Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

RPG in a Box: Game Creation Made Easy

2025-05-14

RPG in a Box empowers users to create games and interactive experiences without any programming or modeling skills. This intuitive tool features a voxel editor, map editor, visual scripting, dialogue system, camera controls, UI customization, item system, and sound effect generator. Export your creations to standalone Windows and macOS games, making it easy to share your work with others.

(rpginabox.com)

Game

Replicube: Code Your Own Voxel Worlds

2025-05-14

Replicube is an open-ended programming puzzle game where you write code to replicate 3D voxel-based objects. Solve puzzles by matching reference objects with your code – there's no single right answer, just get the same object! Freely create your own voxel art, and even generate 2D images and GIFs with the built-in tools. Compete on leaderboards, share your creations on the in-game forum, and export your work to other 3D programs. Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

(store.steampowered.com)

Game voxel game code creation

Infinity Nikki's 1.5 Update Sparks Player Backlash: Aggressive Monetization, Broken Gameplay

2025-05-12

Infinity Nikki's 1.5 update has sparked significant player backlash. While introducing multiplayer and customization options, the update also brought numerous bugs, instability, and baffling changes to the story and monetization. Players launched a "girlcott," refusing to play and spend money, flooding Steam with negative reviews. Infold Games' response failed to appease players, who cite increased costs for complete outfits, a new paid currency pushing heavier monetization, and a major story alteration as reasons for their anger. The incident highlights Infold Games' broken trust with its player base and missteps in its in-app purchase design.

(aftermath.site)

Game player boycott gacha

Bouncing Balls in a Spinning Hexagon: A Pygame Implementation

2025-05-12

This is a Pygame program simulating multiple balls bouncing inside a rotating hexagon. The program creates several balls with random initial velocities and positions, simulating gravity and friction. Balls bounce off the rotating hexagon using reflection laws. Vector calculations are used to handle collisions and reflections. The game updates and renders at 60 frames per second, resulting in a smooth visual experience.

(andrewzh112.github.io)

Game Physics Simulation

Monitoring My Minecraft Server with OpenTelemetry and Dash0

2025-05-11

To enable multiplayer Minecraft mischief with the kids, I set up a Java Minecraft server on a Linux VM and implemented comprehensive monitoring using OpenTelemetry, a Prometheus exporter, and Dash0. The OpenTelemetry Java Agent monitors JVM health, a Minecraft Prometheus exporter collects game-specific metrics (player count, blocks mined, etc.), and the OpenTelemetry Collector aggregates and sends all data to Dash0. Dash0's PromQL queries and log monitoring allow me to track server status, such as downtime and JVM restarts, with Slack alerts. The process was a fun refresher on Java and Linux sysadmin skills. While the dashboard is simple, a stable server is the priority.

(www.dash0.com)

Game

Nintendo Switch 2's EULA Grants Nintendo the Power to Brick Your Console

2025-05-11

Nintendo's updated user agreement for the upcoming Switch 2 grants the company the power to remotely brick users' consoles. If users violate the agreement, such as by modifying system software or bypassing security measures, Nintendo can permanently disable the console. This clause is controversial as it grants Nintendo significant control over hardware that users own. While likely targeting piracy and modding, the vague wording raises concerns, with Nintendo possessing ultimate interpretation power. This isn't just about online play restrictions; it could disable offline functionality, rendering the console worthless.

(betanews.com)

Game Remote Disable

Overwatch 2 Developers Unionize at Blizzard

2025-05-11

Nearly 200 developers at Blizzard Entertainment, working on Overwatch 2, have successfully unionized, joining the Communications Workers of America (CWA). This follows the World of Warcraft team's unionization last year, marking Blizzard's second company-wide union. The union, encompassing artists, testers, engineers, and designers, formed in response to Microsoft's 2024 layoffs and concerns over pay disparities, work-from-home restrictions, crunch, time off, and severance. The Overwatch Gamemakers Guild aims to improve working conditions and ultimately contribute to better game development, setting a potential precedent for other studios.

