Quake Archives

Winsage

April 11, 2025

Windows Weekly 927: Up to Stuff

Leo, Richard, and Paul discussed Microsoft's recent innovations, including the Windows 11 Feature Tracker, insights from Microsoft Build, advancements in consumer AI, and updates from the gaming sector, particularly Xbox. A new free newsletter offers three time-saving tips every Friday, and subscribers receive complimentary copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides. The Windows 11 Feature Tracker aims to be a comprehensive resource and may evolve into a web app or wiki. The Windows Insider Program's Beta build for 23H2 introduces changes to file new tabs and new windows, while a nostalgic taskbar icon scaling feature is returning in the Dev and Beta (24H2) versions. Intel has discontinued its Unison app and service. The Build session catalog emphasizes AI developments, with sessions covering Windows Copilot Runtime and productivity enhancements. Microsoft unveiled new Copilot features at a consumer AI event, including web actions and memory personalization, and integrated Copilot Search into Bing. Concerns about AI's impact on human intelligence were discussed, particularly in relation to a Twitter debate on Microsoft's AI demo of Quake II. Microsoft announced an Xbox Games Showcase for June, with updates to the Edge Game Assist feature and GTA V available on Game Pass starting April 15. The Nintendo Switch 2 will support ray tracing and DLSS, though its release is delayed due to tariff challenges. Apple Music for Windows now supports Dolby Atmos, and notable software includes Notion, Typora/iA Writer, and Proton Pass. This week's RunAs Radio episode focuses on Application Risk in Security Copilot. The Heart Cut #02 from the East London Liquor Company is recommended for a unique tasting experience.

AppWizard

March 23, 2025

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster Preview – How Nightdive Studios approaches remastering an influential classic PC game

Nightdive Studios has released a series of modern ports and remasters, including a ground-up remake of the 1994 classic, System Shock. They acquired the license for System Shock nearly a decade ago and are now working on the System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster, which has taken considerable time to develop. The remaster will feature optimized controller support for modern consoles and will maintain the original emotional resonance of the game. It will include a Vault with media related to the game's original creation. The remaster is set to be released on June 26 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam, Epic, GOG).

AppWizard

March 18, 2025

Half-Life 2 RTX is the future of PC gaming, for better or worse

Nvidia has released a complimentary two-hour demo of Half-Life 2 RTX for owners of the original Half-Life 2, showcasing advanced features such as full path tracing and neural shaders. The game includes enhancements like improved meshes, materials, lighting, and the Neural Radiance Cache, which optimizes ray-traced indirect light. The demo demonstrates significant upgrades in asset quality and shadow rendering, but the game is resource-intensive, requiring DLSS for playable performance, particularly at 4K resolution. The demo evokes the original game's atmosphere and is seen as a significant step in Nvidia's remastering efforts. There is currently no release date for the full version, but the demo is available for free on Steam.

AppWizard

March 11, 2025

Should Age of Empires and Quake be in the ‘World Video Game Hall of Fame’? You can vote for them to be inducted this year

The Strong National Museum of Play has announced its nominees for the World Video Game Hall of Fame. The nominees are: - Age of Empires - Angry Birds - Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) - Defender - Frogger - Goldeneye 007 - Golden Tee - Harvest Moon - Mattel Football - NBA 2K - Quake - Tamagotchi

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.

AppWizard

February 16, 2025

How did your parents limit your game time?

Engaging in conversations about childhood gaming experiences highlights the trend of regulating gaming time for children. Today's parents tend to adopt a cautious approach, imposing restrictions while also participating in gaming with their children. The author reflects on their own lenient upbringing regarding gaming time, noting that their parents allowed gaming after homework was completed. They maintained a disciplined routine, limiting themselves to an hour of play each night, and later negotiated for more gaming time as a secondary school student. The author has since pursued a career in game development, influenced by their father's work in the field.

AppWizard

December 5, 2024

Amazon Prime subscribers can pick up 28 free games this month

Amazon Prime subscribers can redeem a total of 28 free games throughout December 2024, starting with 18 titles and an additional ten coinciding with the launch of Secret Level. Subscribers can claim the games through their respective storefronts. The list of available games includes titles such as Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition, The Outer Worlds, Overcooked! 2, and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II, among others. Secret Level, an anthology series from Amazon Prime Video, will premiere on December 10 and will explore various video games.

AppWizard

December 3, 2024

PC users gifted 18 free games in huge giveaway, yours to keep forever

Amazon Prime members can access 18 free PC games through Prime Gaming in December. Notable titles include Tomb Raider: Underworld, Star Wars Bounty Hunter, Overcooked 2, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, and Dredge. Additional games such as Planet of Lana, Predator: Hunting Grounds, and The Town of Light will be released throughout the month. These games can be claimed via Amazon’s Prime Gaming website and will remain in the members' libraries permanently. Quake II will also be available next week. The games can be accessed through the Amazon Games app, the Epic store, or GOG.

AppWizard

December 3, 2024

Prime drops 5 free games, available to claim now for a limited-time

Five free games are currently available for Amazon Prime members until December 5, 2024. The titles are: - Dredge - Tomb Raider: Underworld - Overcooked! 2 - Star Wars: Bounty Hunter - Call of Juarez: Gunslinger These games are exclusively available on PC and require a GoG account to claim. Once claimed, they can be kept indefinitely, even if the Amazon Prime subscription ends. Additionally, signing up for a month of Amazon Prime allows access to 13 more titles throughout December, including Quake II on December 5 and Predator: Hunting Grounds on December 19.

AppWizard

December 3, 2024

Amazon Prime gaming December 2024: 18 free PC games for members, including Quake 2

Amazon is offering 18 free PC games for Prime Gaming in December, including classics and indie titles. The lineup features games such as Quake 2 and Dredge. The games available now include Overcooked! 2, Dredge, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, Tomb Raider: Underworld, and Call of Juarez: Gunslinger. Additional games will be released on December 5 (Planet of Lana, Hero’s Hour, The Coma: Recut, Electrician Simulator, Redrawn: The Painted Tower Collector’s Edition), December 12 (Nine Witches: Family Disruption, Predator: Hunting Grounds, Aces of the Luftwaffe - Squadron Extended Edition, Simulakros, Christmas Fables: The Magic Snowflake Collector’s Edition), and December 26 (The Town of Light). Amazon's Luna streaming service has also added titles like Death Stranding: Director’s Cut and The Expanse: A Telltale Series Deluxe Edition. Dredge has been highlighted as a standout indie game of 2023, receiving a 4/5 rating from Eurogamer for its exploration of mental health within a horror context.