marketing campaign Archives

AppWizard

December 29, 2025

“Triple-A is in crisis” and games “don’t have staying power because they’re bad,” says ex Gears of War director and Painkiller creator

Adrian Chmielarz, founder of Astronauts and People Can Fly, discusses the current state of the gaming industry, noting that 2025 is expected to be significant as indie and double-A games gain prominence. This year's Game of the Year nominations highlighted a balance between indie titles and high-budget games, with Metacritic's top-rated games including Hades 2, Expedition 33, and Blue Prince. Chmielarz emphasizes the rise of double-A games, attributing it to changes in the industry that allow developers to bypass traditional publishers due to platforms like Steam. He points out challenges for new releases in maintaining visibility, citing Theorycraft Games’ Supervive as an example of a quality game that struggled to stand out. Chmielarz also notes a lack of immersive single-player shooters in the market and criticizes the focus on gunplay over atmosphere in many indie games. He expresses enthusiasm for Witchfire's dark fantasy aesthetic and its emphasis on fun gameplay.

AppWizard

December 24, 2025

Star Citizen’s stunning single-player spinoff is “over 40 hours” long and now “fully playable from beginning to end”

Star Citizen has surpassed a budget of 5 million, according to Cloud Imperium Games' crowdfunding tracker. Squadron 42, a single-player spinoff, is now playable from start to finish with a runtime exceeding 40 hours. The game features first-person shooter combat, exploration, and space battles, and includes a cast of renowned actors such as Gary Oldman, Gillian Anderson, Mark Hamill, and Henry Cavill. Extended gameplay footage was unveiled at CitizenCon, and the release date is set for 2026. Chris Roberts, the studio's head, confirmed that all chapters are fully playable and emphasized the game's quality and innovative technology for seamless transitions between exploration and space travel. The beta phase may arrive unexpectedly in the coming year, and there are plans for ongoing innovations in Star Citizen, with potential funding reaching the billion mark.

AppWizard

November 12, 2025

Phil Spencer reminds everyone that Xbox is ‘one of the largest publishers on Steam’ as he congratulates Valve on its new hardware with all the enthusiasm of a man paying his taxes

Valve has unveiled a new lineup of hardware, including the Steam Controller, Steam Frame VR headset, and the Steam Machine, which aims to integrate Steam libraries into living rooms. Phil Spencer from Microsoft praised Valve's initiative, emphasizing the importance of expanding access across devices. There are concerns about the future of Xbox, with remarks suggesting uncertainty about next-generation console ambitions. Industry observers note a shift in consumer perception, with some feeling there is no reason to buy an Xbox again. The Steam Machine will bring an entire Steam library into the living room and is set to launch in 2026, a year ahead of Microsoft's new console hardware in 2027. Valve's pricing strategy for the Steam Machine has yet to be disclosed.

AppWizard

October 23, 2025

Experts predict AI may disrupt the App ecosystem, and this might be a good thing

Generative AI is set to redefine smartphone app interactions, becoming a central feature that curates personalized user experiences. Strategic partnerships between AI platforms and service providers are expected to increase over the next five years. Companies effectively leveraging AI will thrive, while those resisting it may face challenges. The app ecosystem is on the verge of transformation, with questions about how AI will select appropriate apps for tasks based on user history and performance metrics. App developers may resist this shift, aiming to maintain control over user engagement and brand identity.

AppWizard

October 15, 2025

The ROG Xbox Ally X Makes Me Want to Play More PC Games

The ROG Xbox Ally X scores 8.1 out of 10 and is a portable Windows gaming system with Xbox branding. It supports a broader library of games than competitors like the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch, offers excellent performance for lightweight games, and features responsive controls and comfortable grips. However, it is priced at ,000, lacks HDR support, has a buggy interface, and does not include a protective case. There are two models available: the ,000 Ally X and a 0 base model with lower specifications. The design includes enhancements for comfort but complicates access to some buttons. Windows performance is inconsistent, and gaming performance varies, with lightweight titles running well while demanding games may need graphics adjustments. Battery life averages around three hours.

AppWizard

September 29, 2025

Arattai tops App Store social networking chart: What Zoho’s messaging platform offers, is it free| FAQs Explained

India's messaging platform Arattai has reached the top of the Social Networking category on the App Store, experiencing an increase in daily sign-ups from 3,000 to 350,000 in three days. Launched in January 2021 by Zoho Corporation, Arattai offers a secure, Indian-made alternative to WhatsApp, aligning with the government's self-reliance initiative. It has received endorsements from figures like Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who praised it as free, easy-to-use, and secure. Zoho's co-founder announced infrastructure enhancements to accommodate potential user surges. Arattai allows users to send messages, make calls, and share media across multiple devices, and is free to use. Currently, it does not support importing chats from other apps.

AppWizard

September 4, 2025

Russia promotes ‘national messenger’ to vanquish WhatsApp in fresh crackdown

Russian government minister Maksut Shadayev expressed concerns to President Vladimir Putin about foreign messaging apps like WhatsApp and proposed creating a "fully Russian messenger." Putin supported this idea and signed a law establishing a national messenger service, granting the status to the app Max, developed by VKontakte (VK). Roskomnadzor has begun restricting services like Telegram and WhatsApp due to their involvement in harmful activities, marking a significant effort to limit online freedoms since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Digital rights activists worry Max could facilitate government surveillance as it lacks end-to-end encryption, allowing data storage on VK's servers and sharing with law enforcement. Max's user base grew from 1 million to 30 million following a marketing campaign, and schools are now required to use it for official communications. Putin's administration is working to limit software from countries deemed unfriendly, putting WhatsApp's future in Russia in jeopardy. The status of Telegram remains uncertain, as the state has previously attempted to ban it but now utilizes it for communication. Recent legislation has criminalized searching for "extremist materials" and mandated migrant workers to install a surveillance app.

Winsage

August 27, 2025

Happy birthday Windows 95: the system that changed PCs forever!

On August 24, 2025, the 30th anniversary of Windows 95 was marked. Windows 95 was Microsoft’s first mass-market 32-bit consumer operating system, which sold one million copies in the first four days and approximately 40 million within a year. It aimed to unify MS-DOS and Windows into a single user experience with low minimum requirements: a 386DX processor, 4 MB of RAM, and 50-55 MB of disk space. Key innovations included the Start button, a unified interface, a full 32-bit Win32 API, and multitasking support for software from three generations. Official support for Windows 95 ended in December 2001, but its influence persists in modern operating systems. The launch featured the Rolling Stones’ song “Start Me Up,” which became iconic in tech marketing, despite initial challenges in securing the rights. The advertising campaign included celebrity appearances and contributed to Windows 95's cultural phenomenon status.