(kotaku.com)

Game unionization

Giant Bomb Acquired by Longtime Staff: A New Chapter Begins

2025-05-11

Gaming media brand Giant Bomb has been acquired by its longtime staff members, Jeff Bakalar and Jeff Grubb. Fandom, the previous owner, is handing over operations to the veteran duo, marking a new chapter for the brand. Financial details of the deal remain undisclosed, but Giant Bomb's programming will resume as soon as possible. The new owners stated that Giant Bomb's future rests with its supportive community, and all support will directly benefit the team.

(about.fandom.com)

Game gaming media

Sprig: A Tiny Tile-Based Game Engine for Teen Coders

2025-05-10

Hack Club, a global community of teen coders, has released Sprig, a miniature construction kit for building tile-based games in JavaScript. Sprig offers an intuitive API for setting maps, sprites, handling collisions, user input, and sound effects. It includes a built-in sound engine and sequencer, and even incorporates infinite loop detection. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, Sprig makes game development accessible and fun.

(sprig.hackclub.com)

Game

Legendary Amateur Press Association Magazine Ceases Publication After Nearly 50 Years

2025-05-10

Alarums & Excursions, an amateur press association (APA) magazine founded in 1975, has ceased publication after nearly 50 years and over 590 issues. This long-running publication served as a platform for many prominent game designers and writers, including Greg Stafford, and won numerous 'best amateur magazine' awards. Its editor, Lee Gold, a legend in the field, was also a prolific RPG writer and novelist. While its closure is sad news, PDFs of all back issues are available for purchase.

(www.chaosium.com)

Game amateur press legendary figure

Embracer Games Archive: Preserving Gaming History

2025-05-10

Embracer Games Archive aims to preserve video game history. Inspired by Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors's personal collection, the archive has grown alongside the company. Its goal is to collaborate with institutions, grassroots movements, journalists, researchers, publishers, and studios to preserve and document gaming history, ultimately benefiting the entire industry.

(embracergamesarchive.com)

Game

Reverse Engineering Unearths 28-Year-Old Secrets in 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park'

2025-05-09

A reverse engineer used the Ghidra tool to analyze the password system of the 1997 game 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park', successfully replicating it and discovering previously unknown cheat codes. These codes unlock a stage select screen, invincibility mode, and two photo galleries. Hundreds of thousands of valid passwords (with duplicate effects) were also found for the PlayStation version. This research reveals previously unknown secrets within the game's development and showcases the power of reverse engineering.

(32bits.substack.com)

Game game cheat codes password system

1984: The First Man vs. Machine Poker Showdown You've Never Heard Of

2025-05-09

Before Polaris in 2007, there was Orac. In 1984, poker legend Mike Caro challenged Doyle Brunson and Tom McEvoy with his Apple II Plus program, a feat largely forgotten. This article unearths the story, revealing correspondence with Binion's Horseshoe and Apple, detailing the event and its surprising results. Orac lost to McEvoy but held its own against Brunson, showcasing early AI's foray into poker.

(www.poker.org)

Game Poker

Tic-Tac-Toe in Pure JavaScript

2025-05-09

This code implements a Tic-Tac-Toe game using pure JavaScript and the Aberdeen.js library. It cleverly leverages reactive programming principles, managing game state with a `proxy` object and using the `observe` function for automatic UI updates. The `calculateWinner` function determines the winner, `getCurrentMarker` gets the current player's marker, `markSquare` updates the board state, and `drawBoard`, `drawStatusMessage`, and `drawTurns` handle UI rendering. The game logic is clear, the code is concise and easy to understand, showcasing the flexibility of frontend frameworks and the power of JavaScript.

(aberdeenjs.org)

Game

Andor and Game of Thrones: Realism or Creator Bias?

2025-05-09

Both Andor season two and Game of Thrones sparked controversy over scenes depicting sexual assault. Creators defended these scenes as necessary for 'realism,' but this article argues otherwise. While war historically included rape, it also involved disease, starvation, and other causes of death. The article posits that the creators aren't truly aiming for realism but rather a 'gritty' atmosphere, masking their reliance on sexual assault against women and their perpetuation of stereotypes. Using Bix's character in Andor as an example, the article highlights that her prior torture renders the additional sexual assault unnecessary. The choice seems driven by personal preference rather than artistic necessity.

