Gaming in Canada. Reviews, Walkthroughs, News

In a series of congratulatory posts following a tumultuous weekend for Fractured Online, where hackers infiltrated the game and deleted all player cities, the team at Dynamight Studios has reportedly exceeded their sales expectations for the game. Following its two-week early access period, Fractured Online has not only surpassed expectations in sales and player engagement but has also demonstrated their commitment to their players through theirfast response to the security breach.

EA Sports FC 24 will bring one of next year’s biggest football tournaments to The Video Game Franchise Formerly Known As FIFA next summer, letting you experience the UEFA Euro 2024 championships via a free update. There’ll also be the chance to compete in a virtual Euros hosted via the new game.

This Week in Business is our weekly recap column, a collection of stats and quotes from recent stories presented with a dash of opinion (sometimes more than a dash) and intended to shed light on various trends. Check every Friday for a new entry.

EA Sports FC 24 players will be able to experience the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament from the comfort of home thanks to an upcoming free in-game update.

Over the past few years, Asmodee around the globe has been buying up smaller companies and putting all those titles under their grand banner. To many, Asmodee is the Disney of the board game world, and rightfully so. They own a ton of properties, win dozens of awards each year, and continue to push high quality games out to market. As we head into this holiday season, here are a few of the more recent games from Asmodee that we think you should consider for those board game loving folks on your list! Plus, see how you can enter to win an Asmodee Prize Pack as the bottom of this article!

Binance boss Changpeng Zhao has become the most powerful cryptocurrency figure to fall in a two-year period chaotic even by the standards of the notoriously volatile industry.

The barrage of solar activity continues as we near the peak of solar cycle 25. For the unaware, a solar cycle is an 11-year period where the Sun's activity dips and rises. The lowest point of activity in the cycle is known as the solar minimum, while the period of highest activity is known as the solar maximum. As we approach the solar maximum, Earth is predicted to face more CMEs, sunspots, solar flares, and solar storms.

Over the years, various social media platforms have opted for the subscription model. They are looking to monetize as large a proportion of their users as is possible and for that, they are willing to go the extra mile in providing other, more useful, services and value-adds. Now, a new ad-free subscription plan is being considered by platforms like Snapchat, having already rolled out the Snapchat Plus subscription tier and the carrot that it is dangling is to allow these subscribers to get an ad-free service. However, the question that might arise in your mind is, will users be willing to pay more for ad-free viewing? The jury is still out on that. Check out what the new Snapchat subscription plans say.

In a historic move in the cryptocurrency space, Binance cofounder Changpeng Zhao has agreed to step down from the position of the company CEO and has pleaded guilty to violating US anti-money laundering charges brought down by the US Department of Justice. The settlement of the case comes at an unprecedented 4.3 billion dollars to resolve a long-running investigation into the world's largest cryptocurrency by trade volume. But who is Zhao, who created this massive empire and brought it to a fall, conceding a personal payment of 50 million dollars as a penalty to the US government? Let us take a closer look.

In 2020, the developers of Raji: An Ancient Epic (one of the most well-known video games to come out of India) noted how difficult it had been to finance their work; the rejections from potential investors were so numerous that the founders came close to asking their team to look for other jobs. (They eventually received an Unreal Dev Grant.)

Apple's suite of products has several health and fitness features that can save your life. There have been numerous instances of the Apple Watch saving the life of its wearer by alerting them of health abnormalities. But it isn't just the Apple Watch that can become a rescuer in dire circumstances. Perhaps the most crucial of all the features on the iPhone is the Emergency SOS via satellite. Introduced with the iPhone 14 last year, the latest iPhone 15 also comes equipped with this life-saving feature. Know all about the Emergency SOS via satellite feature on the iPhone 15, and how it works.

Chinese giant NetEase Games has unveiled yet another new studio.

Scalpers have started selling the PlayStation Portal for inflated prices, due to the gadget selling out at launch.

Don’t mind me, just pressing my face through the bars of my Black Friday cell to bark a reminder that the Steam Deck OLED is on sale now via the Steam Store. Unlike with the original Steam Deck’s launch, Valve say the much-upgraded OLED version arrives with ample stock, so buyers can hopefully get theirs posted out without delay. The familiar reservation system is "ready to switch on", though, should demand overwhelm supply.

