gratitude Archives

AppWizard

June 22, 2025

Jack Black riles up fanbase at Kids’ Choice Awards after viral Minecraft moment

Jack Black was honored with the King of Comedy award at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards for his contributions to comedy, including roles in Nacho Libre, Kung Fu Panda, and A Minecraft Movie. He also won the title of Favorite Movie Actor for his role in A Minecraft Movie. During his acceptance speech, he expressed gratitude to his fans and referenced his character Dewey Finn from School of Rock and his portrayal of Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. A notable moment of the evening included Black referencing a viral scene from A Minecraft Movie involving the phrase "chicken jockey." The Kids' Choice Awards featured nominees like Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, and Kendrick Lamar, with Jack Black, Dwayne Johnson, and Jelly Roll receiving three nominations each. Winners received Nickelodeon’s orange Blimp trophy and many attendees were covered in green slime.

AppWizard

June 21, 2025

Rematch surpasses 1 million players in its first day of full release

Sloclap's 5v5 soccer game Rematch attracted nearly 93,000 concurrent players on Steam during its launch day and welcomed one million unique players within its first 24 hours. The studio released a small update to enhance stability and performance, addressing crash issues and a desynchronization problem when the ball hit the goalpost. Some players are still experiencing difficulties, and Sloclap is encouraging feedback. The update does not include crossplay functionality, which is being worked on but faced technical complexities. A basic version of crossplay exists, but further implementation is needed. The update includes fixes for ball sync issues, reduced crash frequency after scoring, various stability improvements, and updates to matchmaking.

AppWizard

June 20, 2025

FBC: Firebreak patch aims to improve the game’s early hours, which ‘do not provide a good experience,’ Remedy admits

Remedy has acknowledged that FBC: Firebreak did not meet expectations but believes many issues are fixable. A recent patch introduces balance changes to improve gameplay, including making Lost Assets easier to locate and allowing new players to start at Clearance Level 3 for the introductory job, Hot Fix. The patch also includes significant overhauls to core systems, enhancing progression and rewards, with recalibrated unlockable costs and streamlined gear progression. New players can now begin at Clearance Level 3 for the first Job, and must complete a full three-zone run at CL3 to unlock subsequent Jobs. The Operational Requisition has been divided into two categories: Essentials and Expressions, allowing players to access essential gear without unlocking unrelated items. Balancing changes include reduced construction times for certain items, increased health for enemies, and improved accessibility for the Stapler Corrupted Item. Audio issues have been addressed, including missing sound effects and music transition problems. User interface corrections include XP level indicators and crash issues in the Loadout menu. Gameplay improvements involve enhanced haptic feedback and visibility for Lost Assets. Visual enhancements include performance improvements and updates to environmental elements.

AppWizard

June 17, 2025

Take-Two and NBA form new company as part of licensing extension

Take-Two has established a new entertainment entity called NBA Take-Two Media in collaboration with the NBA, aiming to provide diverse content for fans, including social media, live events, esports, and original programming. This initiative extends Take-Two's partnership with the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) related to the NBA 2K franchise and is set to last multiple years. Take-Two's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, while NBA Commissioner Adam Silver highlighted the importance of engaging a new generation of basketball fans through this venture.

AppWizard

June 17, 2025

Stellar Blade hits 3m sales

Stellar Blade has sold over three million copies as of June 16th, 2025. The game sold over one million copies within three days of its PC release on June 11th, 2025. It was first released on PlayStation 5 in April 2024. Stellar Blade has become Sony's largest single-player title on Steam in terms of concurrent players.

AppWizard

June 16, 2025

After all the anger and noise, Borderlands 4 isn’t $80 anyway but there’s a whopping expensive deluxe edition if you want to spend even more money on it

Preorders for Borderlands 4 have launched, with the base edition priced at £60/€70 on Steam, which is lower than expected. The Deluxe Edition is priced at £90/€100, and the Super Deluxe Edition at £120/€130. Randy Pitchford, CEO of Gearbox Software, encouraged fans to preorder due to the absence of a price increase. The Standard Edition is priced at £59.99, the Deluxe Edition includes additional content, and the Super Deluxe Edition offers the most extensive features. The pricing has received a positive reception from fans, although some gamers outside the US, UK, and EU find it high. The game quickly became a top-ten seller on Steam after preorders opened.

AppWizard

June 11, 2025

Sony laying off 30% of Bend Studio staff

PlayStation's Bend Studio has reduced its workforce by nearly one-third, affecting approximately 40 employees, following the cancellation of a live-service project and another service-based game. The studio employs around 130 individuals, and the layoffs were confirmed via social media. Bend Studio expressed gratitude towards the departing employees for their contributions. The studio is known for its title, Days Gone, released in 2019 for PlayStation 4 and in 2021 for PC.

AppWizard

June 11, 2025

Phil Rogers is Embracer Group’s next CEO

Phil Rogers will become the CEO of Embracer Group on August 1st, succeeding Lars Wingefors, who will transition to executive chair of the board in September. Rogers joined Embracer in 2022 and previously served as deputy CEO, leading Crystal Dynamics and Plaion. Kicki Wallje-Lund will take on the role of deputy chair. This leadership change follows the recent announcement of the spin-off of Coffee Stain into an independent entity.

AppWizard

June 11, 2025

SAG-AFTRA reaches “tentative” agreement with games companies

The SAG-AFTRA performers' union has reached a tentative agreement with major video game companies, including Activision, EA, and Epic Games, regarding its interactive media contract. This agreement is set for review and approval by SAG-AFTRA's board. Video game performers have been on strike since July 2024, advocating for protections related to artificial intelligence in game development. The agreement includes important A.I. guardrails to protect performers' interests. Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, emphasized the strength and resolve of the performers and noted that the progress achieved is a result of their collective efforts. The union plans to begin preparations for future negotiations following the ratification of this agreement.

AppWizard

June 3, 2025

Elden Ring: Nightreign hits 3.5m sales

Nightreign, a spin-off from the Elden Ring franchise, achieved sales of over 3.5 million copies within five days of its release. FromSoftware announced plans for downloadable content (DLC) later this year, a new duos mode, enhanced battles against existing Nightlords starting this month, and additional features for Duo Expeditions to be rolled out later.