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AppWizard

December 24, 2024

Steam’s Best of the Year highlights the top-selling and most-played games of 2024

Steam's annual Best of The Year feature for 2024 showcases top-selling games organized into categories: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The Platinum category includes standout releases such as Space Marine 2, Helldivers 2, Black Myth: Wukong, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Elden Ring, and Baldur's Gate 3. Free-to-play titles like Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends, and Destiny 2 also contribute to this group. Cyberpunk 2077 has made a comeback in the Gold category with a Very Positive rating. The Silver group features Dragon's Dogma 2, Diablo IV, and Stalker 2, which sold a million units within two days of its launch. The Bronze category includes budget-friendly titles like Balatro, Silent Hill 2, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and No Man's Sky. Every game from last year's Platinum category is present in 2024, except for Starfield. Steam tracks peak concurrent players, with titles like Black Myth, Elden Ring, and Path of Exile 2 reaching 450,000 or more players. Popular Steam Deck games include Balatro, Dave the Diver, and Hades, while new releases like Manor Lords and Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero are in the Platinum section.

AppWizard

December 23, 2024

Steam Replay is back, giving you a fresh look at what you’ve been playing in 2024

Steam Replay 2024 provides gamers with a personalized overview of their gaming habits over the past year, featuring statistics such as achievements unlocked, total games played, and longest gaming streaks. The year 2024 has seen notable game releases, including Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Helldivers 2, Balatro, and Hades 2, alongside enduring titles like Counter-Strike 2 and Call of Duty. Users can choose to share or keep their gaming statistics private. A significant trend revealed by Steam Replay is that only 15% of total playtime was spent on new releases in 2024, highlighting the continued popularity of classic games like DOTA 2, GTA 5, and PUBG. The Steam Deck's arrival in Australia has influenced gaming habits, with some users reporting a focus on roguelikes and action games. One user noted V Rising as their most-played title, followed by Hades II, and achieved a total of 643 unlocked achievements.

AppWizard

December 23, 2024

The year’s Steam Replay reveals 85% of Steam users in 2024 spent time playing games released in 2023 or earlier

Only 15 percent of Steam users dedicated time to new releases in 2024, according to Steam Replay 2024. On average, players achieved around 13 accomplishments and engaged with four games throughout the year, with a median longest play streak of six days. A class action lawsuit has been filed against Steam, initially by Wolfire Studios and Dark Catt Studios, now including any developers or individuals who accepted Steam's 30 percent cut on purchases since January 28, 2017, with a motion for class certification recently approved.

AppWizard

December 20, 2024

Older games dominate Steam as 85% of playtime in 2024 was spent on titles released before this year

Steam gamers have shown a preference for older titles, with 47% of total playtime in 2024 spent on games released between one and seven years ago and 37% on games that are eight years or older. Only 15% of playtime was dedicated to games released in 2024, an increase from 9% the previous year. Live service games like Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and PUBG BATTLEGROUNDS are currently the most popular on Steam. Despite the popularity of older games, several new titles have been released in 2024, including Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Baldur's Gate 3.

AppWizard

December 20, 2024

Only 15% of Steam users have played games released in 2024, but why?

Steam's annual review indicates that only 15% of total playtime in 2024 was spent on new games released that year. In contrast, 47% of playtime was dedicated to games released in the last seven years, and 37% was spent on titles launched eight or more years ago. The popularity of the Steam Deck has influenced player preferences, as many recent AAA games are less compatible with the device. Long-standing live service games like Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and PUBG continue to dominate playtime. The platform hosts over 200,000 titles, leading players to favor older games over the 18,000 released in 2024. Despite the low percentage of playtime for new releases, the figure represents a slight recovery from 17% in 2022, following a downturn in 2023.

AppWizard

December 20, 2024

Only 15% of all Steam users’ time was spent playing games released in 2024

Steam users played 50% fewer games in 2024 compared to the previous year, influenced by Game Pass, emulation, and the Nintendo 3DS XL. Only 15% of total gaming time was spent on titles launched in 2024, while 47% was dedicated to games released in the last one to seven years, and 37% to titles over eight years old. The free-to-play game Banana gained significant attention, and the action-adventure game Black Myth: Wukong led in single-player concurrent players. Long-standing games like Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and PUBG dominated the Most Played charts, making it challenging for new live service games to succeed. Steam offers over 200,000 titles, with around 18,000 released in 2024, making the 15% of playtime on new games seem reasonable.

AppWizard

December 19, 2024

14 Days of PC Game Pass for $1 – Here’s what to play this Holiday

PC Game Pass offers an extensive library of hundreds of games for a monthly fee of .99, with a limited-time offer allowing new subscribers to access it for for the first 14 days. The subscription includes an EA Play membership, providing additional benefits for popular titles and access to new releases on their launch day. Notable games available include Diablo IV, Dead by Daylight, Rainbow 6 Siege, No Man’s Sky, DOOM Eternal, Psychonauts 2, Lies of P, Titanfall 2, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl.

AppWizard

December 19, 2024

Here I was thinking I was neglecting my Steam library, but Valve’s 2024 player stats prove y’all are only playing 4 games a year on average

Valve has introduced personalized player statistics for 2024, allowing users to explore their gaming habits. Players can view details such as the total number of games played, longest gaming streaks, achievements unlocked, and compare their stats to average players. The average player engaged with four games annually, while the user played five. The user's longest gaming streak was three days, below the average of six days. The most-played game was humorously labeled "Nothing" due to leaving it running for 48 hours. Users can also analyze the frequency of keyboard and mouse usage versus controller play and the proportion of new releases played in 2024. A spider graph illustrates the genres of the most-played games.

AppWizard

December 13, 2024

Pigstep (Just Dance x Minecraft version) available in Just Dance+

The gaming world celebrates the 15th anniversaries of Just Dance and Minecraft with a collaboration featuring the track "Pigstep" by Lena Raine. Just Dance 2025 Edition has launched on the Nintendo Switch, offering a diverse track list and a one-month subscription to Just Dance+. The game includes 40 new tracks, with five songs by Ariana Grande, and a collaboration with Galantis on "BANG BANG! (My Neurodivergent Anthem)" to raise awareness about ADHD. Just Dance 2025 Edition supports up to six players in local multiplayer mode and includes various gameplay modes, such as Challenge and Workout modes.

AppWizard

December 12, 2024

Gearbox, Id and Warner vets found new publisher Cooldown

A group of former industry veterans has launched Cooldown Games, a new publishing venture led by CEO Steve Gibson, who was previously president at Gearbox Publishing. The founding team includes Matt Charles (Chief Product Officer), Erick Cobbs (Chief Business Officer), Jackson Hardesty (Chief Operating Officer), Brad Schliesser (Chief Revenue Officer), Jimmy Sieben (Chief Technology Officer), and Jeff Skal (Chief Marketing Officer). Collectively, they have generated over a billion in revenue and contributed to the success of eight titles that have sold over one million copies each. Gibson expressed confidence in the company's rational business models and commitment to supporting game developers. The team aims to discover and promote games that fit into the busy lives of gamers, influenced by their own gaming preferences over the past five years.