Skyrim Archives

AppWizard

April 3, 2025

The BAFTAs declares Shenmue and a game that came out 2 months ago more influential than Tetris and expects us to all just go along with that

The British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) invited the gaming community to vote for the most influential video game of all time. The results named Yu Suzuki's 1999 Dreamcast title, Shenmue, as the most influential game, praised for pioneering open-world gameplay and popularizing Quick Time Events (QTEs). The subsequent rankings included Doom in second place, Super Mario Bros in third, Half-Life in fourth, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Minecraft in fifth and sixth, respectively. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was ranked seventh, despite being a recent release. The voting process raised questions about the interpretation of "most influential," as some voters seemed to equate it with personal enjoyment, leading to unexpected results. The full list of the BAFTA's most influential games includes: 1. Shenmue 2. Doom 3. Super Mario Bros 4. Half-Life 5. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 6. Minecraft 7. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 8. Super Mario 64 9. Half-Life 2 10. The Sims 11. Tetris 12. Tomb Raider 13. Pong 14. Metal Gear Solid 15. World of Warcraft 16. Baldur's Gate 3 17. Final Fantasy VII 18. Dark Souls 19. Grand Theft Auto 3 20. Skyrim 21. Grand Theft Auto

AppWizard

March 25, 2025

With Nvidia Ace taking up 1 GB of VRAM in Inzoi, Team Green will need to up its memory game if AI NPCs take off in PC gaming

Nvidia unveiled its latest RTX technologies, including the Ace suite of digital human technologies, at the Game Developers Conference (GDC). The game Inzoi, reminiscent of The Sims, is one of the first to utilize Nvidia Ace, enhancing character interactions through 'thought bubbles' that reveal emotions and intentions. The AI system is powered by the Mistral NeMo Minitron, a language model with 500 million parameters, using 1 GB of VRAM. This model is limited to NPCs within the player's line of sight and does not change a character's life trajectory. While smaller models can lead to inaccuracies, the potential for larger models in expansive RPGs is significant. Nvidia has maintained an 8 GB memory standard for its mainstream graphics cards, but the demand for more advanced AI may prompt a reevaluation of VRAM offerings. High-end GPUs like the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5080 offer 16 GB of VRAM, which is becoming more common in affordable graphics cards.

AppWizard

March 22, 2025

All Xbox and PC Game pass subscription models | Esports News – The Times of India

Xbox Game Pass offers various subscription plans for gamers: - Xbox Game Pass Core: .99/month for Xbox consoles, provides access to a rotating selection of over 25 games, including titles like Doom Eternal and Fallout 4, focusing on multiplayer experiences. - Xbox Game Pass Standard: .99/month for Xbox consoles, offers full access to the entire game library, including RPGs and the latest releases, along with exclusive offers and discounts. - PC Game Pass: .99/month for PC platforms, includes the full catalog of PC games and access to EA Play, featuring franchises like FIFA and The Sims. - Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: .99/month for both Xbox consoles and PC platforms, combines features of all other plans, offers day-one access to new releases, and includes online multiplayer and EA Play. The recently introduced Xbox Game Pass Standard plan for console users is priced at .99/month and offers benefits similar to the Ultimate plan but does not include access to the PC Game Pass library.

AppWizard

March 19, 2025

Enough with the game launchers! It’s dragging PC gaming down

The proliferation of game launchers such as EA, Steam, Blizzard, Epic, Xbox, and Ubisoft Connect has created frustration for PC gamers, making it difficult to locate games and manage multiple platforms. Issues include lengthy installation processes, problems with game registration, unexpected logouts, and complications in co-op game menus. The gaming experience has become convoluted, with some launchers requiring multiple platforms or external authentication. The gaming industry has shifted from a simpler model, exemplified by Battle.net in 1997, to a fragmented ecosystem driven by financial motivations, leading to a lack of collaboration between platforms.

AppWizard

March 17, 2025

2011 was an amazing comeback year for PC gaming

In the 1990s, personal computers became popular in homes, leading to a surge in gaming among children, particularly with the rise of CD-ROM technology. The 2000s saw a decline in PC gaming, attributed to piracy concerns, with notable figures expressing skepticism about the platform's future. However, in 2011, the PC Gaming Alliance reported a 15% profit increase in PC gaming, driven by a growing market in China. The open-world genre thrived on PC, with significant releases like Skyrim and Batman: Arkham City, which emphasized exploration and fluid gameplay. RPGs experienced a revival in 2011, highlighted by Skyrim, Fallout: New Vegas, and The Witcher 2, alongside BioWare's Dragon Age 2 and the immersive sim Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Indie games like Bastion and Limbo gained popularity, while strategy games such as Total War: Shogun 2 also performed well. The year 2011 is recognized as a landmark period for PC gaming, marking its resurgence.

