Joystiq

Future Shop has exclusive Future Soldier bundle

JC Fletcher — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:30:00 EST

Canada's Future Shop is home to an exclusive "Limited Edition" of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. The $80 package comes with a steelbook case and a statuette, and is available for both PS3 and Xbox 360 in "extremely limited" quantities.

We'd like to see this partnership taken further. With this promotion in place, it's a perfect opportunity to add verisimilitude to the game through the inclusion of Future Shop stores that could sell extra batteries for all that tactical equipment. Of course, in the world of Future Soldier, it would just be called "Shop."

[Thanks, Zack]

Future Shop has exclusive Future Soldier bundle originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 May 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft planning to expand Toronto studio to 800 employees within 10 years

Mike Schramm — Wed, 02 May 2012 23:00:00 EST

Ubisoft Montreal, as we've reported before, is a huge video game outfit with a large team of developers coordinating multiple projects at a time, across up to six different studios. Ubisoft wants to repeat that structure in its new Toronto studio, according to the Financial Post. The French company is adding over 600 employees to the current staff of 210 over the next 10 years, which means an investment of over $500 million in that time.

That has big ramifications, not only for Ubisoft's future as a publisher and developer, but for Toronto's Wallace Avenue neighborhood as well (where these employees will live, work, and spend all of this money). As for the studio itself, it's currently at work on five upcoming Ubisoft titles, including the next Splinter Cell. As more and more is invested in the operation there, that list will probably grow.

Ubisoft planning to expand Toronto studio to 800 employees within 10 years originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 May 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pre-order Diablo 3 from Future Shop, get this steelbook

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST

Diablo 3 Pre-orders from Canadian games distributor Future Shop will snag a pretty pretty steelbook for free. The steelbook features character art and the standard Diablo 3 emblem. Future Shop warns there are "limited quantities," so if steel or books are your thing, you may want to jump on this one soon.

In related news, Diablo 3 has 131 review votes on Future Shop for a score of 4.5/5, and we assume these are all based on the beta -- which is open for all this weekend -- and the box art. Unless the idea of a steelbook alone is really that cool.

[Thanks, Zack!]

Pre-order Diablo 3 from Future Shop, get this steelbook originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 22 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silicon Knights: we never received any of Canada's money

David Hinkle — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:00:00 EST

Last year, Silicon Knights was awarded a grant by the Canadian government, in part to self-publish games, and to hire 80 employees. But it turns out the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade never handed over the funds -- a promised sum of $3 million Canadian.

"There hasn't been any funding. There were announcements and no money received," Silicon Knights president Denis Dyack told GI.biz. "That's one of the strangest things. So, at one point, there was a loan that we got. That's it." Dyack said he's following up on the money, but to no avail so far.

It could be an alarming issue for Silicon Knights, considering the state of affairs at the Ontario-based studio. Late last year the developer had to let 45 go, and it remains embroiled in a long-running legal dispute with Epic over the use of Unreal Engine 3 during the development of Too Human.

Silicon Knights: we never received any of Canada's money originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canada's Future Shop adds Mass Effect 3 to Kinect sensor bundle

David Hinkle — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 03:00:00 EST

Attention, brothers and sisters of the Great White North: if you're in the market for a Kinect sensor, you probably want to pick it up from Future Shop. The retailer is tossing in a free copy of Mass Effect 3.

All you have to do is add both the Kinect sensor and Mass Effect 3 to your cart, and when you check out the discount will be applied -- or, if you're one of those people who still shops for things in stores, you can break out the snow mobile and head to your local brick-and-mortar.

Canada's Future Shop adds Mass Effect 3 to Kinect sensor bundle originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 03 Mar 2012 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon.ca ships out a few Vitas early

JC Fletcher — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST

Some Amazon shoppers in Canada are even luckier than those buying a selection of early Vita games at GameStop: their Vitas somehow got out of Amazon's warehouse well ahead of launch.

Multiple users in the Red Flag Deals forum report receiving shipping notices this week, with a few already having the systems in their hands -- not just of the "First Edition" bundles, but the wi-fi Vita, which isn't due to launch officially until February 22.

