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How a former NASA employee became the world's foremost author of videogame cookbooks: 'It can't look like you're eating a Pokémon'
AppWizard
November 9, 2025

How a former NASA employee became the world’s foremost author of videogame cookbooks: ‘It can’t look like you’re eating a Pokémon’

Victoria Rosenthal is a culinary author known for her video game-themed cookbooks, starting with her blog, Pixelated Provisions. Her notable work includes the 2018 release of "Fallout: The Vault Dweller's Official Cookbook," which established her reputation in the niche market. She creatively collaborates with lore authors to align recipes with game narratives, as seen in "God of War: The Official Cookbook of the Nine Realms" and "Halo: The Official Cookbook." Her project "My Pokémon Cookbook" focused on vegetarian dishes due to a restriction against resembling Pokémon. Since becoming a full-time cookbook writer in 2021, she has two new titles planned for 2025: "Guild Wars 2: Feasts of Tyria" and a second volume of "Final Fantasy 14" recipes. Rosenthal is interested in future projects involving franchises like "Yakuza: Like a Dragon" and "Baldur's Gate." She aims to inspire readers to embrace cooking, emphasizing that cooking can be made less intimidating, similar to leveling up skills in video games.
silver Android smartphone
AppWizard
November 9, 2025

How a former NASA employee became the world’s foremost author of videogame cookbooks: ‘It can’t look like you’re eating a Pokémon’

Victoria Rosenthal has created recipes inspired by video game universes for over a decade, starting with her blog, Pixelated Provisions, and leading to official cookbooks. Her first major success was "Fallout: The Vault Dweller's Official Cookbook," released in 2018. She has worked on various titles, including "God of War: The Official Cookbook of the Nine Realms" and "Halo: The Official Cookbook," where she introduced a character inspired by Anthony Bourdain. Rosenthal faced unique challenges with "My Pokémon Cookbook," which required vegetarian recipes that did not resemble Pokémon. Since 2021, she has focused on her blog and cookbooks, with two new books planned for 2025: "Guild Wars 2: Feasts of Tyria" and a second volume for "Final Fantasy 14." She aims to explore more gaming franchises, including the "Yakuza: Like a Dragon" series and titles from Larian Studios. Rosenthal has received positive feedback from parents whose children have been inspired to cook through her work.
I've been longing for the day this classic MMO brought back its strongest builds, and now, that day has come
AppWizard
October 29, 2025

I’ve been longing for the day this classic MMO brought back its strongest builds, and now, that day has come

The player began their journey in MMOs with Guild Wars 2, downloading it on a university MacBook and later reviewing the End of Dragons expansion in 2022. The game has evolved to offer shorter expansions, with the latest being Visions of Eternity, which introduces a magical island called Castora, featuring unique aquatic creatures and the Inquest's sinister plans. The expansion includes two new open-world maps, three mastery tracks, and nine elite specializations, including the return of the Paragon and Ritualist from Guild Wars 1. A new homestead map inspired by Castora is also introduced, featuring a ship and enhanced building mechanics based on player feedback. The Skimmer Mastery track allows players to engage enemies and find treasures, and a new legendary weapon, the aquabreather, is added. Visions of Eternity is available for .99 / £21.99, and system requirements for returning players are provided.
PC Gamer's Top 100 didn't have a single MMO in it this year—here are my 3 theories as to why we did that
AppWizard
October 23, 2025

PC Gamer’s Top 100 didn’t have a single MMO in it this year—here are my 3 theories as to why we did that

The top 100 games of 2025 list did not include any MMOs, such as World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy 14, Guild Wars 2, or Elder Scrolls Online. Despite the MMO genre thriving with updates and returning titles like City of Heroes, they require significant time investments, making them less appealing to gamers already engaged in other experiences. The scoring system for the list was updated to prioritize Freshness, which evaluates a game's uniqueness, leading to challenges for MMOs that often follow traditional formulas. As a result, many MMOs received low Freshness scores, contributing to their absence from the list.
RPGs make up more than 30% of PC Gamer's Top 100, so clearly we've settled on a favourite genre
AppWizard
October 21, 2025

RPGs make up more than 30% of PC Gamer’s Top 100, so clearly we’ve settled on a favourite genre

This week, the annual Top 100 games list was unveiled, created by over 30 writers and editors through extensive discussions and debates. The list features 31 RPGs, with six in the top 10, including Baldur's Gate 3, Disco Elysium, The Witcher 3, Crusader Kings 3, Caves of Qud, and Elden Ring. The RPG genre showcases remarkable diversity, encompassing classic CRPGs, ARPGs, JRPGs, roguelikes, soul-likes, immersive sims, deck builders, and unique titles like one featuring a flawed cop with a chatty necktie. RPGs offer players agency through character builds and exploration, distinguishing them from passive entertainment. Notably, no MMORPGs are included in this year's list, indicating a shift towards games that do not require constant attention, as seen with the inclusion of Diablo 2 but not Diablo 4. This reflects a broader gamer sentiment for meaningful engagement without ongoing commitments.
Promising MMORPG from WoW and Blizzard veterans faces shutdown just as it was starting to win me over
AppWizard
October 10, 2025

Promising MMORPG from WoW and Blizzard veterans faces shutdown just as it was starting to win me over

