YouTube Archives

AppWizard

June 26, 2025

‘Scary’ Android change sparks fears as Google warns AI will ‘control’ WhatsApp

Google is integrating its Gemini AI tools into various smartphone applications, including Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, and Utilities. Users have been informed that Gemini will assist with these applications regardless of whether the Gemini Apps Activity is activated or deactivated. Users who have opted out of these features will retain their settings, but the lack of clear instructions on disabling the features has caused confusion and concern among users. The rollout of these changes is set to begin on July 7. Gemini will offer capabilities such as brainstorming ideas, connecting with Google apps, studying with interactive visuals, providing tailored information, planning trips, creating AI-generated images, and summarizing content.

BetaBeacon

June 25, 2025

Google quietly launches HTML5 games hub Instant Games on select Android devices

Google has quietly launched a new app called Instant Games on the Play Store. This app offers a variety of HTML5 games that users can explore, filter by categories, search for specific titles, and mark favorites. Some of the games featured include Banana Run, 99 Balls, Billiards Classic, and Om Nom Run. The app aims to provide easy access to games without the need for additional downloads and is currently only accessible on select Android devices.

AppWizard

June 24, 2025

Ambitious Minecraft Competitor Hytale Canceled After Nearly 7 Years of Development: ‘This Is Not the Outcome Any of Us Wanted’

Hypixel Studios has announced the cancellation of Hytale, a game first unveiled in December 2018 and intended to compete with Minecraft. The studio, backed by Riot Games, is winding down operations following this decision. Despite initial excitement and a trailer that garnered 61 million views, development faced significant challenges, leading to the conclusion that the game could not be realized as originally promised. Co-founder Noxy expressed disappointment and noted that attempts to reduce the game's scope or delay its release were ultimately dismissed. Riot Games also sought potential investors to rescue Hytale, but these efforts were unsuccessful. Affected staff will receive severance packages and support for their future endeavors.

AppWizard

June 24, 2025

Mario Kart 64 races onto PC with unofficial port, no emulation necessary

UltraHLE enabled players to run commercial Nintendo 64 games at playable frame rates on Windows 9x. The Harbour Masters collective has developed SpaghettiKart, an unofficial PC port of Mario Kart 64, by decompiling and recompiling the original game code for contemporary platforms, including Windows, Linux (Ubuntu 22), and Nintendo Switch. Players must provide their own Mario Kart 64 ROM and use "Spaghettify.exe" to load the game. SpaghettiKart currently supports only the US version and offers three rendering APIs: DirectX 11 for Windows, Metal for macOS, and OpenGL for other platforms. The port allows for custom assets and mods, although it is still in development and may have occasional crashes. Mario Kart 64 is the second-best-selling title for the Nintendo 64, with nearly 9.87 million copies sold globally. SpaghettiKart utilizes Libultraship, a library that reimplements Nintendo 64 SDK functions on modern machines.

BetaBeacon

June 23, 2025

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Battle Chronicle Game to End Service for PC, iOS, Android on September 29

The game "Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Battle Chronicle" will end all of its services, including for PC, iOS, and Android devices, on September 29.

AppWizard

June 23, 2025

Today’s Android app deals and freebies: Endurance, DYSMANTLE, CHUCHEL, and more

- Samsung Smart Monitors are available with savings of up to 0 on the latest models. - The Galaxy S25 Ultra in Jetblack and Jadegreen variants is discounted by 0, the lowest price of the year. - The Lenovo Legion Go PC gaming handheld with 1TB storage is at its best price yet. - The Hisense U7 Google Smart TV, featuring a 165Hz VRR model, is available at all-time low prices.

AppWizard

June 23, 2025

Minecraft Retakes 1st on the Swiss Charts, Mario Kart World Drops to 3rd

Minecraft has reclaimed the top position in the Swiss gaming charts for the 24th week of 2025. Mario Kart World has dropped from first to third place, while Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has risen to fourth. The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild is now in fifth place, and The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom has fallen to ninth. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Hogwarts Legacy have returned to the top 10, occupying sixth and tenth places, respectively. EA Sports FC 25 has moved up to second place, and Super Mario Party Jamboree is now seventh. Cyberpunk 2077 has dropped to eighth place. The current top 10 features five Nintendo titles and five multiplatform games.

AppWizard

June 23, 2025

Five new Steam games you probably missed (June 23, 2025)

On any given day, Steam releases about a dozen new games. The following are details of specific games: - Korter 1996 - Release Date: June 20 - Developers: Mari-Anna Lepasson, James Flannery - Gameplay: Players explore a '90s arcade setting as a nine-year-old in an abandoned gaming haven, combining first-person exploration and 2D pixel platforming with a gameplay duration of around two hours. - Tower Wizard - Release Date: June 20 - Developer: Barribob - Gameplay: An incremental idle game where players build a wizard tower, featuring satisfying mechanics and numerous upgrades. It received over 900 "overwhelmingly positive" reviews shortly after release. - Chronicles of the Wolf - Release Date: June 19 - Developer: Migami Games - Gameplay: An exploration platformer that pays homage to the Castlevania series, featuring gothic pixel art and RPG mechanics, including characters from the Bloodstained series. - Blessed Burden - Release Date: June 19 - Developer: Podoba Interactive - Gameplay: A first-person parkour game where players, as a priest, descend into hell to confront evil, with a focus on speed and agility, and gameplay priced under ten dollars.

AppWizard

June 22, 2025

Pathologic 3’s time travel system will let players ‘explore the unknown boldly and without fearing permanent ruin’ and that makes me way more inclined to play it

Pathologic 2 is a challenging immersive sim from Ice-Pick Lodge that has a dedicated following but may not cater to players seeking a more balanced experience. The upcoming Pathologic 3 will redefine the player experience by starting at the point of failure and allowing players to backtrack through time to correct past mistakes. The narrative follows protagonist Dankovsky, who faces dire consequences for his actions, and players will have two key mechanics: "Amalgam," which enables time jumps to alter past events, and the "Mind Map," which visually represents decision interconnections for strategic planning. These mechanics are integral to the gameplay, with specific locations and endings accessible only through particular causal combinations, promoting exploration and creativity without forcing players into fail states.

AppWizard

June 21, 2025

‘I don’t particularly think the game will be very good’: The fans trying to get a never-released Chinese Borderlands MMO working are doing something so absurd that I love them for it

A group of fans is attempting to revive Borderlands Online, a game originally developed by Shanda Interactive Entertainment for the Chinese market, which was cancelled in 2015. They have found an old build of the game from obscure websites and aim to create a playable version despite significant challenges in reverse-engineering the software. The project is fan-driven, with no intention of infringing on copyrights or making a profit. The team has also discovered the de_dust2 map within the game files.