store, which is unrelated to ByteDance. ByteDance has made progress in the Chinese gaming sector and is attempting to expand internationally, though it currently does not compete with Tencent, which has a significant stake in Epic Games.

AppWizard

September 12, 2025

GOG wants to revive more classic Japanese games on PC: ‘Working with Japanese partners often requires demonstrating both technical capability and cultural understanding’

GOG, formerly known as Good Old Games, is committed to game preservation and has been actively securing iconic titles for over a decade. Senior PR representative Piotr Gnyp highlighted the challenges of negotiations, citing that some can take years, such as the case with Diablo. GOG has successfully reintroduced Japanese classics like Silent Hill 4: The Room, early Metal Gear entries, and the original Castlevania and Contra games. They also negotiated with Capcom to re-release Dino Crisis and the first three Resident Evil games. In late 2024, GOG launched a preservation initiative that included the re-release of Breath of Fire 4. However, GOG faces challenges such as delisting games due to rights issues and external pressures advocating for the removal of specific titles. In response, GOG offered 13 adult-themed games for free to reinforce their commitment to game preservation. Gnyp emphasized the importance of preserving games as many disappear from distribution each year, which poses a risk to preservation efforts.

AppWizard

April 19, 2025

The Best PC Games Right Now (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.

BetaBeacon

February 24, 2025

Epic Games Expands Android Store And Academic Partnerships

Epic Games has launched the Epic Games Store for Android, expanding its gaming ecosystem outside of traditional platforms like the Google Play Store. The store initially opened with around 20 games and now boasts over 30 titles, including popular options like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Warface: GO. Android users can redeem key titles for free until March 20. Epic Games is also offering developers improved terms compared to other platforms and deepening ties with academia through partnerships like the Unreal Academic Partnership with the University of North Carolina Greensboro. This partnership aims to offer students cutting-edge curriculum grounded in real-world applications of Unreal Engine technology, preparing them for future innovation within the gaming industry.

AppWizard

October 8, 2024

24 years ago, Blizzard reportedly shot down a pitch to make its own version of Steam by turning Battle.net into “a digital store for a variety of PC games”

Blizzard Entertainment reportedly turned down an opportunity to transform its Battle.net launcher into a comprehensive PC gaming marketplace. Former Blizzard programmer Patrick Wyatt had proposed expanding Battle.net into a digital storefront as early as 2000, three years before Valve launched the Counter-Strike client, which became Steam. Other developers, like BioWare, have also expressed regret over missed opportunities in digital distribution.