(mythcreants.com)

Game sexual assault realism TV shows

The Copyright Disaster of George Romero's Night of the Living Dead

2025-05-09

George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, a cornerstone of horror cinema and the creator of the modern zombie archetype, is in the public domain due to a distribution error. The distributor neglected to renew the copyright after a title change, costing Romero millions in potential revenue from the film's $30 million+ box office success and countless home video releases. Ironically, this public domain status has also contributed to its enduring legacy.

(screenrant.com)

Game

Xenon Framework: A Powerful C++ Game Hacking Framework

2025-05-08

Xenon is a powerful and flexible C++ framework for creating both internal and external game cheats. Its modular architecture allows easy implementation of features like ESP, Aimbot, and Radar, supporting multiple game engines including Unreal Engine and Unity. Offering both internal (DLL injection) and external (standalone application) cheat options, Xenon simplifies cheat development by abstracting low-level details. A built-in (but still under development) automatic DLL injection system further streamlines the process. Whether targeting Unreal Engine or Unity games, Xenon lets developers focus on game-specific logic.

(github.com)

Game game hacking C++ framework

WoW's Toxicity: Anonymity, Avatars, and the Perception of Negativity

2025-05-08

This paper builds on Rubin and Camm's (2013) heuristic on online griefing and trolling, exploring how anonymity, avatar creation, and online identity shape perceptions of negative behavior in World of Warcraft. Ten WoW players (five men, five women) with extensive playtime were interviewed to understand what in-game behaviors, interactions, and social elements contribute to negativity. The study reveals that real-life aggression significantly impacts players' perception of in-game negative events, highlighting the subjective nature of perception and gender differences.

(tcjournal.org)

Game online griefing player behavior

Embrace the Patina: Why Imperfect Retro Games Are More Valuable Than You Think

2025-05-07

Inspired by the BBC's Antiques Roadshow, this article tackles the perfectionism often found in retro gaming collections. The author argues that the joy of gaming shouldn't be stifled by a pursuit of pristine condition. Minor imperfections, like worn labels or scribbled-on manuals, reflect a game's history of being loved and played, adding to their sentimental value. The article encourages gamers to relax, embrace the joy of collecting, and let go of anxieties about market value and flawless condition.

(kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com)

Game collecting imperfection

Source Code for the Indie Hit VVVVVV Released!

2025-05-07

Terry Cavanagh, the creator of the acclaimed 2010 indie game VVVVVV (with music by Magnus Pålsson), has released the source code! The release includes the desktop version's source files. While the game is still commercially available for purchase to support the developer, you are free to compile it for personal use. See LICENSE.md for information on distributing compiled versions. Discussion regarding updates primarily takes place on the unofficial VVVVVV Discord server in the #vvvvvv-code channel.

(github.com)

Game

GTA VI Delayed Until May 2026: Rockstar Prioritizes Quality

2025-05-05

Rockstar Games announced a delay for Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI), pushing its release from Fall 2025 to May 2026 to ensure the game meets quality expectations. The news sent Take-Two Interactive's stock down 10%, though industry insiders weren't surprised. The delay isn't attributed to any unforeseen issues, but rather to the sheer amount of work remaining; completing the game by fall 2025 would have required significant content cuts or excessive overtime, both of which Rockstar has sought to avoid.

(www.bloomberg.com)

Game

Atari Adventure: The Genesis of a Genre-Defining Classic

2025-05-05

Atari Adventure's creation stemmed from programmer Warren Robinett's fascination with Colossal Cave Adventure. He adapted this text-based game into a graphical version for the Atari VCS, overcoming technical limitations to create an adventure game featuring multiple screens, mazes, multiple objectives, and unique game mechanics. The game's challenging puzzles, distinctive dragon characters, and hidden 'developer signature' Easter egg solidified its status as a classic. Adventure not only pioneered a new game genre but also fostered the rise of game developer credits and Easter egg culture, leaving a lasting impact on gaming history.

(www.atariarchive.org)

Game Adventure Game Gaming History

Decoding Daft Punk's Robot Sounds: A Deep Dive into Hardware and Algorithms

2025-05-05

This article delves into the secrets behind the iconic robotic sounds of electronic music duo Daft Punk. Through a meticulous analysis of the various pieces of equipment Daft Punk used (including the Roland SVC-350, Auto-Tune, DigiTech Vocalist, Ensoniq DP/4+, Sennheiser VSM201, DigiTech Talker, and more), and interpretation of recording notes, the author reveals how they cleverly employed techniques like talk boxes, vocoders, and harmonizers to create their unique sounds across different albums. The article also explores the history of the DigiTech Vocalist series and its connection to IVL Technologies, and the characteristics of the "EX" models. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the technical aspects of electronic music production.