Before you rush over to Amazon.ca, note that Amazon has caught on and returned the item to its proper February 22 ship date. Congratulations to the elite Canadian Vita owners' club!

Amazon.ca ships out a few Vitas early originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EU could lose tax breaks for game developers, threatens talent exodus

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:15:00 EST

The European Union provides us a small-scale glimpse into the potential functions of a truly global society -- and more recently, a global society in crisis. The unified currency of the EU, the Euro, was on the brink of collapse recently and all of its member countries are still running damage control.

Now, France in particular is facing another monetary hurdle, as its tax incentive for game development has expired and casued "genuine concern" the EU may not renew the exception that would reinstate it. State aid is normally forbidden under EU law, but in some cases it is allowed -- without an exception, game-development tax incentives would be banned in all EU countries, including France and the UK, Develop reports.

French developer Quantic Dream (Heavy Rain) said that if the tax break is not reinstated it would relocate its operations to Canada, which does offer incentives for development companies, Develop adds. And according to TIGA, The UK's game-development workforce -- which sees no tax breaks -- fell 10 percent between 2008 and 2011, with 41 percent of its workers relocating overseas to countries such as Canada.

EU could lose tax breaks for game developers, threatens talent exodus originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Canadian EB Games stores merging used and new game shelves

JC Fletcher — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:00:00 EST

Employees of Canadian EB Games stores wrote in to Kotaku to alert the site to an alleged new policy that will make your attempts to shop there even more difficult. According to the tipsters, Canadian EB's will no longer have dedicated areas for used and new games. For each platform, the two will share the exact same wall space.

In addition, used games will be marked with white price stickers, just like new games. To make matters worse, one employee said that new games are to be buried behind the used ones.

Another Canadian EB employee told Kotaku that these claims aren't accurate, and we have yet to see anything official from EB/GameStop, so don't start boycotting EB just yet -- at least not just in response to this issue.

Rumor: Canadian EB Games stores merging used and new game shelves originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch the 2011 Canada Cup finals, right here on Joystiq!

Jordan Mallory — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 14:30:00 EST

Sure, StarCraft 2 and League of Legends make for some excellent spectator e-sporting events, but there's a specific brand of excitement, tension and hype that can only be found at world-class competitive fighting-game tournaments like the Canada Cup.

Competitors from the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, Sweden, Japan and Korea will compete in Street Fighter III: Third Strike, Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition, and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (among other titles). The festivities run all day, however the main event (Top 32 for SSF4:AE) starts at 4PM Eastern. Just past the break for the full schedule.

Who will emerge victorious?! Fight!

Continue reading Watch the 2011 Canada Cup finals, right here on Joystiq!

Watch the 2011 Canada Cup finals, right here on Joystiq! originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 06 Nov 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New multiplayer Assassin's Creed launching on iOS

JC Fletcher — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:55:00 EST

In true assassin fashion (fasshasshin), a new Assassin's Creed game has struck the App Store with no warning. Assassin's Creed: Multiplayer Rearmed is a sequel to Assassin's Creed II Multiplayer, an iPhone game that seemingly acted as a test bed for Assassin Creed: Brotherhood's multiplayer.

Rearmed allows players to control "personas from both Brotherhood and Revelations," sneaking through and killing friends in 4-player online, single player, or one-on-one Bluetooth modes. This game is currently not on the US App Store; IGN spotted it on Canada's.

Assassin's Creed II Multiplayer, by the way, has disappeared from the App Store, allowing Ubisoft to pretend that Brotherhood invented the multiplayer, and that this is an offshoot of that console game. "Assassin's Creed innovative multiplayer is now mobile!" Which is how it started!

New multiplayer Assassin's Creed launching on iOS originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NYT: Video-game companies take lucrative advantage of US tax code, especially EA

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST

If the United States tax code were cheese, it would be more Swiss than American -- tax breaks and incentives for software development, research and technological advancement were established to promote an intellectual advantage in the US, and video-game companies are in a unique position to take full advantage of federal funding, especially EA, The New York Times reports.