Greg Street, head of Fantastic Pixel Castle, announced that their MMO, Ghost, is at risk due to the nearing end of their publishing agreement with NetEase Games. He highlighted the urgency of finding a new publisher to prevent the studio's closure. Despite significant interest in Ghost, Street acknowledged the challenges of competing in the MMORPG market against established titles. He reassured the team that they are exploring alternative funding options and thanked the community for their support. Street outlined two backup plans: a scaled-down version of Ghost requiring half the budget and a potential collaboration with his team on other projects.
The best MMOs and MMORPGs 2025
AppWizard
October 7, 2025

The best MMOs and MMORPGs 2025

Gaming serves as a refuge, a means to connect with others, and a way to forge friendships, particularly through MMOs and MMORPGs. These genres offer expansive realms filled with adventure and the opportunity to interact with fellow gamers. 1. Old School Runescape: Features a skill cap of 99 for all abilities, has a vibrant community, and the recent Varlamore expansion has attracted record player counts. 2. World of Warcraft: Known for its continuous evolution and the latest expansion, "The War Within," which makes the game more accessible for players with limited time. 3. Final Fantasy 14: Transformed from a lackluster launch to a beloved MMORPG, praised for its epic tales and the recent "Dawntrail" expansion. 4. Destiny 2: Offers immersive gameplay and narrative, with the recent "Edge of Fate" expansion improving the onboarding experience for newcomers. 5. Guild Wars 2: Features a horizontal gear progression system and episodic updates, with the upcoming "Visions of Eternity" expansion promising new content. 6. Elder Scrolls Online: Allows players to explore Tamriel's landscapes and engage in combat, with ongoing expansions and content updates. 7. Albion Online: Combines crafting, farming, and PvP action, with the recent "Abyssal Depths" update enhancing PvP elements. 8. Dune Awakening: An MMO-survival hybrid set in an alternate timeline of Arrakis, with the recent "Lost Harvest" DLC adding new cosmetic options. 9. Black Desert Online: Known for stunning visuals and fluid combat, offering a diverse array of classes but can be daunting for newcomers. 10. Lost Ark: Players recover relics in a beautifully crafted world, with recent updates streamlining the onboarding process. 11. Star Wars The Old Republic: Set in the Star Wars universe, featuring various classes and regular updates to keep content fresh. 12. Lord of the Rings Online: Immerses players in Middle-earth with quests and expansions, despite aging graphics. 13. Eve Online: Renowned for its player-driven economy and intricate narratives, featuring massive space battles. 14. New World Aeternum: Blends sandbox survival with RPG mechanics, encouraging character development and exploration. 15. Palia: Focuses on gardening, decorating, and community-building, with recent updates expanding features. Upcoming titles include Chrono Odyssey, promising time-based combat, and Ashes of Creation, currently in playtesting.
Summer Game Fest 2025 preview: The big games and developers to expect at Friday's livestream
AppWizard
June 5, 2025

Summer Game Fest 2025 preview: The big games and developers to expect at Friday’s livestream

E3 has transitioned into the Summer Game Fest, led by Geoff Keighley, featuring a livestream on June 6 at 2 pm Pacific on YouTube. New developers include Raw Power Games, working on a medieval sandbox game, and Soft Rains, developing a sci-fi action game. Big studios like 505 Games, 2K Games, Bandai Namco, Capcom, CD Projekt, Embark, IO Interactive, Square Enix, Techland, Xbox, PlayStation, Epic Games, Pearl Abyss, and Sega are expected to showcase new titles or updates. Additional partners include 1047 Games, Amazon Games, Annapurna Interactive, Atari, Bellring Games, Blumhouse Games, Coffee Stain, Devolver Digital, Dotemu, Dreamhaven, Enhance, Focus Entertainment, Frontier, Funcom, iam8bit Presents, Kakao Games, Kinetic Games, Kuro Games, Level Infinite, Magic the Gathering, Megabit, Meta Quest, Mundfish, NCSoft, Nekki, Neowiz, Netmarble, Niantic, Nintendo Switch 2, Nuverse, Playstack, PlaySide, PM Studios, Razer, Supermassive Games, Xsolla, and Yacht Club Games. An "intense body horror" game titled ILL and beta access to Soulframe will also be featured, with Hideo Kojima confirmed to attend.
With Throne and Liberty, can Amazon finally make Amazon Games happen?
AppWizard
October 12, 2024

With Throne and Liberty, can Amazon finally make Amazon Games happen?

Throne and Liberty is a free-to-play MMORPG developed by NCSoft and published by Amazon Games, available on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The game features impressive graphics that stand out on higher settings, providing a vibrant and immersive fantasy world. The character creator offers extensive customization options, including preset faces and hairstyles, although the current lack of equipment variety in endgame content may limit character curation. The game's narrative follows a conventional "chosen one" arc with an underdeveloped storyline and lacks memorable characters. Throne and Liberty may appeal to players seeking a grind-heavy, guild-based PvP experience, but those looking for richer storytelling might consider alternatives. Amazon Games has a troubled history in game publishing, with previous titles like New World and Lost Ark experiencing varying levels of success. Throne and Liberty launched on October 1, 2024, achieving a peak of over 333,000 players. The game has modest hardware requirements, running on lower settings with an Intel Core i5-7700 and Nvidia GeForce GTX960, while optimal performance is suggested with an Intel Core i5-11600K and Nvidia GeForce GTX1660. Console players require only 40GB of available storage.
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