Thirty years ago—on January 15, 1991 —an American college student named Tim Sweeney released ZZT , a low-key adventure game with a revolutionary element: It shipped with a free, built-in game editor. ZZT’s success spawned Epic Games, Unreal Engine, and most recently, Fortnite . Here’s why ZZT was special. What’s a “ZZT,” Anyway? Tim Sweeney’s passion for programming began on his Apple II when he was a kid. After getting his first IBM PC in 1989 during his freshman year of college, he dove head-first into programming the new machine. While creating an MS-DOS text editor using Turbo Pascal in 1990, he decided to make the project more fun by adding game-like elements. That evolved into ZZT , which was released as shareware in 1991. The genius of ZZT in the early 1990s was that it wasn’t just a cute ASCII-based adventure. With every copy of ZZT downloaded, players also got an in-game world editor for free. That’s because ZZT’s text editor roots meant … [Read more...] about Before Fortnite, There Was ZZT: Meet Epic’s First Game
Amadeus play script
The 10 Best Horror Movies on HBO Max
HBO Max might not be the oldest streaming platform on the block, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking. Some of the most famous horror movies of all time can be streamed alongside recent fright-filled hits. Here are 10 of the best horror movies streaming on HBO Max . Table of Contents Day of the Dead The Exorcist Gremlins The Invisible Man It Jaws A Nightmare on Elm Street Poltergeist Scanners Us Day of the Dead The third movie in George A. Romero’s long-running zombie series, Day of the Dead , may not be as influential as Night of the Living Dead or as acclaimed as Dawn of the Dead , but it’s still an ambitious and unsettling horror movie. Romero further explores the idea of zombies gaining self-awareness, while also demonstrating that the greatest threat in any post-apocalyptic scenario is, of course, humanity itself. The Exorcist The kind of classic that is … [Read more...] about The 10 Best Horror Movies on HBO Max
How to Switch to DuckDuckGo, a Private Search Engine
DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused search engine that’s been online since 2008. Find websites, maps, videos, news, and more—without tracking your searches and serving you targetted ads. Here’s how to make the switch from Google, Bing, or any other search engine. Most Browsers Already Include DuckDuckGo as a Search Option DuckDuckGo has been gaining ground for over a decade, finally breaking through to the “mainstream” in September of 2014 when Apple offered it as a default search engine option in Safari for iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite. Later, in November of the same year, Mozilla added it to Firefox 33.1. RELATED: What Is DuckDuckGo? Meet the Google Alternative for Privacy Since then, almost every major browser has recognized DuckDuckGo by making it an optional default search engine. This includes Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. Google Chrome Launch Chrome, click on the “three dots” menu icon in the top-right corner of the window, and click “Settings.” … [Read more...] about How to Switch to DuckDuckGo, a Private Search Engine
Did You Know? Windows 10 PCs Have “Game Mode” on by Default
All Windows 10 PCs have “Game Mode” enabled by default. Microsoft once touted this feature, but it’s now faded into the background. Bizarrely, some people report that disabling Game Mode boosts the performance of certain PC games! What Does “Game Mode” Do on Windows 10? First introduced in Windows 10’s Creators Update , which was released back in April 2017, “ Game Mode ” promises to boost the performance of many PC games. Here’s the official description: Microsoft says that Game Mode “helps achieve a more stable frame rate depending on the specific game and system.” Technically, it works by detecting games and giving them priority access to your computer’s resources. The game you’re focused on playing gets more CPU and GPU resources, while other applications and background processes get fewer resources. This only works if Windows 10 detects that you’re playing a game. Microsoft’s limited explanation of Game Mode also says that, in Game Mode, Windows Update won’t … [Read more...] about Did You Know? Windows 10 PCs Have “Game Mode” on by Default
How to Install the RetroArch Emulator on Xbox Series X or S
Thanks to Developer Mode on the Xbox Series X and S, you can install emulators like RetroArch . Turn your Xbox Series X or S into a retro gaming powerhouse and emulate the PS2, GameCube, Dreamcast, and more, all without impacting your ability to play retail games. First, Activate Developer Mode The first thing you have to do is activate Developer Mode on your Xbox . To do so, you’ll need a paid Microsoft Partner developer account. This requires a one-time fee of $19 (pricing is different in other regions). Once you’ve activated your account, you can add your Xbox as a developer console. RELATED: How to Put Your Xbox Series X or S into Developer Mode With a valid developer account, you can download the Xbox Dev Mode app, activate your console in Partner Center, and then reboot in Developer Mode. From there, it’s just a matter of configuring your network connection, and then accessing the Xbox Developer Mode web interface via a browser. For this guide, we’ll … [Read more...] about How to Install the RetroArch Emulator on Xbox Series X or S
What Does “ITT” Mean, and How Do You Use It?
What does it mean when someone comments “ITT” on a message board, and what exactly is a thread? We’ll answer all your questions about this online forum acronym here. ITT: In This Thread ITT is an initialism that stands for “in this thread.” It’s typically used on online forums, social networking sites, and message boards to describe or suggest a topic to be discussed in a particular thread. If you’re unfamiliar with message boards, this might be the first time you’ve heard of an internet “thread.” It’s a string of messages from various people on the same topic. Each message is viewable by a community, and they’re often replying or referring to each other. Every thread is started by an “OP” or “original poster. Threads are also present on social networks, like Twitter and Facebook. A highly popular website that uses threads is Reddit, where the comment section under each post is a thread. RELATED: How to Make a Twitter Thread The Origins of ITT ITT has likely … [Read more...] about What Does “ITT” Mean, and How Do You Use It?