Gaming in Canada. Reviews, Walkthroughs, News

It almost feels like it came out of nowhere, but the best entry in the RoboCop franchise since the original film is here.

Polyphony Digital’s next update for Gran Turismo 7 will be its largest yet. Launching on November 2nd, Version 1.40 or Spec 2 will add seven new cars, a new opening cinematic video, Lake Louise Track and much more. Check out the trailer below.

Delegates from 28 nations, including the U.S. and China, agreed Wednesday to work together to contain the potentially “catastrophic” risks posed by galloping advances in artificial intelligence. The first international AI Safety Summit, held at a former codebreaking spy base near London, focused on cutting-edge “frontier” AI that some scientists warn could pose a risk to humanity's very existence.

Earlier this year, Sony unveiled two new PlayStation accessories in the form of the Pulse Explore wireless earbuds and the Pulse Elite wireless headset, and now, the company has confirmed when both of them will be releasing.

Yesterday, Canada banned the use of WeChat and Kaspersky's suite of security apps on all government-issued mobile devices. The apps will be uninstalled and any attempt to download them again will be blocked.

 Broadcom Inc. said on Monday that it expects its $61 billion deal to buy software maker VMware Inc. to close before a November deadline, working to reassure investors amid concerns that a slowdown in China's review process could quash the deal. 

Update:  Pulse Explore wireless earbuds, Pulse Elite wireless headset, and additional PlayStation Link USB adapters will be available to pre-order starting Friday, November 24th. Preorders will be available through PlayStation Authorized Dealers and Sony Centres in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam. 

We’re back again. PlayStation Studios is taking part in our annual Extra Life livestream event for the second year in a row. Join Bend Studio, Guerrilla, Insomniac Games, and San Diego Studio for a four-day event of games, fun, and amazing prizes to raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. 

Nextbase wants to revolutionize driver safety with its AI-powered dash cam Nextbase iQ, which is priced under $500.

As we get ready to enter the weekend, let us take a moment to go over all the major artificial intelligence-related developments today, October 27. In the first incident, notable experts in the field of technology in India have been named to a new global advisory body. The UN body was announced by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. In other news, imaging data software provider Quibim has come together with Philips to launch AI-powered imaging and reporting solutions for MR prostate examinations. This and more in today's AI roundup. Let us take a closer look.

A tiny character can make for a huge amount of fun for a TV show’s practical effects team. Gen V, Prime Video’s excellent college-set spinoff of The Boys, is fortunate enough to have a character just like this in Emma Meyer (Lizze Broadway), a student with the ability to shrink (or grow) based on how much food she consumes or expels.

The price of Fortnite V-Bucks and some other real money Fortnite content packs will be increasing today in some regions.

As food prices rise around the world, it’s more important than ever to save money on games. There are a few things you may not consider, which we’ll dive into right now.

Tim Cain, producer and broad-strokes co-creator of the original Fallout RPG, has weighed in on the timeless debate on the start of the universe's nuclear apocalypse, confirming who dropped the first nuke once and for all. A lot of people had it right: it was China.

Google Maps is about to get a lot more immersive with the rollout of an AI-enhanced feature that gives you bird's-eye view of your route complete with 3D imagery along the way.

The Scott Pilgrim Series by Bryan Lee O’Malley is getting a hardcover re-release in honor of the series’ 20th anniversary. Since his paperback debut, Scott Pilgrim has been the subject of a live-action movie and a video game, and he will soon have his own animated miniseries courtesy of Netflix. And yet, this is the first time his printed adventures will be available in color.

Tickets for The International Game Summit on Mental Health (TIGS) Gala evening event on November 16 are now on sale.

One of mobile’s best gaming classics has just completely vanished from Google Play. That’s bad enough, but even worse is the fact that you can no longer play it at all – even if you bought it before it was delisted.

Valve is making changes to Steam pricing in Argentina and Turkey that will see game sales in those countries switched from their local currencies—the Argentine peso and Turkish lira—to US dollars. The change is being made to address «exchange rate volatility» that Valve says has made it difficult for developers to set and maintain prices for their games.

Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo has confirmed that it will be reprinting its Metal Gear line of t-shirts.

Good news, Black Clover fans. The upcoming mobile gacha game that takes place in the same universe as the anime series will still launch across the globe in 2023, publisher Garena has confirmed.

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It may sound very traditional, but Tinder thinks there is some value to be had by those looking for a date to get recommendations from friends and family. Yes, Tinder has just rolled out a feature that will allow your pals and kin to actually recommend someone they think can be a suitable date or partner for you. Will it work? The logic being that since your friends and family know you best, they are eminently qualified to find a suitable match for you. If nothing else, they certainly passed the friend test and now it is up to you to prove them right, or wrong!

Netflix has a new number one show as time-bending murder mystery Bodies tops the streaming list. Starring Stephen Graham, the crime thriller series is set across four timelines as four detectives end up investigating the same murder. 

PlayStation has been one of Sony's most successful ventures in the last few decades. Its consoles have garnered a massive following, with the latest launches being in high demand. Just a few days ago, Sony introduced an updated version of the PlayStation 5 (PS5), offering the same gaming experience and processing power in a smaller and more compact form factor. Apart from physical releases, the gaming giant also offers games digitally for purchase via its PlayStation Store. Every month, Sony releases a list of the top 10 most downloaded games of the past month among users in the US/Canada and the EU.

The Chinese government is restricting the export of graphite, a critical mineral in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries.

Tech support scammers are often based in foreign countries, making it harder to stop them. But thanks to a tip from Microsoft and Amazon, officials in India shut down two tech support operations in the country that were preying on consumers for over five years. 

Ubisoft has reorganized its North American studios around a single core location: Montreal, Canada. 

In September of last year, Electronic Arts' Motive Studio revealed it was working on a single-player Iron Man game as the first part of a new EA/Marvel collaboration. Motive general manager Patrick Klaus has shared new details about the game in a studio update released today, including that the Iron Man game is being developed in Unreal Engine 5. 

Asteroid Bennu samples are now on Earth and they are all set to set to reveal many secrets of the Universe. These can then be used by mankind to find answers to so many questions that have remained unanswered for so long. Professor Michelle Thompson, hailing from Purdue University in Indiana, has accomplished a remarkable feat by leading a team that collected samples from the Asteroid Bennu. These samples are nothing short of time capsules, offering insights into the formation of our solar system over four and a half billion years ago.

China stands accused of stealing intellectual property and using artificial intelligence to hack and spy on other nations at an unprecedented scale.

By Nathan Edwards, a senior reviews editor who's been testing tech since 2007. Previously at Wirecutter and MaximumPC. Current fixations: keyboards, DIY tech, and the smart home.

The winners of the 2023 US GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards have been revealed.

Data.ai’s latest report on the mobile games market in Q3 highlights the success of Monopoly Go and other IP-driven games. However, top titles still have a grip on the worldwide rankings.

The EA FC 24 Amazon Prime Gaming Twitch packs are now rolling out, providing plenty of opportunities for Prime subscribers to take home some major goodies to help improve your Ultimate Team Squad.

Grand Theft Auto 6, Rockstar Games' long-awaited sequel to 2013's Grand Theft Auto 5, has left gamers parched, with no official announcement about its release from the developers. If you've been waiting for the next GTA title, however, there might be good news for you. It's not GTA 6, but a new report claims that streaming giant Netflix is looking to add a Grand Theft Auto title to its games portfolio. There are no details on the game itself or its launch date, but a GTA release on the Netflix Games platform would likely be a mobile title.

Netflix has reportedly spoken with Grand Theft Auto devs Rockstar about releasing a GTA title via the streaming service, according to new reports. The talks occurred as the movie and TV behemoth apparently works to bring “higher-end” titles to their growing catalogue of video games.

It's not cool when a retailer leak blows a big game announcement. Just ask Bethesda, which saw its surprise Rage 2 announcement spoiled by an errant Walmart Canada listing. (I bet Pete Hines is still steamed about that.) But you know what might be even more frustrating? When your own gear store does it.