Mass Effect writer Mac Walters has joined NetEase to establish new Vancouver-based studio Worlds Untold.

After leaving BioWare in January, Mass Effect lead writer Mac Walters has established a new remote studio, Worlds Untold, in Vancouver, Canada, with NetEase Games. As per a press release, it aims to create new IPs with “depth and possibility” that “can’t be contained in a single game, or even a single medium.”

NetEase has announced a new game development studio headed up by one of the key writers on the Mass Effect series.

You can preorder the Steam Deck OLED starting November 16, and there's even a limited-edition translucent model.

NetEase Games unveiled Worlds Untold as a new game studio headed by Mass Effect veteran Mac Walters.

A Mass Effect and Dragon Age veteran has announced they are leading their own AAA game studio focusing on narrative and worldbuilding. 

NetEase Games has announced the establishment of Worlds Untold, a new fully remote game studio based in Vancouver, Canada and led by Mass Effect series project director and lead writer Mac Walters.

Alongside the initial reveal of the new Steam Deck OLED, a model revision that boasts a more vibrant OLED screen and substantially improved battery life, Valve announced a special limited edition version of the handheld.

Games giant Valve has revealed its plan to stop bots and resellers from dominating sales of its upcoming Steam OLED.

Yesterday, Amazon Luna suddenly launched in Italy, France, and Spain. The cloud gaming service is now expanding throughout Europe after becoming available in the U.S., United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada.

Valve surprised us all - in a good way - last week when it accidentally leaked, and then officially revealed, that the Steam Deck OLED is coming very soon. Very soon is actually an understatement. All three models of the Steam Deck OLED will be here tomorrow (November 16, 2023). Anyone who wants a new Steam Deck with a better quality screen, longer battery life, and faster load times will need to choose between the 512GB and 1TB models. Or, if you're lucky, you could land the limited edition colorway Steam Deck OLED.

The new Turok 3 remaster has slipped out earlier than planned in Europe and Australia, following confusion over the game's recently-delayed launch date.

Like every other media production, The Last of Us’ second season on HBO was held up for several months by the writers and actors strikes in Hollywood, but with the strikes now having wrapped up, the show is preparing to move ahead for next steps.

Steam Deck OLED, Valve's updated handheld gaming device, is launching later this week. Ahead of the Steam-powered console's release, Valve has unveiled release timings. The handheld gaming device will be available to purchase November 16 at 10am PST in the US, Canada, the UK, and Europe via the Steam store. To combat scalpers who purchase newly launched devices in bulk to resell them at a markup, the company has limited purchases so each customer can only buy one model per week. Additionally, the company has announced a limited-edition version, featuring a smoky translucent case, available for $679 (about Rs. 56,500). This is available only in the US and Canada.

Naughty Dog has been pretty quiet on the gaming front this year, though the HBO series continues to be popular. According to Production List, filming for season 2 is scheduled to begin on January 7 next year.

Samsung Electronics said it has added Boosteroid‘s cloud gaming service to the Samsung Gaming Hub, adding to its growing lineup of partners.

Valve has revealed the time when fans can expect to purchase the Steam Deck OLED, which was recently announced for a November 16 release. The announcement came with a renewed promise to combat bots and resellers, which have been an ongoing concern amid major releases like this one.

In Pokemon GO, players can earn rewarding new Field Research Tasks with a quick swipe at PokeStops. However, there are some quests that players dislike so much they delete them on sight rather than even attempt them.

Samsung expands its cloud gaming ambitions.

505 Games’ parent company Digital Bros has said that it expects to cut approximately 30% of its workforce.

This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.

No More Rainbows developer Squido Studio has secured CA$1.5 million in funding.

The cyberattack that paralyzed several major Australian ports was a sharp reminder of what governments and experts say is a growing threat to shipping, the lifeblood of the global economy.

Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away is a film about a spoilt young girl who is obliged to work at a bathhouse for supernatural creatures, after her parents are turned into pigs by a wicked witch. Spirittea from Edmonton, Canada-based Cheesemaker Games is Spirited Away in the guise of a Stardew Valley-style management sim. Released today, it casts you as a wholesome young entrepreneur who has just arrived in a town full of rogue supernatural creatures. To free the town from its spectral infestation, you must renovate an old mountain bathhouse and treat each phantom to a jolly good scrub. You might also need to deal with some Unfinished Business, such as tracking down a lost possession. At least there's no witch to worry about. That I know of, anyway.