EA boasts $1.2 billion in global profits over the past five years -- which is technically a net loss, after deferred revenue, executive-stock-option deductions and other accounting necessities, including a payout of $98 million, cash, in taxes worldwide. The US federal tax rate on any company is 35 percent, but that's before the creative accounting.

In 2004, EA hired Glen Kohl, formerly an employee of the Treasury Department under President Clinton, to make the most of its tax incentivies. Kohl has since lobbied for federal tax breaks on domestic production and established offshore subsidiaries in low-tax countries. EA now has 50 offshore subsidiaries in countries such as Bermuda, Singapore and Mauritius, and holds $1.3 billion in offshore funds that won't be taxed unless brought into the US.

EA spokesman Jeff Brown justified EA's monetary exportation as a consequence of running an international business:

Continue reading NYT: Video-game companies take lucrative advantage of US tax code, especially EA

NYT: Video-game companies take lucrative advantage of US tax code, especially EA originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 11 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Square Enix to expand Eidos Montreal, add 350 employees by 2015

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:00:00 EST

Do you still find it difficult to reconcile the critically adored, Western-developed Deus Ex: Human Revolution with the Square Enix logo on the game's packaging? You'll get over it in the coming years, as La Presse Affaires reports that Eidos Montréal aims to double in size and accomodate 350 additional employees by 2015.

Though Square Enix has yet to officially announce such plans, the report states that a tentative agreement has been made between the Japanese company (which acquired Eidos in 2009) and financier Investissement Québec. The deal, when solidified, will grant tax credits and a $2 million subsidy to Square.

Earlier reports suggested that Square would establish a new studio once talks with several Canadian provincial governments had concluded. According to La Presse, it has opted to boost its existing Eidos location from 330 to 680 employees over the next four years. Square will reportedly increase staff count by 100 toward the end of 2012.

This news bodes well for Eidos Montréal's two current projects, particularly for Th14f. One of those 680 employees should be able to come up with a proper logo.

[Thanks, Phillipe.]

Report: Square Enix to expand Eidos Montreal, add 350 employees by 2015 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Canadian 250GB Xbox 360 bundle with 5 games now available

Christopher Grant — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:06:00 EST

Do you come from the school of thought that equates "free stuff" with "money saved"? Is a $20 gift card as good as $20 off? Did you buy that useless robotic vacuum dog because it was so steeply discounted you'd practically lose money not buying it? We understand your plight, friend. And if you're Canadian, we think we've got a deal for you.

News broke yesterday that our gentle neighbors to the north would be alone in getting the above limited edition Xbox 360 bundle which, while still $300, manages to throw enough free stuff in there that we're actively considering a pricey Canadian road trip --- we'd practically lose money if we didn't buy it! Your $300 nets you a 250GB Xbox 360 S console, and full game downloads of Halo 3, Gears of War 2, Fable 3, Halo Wars, and the excellent Alan Wake. And, beginning today, it's available at Canadian retailers like Future Shop and Best Buy.

It's not a price cut, but who needs cash off when you could get that much free stuff?

[Thanks, MakoXL.]

PSA: Canadian 250GB Xbox 360 bundle with 5 games now available originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 250GB bundle throws in Alan Wake, Gears 2, and 3 more [update: Canada only]

JC Fletcher — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:00:00 EST

Reader Darren Christie tweeted a rather official-looking image of a new Xbox 360 bundle. According to the picture, taken at the Future Shop store in which Christie works, the new package includes a 250GB Xbox 360 console and download codes for five of its biggest games: Alan Wake, Halo 3, Halo Wars, Fable 3, and Gears of War 2. In addition to being big in terms of profile, they're also big in terms of file size, with the box warning that these games will occupy 29.51 GB on the hard drive.

Christie told us that the bundle will be released tomorrow for $299.99. He is located in Canada, so it's possible this hardware package is a Canadian-only promotion. We've checked in with Microsoft to get the details. Just to be safe, maybe you should wait a day or so before buying an Xbox.

Update: Shacknews received confirmation from Microsoft that this bundle is exclusive to Canada, out tomorrow, and available for a limited time.

