visions Archives

AppWizard

June 19, 2025

Google’s new Veo 3 could land on YouTube Shorts this summer

YouTube's CEO, Neal Mohan, announced at the Cannes Lions Festival that the platform will integrate the advanced Veo 3 model into its Shorts feature. This integration aims to enhance creative capabilities for users and is expected to revolutionize video generation by allowing creators to generate videos using natural language. Veo 3 will enable the creation of immersive backgrounds and complex visualizations, initially limited to six-second clips. The audio features of Veo 3 were highlighted during Google's I/O 2025 event and can be accessed through a Google AI Ultra subscription.

AppWizard

June 12, 2025

Minecraft Pride Month Build Features Rainbow Ship; Check Details

A player known as u/WulfyTime constructed a wooden ship in Minecraft adorned with rainbow sails and pride flags to celebrate Pride Month. The ship serves as a symbol of inclusion and creativity within the game. WulfyTime shared their creation in the r/Minecraft Builds community, receiving positive feedback from other users who admired the attention to detail and the immersive experience of the build. The ship exemplifies the diverse and imaginative projects that players undertake in Minecraft, highlighting the game's role as a platform for creative expression.

AppWizard

June 8, 2025

Tormented Souls II demo for PC now available

Publisher PQube and developer Dual Effect have released a demo for Tormented Souls II on PC via Steam. The demo features about 60 minutes of gameplay, starting with Caroline Walker and her sister Anna's journey to Villa Hess, a clinic in southern Chile. Upon arrival, Anna goes missing, leading Caroline to confront captors and a sinister plan involving the Wildberger twins. Caroline's character design has evolved, featuring a blood-red dress and rugged leather jacket, reflecting her growth as a protective older sister. Tormented Souls II is set to launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC in 2025.

AppWizard

June 5, 2025

If an NPC hates you in this adventure from the makers of Road 96, it’s probably because another player was mean to them earlier

Digixart's upcoming game, Tides of Tomorrow, features an innovative asynchronous multiplayer experience where players can choose another player to 'follow' during their adventures. This mechanic allows players to see echoes of the chosen player's actions, referred to as 'ghosts', which help navigate challenges and shape the narrative. Players can change their chosen companion if they find their path undesirable. The game is set to launch on February 24, 2026.

AppWizard

June 2, 2025

The Sims co-creator Tim LeTourneau has passed away

Tim LeTourneau, a significant figure in the creation of The Sims, passed away, as announced by his wife, Donna. He began his career in the gaming industry in 1998 at Maxis, where he served as a senior producer for eight years and contributed to the success of The Sims franchise. In 2006, he moved to Electronic Arts, becoming an executive producer and later Vice President and General Manager of The Sims Studio in 2008. In March 2011, he joined Zynga as Vice President of studios and was promoted to Chief Creative Officer within two years. After a brief stint at Storm8 as Chief Creative Officer, he returned to Zynga as Senior Vice President of games. In March 2017, he became Director of Product Design at Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment until his departure in 2021. He then served as Senior Advisor at Fortis Games. Following his passing, a former Maxis team member shared a tribute on Reddit, highlighting the familial atmosphere LeTourneau created at the studio.

AppWizard

May 21, 2025

‘I’m a PC gamer and there are 10 video games I’ve been hooked on since 2020’

Video games have over three billion players globally and are evolving into a dominant force in the entertainment industry. The following ten standout games were released for PC since 2020: 1. Elden Ring (2022) - An action RPG known for its stunning visuals and intricate storytelling, requiring over 70 hours to complete. 2. Split Fiction (2025) - A cooperative narrative game where players battle against a machine stealing creativity, released in March 2025. 3. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (2021) - A remake of the 1997 classic, featuring updated combat mechanics and breathtaking graphics. 4. Valorant (2020) - A tactical hero shooter with a vibrant eSports scene, released in early 2021, with over 1,000 hours logged by the player. 5. Fields of Mistria (2024) - An early access farm life simulation game that allows players to cultivate crops, raise animals, and explore mystical mines. 6. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025) - A turn-based RPG with a blend of traditional and real-time combat mechanics, released last month. 7. Hades (2020) - A roguelike game with fast-paced combat and Greek mythology-inspired artwork, released in 2020. 8. Overwatch 2 (2023) - The sequel to Overwatch, introducing new heroes and a 5v5 format, released in 2023. 9. Visions of Mana (2024) - The fifth main installment in the Mana series, featuring familiar gameplay mechanics. 10. Marvel Rivals (2024) - A game featuring 38 Marvel characters, allowing casual play with friends, released in 2024.

AppWizard

May 17, 2025

World of Warcraft game director on the woeful patch 11.1.5: ‘It’s not the experience our players are expecting or deserve’

World of Warcraft's patch 11.1.5 has faced backlash from players due to numerous bugs and the implementation of time-gated content. Senior game director Ion Hazzikostas acknowledged that the launch did not go as planned and highlighted issues with the Flame's Radiance events, which were a key feature of the patch. Other anticipated features, including a bad-luck protection system and a dual-boss raid mode, experienced delays, leading to player disappointment. Hazzikostas noted that the decision to stagger releases aimed to prevent player overwhelm but resulted in frustration over the lack of content at launch. Bugs from previous patches re-emerged, attributed to the accelerated eight-week patch schedule, which is the fastest in the game's history. Developers are using hotfixes to address issues quickly, but this can complicate resolutions. Hazzikostas emphasized the importance of quality over quantity and stated that the team is committed to improving their processes based on the challenges faced with this patch.

AppWizard

May 6, 2025

NCSoft invests in Texan FPS studio Emptyvessel

NCSoft has invested in the first-person studio Emptyvessel, marking the start of a long-term partnership through its North American subsidiary, NC West. Emptyvessel is developing a first-person cyberpunk squad-based shooter called Defect, with a team experienced in titles like Doom and The Last of Us. Emanuel Palalic, the game director, emphasized the importance of creative risks and the alignment of visions between the two companies. NCSoft co-CEO Byung-moo Park praised Emptyvessel's expertise and reiterated the company's commitment to investing in new global intellectual properties and specific genres.

AppWizard

May 4, 2025

Star-trekking sandbox roguelike Approaching Infinity launches after more than 12 years in development

Approaching Infinity is a turn-based sandbox game developed by the micro-indie team at Ibology, which has been in development for over twelve years and has recently launched out of early access. The game allows players to assume the role of a customizable captain managing a modular starship, with the ability to assemble a crew of specialists. Players can engage in various activities such as surveying uncharted planets, solving problems, exploring shipwrecks, and interacting with alien species. Approaching Infinity is available on Steam for £15.

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.