Netflix is beginning to test its cloud gaming servicein the U.S. after initially launching limited trials in Canada and the U.K. The service, an expansion on the company’s mobile gaming efforts which began in 2021, has seen the streamer picking up gaming studios and licensing titles from individual developers with the intention to make gaming another major arm of its business. With its cloud gaming service, Netflix now allows members to play its games on smart TV and TV-connected devices, like Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, and others, by using their mobile phone as the gaming controller.

By Jay Peters, a news editor who writes about technology, video games, and virtual worlds. He’s submitted several accepted emoji proposals to the Unicode Consortium.

Netflix is reportedly looking to build upon its current, predominantly mobile-focused gaming offerings by introducing «higher-end» titles to its subscription catalogue — and is said to have had discussions about licensing a Grand Theft Auto game as part of the move.

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Avalanche Studios Group has announced plans to open a new office in Montreal, Canada.

Just Cause maker Avalanche Studios is setting up a developer on Montreal, Canada.

With the world having to get a second mortgage on a house just to buy a bag of potatoes these days, increases in the price for a relatively niche service won't be a surprise. But if you're a fan of Nvidia's GeForce Now and want to keep using it, you'll be paying anywhere between 10% and 40% more, depending on where you live.

NVIDIA has confirmed via its Customer Help page that GeForce NOW pricing is set to increase in Europe and Canada starting on November 1st.

Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum has stopped a Pokémon promotional card giveaway due to what it called “safety and security” concerns for visitors and staff.

The Vincent Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam said Saturday it would no longer hand out a prized Pokemon card after the giveaway sparked crushes by "scalpers" reselling it for exorbitant prices. Launched with great fanfare last month to mark the museum's 50th anniversary, the collaboration with Pokemon aimed to inspire younger visitors and included exhibitions on the artist's links with Japan.

Well, this is just Trubbish. The Van Gogh Museum, which recently held a Pokemon collab that got a bit hectic, announced it will no longer distribute its Pikachu promo card at the physical exhibit starting October 14. If you want the Pikachu in Grey Felt Hat collaboration card, you’ll have to shop online for a qualifying purchase.

Last month, a horde of scalpers descended upon the Van Gogh museum in an attempt to nab themselves a Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat promo card, a special card that is being distributed as a collaboration between The Pokemon Company and a Pokemon-themed museum exhibit. In an effort to get ahead of everyone else, scalpers stormed the opening day of the collaboration with the goal of grabbing a card and putting it on Ebay at a ridiculous price, with some going for as much as $600.

By Sean Hollister, a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.

Stardew Valley will get a live concert in 2024! Stardew Valley: Festival of Seasons is an intimate and immersive live concert which will play the best songs from Stardew Valleys beautiful and mesmerising soundtrack! (Please… PlayIn The Deep Woods)

The self-styled Un-Carrier now looks a little more carrier-ish: T-Mobile will soon move some customers on older plans, including two that it still sells, to newer and more expensive plans unless customers call to veto the rate switch.

Video game concerts are some of my favourite things in the world. Final Fantasy’s Distant Worlds, the NieR:Orchestra concerts, the Sonic Symphony - whatever particular series is your personal earworm, hearing music you’ve spent dozens or hours of hours listening to performed by a live orchestra can be incredibly moving and transformative. For those who feel that kind of connection with Stardew Valley, the engrossing farming-slash-romance-slash-dungeon-crawling sim is taking its OST on the road next year.

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PlayStation Plus' Premium subscribers will get access to cloud streaming by the end of October. 

Sony has announced that PS5 cloud streaming for PlayStation Plus Premium goes live on October 17th in Japan, October 23rd in Europe and October 30th in North America. There will be several titles from the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog to stream, with “hundreds” of PS5 titles to support the same later.

Two months after PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers began receiving invites to a PlayStation 5 cloud streaming beta, Sony has announced the feature will be getting its full launch on on 23rd October in Europe and 30th October in the US.

PlayStation 5 cloud streaming for PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers will launch on October 17 in Japan, October 23 in Europe, and October 30 in North America, allowing users to play PlayStation 5 games without having to download them, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced.