Xbox 250GB bundle throws in Alan Wake, Gears 2, and 3 more [update: Canada only] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canada: 3DS $50 off at Future Shop through July [update: Best Buy too]

JC Fletcher — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 09:39:00 EST

Canadian retailer Future Shop has knocked $50 off the price of the 3DS from now until July 31. Both the Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black models are discounted, online and in-store. If you've been jealous of your friends' growing StreetPass Mii collections, now's your chance to begin building your own!

Actually, since there will be more 3DS buyers than usual at pretty much every Future Shop, you should just hang around there for a while and hope the new owners set up StreetPass while they're still in the store. That way, you'll be able to grab plenty of extra Miis until the police arrive.

Update: Best Buy is also offering the $50 discount in Canada.

Canada: 3DS $50 off at Future Shop through July [update: Best Buy too] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 09:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silicon Knights receives Canadian gov. grant to hire 80, self-publish

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 09:15:00 EST

The Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade announced yesterday that it gave Too Human and Eternal Darkness developer Silicon Knights "support" that will help the company become a "self-sustainable, self-publishing" company. According to the St. Catharine Standard, the developer received nearly $3 million in provincial funding. The money is also intended to create 80 new jobs and protect 97 existing positions.

"This will enhance our competitive edge within the highly-competitive video game market ... and allow us to enter lucrative global markets," Silicon Knights' Denis Dyack said in a statement. Dyack had hinted toward Silicon Knight's self-publishing future in an interview with Joystiq in May.

The latest batch of cash will be added to the $4 million the company received from the government last year. Silicon Knights is currently working on X-Men Destiny.

Silicon Knights receives Canadian gov. grant to hire 80, self-publish originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zynga acquires developer Five Mobile, turns it into Zynga Toronto

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 22:25:00 EST

Much like the Borg, assimilating all the sentient lifeforms in the known universe; and also much like a really, really fat guy eating all the pasta in the world and turning it into energy for his body, Zynga has announced its 15th acquisition in a little over a year. The devoured company this time is Toronto-based dev Five Mobile, a freelance firm that creates licensed apps for any brands which require their services. Which, for the foreseeable future, is Zynga.

The developer has been renamed "Zynga Toronto," and will fit squarely in the left shoulder socket of Zynga's Voltron-esque compartmentalized robot. Oh, you didn't know Zynga was working on that? Yeah, they totally mentioned it on their last conference call. You should really pay more attention.

Zynga acquires developer Five Mobile, turns it into Zynga Toronto originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 22:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canadian Game Development Talent Awards announced

Mike Schramm — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:05:00 EST

The Alliance numérique is a Canadian digital industry network that's putting together, in conjunction with the Canadian Interactive Alliance, the first-ever Canadian Game Development Talent Awards. This ceremony will honor Canadian finalists and winners in a number of different categories around video gaming, putting a spotlight on the creative talent available in America's neighbors to the north.

The Canadian video game industry is growing by leaps and bounds. Not only is the audience surprisingly large up there, but Pierre Proulx, General Manager of Alliance numérique, says that Canada is "now the third most important cluster in terms of video game development in the world," presumably after Japan and the United States.

The awards ceremony is being chaired by developer Jason Della Rocca, and will take place on November 2, 2011 at the Montreal International Game Summit. You can see the full announcent after the break.

Continue reading Canadian Game Development Talent Awards announced

Canadian Game Development Talent Awards announced originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Happy Canada Day from Xbox Live! Here, have some Gold

Jessica Conditt — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 21:00:00 EST

Happy Canada Day weekend! Xbox Live is celebrating the unification of North America's great upper frontier with a free Gold weekend for all Canadians, starting July 2 and ending July 4.

All Gold features are unlocked for Canadian Live members this weekend (that means right now), so get down for your country's birthday with that one game featuring Canadian soldiers. You know that one with the people.... There has to be one, right?

[Thanks to all the Twitter followers who confirmed this one, and to @Aveelo for the picture!]

