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Classic text adventure Zork is going open source, but I'm side-eyeing Microsoft's announcement about it hard
AppWizard
November 23, 2025

Classic text adventure Zork is going open source, but I’m side-eyeing Microsoft’s announcement about it hard

Microsoft has announced that the classic text adventure game Zork and its sequels are now available as open source software under the MIT License. This initiative follows Microsoft's acquisition of the Zork license through its purchase of Activision, which had previously acquired Infocom. The collaboration involves Microsoft, the Xbox Team, Activision, and digital archivist Jason Scott from the Internet Archive. Zork, Zork 2, and Zork 3 have been available on GitHub for several years, and Microsoft has officially submitted upstream pull requests to historical source repositories. The decision to make Zork open source highlights the game's celebrated writing and narrative depth.
I played communist Germany's only arcade cabinet and you can too, comrade
AppWizard
October 19, 2025

I played communist Germany’s only arcade cabinet and you can too, comrade

The Poly-Play is an arcade cabinet created in East Germany in 1985 by VEB Polytechnik Karl-Marx-Stadt, and it is the only arcade machine produced during the GDR's existence. It features a monitor from a German television and a cabinet made by a furniture maker. The machine is powered by the U880 microprocessor and offers eight games: Hirschjagd (Deer Hunt), Hase und Wolf (Hare and Wolf), Absfahrtslauf (Downhill), Schmetterlinge (Butterflies), Schießbude (Shooting Gallery), Autorennen (Motor Race), Merkspiel (Memory Game), and Wasserrohrbruch (Water Pipe Burst). Wasserrohrbruch was recognized as PC Gamer's Game of the Year for 1985. The Poly-Play was priced at 50 pfennigs, and children found a way to trick the machine into extending their playtime by inserting a single pfennig.
When Microsoft finally pulls the plug on Windows 10 its successor will be four years old, and for three of those, it was never the OS of choice amongst Steam users
Winsage
July 2, 2025

When Microsoft finally pulls the plug on Windows 10 its successor will be four years old, and for three of those, it was never the OS of choice amongst Steam users

Valve's hardware survey data shows that Windows 10 remains the dominant operating system among PC gamers, with a slow decline expected despite Microsoft's upcoming support cessation. Windows 11 has not surpassed 60% in any Steam survey sample, and its growth has been stagnant. Windows 7 currently holds a mere 0.1% share, and projections suggest it could take about 82 months for Windows 10 to reach that level if trends continue. Linux's share has increased from around 1% to over 2.5% in three years, while Windows 11's growth has only seen a 3.7x increase during the same period. The survey indicates that the launch of the Steam Deck has had a limited impact on Linux adoption.
A long-lost Duke Nukem prototype resurfaces after 24 years
AppWizard
June 6, 2025

A long-lost Duke Nukem prototype resurfaces after 24 years

The Duke Nukem franchise has seen a resurgence with the release of a prototype for the unreleased PlayStation 2 game, Duke Nukem: D-Day, developed by n-Space. This prototype, dating back to 2001, features twelve playable levels and has been made available on the Internet Archive. The game is described as "90% complete," though it lacks cutscenes and voicework. Players start in a strip club and engage in a time-traveling mission against the Third Reich and aliens. The controls are reminiscent of older gaming systems, and while the game framework is present, it lacks polish. To play the prototype, users need a PlayStation 2 with third-party software or an emulator like PCSX2. The game was in development until 2003, indicating that a more refined version may still exist.
I miss old PopCap like you miss old BioWare
AppWizard
April 27, 2025

I miss old PopCap like you miss old BioWare

From 2000 to 2010, PopCap Games dominated the casual gaming market, influencing the design of many subsequent mobile games. The studio's notable titles included Peggle Extreme, featured in Valve's The Orange Box, and Gyromancer, a collaboration with Square Enix. PopCap's games often drew inspiration from earlier concepts, such as Zuma from Puzz Loop and Bejeweled from the Russian game Shariki. After being acquired by Electronic Arts, PopCap shifted towards mobile and free-to-play models, leading to the decline of its original PC titles. Despite this change, the spirit of PopCap's creativity persists in the indie gaming scene, with games like Donut County and Peglin reflecting its innovative approach. Bookworm Adventures remains accessible through the Internet Archive, contributing to PopCap's lasting legacy.
A demo for a lost videogame based on George Orwell's 1984 has emerged from the memory hole
AppWizard
March 6, 2025

A demo for a lost videogame based on George Orwell’s 1984 has emerged from the memory hole

In the mid-1990s, MediaX, a US-based studio, conceptualized a video game titled Big Brother, inspired by George Orwell's 1984. Players would assume the role of Eric Blair, navigating a dystopian landscape with government installations to sabotage, across twelve levels filled with puzzles and challenges. The game was initially unveiled at E3 in 1998, with a planned release in September of that year, but faced delays and was ultimately canceled by 1999 or 2000 due to licensing issues. Despite its cancellation, a video showcasing its gameplay has been preserved by the Internet Archive. The game resembled a first-person adventure similar to Myst, with a graphical style like Quake, and included tasks such as locating tools and manipulating environmental elements. Another adaptation of 1984 is currently in development by the Narrative Designer behind games like Subnautica and Talos Principle.
George Orwell’s 1984 as a ‘90s PC game has to be seen to be believed
AppWizard
March 4, 2025

George Orwell’s 1984 as a ‘90s PC game has to be seen to be believed

The 1998 video game project Big Brother, based on George Orwell's 1984, was announced at E3 1998 and aimed to extend the narrative of Orwell's universe. It featured a new protagonist, Eric Blair, who was on a quest to find his missing fiancée, Emma, and was involved in a resistance movement against the Thought Police. Despite initial excitement and a demo, the game never reached full release and fell into obscurity. Recently, a demo of Big Brother has been recovered and made available on the Internet Archive. The game's last preview appeared in the December 1998 issue of Next Generation magazine, and the demo's narrative shifted focus from the missing fiancée to Eric's role in creating a diversion against the Thought Police.
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