virtual landscape Archives

AppWizard

January 14, 2026

81-year-old grandma’s Minecraft YouTube channel pays for grandson’s cancer treatment

Sue Jacquot, an 81-year-old woman, started a YouTube channel called Gramma Crackers in 2024 to support her grandson Jack Self during his cancer treatment. The channel focuses on her gaming adventures in Minecraft and has attracted over 150,000 followers and 564,000 views on her first video. Each video includes a link to Jack's GoFundMe page, which raised significant funds for his treatment. The gaming community has shown overwhelming support, contributing to the campaign and providing encouragement. Sue's experience highlights the growing trend of elderly individuals engaging in gaming, as seen in other stories like a 92-year-old woman winning a Tekken 8 tournament in December 2025.

AppWizard

December 22, 2025

LEGO CITY, Disney, Friends, Harry Potter and Minecraft Advent Calendars 2025 – Day 21

LEGO has released the twenty-first door of its Advent Calendars for various themes, including LEGO CITY, LEGO Disney, LEGO Friends, LEGO Harry Potter, and LEGO Minecraft. - LEGO CITY (#60475) features a minifigure of Mrs. Claus with a pretzel, but lacks the updated printed dress element. - LEGO Disney (#43273) reveals a kitten in red mittens, accompanied by a croissant and a tree. - LEGO Friends (#42668) presents a Christmas Tree decorated with red and pink studs and topped with a gold star. - LEGO Harry Potter (#76456) includes a 21-piece brick-built love potion bottle, presumably representing Amortentia, in various shades of pink. - LEGO Minecraft (#21280) showcases a 19-piece brick-built Christmas Tree. The Advent Calendars are available for daily reveals from December 1st to December 24th at specified times.

AppWizard

December 17, 2025

Minecraft challenge breathes new life into rich cultural past

A young gamer named Qiu Zekai, known as Qiuxiaoniuer, has recreated part of the destroyed Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace) in Minecraft, digitally repatriating the looted 12 zodiac bronze animal heads. His video has received millions of views, prompting discussions about "cyber reunion" and national pride. The zodiac bronzes were originally part of a fountain at the Qing Dynasty royal resort, which was looted during the Second Opium War in 1860. Only seven of the bronzes have been returned. Qiu spent two months on this project, which is part of a larger Minecraft building relay challenge that has amassed over 300 million views and showcases Chinese cultural architecture. Other participants have created significant structures, including a miniature Forbidden City and a floating palace inspired by Dunhuang art. The relay has become a cultural dialogue, connecting younger generations with their heritage through gaming.

AppWizard

September 29, 2025

Famed gamer creates working 5 million parameter ChatGPT AI model in Minecraft, made with 439 million blocks — AI trained to hold conversations, working model runs inference in the game

A developer known as Sammyuri has created a project called CraftGPT on GitHub, which is a small language model running on a computer built entirely in Minecraft using Redstone engineering. The project consists of 1,020 x 260 x 1,656 blocks, totaling 439 million blocks. While the model functions, it has significant usability issues, requiring several hours for responses to queries. The system typically takes about two hours to generate a response to a simple prompt, even with a boosted tick rate of approximately 40,000x speed. CraftGPT is not intended to compete with mainstream chatbot applications due to limitations in chat quality, depth, and accuracy.

AppWizard

September 23, 2025

GTA 5 NoPixel V announced in collaboration with Rockstar Games

The team behind NoPixel, in collaboration with Rockstar Games, is set to launch NoPixel V soon on the Rockstar Launcher and other PC platforms. NoPixel is a prominent roleplay server for Grand Theft Auto 5, allowing players to create unique characters and narratives in the city of Los Santos while enforcing strict roleplay rules. The server features special mods and custom elements that enhance gameplay, including new jobs and items, and uses a whitelist system for player access. NoPixel has gained popularity on platforms like Twitch, with notable streamers participating. The transition to NoPixel V from FiveM raises questions about the future of NoPixel 4. Additionally, various free mods are available for Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced Edition, enhancing gameplay with graphical improvements and new features.

AppWizard

August 18, 2025

‘I always knew it was going to go away eventually:’ Anthem producer Mark Darrah gives his take on Stop Killing Games ahead of his own project shutting down forever

The Stop Killing Games initiative has sparked a debate about the discontinuation of live service games, highlighted by the announcement that Anthem will cease operations in early 2026. Mark Darrah, former executive producer of Anthem, expressed regret about the game's fate and suggested that compromises in game design could have allowed it to continue operating. He noted that a less polished version of the game might have been sustainable. Players have also experienced loss, as seen with Ubisoft's The Crew, which was removed from Steam in March 2024. Darrah questions whether the gaming community should accept compromises to prevent beloved games from disappearing, emphasizing the need for a balance between game quality and longevity.

AppWizard

February 12, 2025

Minecraft is a digital playground for learning and growth

Minecraft has over 141 million active players and serves as a platform for children to explore, create, and interact, significantly impacting child development, social interactions, and cognitive learning. Researchers from the University of South Australia found that collaborative play in Minecraft fosters skills such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. Dr. Vincenza Tudini highlights that the game encourages creativity and social growth, promoting pro-social behavior among players. Minecraft enhances language development and digital literacy through gameplay interactions. The game cultivates problem-solving and teamwork skills as children collaborate to overcome obstacles. However, there are risks associated with its open online environment, including cyberbullying and interactions with strangers. Parents and educators are encouraged to implement safety measures, such as using private servers and teaching responsible online behavior. Minecraft Education Edition is being used in classrooms to teach subjects like coding and mathematics, transforming learning into an interactive experience. The study on Minecraft's impact is published in the journal Children’s Online Learning and Interaction.

AppWizard

February 6, 2025

LORD OF THE RINGS Fans Have Spent Years Recreating Middle-earth on MINECRAFT

The Minecraft Middle Earth project began in October 2010 and has become one of the longest-running building communities within the game. It features a vast virtual map measuring 29,000 by 30,000 blocks, comparable to the size of Dallas, Texas. The community has recreated various iconic locations from J.R.R. Tolkien's universe, including cities like Minas Tirith and Dol Amroth, as well as landscapes such as Isengard, Rohan, and Moria. Players can explore these sites, including the dangerous lands of Mordor, in a safe environment. The community continues to evolve with advancements in building techniques, and there is still much of Tolkien's world left to construct.