Happy Canada Day from Xbox Live! Here, have some Gold originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 02 Jul 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canadian firm proposes class action against Sony to the tune of $1B in damages

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 04 May 2011 11:25:00 EST

A proposed class action lawsuit filed in Ontario, Canada against Sony over the PlayStation Network breach is shooting for the jackpot. The suit claims damages "in excess of $1 billion" for the breach of consumer privacy, in part to cover the costs of credit monitoring and fraud insurance over two years for the estimated 1 million PSN and Qriocity users living in Canada.

Toronto law firm McPhadden Samac Tuovi has proposed the class action against Sony Japan, Sony USA, Sony Canada and other Sony "entities," and added in its press release, "While Sony has advised American users about the availability of free credit reports, it has yet to advice Canadian users about credit reports."

Filed on behalf of representative plaintiff Natasha Maksimovic, the claim alleges Sony exposed its customers to identity and financial theft, in addition to "fear, anxiety (and) emotional distress," according to The Canadian Press.

Maksimovic, 21, of Mississauga, Ont., has been described by the law firm as "an avid PlayStation user for years," who signed up for PSN and Qriocity for use on her PSP and Sony e-book. "If you can't trust a huge multinational corporation like Sony to protect your private information, who can you trust?" she asked in the firm's release. "It appears to me that Sony focuses more on protecting its games than its PlayStation users."

Sony has 20 days to file a statement of defense in Canada and additional time to do so in the US and elsewhere.

Continue reading Canadian firm proposes class action against Sony to the tune of $1B in damages

Canadian firm proposes class action against Sony to the tune of $1B in damages originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 May 2011 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trade in six games at Future Shop tomorrow, get a 32-inch LCD TV

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:00:00 EST

Well, here's another reason for us to be jealous of our up-north cohorts -- for tomorrow only, Canadian tech retailer Future Shop is letting shoppers trade in six Wii, 360 or PS3 games for a 32-inch Dynex LCD TV, which normally retails for $300, which is absolutely crazy.

Continue reading Trade in six games at Future Shop tomorrow, get a 32-inch LCD TV

Trade in six games at Future Shop tomorrow, get a 32-inch LCD TV originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jade Raymond gives a video tour of Ubisoft Toronto

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST

We enjoy our sworn duty of bringing you news of video game industry happenings, but if Ubisoft Toronto offered us a position, we're not sure we could say no. Jade Raymond recently led Eurogamer on a video tour of the new office, which looks like a fun-filled employer -- impromptu Nerf Wars and all.

Continue reading Jade Raymond gives a video tour of Ubisoft Toronto

Jade Raymond gives a video tour of Ubisoft Toronto originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 28 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft's Battle Tag launches assault on Texas tomorrow, Canada next week

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 21:00:00 EST

One of Ubisoft's more bizarre products at E3, Battle Tag, finally has a release date. In Texas and Canada. And, as of writing, only Texas and Canada. Ubisoft's self-described "hybrid" toy/game lets you recreate a laser tag experience at home, but with a number of game-inspired twists. There are health packs, ammo crates, and multiple game modes, customizable via an included PC app. For more info on how the setup process works, check out our video preview.

The two player "Starter Pack" will be available for $129.99. The Canadian release is set for November 22, exclusively at Zellers and on Ubisoft's official website. Texas will serve as a "test release" for the US market, with fifteen Toys R Us stores in Houston and Austin to begin selling the toys tomorrow.

Ubisoft has created an action-packed trailer of lots of people having fun with the Battle Tag gear, which we've embedded after the break. Provided you live in Texas or Canada, and have lots of money to spare, maybe you'll be able to join in on the fun as well. Call your local store to see if it's one of the fifteen.

Gallery: Battle Tag (11/18/10)

Continue reading Ubisoft's Battle Tag launches assault on Texas tomorrow, Canada next week

Ubisoft's Battle Tag launches assault on Texas tomorrow, Canada next week originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warner Bros. Montreal focusing on lower-budget social, mobile games

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:30:00 EST

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment's new Montreal studio won't be working on triple-A console games, but will instead focus on smaller social and mobile titles, with a budget under $10 million per project. Speaking to LaPresseAffaires (Google translation), Montreal studio head Martin Carrier said that WBI-oui originally considered online games to be a secondary market, before the company realized the niche was "growing." Hmmm ... we wonder where execs got that idea?

