western Archives

AppWizard

April 9, 2025

Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos Game’s PC Version Launches on April 30

Idea Factory International will launch the motorcycle action game, Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos, for PC via Steam on April 30 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. The game was previously released on January 28 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch in the Western market. A special "Magazine Edition" will be available, including a physical game, digital version, artbook, posters, stickers, official soundtrack, reversible cover sleeve, exclusive trading card, and in-game costumes. Players can control six characters across 15 stages while collecting Dogoos. The game features English and Japanese audio, with text options in English, French, and Spanish. It was originally launched in Japan in June 2024.

TrendTechie

April 1, 2025

Состоялся релиз симулятора свиданий Venus Vacation Prism: Dead or Alive Xtreme – игра уже на торрентах

Venus Vacation Prism: Dead or Alive Xtreme has been released on Steam and PlayStation 4 and 5 as a spin-off of the Dead or Alive fighting game series, focusing on romantic pursuits rather than combat. Players can choose to win the affection of one of six characters: Honoka, Misaki, Eliza, Fiona, Tamaki, or Nanami, each with unique traits and storylines. The game has received a score of 32 out of 40 from Famitsu in Japan but is not available for direct purchase on Steam outside of Asian markets due to criticism from feminist groups regarding the portrayal of women in the franchise. The lack of digital rights management (DRM) has resulted in the game being leaked on torrent sites.

AppWizard

April 1, 2025

Arc System Works rhythm puzzle game Magical Beat now available for PC

Arc System Works and APLUS Games have released the PC version of the rhythm puzzle game Magical Beat on Steam, priced at .99 or 990 yen. The game originally launched in Japanese arcades on May 31, 2012, and was later released on PS Vita on December 12, 2023, and PlayStation 3 on August 5, 2014, with the PS Vita version reaching Western audiences on June 17, 2014. Magical Beat combines match-3 gameplay with rhythm elements, where players drop colored blocks called beatons in sync with the music. The game features an original Vocaloid soundtrack by Kikuo and includes tracks from various Arc System Works titles, such as Guilty Gear and BlazBlue. Players can eliminate beatons by connecting three or more of the same color, and the game includes over 100 soundtracks from different series.

AppWizard

March 23, 2025

Assassin’s Creed Shadows hits 2 million players, putting it on track to be the series’ most successful game yet

Assassin's Creed Shadows has gained over 2 million players just three days after its launch, surpassing the launches of AC Origins and Odyssey. It reached 1 million players within the first 24 hours, breaking the record previously held by AC Valhalla. Currently, Shadows has around 60,000 concurrent players, nearing Odyssey's record of 62,069. Ubisoft is in discussions with Tencent for a potential investment in a new intellectual property unit that includes the Assassin's Creed franchise. The game has received approximately 81.7% favorable reviews on Steam, with PC Gamer rating it at 80%.

AppWizard

March 13, 2025

Signal no longer cooperating with Ukraine on Russian cyber threats, official says

The encrypted messaging app Signal has stopped responding to inquiries from Ukrainian law enforcement about Russian cyber threats, raising concerns that this inaction is aiding Russian intelligence operations. Ukrainian officials, including Serhii Demediuk from the National Security and Defense Council, claim that Signal's lack of engagement is allowing Russian actors to exploit the app for espionage against Ukrainian military and government personnel. Ukraine had previously communicated with Signal about misuse, but the app has not addressed these issues. In contrast, Ukrainians are increasingly using Signal as a safer alternative to Telegram, which has faced scrutiny for potential exploitation by Russian intelligence. Meanwhile, U.S.-Ukraine cooperation has been affected by changes in American foreign policy, including a freeze on U.S. foreign aid and a temporary halt in intelligence sharing, impacting Ukraine's cyber capabilities.

