older titles Archives

AppWizard

April 14, 2025

My biggest pleasant surprise of 2025 so far has been the free prequel to one of my favorite indie RPGs, made with FromSoft’s 25-year-old game making toolset

Lunacid, a first-person RPG inspired by the King's Field series, was released in 2023 by Kira LLC. A prequel titled Lunacid: Tears of the Moon is set thousands of years before the original game and was developed using the Sword of Moonlight toolset. The game features user-generated dungeon crawlers and has drawn comparisons to atmospheric exploration titles like Thief and System Shock. Players engage in melee combat without blocking or dodging options, and character progression occurs automatically upon leveling up. Mana regenerates through successful melee attacks, and health is fully restored at the home base. The game lacks a tutorial, prompting players to refer to a classic-style manual. Players must locate five shards of a legendary sword while navigating a world filled with secrets, including hidden doors and challenging enemies.

AppWizard

March 21, 2025

PC Gamers Only Spent 8 Percent Of Their Time Playing New Games Last Year, Report Claims

Recent insights from Newzoo indicate that in 2024, only 8 percent of gaming hours were spent on newly released PC games, with players favoring older titles. Iconic games like Roblox, League of Legends, and Fortnite accounted for 67 percent of total PC playtime, while games released two to five years ago made up 25 percent. In contrast, new releases from 2024 captured only 8 percent of playtime. On consoles, 44 percent of PlayStation playtime and 49 percent of Xbox playtime were attributed to games released six or more years ago, with console gamers dedicating 15 percent of their time to new titles. The competition for player engagement is intense, making it difficult for new games to gain attention despite their quality.

AppWizard

March 20, 2025

Two thirds of total PC playtime last year was on games that are at least six years old, report says

A recent report from Newzoo indicates that 67% of total hours spent playing PC games last year were dedicated to titles six years old or more, with notable games including Counter Strike 2 and GO (7.1%), League of Legends (6.4%), Roblox (6.2%), DOTA 2 (5.8%), and Fortnite (5.4%). Additionally, 25% of playtime was on games aged two to five years, while only 8% was allocated to 2024 releases. On consoles, 44% of PlayStation and 49% of Xbox playtime was for games over six years old, with 2024 releases accounting for 15% of total playtime. Key 2024 titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, NBA 2K25, and EA Sports FC 25 made up about half of the playtime for new releases on console. The report notes a trend of players engaging with fewer games, averaging 10 on Steam and PlayStation and 9 on Xbox, with a requirement of at least two hours of play for a game to be counted. Financially, yearly console revenues from full-price games reached approximately billion, a 14% decline from 2023, attributed to the weaker release slate in 2024 compared to the previous year.

AppWizard

March 20, 2025

Only 8 Percent Of PC Gaming Time Was Spent On New Games Last Year, Report Claims

Players are increasingly favoring older titles, with only 8 percent of PC gaming hours in 2024 dedicated to newly released games. The report from Newzoo indicates that PC gamers primarily engage with titles at least six years old, with games like Roblox, League of Legends, and Fortnite accounting for 67 percent of total PC playtime. Games released between two to five years ago contribute 25 percent, while new releases from 2024 make up only 8 percent. On consoles, approximately 44 percent of gaming time on PlayStation and 49 percent on Xbox is spent on titles released six or more years ago, with console gamers dedicating 15 percent of their playtime to new releases from 2024. The gaming industry saw over 18,000 games launched on Valve’s platform in 2024, indicating a significant increase in new releases.

AppWizard

March 19, 2025

Analysts reveal a vast majority of PC gamers are shying away from games released in the last few years

The PC gaming sector has surpassed consoles in popularity, with the number of PC gamers increasing from approximately 873.5 million in 2023 to 907.5 million in 2024, while console players number around 653 million. A report by Newzoo indicates that 92 percent of PC gamers prefer older titles, with 67 percent of player hours in 2024 spent on games released six years ago or more. Popular older PC titles include Counter-Strike: Global Offensive/Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Roblox, Dota 2, and Fortnite. The report highlights the growing popularity of live service and free-to-play games, which are favored for their revenue generation potential through microtransactions or subscriptions. Newzoo's findings will be presented at the Game Developers Conference, focusing on player engagement and revenue models projected for 2025.

AppWizard

March 17, 2025

I love this Steam Sale tool that discovers hidden PC gaming gems

Steam saw nearly 19,000 new games released last year. The We Love Every Game browsing tool, developed by Totally Human Media, helps users navigate discounts on Steam by allowing them to select genres and receive game recommendations with videos, screenshots, descriptions, and direct links to current prices and reviews. The tool does not require a Steam account login and prioritizes games with over 80 percent positive reviews and significant discounts. It emphasizes broad categories and includes older titles, making it easier to discover lesser-known games. Notable titles discovered using the tool include Shoulders of Giants, Nerd Survivors, and Stories: The Path of Destinies.

AppWizard

March 6, 2025

What Grand Theft Auto V’s PC update says about furnishing older games with current tech

Rockstar has released a significant update for Grand Theft Auto V on PC, aligning its features with those of the console versions from 2020. The update includes graphical enhancements, improved loading times, and support for the DualSense controller and modern gaming peripherals. It features ray tracing with ambient occlusion and global illumination, support for Nvidia DLSS 3 and AMD FSR3, higher resolutions, and advanced audio technology. This update is free for PC users, while it was paid for console users. Rockstar's investment in updating this decade-old game comes as Grand Theft Auto VI approaches, aiming to keep players engaged and confident in the franchise's ongoing relevance.

AppWizard

March 1, 2025

8 reasons why PC gaming is better than console gaming

PC gaming offers a vast library of games, including mainstream titles, indie games, and classic re-releases. Major first-party titles are increasingly available on PC, diminishing the appeal of console exclusives. PCs excel in game preservation, allowing access to classic titles through emulators and tools like DOSBox. The PC gaming community benefits from mods that enhance older games with improved graphics and new content. PCs provide unmatched performance and customization options, allowing gamers to tailor their experience. Unlike consoles, PC gaming does not require subscription fees for online multiplayer. PCs can be upgraded incrementally, extending their lifespan and saving money. Emulation on PCs allows access to games from various consoles without original hardware. PC gamers enjoy extensive creative control over their gaming setups, including hardware and peripherals.

Winsage

February 14, 2025

We need a Snapdragon X-powered gaming handheld sooner rather than later — How Qualcomm can challenge the Steam Deck

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips show potential for handheld gaming devices due to their impressive performance and battery efficiency. Testing of the Snapdragon X Plus on games like 7 Days To Die, Kingdom Come Deliverance, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider revealed comparable performance to the Steam Deck, especially when using Auto SR, an AI-driven upscaling solution. However, Auto SR currently supports only 14 games and is limited to DX11 or DX12 titles. The installation of games from Xbox Game Pass and the Microsoft Store on Snapdragon devices is restricted, with the Xbox app lacking a Game Pass section. There is a significant opportunity for a Snapdragon-powered handheld device, similar to the impact of the Steam Deck, but the current market lacks urgency for such a product.

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.