Paramount Plus is now available on both Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles in several new markets, including the UK and Ireland.

Valve has unveiled its first upgraded iteration of the Steam Deck. Dubbed simply the Steam Deck OLED, the new handheld features several technical and form factor improvements, and it goes on sale next week.

Valve has announced the Steam Deck OLED, a new model of their popular Steam Deck handheld PC that features a host of welcome hardware improvements.

Like many in my millennial age cohort, I've got a sickening nostalgic obsession with clear plastic electronics: Game Boys, OG MacBooks, Discmen. It's god's own design language, I tell you, not just rosy memories of the late '90s and early aughts! No doubt taking note of the many aftermarket solutions for giving the Steam Deck a clear plastic makeover, Valve's gone ahead and made its own, official version.

In another life, I'm a food critic. Tasting dishes from different cultures is undoubtedly my greatest passion next to video games, and so I ask that you forgive me before I go on way too long about the wonderfully rendered traditional Mexican cooking in the upcoming Metroidvania Mariachi Legends.

Valve revealed the first major update to its handheld gaming device on Thursday when it announced the , an upgraded version of the original handheld that launched in 2022.

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Valve has announced a new OLED version of the Steam Deck.

Valve has introduced the Steam Deck OLED, which offers more than just a better screen. It has many other improvements over the original model, ranging from faster Wi-Fi to a bigger battery. All of that being said, it isn’t advertised as a successor, and it’s no more powerful at running games than any other Steam Deck. It’s simply a premium alternative, like the Nintendo Switch OLED is to the regular Switch. You can check out our full review on the Steam Deck OLED.

Valve love their surprise hardware announcements, and there’s just been a doozy in the Steam Deck OLED. It’s a "definitive" refresh of the existing Steam Deck handheld PC that swaps the underwhelming IPS display for a brighter, more vibrant OLED panel, while making numerous battery life improvements – up to and including a new, more efficient AMD APU – that promise significantly more time away from the mains. It’s not far off either: the Steam Deck OLED’s release date is November 16th, just one week away.

Valve has just announced the Steam Deck OLED, due to release in very short order on November 16. Effectively an upgrade to the baseline Steam Deck model, the OLED variant will even have a substantially upgraded battery, making the device that much more appealing.

Valve has announced the Steam Deck OLED, which is launching in North America on November 16. The Steam Deck OLED has an improved screen, a better battery, and can download games faster.

PreviewLabs has built a business helping game companies and other startups build their prototypes quickly.

But where did Alan Wake 2 land on the charts?

I’ve played Ticket to Ride with my wife on numerous occasions, and I’ve never felt that Ticket to Ride was a good two-player game. The small box games, like Ticket to Ride Berlin and Ticket to Ride Amsterdam are great with two, but the larger games just don’t work as well, especially if someone is on one side of the board, and the other person on the other.

There are some things we know about solar storms. First is that they strike the Earth near the polar region, due to the magnetic field lines of our planet. We also know that this is why auroras are primarily seen in the high latitude regions, as due to high concentrations of charged particles in the atmosphere, oxygen and nitrogen get ionized and create these fantastic colors. As the charged particles move down south, the charged particles dissipate and auroras are not visible. However, the solar storm strike on the night of November 5 and early morning of November 6 might well have created history after sparking auroras as far south as the equator itself.

Roblox Corp., the video-game platform popular among teenagers, surged by the most in almost nine months after reporting third-quarter bookings and revenue that far exceeded Wall Street's projections. 

Pokemon Go is no stranger to brand partnerships, bringing Sponsored PokeStops to several businesses across many countries. Now, they’ve partnered with McDonald’s to create Sponsored PokeStops across Canada.

We can at last reveal the winners of the 2023 Canada GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards.

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On Tuesday, former Keywords Studios QA testers based in Edmonton, who worked on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, picketed in front of developer BioWare Edmonton, despite EA's attempts to block the demonstration.

It’s been confirmed that 124 more jobs have been cut at Ubisoft — this time across IT teams and business administrative services. The company has already seen multiple waves layoffs this year. 