Reportedly, some employees and recruits haven't been so peachy keen on the studio's en vogue direction. Of course, in Montreal, there are still actual places where game devs can work on big-budget games. See: Ubisoft, EA and most-recently THQ.

Warner Bros. Montreal focusing on lower-budget social, mobile games originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft brings online middleware dev Quazal into its brotherhood

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 22:15:00 EST

On a bit of a spending spree this week, Ubisoft today added Montreal-based Quazal Technologies to the family. Creator of multiplayer middleware and services, Quazal has worked with Ubisoft for a number of years, and its products power components in a range of the publisher's titles, including this month's Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, the last three Splinter Cell games and Far Cry 2.

"We're happy to be able to continue to express our creative vision via the projects we'll be working on with Ubisoft," Quazal co-founder Martin Lavoie said in a press announcement. Ubisoft has plenty to be happy about, too. While no representative stood up and said as much, executives were no doubt preparing to bathe in a fresh pool of licensing loot. Quazel tech is all up in plenty of other companies' games, after all.

Continue reading Ubisoft brings online middleware dev Quazal into its brotherhood

Ubisoft brings online middleware dev Quazal into its brotherhood originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft Quebec adds a Longtail studio

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 21:10:00 EST

Ubisoft has reached a deal to absorb 48 members of Longtail Studios Quebec into its own Quebec City studio, reports French-language outlet Le Soleil (Google translation). The acquisition will also result in a reported 5-6 staff layoffs and effectively closes Longtail's Quebec branch, though its New York headquarters and remaining studios are expected to remain in operation for now. Le Soleil claims that anonymous staff from the studio are pleased to now be working directly for a well-established developer -- plus they'll only have to move a few floors in their current office building, which they share with Ubisoft.

The move comes just weeks after Longtail Quebec's studio director, Andreas Mollman, abruptly departed. The studio had most recently contributed to the development of Ubisoft's Michael Jackson: The Experience and other unnamed, but "key" Kinect projects, Ubisoft clarified in a short statement.

The Quebec outfit represented about half of Longtail's total workforce, and the company will now shift the bulk of its development efforts onto its Halifax studio, director general Estelle Jacquemard confirmed. Jacquemard also denied suggestion that the company's future was in question, heralding the success of its most recent release, Dance on Broadway, and saying that ten new jobs would open up in the coming weeks. He also shot down rumor that Longtail's owner, Gerard Guillemot, has plans to get out of the games business altogether -- Gerard is indeed the brother of Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot and a co-founder of the mega-publisher himself.

Ubisoft Quebec adds a Longtail studio originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Nov 2010 21:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ESA publishes '2010 Essential Facts' for Canadian game industry

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST

The Entertainment Software Association recently released its "2010 Essential Facts" report, an annual catalog of statistics regarding video game sales and consumers, for the Canadian games industry (PDF). According to the group's study, 47 percent of Canadian households own a PS3, 360 or Wii, and the average gamer's age is 33 -- both of which mirror the 2010 Essential Facts report on the American games industry (PDF).

The similarities don't stop there -- the study found that 38 percent of Canadian gamers are women, compared to the US' 40 percent. Also, stats regarding parental supervision while purchasing and playing games is as reassuringly high as it was for American parents. Check out a few video testimonials from Canadian game developers about the relative radness of their nation's gaming industry after the jump.

Continue reading ESA publishes '2010 Essential Facts' for Canadian game industry

ESA publishes '2010 Essential Facts' for Canadian game industry originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox holiday bundle with Forza 3, downloadable Alan Wake headed to multiple territories

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:10:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Just in case you were worried that there weren't quite enough Xbox 360 bundles to choose from, it looks like Microsoft has another one headed down the pike. The bundle in question includes a 250GB Xbox 360 S console as well as Alan Wake and the eternal pack-in, Forza Motorsport 3. The image above -- pulled directly from one of Microsoft's retailer resource services -- is denoted as a Canadian bundle.

Siliconera also reports that the bundle has been announced for South Korea at a price of 398,000 won ($356). A tipster has informed Kotaku that the bundle is available in Europe as well, retailing for €250 ($348). We've contacted Microsoft to find out if the bundle is coming stateside as well.