AppWizard

March 16, 2025

Wyrdsong, the RPG from ex-Bethesda talent, isn’t dead—but it’s no longer an open world: ‘We’re down to a skeleton crew’

Wyrdsong, an open-world RPG developed by Something Wicked Games, was announced at Gamescom three years ago and is set in a warped medieval Portugal with mythological references. The studio, founded by veterans of titles like Skyrim and Fallout, received a million seed investment from NetEase in 2022, but this funding has been insufficient for the project's ambitions. Co-founder Jeff Gardiner mentioned that the team is adapting by adding a rogue-lite element to the game, which required repurposing existing assets. The studio has faced challenges, including layoffs and the departure of key team members, leaving them with a "skeleton crew." Gardiner is actively seeking investment or publishing offers, expressing hope for a breakthrough this year. The gaming industry is experiencing a downturn, with increased competition for funding and player attention, leading to a cautious purchasing approach among consumers. Gardiner noted that the success of established titles can hinder new projects, as players tend to stick with familiar games. Despite these challenges, Gardiner remains committed to realizing Wyrdsong.

AppWizard

March 16, 2025

Unrealcraft Is Minecraft in Unreal Engine 5, Free Demo Released

Greg Coulthard has introduced UnrealCraft, a template for Unreal Engine 5.5 that allows users to create Voxel Worlds using blueprints. Key features include a procedural map generator, a block building system, NPC support with NavMesh, biome support, a liquid propagation system, and combinable noise functions. UnrealCraft features The Infinite World map, which offers a procedurally generated landscape similar to Minecraft. A demo version is available for free download, requiring an RTX-capable GPU and 16GB of RAM. A video showcasing UnrealCraft is also available. Greg Coulthard is known for his ports of Skyrim and Oblivion into Unreal Engine 5. Other free fan-made demos for Unreal Engine 5 include projects based on Superman, Halo 3: ODST, Spider-Man, STALKER, Blood, Halo: Combat Evolved, Attack on Titan, and a Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake. Additional tech demos for high-end GPUs include a Witcher-like environment, a recreation of an Italian town, a demo of King’s Field 2, and various remakes of popular games.

Winsage

March 12, 2025

CrossOver 25 brings Red Dead Redemption 2 and more to macOS

CodeWeavers has released CrossOver 25, which allows users to run Windows applications on macOS and Linux. This version includes over 5,000 changes for improved compatibility and is built on Wine 10.0, featuring enhanced HiDPI support and upgraded Vulkan drivers. CrossOver 25 supports Red Dead Redemption 2 and other titles such as Street Fighter 6, Need for Speed Heat, Nioh 2, Teardown, Age of Wonders 4, Dragon’s Dogma 2, and The Last of Us Part 1. It introduces a new configuration system for easier gameplay and enables multiplayer for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. Additionally, it features DXMT, a Metal-based implementation of Direct3D 11, alongside other graphics options. CrossOver for Mac is available with a free trial option.

Winsage

March 12, 2025

CrossOver 25 improves DirectX 11 support, works with Epic Games Store

CodeWeavers has released CrossOver 25, enhancing the gaming experience for Mac users by expanding support for games from digital storefronts like GOG Galaxy and the Epic Games Store. The update includes Wine 10.0, Wine Mono 9.4.0, vkd3d 1.14, MoltenVK 1.2.10, and D3DMetal 2.1, improving compatibility and performance. D3DMetal 2.1 enhances performance for major titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and adds support for The Last of Us: Part 1, along with other DirectX 11 games. The introduction of DXMT allows for running DirectX 11 titles on macOS, with reported performance improvements for lower-spec Macs. CrossOver 25 launches Steam faster and simplifies the setup process, featuring a new configuration system that optimizes graphics settings automatically. It can also enable AVX for titles requiring specific settings to run on Apple Silicon. CrossOver 25 is available for purchase, including a 12-month support option, while CrossOver Life offers a long-term solution for gamers.

AppWizard

February 26, 2025

Avowed’s inert cities remind me just how good we had it in Skyrim and Oblivion

The author transformed their character in Avowed into a stealth-mage assassin, finding the game captivating due to its distinct biomes, dungeons, and side quests. The first-person perspective and gameplay mechanics reminded them of the Elder Scrolls series, despite Avowed being simpler and smaller in scale. They noted imperfections in the game's portrayal of a vibrant world, such as the lack of consequences for stealing from NPCs and rigid animation loops, which detracted from immersion. An example included an NPC chastising the author for rummaging through her backpack without repercussions. The author suggested that narrative justification for thefts could enhance coherence in the game's world. They acknowledged that Obsidian prioritizes story over emergent gameplay, contrasting it with Bethesda's approach. The author reminisced about the interactivity and NPC reactions in earlier RPGs like Baldur's Gate 2, Planescape: Torment, and The Witcher 3, expressing a yearning for the freedom and consequences present in those games.