missed opportunities Archives

AppWizard

April 24, 2025

Film Review: A Minecraft Movie

A Minecraft Movie, directed by Jared Hess and produced by Warner Bros., Legendary Pictures, and Vertigo Entertainment, is set to release on April 4, 2025. The film follows siblings Natalie and Henry as they navigate life in Chuglass after losing their parents. They encounter Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, a former video game champion, and inadvertently assemble the Orb of Dominance, leading them to miner Steve's cave entrance to the Overworld. They seek Steve's help to find a replacement Earth Crystal to return to reality while evading the piglin witch Malgosha. The film has five writers but struggles with subpar CGI and humor aimed at adults rather than its younger audience. It faces challenges in capturing the essence of Minecraft and connecting with its target demographic, with missed opportunities for engaging with the game's lore and prominent YouTubers.

AppWizard

April 14, 2025

“Video games franchises are now ripe for the picking” – why A Minecraft Movie could lead to games taking over Hollywood

A Minecraft Movie was projected to generate between million and million during its opening weekend in the United States but instead earned million and surpassed the 0 million mark globally by its second weekend. The film's success is attributed to its built-in audience, the popularity of Minecraft with over 300 million copies sold, and a star-studded cast including Jack Black and Jason Momoa. It was released in April 2025, strategically timed for spring break with no significant competition. The film's open-ended narrative appealed to both fans and newcomers, despite mixed reviews from critics. The success of video game adaptations, including the Mario movie, indicates a shift in how studios approach this genre, although experts caution that not all adaptations will succeed and emphasize the importance of respecting the source material.

AppWizard

April 9, 2025

Review: ‘A Minecraft Movie’ is unimaginative with an absurdist tone

“A Minecraft Movie” has received a review score of ★½. Critics have noted that the visual effects do not honor the original game's simplicity and instead adopt a disjointed half-realistic aesthetic. The dialogue is described as incoherent, and performances struggle to resonate. The film attempts to include recognizable elements from the game but feels like a collection of hastily assembled references. It features rapid-fire pop culture references and humor that quickly fades from memory, with poorly timed jokes. However, performances by Jack Black and Jason Momoa are enjoyable, and the animation includes well-choreographed action sequences. Overall, the film lacks depth and originality, failing to capture the essence of “Minecraft.”

AppWizard

October 29, 2024

Hands-on: Xbox’s “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” isn’t just shaping up to be a fantastic game, it might represent the Disney franchise’s future

Many gamers are skeptical of video game adaptations of established franchises due to a history of failures. Machine Games is developing a new title, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, scheduled for release on December 9, 2024, exclusively on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Windows PCs, with a PlayStation 5 version to follow in 2025. The game is set in 1937, between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, featuring historical antagonists like the Nazi regime. Players will control Indiana Jones as he investigates the theft of an ancient Egyptian burial vase with Marcus Brodie. The game emphasizes investigation and exploration, offering around 30 hours of gameplay filled with hidden objectives and challenging puzzles. It incorporates stealth mechanics and allows players to use everyday objects as weapons, with a focus on creativity and immersion. The demo showcased elements of dynamic gameplay and sound design reminiscent of the original films, although it had some graphical inconsistencies.

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.

AppWizard

October 8, 2024

Oof: Years before Steam, a Blizzard engineer wanted to turn Battle.net into a third-party game store, but was reportedly turned down

Blizzard Entertainment once considered transforming Battle.net into a third-party game store before Steam was launched, but ultimately rejected the idea. This decision raises questions about how the gaming ecosystem might have differed if Blizzard had pursued this path. The book also discusses the potential development of a StarCraft shooter and multiple rejected proposals for new real-time strategy games. It highlights the departure of key figures like O'Brien, Wyatt, and Jeff Strain in 2000 over creative differences related to Warcraft 3, which led to the founding of ArenaNet, known for the Guild Wars series. Jason Schreier's book, "Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment," is based on over 350 interviews and explores Blizzard's history and its impact on the gaming industry.

AppWizard

September 6, 2024

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, as this video shows, feels like a trial run for its inclusion in Hogwarts Legacy 2

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions may serve as a precursor to a sequel of Hogwarts Legacy, with the integration of Quidditch being likely due to the success of Hogwarts Legacy in 2023. The game introduces players to Quidditch through tutorials for different positions, features straightforward mechanics for scoring, allows for character customization, has a well-designed main menu, and performs well on older hardware. However, it suffers from overwhelming gameplay, cumbersome controls, varying enjoyment across roles, simplistic mechanics for the Seeker role, and may only appeal to dedicated fans. The game is priced at .99/£29.99 on Steam. Integrating Quidditch into a larger narrative in Hogwarts Legacy 2 could enhance player immersion and overall experience.

AppWizard

July 12, 2024

Manor Lords publisher doubles down on protecting devs as CEO says ‘developer sustainability’ is more important than ‘any perpetual growth’

Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender emphasizes developer sustainability by focusing on supporting developers financially and ensuring fair revenue sharing agreements. Bender believes that trust is crucial when choosing a publisher to work with.

Winsage

May 15, 2024

Microsoft’s quest for short-term $$$ is doing long-term damage to Windows, Surface, Xbox, and beyond

- Microsoft under CEO Satya Nadella has experienced a remarkable turnaround, focusing on artificial intelligence tools like Microsoft Copilot. - Despite the success in AI, there have been missed opportunities and strategic missteps, including the demise of Windows Phone and underinvestment in security measures. - Microsoft's hardware ventures like Surface and Windows Phone have faced setbacks, leading to skepticism about the future of these products. - The Xbox division at Microsoft is facing challenges due to corporate strategies focused on short-term financial gains, which could potentially undermine its momentum. - Microsoft's pattern of behavior, including rapid acquisitions and layoffs, has created a legacy of distrust among customers and industry insiders.