(bjango.com)

Game sound design

Fortnite Gets Exclusive Premiere of Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld

2025-05-05

The first two episodes of the animated Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld series will premiere exclusively on Fortnite's Star Wars Watch Party island on May 2nd, two days before its Disney+ release. Linking Epic Games and MyDisney accounts will reward players, including a First Order Stormtrooper outfit. This collaboration represents a pioneering effort in social entertainment between Disney and Epic Games, promising more interactive experiences to come. The six-episode series follows Asajj Ventress and Cad Bane.

(www.ign.com)

Game Fortnite

Academic Fights Back Against Online Harassment with Kindness

2025-05-04

Dartmouth College professor Sachi Schmidt-Hori, a narrative consultant on Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Mirage, faced a torrent of online harassment from gamers angered by the inclusion of a Black samurai character. Instead of ignoring the hate, she responded with kindness, inviting her harassers to Zoom calls. This unexpected approach led to some apologies and the removal of negative content. Her actions highlight the potential of empathy in combating online toxicity and sparked a discussion about representation in video games and online hate.

(apnews.com)

Game video game controversy kindness

Riot Games' Anti-Cheat Masterclass: How Valorant Fights Cheaters

2025-05-04

Riot Games' anti-cheat team utilizes its kernel-level anti-cheat system, Vanguard, to ban thousands of Valorant cheaters daily. Vanguard employs various strategies, including leveraging Windows security features, hardware fingerprinting, and infiltrating cheat communities. They even publicly shame cheat developers and strategically allow some cheating to slow down the evolution of cheat technology. While advanced cheats like DMA attacks and screen reader cheats persist, Riot's team continually adapts its techniques and prioritizes transparency to address the increasingly sophisticated cheating landscape, with AI-assisted cheating posing a new challenge.

(techcrunch.com)

Game

Nirvana's Nevermind: The Unexpected Success of an Album Built on Major Chords

2025-05-04

In 1991, Nirvana's *Nevermind* unexpectedly became a critical and commercial sensation. Its raw guitars and unapologetic sound captivated listeners. Over 30 years later, a re-examination reveals a key ingredient: the almost exclusive use of major chords, eschewing minor chords and complex chord progressions (7th, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 9th, dim, aug). This created a unique harmonic language, bold and innovative for its time. Interestingly, Kurt Cobain seemingly worked intuitively, unaware of any musical rules he was following. This demonstrates the power of raw emotion and instinct transcending technical proficiency.

(farina00.github.io)

Game Nirvana Musical Analysis

Wife Breaks Tetris World Record in a 'Bizarro World' Arcade

2025-05-04

The author's wife unexpectedly attempts to break the world record for Game Boy Tetris. At a classic gaming tournament, she surpasses the existing record of 327 lines, ultimately achieving an astounding 841 lines, making her the new world record holder. The event is filled with unexpected twists, showcasing not only her exceptional gaming skills but also the controversies and intricacies surrounding video game record verification.

(archive.boston.com)

Game World Record

Voxdazz: Hilarious AI Celebrity Voices Bring the Laughs

2025-05-04

Voxdazz is an AI voice generator that's winning users over with its lifelike celebrity voices. Reviews praise the smooth, realistic quality, highlighting its use in creating funny videos and impressions of figures like Trump and Biden. Users are impressed by the high audio quality and find it superior to other AI voice options. Get ready for some laughs!

(voxdazz.com)

Game AI voice generator celebrity voices entertainment

LLM-Powered Pong: AI Commentary Takes Center Court

2025-05-04

xPong is a Pong game with a twist: real-time AI commentary powered by an LLM. After five years of development, the creator leveraged OpenAI's gpt-4o-mini-tts to bring this vision to life. The game simulates 15 years of tournaments, features AI players with varying skill levels, and boasts a three-layered commentary system (opening, in-game, closing) that dynamically adapts to match events. It even draws parallels to past games and adds humorous elements. xPong showcases the exciting potential of LLMs in gaming.

(github.com)

Game

Category: Game