Chinese official removed following stock tumbles from new game proposals

What if I told you there was a fantasy farming sim steeped in Chinese mythology that marries the chill, cozy vibes of Stardew Valley et al. with RPG features like "epic battles" and companions?

Publisher Spike Chunsoft and developer MAGES. will release the PC versions of romance visual novels Memories Off, Memories Off 2nd, Omoide Ni Kawaru Kimi Memories Off, Memories Off Sorekara, Memories Off #5 Togireta Film, Memories Off6 T-wave, and Memories Off Yubikiri No Kioku via Steam in Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese, the companies announced. Release dates were not announced.

Following a cryptic tease during CES 2024, Ayaneo has revealed its Next Lite gaming handheld and it's a confusing product, to say the least. It's designed to compete with Steam Deck, but it doesn't run Valve's official SteamOS — rather, it uses a forked version called HoloISO. It will be priced at a decent $299 and while the controls and screen look good, it packs a less-than-potent processor.

A slump in smartphone demand did not shake Apple’s resolve or the sales momentum of its iPhones because, according to the latest data, the California-based giant achieved one milestone that it took the firm 13 years to fulfill ever since it launched the first iPhone, and that is overtaking its closest adversary, Samsung, in global smartphone shipments.

SMITE 2 has revealed that the skins from the first game cannot be ported to the sequel, as doing so would take 246 years, according to the developer. SMITE is one of the most iconic MOBAs ever produced and is back in the spotlight because of SMITE 2.

2023 was a landmark year for horror (check out Wccftech's Best Of here), delivering the super-ambitious Alan Wake 2, a pair of rock-solid remakes in Resident Evil 4 and Dead Space, excellent indies like Amnesia: The Bunker, and more. 2024 may not be quite as strong, but it largely keeps the ball rolling down a similar horrifying path, with a couple of new remakes (The Last of Us Part II Remastered and Silent Hill 2), new entries in fan-favorite series (Alone in the Dark), and some promising indies (Still Wakes the Deep). Those dark days when it looked like survival horror might be finished are definitely behind us, so steel your nerves. Here are Wccftech's picks for the games that will be keeping you awake in 2024.

With GTA 6 generating buzz for its gripping single-player storyline, the spotlight is increasingly turning toward the highly anticipated online component. The success of GTA 5's online experience, particularly the meteoric rise of GTA Online RP servers, has captured the imagination of gamers worldwide, paving the way for a call for dedicated support in the upcoming GTA 6.

Smartphone cameras have evolved to the point that they can no longer be discounted and for all the right reasons. The upcoming OPPO Find X7 Ultra will go official on January 8 in China, and many people are waiting for the device. OPPO has just shared some information about the phone with us in the form of official camera samples, and I think this phone will usher smartphone photography into a new era.

Ever heard of Honor of Kings, the MOBA title? The game has been a big deal in China since 2015 and even hit the milestone of being the first mobile game to cross the $10 billion revenue mark. Well, the title’s going global soon! Keep reading to know more.

China removed an official at a government body overseeing its press and publications regulator, five sources who were briefed on the matter said, days after Chinese gaming stocks were hit by proposed rules to curb spending on video games. Feng Shixin was removed last week from his position as head of the publishing unit of the Communist Party's Publicity Department, the sources said. The department oversees the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) which in turn regulates China's vast video games sector.

The Chinese Communist Party—who had taken aim at free-to-play monetisation schemes just before the holidays—softened its stance. This was after "nearly $80 billion in market value" bled from Tencent (League of Legends) and NetEase (Diablo: Immortal). 

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