The listing for the upcoming Silent Hill 2 remake on the Best Buy Canada website gained traction on social media after fans discovered that it appeared to advertise «a special origin story for fans to play through» that focused on the «fan favorite character» Pyramid Head.

French publishing giant Ubisoft is making cuts to its Canadian offices.

By Emma Roth, a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.

The game industry has suffered yet another round of layoffs, as Ubisoft confirms that it has cut 124 employees worldwide as part of an ongoing restructuring effort. The bulk of that number, 98 in total, were let go from Ubisoft's business administrative services and IT in Canada, as well as the Hybride VFX studio in Montreal.

Today, Ubisoft will lay off 124 employees as part of a cost cutting strategy. These departures are happening across several of its departments, including many at its Canadian offices.

Former employees of Keywords Studios who unionized under the banner of Keywords Edmonton United are planning to strike outside of BioWare's Edmonton headquarters on November 7, beginning around 11AM to 12PM local time. The striking union members—who had previously been working on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf before BioWare ended its contract with their employer—are protesting what they describe as an unfair termination by Keywords that they say was motivated by their unionization efforts.

Today, Ubisoft is the latest developer to join 2023's wave of layoffs. According to IGN, the company laid off a total of 124 employees. 98 of them were based in Canada, which IGN calculates as roughly 2% of the company's Canadian workforce. The cuts included administrative and IT workers, some of whom were employed at the Hybride VFX studio, a company that has worked on shows like Ahsoka and The Mandalorian.

Ubisoft has laid off 124 individuals today in an effort "to streamline our operations and enhance our collective efficiency," according to the company.

Ubisoft is the latest big player in the games industry to announce a round of job cuts.

I’ve been playing board games for well over a decade now, and have amassed a huge collection of games. Add to that the access to games I have because of my gaming group, and I’ve had the privilege of playing hundreds of games. Cooperative games have always been something I enjoy, so in this article we will look at my top 3 cooperative board games.

Ubisoft Montreal is the latest company hit by ongoing cuts as 75 members of staff have been laid off at the Canadian studio.

Ex-Keywords Studios QA testers, who worked on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, will picket in front of BioWare’s Edmonton office on Tuesday. BioWare attempted to block the picket with an appeal to the Alberta Labour Relations Board, according to industry publication Game Developer, but the board ruled in the union’s favor. “The hope with our actions is [to] convince Keywords to reinstate those they terminated with new work,” former Keywords tester James Russwurm told Polygon.

Laid-off Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and Mass Effect developers are attempting to turn this year's "N7 Day" of Mass Effect-themed festivities into a day of mass revolt. The developers in question are a mixture of former full-time staff and former Keywords Studios QA testers who have worked on Dreadwolf under contract. They've organised pickets outside BioWare Edmonton's offices in Canada, and are calling on BioWare fans to get involved on social media, while trying to engage current BioWare staff in conversation about unionisation.

Update 7/11/2023: Konami has said Best Buy "had the incorrect information" regarding Silent Hill 2 Remake's Pyramid Head origin story.

Laid-off employees of Keywords Studios are planning to strike outside BioWare Edmonton's headquarters today.

Last week, a forecast revealed that three coronal mass ejections had a probability of striking the Earth early this week. The forecast had given different probabilities based on how different circumstances can affect the intensity of the resultant solar storm. It turned out that in a rare coincidence, the conditions were met to spark the worst-possible solar event, and a G3-class storm ensued yesterday, November 6. While a lot of it has subsided, the solar storm event does not look like it is going to subside anytime soon. A stream of solar winds is headed for the Earth, and it can spark another round of solar storms, that can reach the intensity of G2-class, which is possible today, November 7.

Overwatch 2 fans had to rely on someone live-tweeting the commentary of a World Cup game as Blizzcon took over the livestream. 

Silent Hill 2 Remake includes a playable origin story for the series' most famous baddie Pyramid Head according to a Best Buy listing.

Tarisland will hold its second closed beta starting on November 15th. The team has a new dev video with a behind the scenes interview with insight into the inspirations behind the game, memorable experiences, and love for the MMORPG genre.

Atari is continuing its lineup of newly produced Atari 2600 cartridges with a more obscure title: Dark Chambers.