AppWizard

March 9, 2025

Planet Coaster 2’s spring roadmap splashes down, with ’round-bottomed flumes’ coming in March and buildable restaurants arriving in April

Frontier Developments is enhancing Planet Coaster 2 with several updates since its launch in October. January introduced improved flume simulation for waterslides, and February added customizable video billboards. The next update, scheduled for March 20, will enhance flume construction with increased flexibility, introduce a wider variety of guest and raft movements, enhance visual effects, and incorporate "inflatable deformation" for rafts. Additionally, "round-bottomed flumes" will be added, and Update 3 will feature the Vector, an inverting suspended rollercoaster. April's Update 4 will introduce in-park restaurants and another new ride. Ongoing improvements will focus on performance, stability, and economy management. Further updates are planned for May and beyond.

AppWizard

March 5, 2025

GTA 5 gets another update and fans are definitely going to want to install it

The latest update for Grand Theft Auto 5 is approximately 600MB and lifts the 120 FPS frame-rate cap for PC users, enhancing the gaming experience. Previous enhancements have aligned the PC version with the PS5 and Xbox Series X, introducing new Ray-tracing options, improved frame-rates, and widescreen support. Players must complete a one-time Character Migration process to transfer their Story Mode and Online progress after installing the update, which also features a revamped Landing Page. New players receive GTA 000,000 to use in the Career Builder feature. The update includes the Oscar Guzman DLC, allowing players to expand their arms trafficking business with new missions and unlock new aircraft, such as the Western Duster 300-H plane and the Buckingham DH-7 Iron Mule helicopter.

AppWizard

February 28, 2025

Can alternative app stores break through?

Amazon will close its Android App Store on August 20th, preventing developers from submitting new applications. Epic Games reported an 18% year-over-year decline in player spending on PC, amounting to 5 million in 2024, despite increased user accounts. Alternative app stores face challenges in competing with established platforms like Apple’s App Store and Google Play. Companies like Huawei and Samsung have large user bases but struggle to generate significant revenue in Western markets. Alvaro Pinto, co-founder of Aptoide, notes that Amazon's closure occurs as the app distribution ecosystem is evolving, suggesting potential for new marketplaces despite existing hurdles. The upcoming Pocket Gamer Connects San Francisco event on March 17th to 18th will discuss insights on alternative app stores and direct-to-consumer practices.

Winsage

February 27, 2025

10 bugs still haunt Windows 11 24H2 despite multiple patches

In October, Microsoft released the Windows 11 24H2 update, enhancing Copilot AI and improving File Explorer, performance, and stability. The update is available for Windows 11 versions 23H2 and 22H2 through Windows Update or Microsoft's Download Windows 11 page. However, the update has encountered multiple bugs, leading Microsoft to pause it for certain problematic PCs. Several patches have been released to address these issues, including initial fixes in late October, further resolutions in mid-November, and specific updates for USB device issues, conflicts with Ubisoft games, and an optional preview update in January. Ongoing issues include AutoCAD 2022 not opening, conflicts with Citrix components, Easy Anti-Cheat causing blue screens, driver incompatibilities leading to blue screens, internet connection problems, broken clipboard history, network sharing failures, printer setup issues on Copilot+ PCs, audio output glitches, and Outlook failing to launch with Google Workspace Sync. Microsoft has acknowledged these problems and is working on solutions while maintaining a Known Issues and Notifications page.

AppWizard

February 23, 2025

Neocolonial Minecraft

More than 300 million copies of Minecraft have been sold, making it one of the world’s best-selling video games. Launched in 2011, it has found a significant place in educational settings, with suggestions for its integration into curricula for subjects like mathematics, geology, architecture, and digital literacy. The game is critiqued for perpetuating narratives of settler colonialism and celebrating violence associated with resource extraction. Players enter an unfamiliar land as a default character model, reflecting Western norms, and engage in defeating hostile creatures, which are argued to echo harmful stereotypes of Indigenous peoples. The game rewards players for mining resources and constructing empires, overlooking real-world implications of colonial extraction, labor exploitation, environmental degradation, and cultural erasure. In contrast, the game Motherload presents a critical view of colonial exploitation, depicting mining as perilous rather than enjoyable. The problematic assumptions about coloniality and power in Minecraft are noted to be deeply rooted in the history of computer and video gaming, with earlier games like The Oregon Trail facing criticism for similar portrayals.