reactions Archives

AppWizard

May 26, 2025

A month after Electronic Arts mashed the brakes, WRC rally racing games are coming back with a ‘complete reboot’ under a new publisher

The FIA has partnered with Nacon to revive the World Rally Championship (WRC) gaming series, set to launch in 2027, following the end of its licensing agreement with Codemasters. Nacon will have exclusive rights to develop WRC games for PC and consoles over the next six seasons. Arne Dirks, the FIA's chief marketing officer, expressed excitement about the collaboration. Kylotonn, the studio likely to develop the games, has received mixed reviews for its past WRC titles, with WRC 7 rated "very positive" and WRC 10 rated "mostly positive" on Steam. Community reactions are mixed, with some fans disappointed by the change from Codemasters, while others are cautiously optimistic about Kylotonn's progress in game quality.

AppWizard

May 26, 2025

NetherRealm says it’s done releasing major updates for Mortal Kombat 1: ‘Our team … needs to shift focus to the next project’

NetherRealm Studios announced that Mortal Kombat 1 will conclude its major updates after approximately two years, with no additional DLC characters or story chapters planned. The studio stated that while they will continue to provide balance adjustments and fixes, the decision was made to focus on future projects. This announcement comes a year and a half after the game's release in September 2023, which is a shorter support timeline compared to Mortal Kombat 11. Fans have expressed mixed reactions, with some disappointment and others understanding the studio's direction. Mortal Kombat 1 is currently available on Steam.

AppWizard

May 26, 2025

‘They’re very determined, suddenly, to see your game fail’: Former Dragon Age writer calls out ‘anti-fans’ who bet on games failing before launch

Former BioWare writer David Gaider discussed the concept of "anti-fans," referring to players and content creators who focus on negative aspects of games, leading to campaigns of negativity before a game's release. This behavior is observed in a vocal minority that critiques upcoming titles, such as Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Assassin's Creed Shadows. The influence of these "anti-fans" extends beyond individual games, affecting the industry, as seen with the genre shift of Marathon and criticisms directed at Bungie. Gaider notes that this group seems to take pleasure in the potential financial failure of projects, which he describes as mean-spirited.

AppWizard

May 24, 2025

Decentralized Messenger Session Goes Live on Arbitrum With $SESH Token Launch

The decentralized encrypted messenger app, Session, is launching its token, $SESH, on May 21st, 2025, coinciding with the mainnet launch of the new Session Network after a testing phase. Session has over one million monthly active users and operates on a specialized DePIN network with more than 2,000 nodes, ensuring user privacy and anonymity. The total supply of $SESH is capped at 240 million, with an initial release of up to 80 million tokens at the Token Generation Event (TGE). Users can stake 25,000 $SESH tokens to operate a Session Node, ensuring network integrity. The application emphasizes minimal metadata collection and offers features like emoji reactions, voice calls, and group chats. Session is now managed by the nonprofit Session Technology Foundation based in Zug, Switzerland.

AppWizard

May 23, 2025

The FTC has dropped its case against Microsoft over Activision Blizzard deal

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has withdrawn its appeal regarding Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, stating that the "public interest is best served" by terminating the case. Microsoft’s vice chair and president, Brad Smith, expressed enthusiasm for the ruling, calling it a "victory for players" and thanking the FTC. This dismissal follows the FTC's unsuccessful attempt to impose an injunction against the acquisition, where Judge Daniel P. Collins noted that the FTC did not present a compelling case to show a significant likelihood of success in its claims and raised no serious questions about the merger's impact on competition.

AppWizard

May 22, 2025

‘Just stick to your guns’: Neil Druckmann isn’t phased by all the hate Intergalactic got, ‘There’s stuff happening with media right now that you just have to ignore’

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet debuted at The Game Awards, where Naughty Dog showcased the game towards the end of the event. The trailer received mixed reactions, with viewers criticizing it as a "DEI game" and expressing discontent over its "woke" agenda due to the protagonist being a Black woman. Doug Cockle, voice actor for Geralt in The Witcher series, defended diversity in storytelling, while Neil Druckmann, co-president of Naughty Dog, expressed excitement for the game, describing it as having the "deepest gameplay" the studio has produced. The trailer featured a retro spaceship and introduced a new bounty hunter protagonist, with a nod to classic anime.

AppWizard

May 20, 2025

Stalker remaster reviews crater to ‘Mostly Negative’ as players lament deleted Soviet monuments, yanked Russian language, and blurry graphics that I didn’t notice in 23 hours playing

A gamer has become the first individual to fully complete the Enhanced Edition of Stalker: Shadow of Chornobyl on PC. GSC Game World released remastered versions of the Stalker trilogy, which includes Shadow of Chornobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Prypiat, available for free to original owners. Despite the excitement, the remastered trilogy has received "Mostly Negative" ratings on Steam, with players expressing dissatisfaction over blurry graphics, particularly when using features like FSR and antialiasing. The author of the text, after spending 23 hours in Shadow of Chornobyl, found the graphics to be crisp on various displays, but acknowledges the volume of negative feedback may indicate issues related to specific hardware configurations. The author suggests that those sensitive to graphical fidelity might want to wait for GSC to address these concerns.

AppWizard

May 17, 2025

Android 16 is Google getting serious about foldables

Google recently launched Android 16, featuring significant user interface modifications and new animations, which have elicited mixed reactions from users. The update includes enhancements like improved network connectivity and security against malicious applications. The UI now dynamically adapts to user interactions, adding visual flair. During the Android Show, Google showcased various Android phones, with speculation about future tablet announcements at the I/O conference. The foldable phone market is currently dominated by Android devices, with expectations that foldables could become mainstream, despite challenges related to pricing and durability. Manufacturers are improving foldable designs to enhance resilience. As costs stabilize, foldables may replace traditional devices, offering multifunctional capabilities.

AppWizard

May 17, 2025

Why KakaoTalk’s typing indicator is getting on some Koreans’ nerves

KakaoTalk introduced a beta feature called a typing indicator, which displays a three-dot animation when someone is composing a message. This feature has received mixed reactions from users, with many expressing discomfort about sharing their typing status, comparing it to formal communication tools. Users have voiced their dissatisfaction online, with some questioning the necessity of this update and expressing concerns about the platform evolving into one similar to workplace messaging applications. KakaoTalk allows users to disable the typing indicator in the Settings under the Kakao Lab section. Additionally, Kakao Lab includes other features like AI tools for summarizing chat conversations.

AppWizard

May 16, 2025

Stellar Blade’s Upcoming PC Version Gets Criticized by Fans

The gaming community has shifted its focus from Shift Up, the developer of Stellar Blade, to Sony, the game's publisher, due to issues surrounding the game. This shift parallels last year's backlash against Sony during the launch of Helldivers II, where player discontent arose from the mandatory inclusion of PSN. The community is questioning the extent of Sony's responsibility for the current issues with Stellar Blade, and there is less than a month for the team to address these concerns. The situation could significantly impact the goodwill that Stellar Blade has garnered since its launch. The dialogue about publisher influence in game development is becoming increasingly relevant as the relationship between developers, publishers, and players remains complex.