Since launching the all-new PlayStation Plus more than a year ago, we’ve seen such high engagement from our fans on our offerings – from the quality titles offered in the Game Catalog like Horizon Forbidden West and Sea of Stars, to new trophy features we’ve added to classic games like Legend of Dragoon and Syphon Filter. 

Ravensburger has announced it’ll be rolling out Disney Lorcana to ten more regions later this year, ahead a third set confirmed for early 2024.

It’s official — you’ll soon be able to experience the music of Stardew Valley in live orchestral form, as a real-life concert tour is set to kick off next year across the globe.

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Apple recently launched its iOS 17 update for everyone. Now, all eligible iPhone devices can download the update to finally experience the new features it brings. One of the most talked about features is Live Voicemail, which enables users to transcribe the message in the form of text even as the person who has called you is speaking in real-time. Know more about the iOS 17 feature here and how to enable it on your iPhone.

Sony has revealed the long-rumoured PlayStation 5 redesign, shrinking the console by around 30%, making the UHD Blu-ray drive an optional add-on – so you can buy the digital edition and upgrade it to a disc model – and boosting the built-in SSD storage to 1TB.

Jason Momoa is leaving Aquaman behind and entering James Gunn's DC Universe as Lobo.

If you just can't get enough Stardew Valley in your life, here's a different way to indulge in its unrelenting life sim coziness: The Stardew Valley «Festival of Seasons» concert series, an international musical tour featuring a selection of music from the game performed by a chamber orchestra.

Having played 100s of hours of Stardew Valley, I can say with certainty that the soundtrack is absolutely killer. Not only does it feature a combination of genuinely moving and upbeat tracks: but my wife and I also can’t help but hum to the vast majority of the score. That’s going to be a lot more exciting to do in person of course, when the Stardew Valley concert tour kicks off next year.

Sony has revealed the long-rumoured PlayStation 5 redesign, shrinking the console by around 30%, making the UHD Blu-ray drive an optional add-on – so you can buy the digital edition and upgrade it to a disc model – and boosting the built-in SSD storage to 1TB.

Summerfall Studios' debut title Stray Gods is a roleplaying musical where choices matter. It's only been a few weeks since the game debuted, but since then, Summerfall has been inundated with praise for crafting a vibrant mythical adventure about hope, self-discovery, and forging your own path.

Apple has never officially released a Mac with a touch screen, but it turns out you could acquire a 15-inch Mac with a 3D touch screen back in 1999.

“It’s a good time to take inventory.” — Captain Price, Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2 (2009)

Here’s a stat that might not surprise you: The average mobile phone user gets an average of 14 spam calls each month.

There is a brand new Nightmare Before Christmas game available at retail this October, and our friends at Asmodee Canada and Mixlore were kind enough to send over the game a bit early. We’ve already played a few games and have enjoyed it immensely, but while we wait for that first impressions article, let’s take a look at what comes in the box!

The Group of Seven nations are preparing to ask tech companies to agree to a set of rules to mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence systems as part of a proposal aimed at uniting the divided approaches in Europe and the US.

Just last year, QA contractors working on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf voted unanimously to become Canada’s first-ever video game industry union. Now, sadly, the Keyword Studios employees working on the RPG have all been laid off after developer BioWare decided not to renew their contract.

If you've been in the US your whole life, you're probably not aware of how popular the sport of cricket is globally. Around 2.5 billion people count themselves as fans, and Thursday marks the beginning of the most important event on the calendar: the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Right now in the world, unions are either rising up or striking to get better deals, wages, and lives for their members, and that’s a good thing despite the industries they’re “hurting.” Unions have long been around to protect the “working man” and to ensure they are safe and well-fed, and if that means striking, then so be it. One of the few industries that doesn’t have an overall union is the video game industry. That’s partially understandable due to game developers and companies’ “spread out” nature. But the company behind Dragon Age Dreadwolf made a pretty clear message to those within a union by firing a bunch of them!

The new Sony Pictures Core will give PS Plus Premium and Deluxe subscribers access to a curated list of films to stream.