user-generated content Archives

AppWizard

May 1, 2025

Epic isn’t going to be policing AI Fortnite thumbnails

Epic Games has adopted a relaxed stance on the moderation of thumbnails created using artificial intelligence, focusing on compliance with established guidelines rather than the tools used for creation. Dan Walsh, the product management director, stated that the company is more concerned with whether thumbnails meet their rules than with the methods of their creation. He noted that detecting AI-generated content will become increasingly challenging. In contrast, Epic Games maintains strict ethical standards for its own first-party content, ensuring that all generated material is properly licensed and ownership rights are respected, as emphasized by executive vice president Sax Persson.

AppWizard

April 18, 2025

Marketing ‘A Minecraft Movie’: “blockifying’ the world” and …

Warner Bros. Pictures' marketing strategy for A Minecraft Movie focused on engaging the existing fan base and appealing to younger audiences. The campaign included interactive social media experiences, tactile billboards, and cast appearances at gaming events. The film grossed 0 million globally and over 0 million in North America within two weeks of release. The marketing involved collaborations with brands like McDonald's and Adidas, targeting Generation Z, which made up 64% of the audience during the opening weekend. Local-language influencers voiced characters in dubbed versions, and the campaign adapted based on audience feedback. The world premiere occurred in London on March 30, followed by a premiere in Mexico on April 3, generating significant excitement and engagement.

AppWizard

April 17, 2025

StarNotes: ‘A Minecraft Movie’ is much, much worse than we thought

The film "A Minecraft Movie" has a 46% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has sparked a significant increase in meme creation and sharing, particularly among younger audiences. Despite its poor critical reception, it has resonated with its target demographic, leading to a surge of user-generated content that reflects the themes and characters of the "Minecraft" universe. This phenomenon demonstrates how films can influence popular culture through social media and meme culture, regardless of their critical success.

AppWizard

April 15, 2025

Gemini Advanced, Whisk users pick up Veo 2 for shareable cinematic video clips

Google has launched Veo 2, a video generation technology available for Gemini Advanced users and Whisk experimental testers, which converts text descriptions into eight-second video clips suitable for platforms like YouTube Shorts and TikTok. Users can create diverse video content by providing detailed text prompts. A new "Share" button facilitates uploading to social media. Each video will be tagged with SynthID to indicate it is AI-generated, and Gemini Advanced users will have a monthly limit on video creation. Veo 2 is also featured in Whisk, which includes "Whisk Animate," allowing users to animate images into cinematic-quality videos. Access to Whisk Animate is limited to Google One AI Premium subscribers. Whisk encourages users to generate content by providing images based on subject, scene, and style, while also offering a "Review & Edit" feature to refine AI outputs.

AppWizard

April 15, 2025

Supermoves dev Makea is shutting down

Makea Games, the developer of Supermoves, has ceased operations immediately, as announced by CEO Tomi Toikka on the game's official website. The decision follows a lack of significant engagement with Supermoves, which launched in August and saw a decline from 50 concurrent players at debut to just two recently. Founded in 2022, Makea Games aimed to create a universe through user-generated content. Despite the closure, Toikka expressed gratitude to the community and collaborators, emphasizing the lessons learned and the ambition to build again.

AppWizard

April 11, 2025

PC Players Spend More On Microtransactions Than Actual Games

Newzoo's report reveals that in 2024, microtransactions account for over 58 percent of spending in the PC gaming sector, while only 28 percent is allocated to full game purchases, reflecting a 2.6 percent decline from the previous year. Players dedicated only 8 percent of their gaming time to new releases, with over 60 percent spent on titles released more than six years ago. In contrast, console gaming shows microtransactions at 32 percent of player spending, a 4.5 percent increase year-over-year, while full game purchases still dominate. Subscription services like Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus Extra capture about 16 percent of the console market.

AppWizard

April 11, 2025

Industry report says Steam users play more noncompetitive games than console players—and our interest in PvE keeps growing

According to a report by market research firm Newzoo, 58% of games played by Steam users in 2024 were noncompetitive, player-versus-environment (PvE) titles, an increase from 47% in 2021. In contrast, only 42% and 41% of games played on PlayStation and Xbox, respectively, fell into the PvE category. The report analyzed gameplay data from over one million players and noted that players who engage with more games are more likely to prefer PvE experiences. Additionally, the trend indicates that once Steam users play more than one game in a year, their interest in PvE titles increases significantly.

AppWizard

March 5, 2025

Google’s March Pixel Drop is here with a ton of Android upgrades

Google's latest Pixel Drop update enhances the Pixel series with new features, including expanded satellite messaging capabilities for the Pixel 9 series, which now supports users in Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, and parts of Europe. This feature allows users to connect to compatible satellite networks for emergency assistance when cellular service is unavailable. The update will also support Verizon and T-Mobile for satellite messaging. Additionally, the Pixel 9 family introduces a video recording feature that enables simultaneous recording from multiple angles using another Pixel device or a compatible GoPro camera. The AI-powered scam detection feature will be available on all currently supported Android devices, allowing Google Messages app users to identify potential scam texts, while comprehensive phone call scam alerts will remain exclusive to the Pixel 9 series.

AppWizard

February 24, 2025

23 year-old Dungeons & Dragons RPG Neverwinter Nights just got a new, official expansion that continues its original story in a ‘love letter’ to the game and its community

Neverwinter Nights has received a new expansion titled Doom of Icewind Dale, created by Luke Scull with approval from Wizards of the Coast. This expansion takes place several years after the original campaign and offers 10 to 15 hours of mid to high-level quests in Icewind Dale, introducing new monsters, portraits, music, and a narrated introduction. Scull began his career by modding Neverwinter Nights and has since developed a reputation in the gaming industry. Doom of Icewind Dale was initially intended as a free mod but became a larger project with support from Patreon and Wizards of the Coast, leading to a multipart campaign called The Blades of Netheril. The expansion is available on platforms like Steam and GOG, alongside the Enhanced Edition of Neverwinter Nights.

AppWizard

February 8, 2025

New study shows 30% of Minecraft players still have their first save

Minecraft is the second-best-selling game of all time. A study by Liquid Web in December 2024 surveyed 1,000 players and found that approximately 30% of Minecraft players still cherish their first save file. Four out of five Gen Z players believe Minecraft will remain popular for at least another decade. A quarter of respondents are willing to pay for new features. Nearly half of those surveyed attribute their ongoing enjoyment to player creativity and user-generated content, while two out of five consider mods and custom servers essential to their experience. The data suggests a vibrant and engaged community, making a Minecraft 2 unlikely in the near future.