One intriguing note about the bundle: It doesn't actually include a physical copy of Alan Wake, instead offering a code to download the game in its entirety (see a close-up image in the gallery below). While it's likely to be a Games on Demand title in the near future, it's also worth noting that Remedy has expressed interest in releasing the game in downloadable episodes, a la Fable 2.

Gallery: Xbox 360 250GB Holiday 2010 bundle

Xbox holiday bundle with Forza 3, downloadable Alan Wake headed to multiple territories originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix launches in Canada, console access detailed

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Movie service Netflix is ready to serve the Great White North. Shacknews reporter Xav de Matos (former Joystiqer, still Canadian) notes the service is currently available on PS3 and Wii, with the Xbox 360 version rolling out later.

PS3: Available now. It's an application, so no disc is required (unlike the States). However, users have no ability to create an instant watch queue.
Wii: Available now. Disc from Netflix.ca required. Also, no ability to build an instant watch queue.
Xbox 360: Coming "soon."

The streaming-only option for Canada costs $7.99 a month and also includes access through PCs and Apple devices.

Netflix launches in Canada, console access detailed originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canadian Xbox News app actually a Halo: Reach ARG

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:18:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Remember the bizarrely out of place Xbox News app on the Canadian Xbox dashboard? It turns out that it was bizarrely out of place for a reason: it's actually part of a Halo: Reach alternate reality game. During the second episode of the program, a news ticker at the bottom of the screen clearly shows information related to Halo. According to Shacknews, the information was apparently meant to alert Canadian gamers to the existence of upcoming Halo: Reach preview events in the Toronto and Vancouver areas.

Somewhat more interesting, however, is that the Xbox News program was intended to run for several more episodes before the Halo connection was revealed. A source informed Shacknews that the marketing team behind the ARG skipped ahead to the first Halo-related episode, thanks to the generally negative reaction to the premiere episode. Marketing lesson of the day: make ARGs about something relevant to your audience. Like bees.

Canadian Xbox News app actually a Halo: Reach ARG originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canadian 'Xbox News' dashboard app is devoid of Xbox news [update: It's a Halo ARG]

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 03:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Update: It turns out the app is actually part of a Halo: Reach ARG in Canada. See our story here for more details.

Canadian Xbox users now have a new service on the Dashboard, "Xbox News." Surprisingly, instead of gaming news, the video program offers up "entertainment, human interest, tech, gadget, auto and unique" news stories from Microsoft's MSN. The first episode certainly doesn't offer up hard-hitting news, instead dishing out stories about human dominoes and a paintball facility invaded by bears.

... on second thought, that is hard-hitting news. You can never be too careful with bears. New episodes will be posted to the Canadian Xbox dashboard each evening but, just because it's you, you can watch the first episode after the break.

[Thanks, Steve]

Continue reading Canadian 'Xbox News' dashboard app is devoid of Xbox news [update: It's a Halo ARG]

Canadian 'Xbox News' dashboard app is devoid of Xbox news [update: It's a Halo ARG] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft Toronto aiming to develop five big games at once

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Ubisoft Toronto Managing Director Jade Raymond hopes to eventually have five triple-A projects going on at the studio. Speaking with Develop, she reiterated that the site is currently working on two projects, one of them the next Splinter Cell, and that the Toronto studio will eventually have five "major" projects in about ten years, when it beefs its staff roster up to 800.

Even with such a massive staff, it sounds unlikely all the development for any one game will take place in Toronto. Raymond expressed that triple-A development currently requires several Ubisoft studios working together, explaining that "once [a] team reaches over 200 people - even if they're in the same studio - you need complex management methods to make sure everything is held together; the feature development, the communication, and everything else." A year since its creation (thanks to hundreds of millions in tax breaks), Ubisoft Toronto is shaping up to be a beast -- whether local newspaper columnists like it or not.

Ubisoft Toronto aiming to develop five big games at once originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix streaming headed to Canada this fall

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:20:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

"Finally!" We have to imagine that's what millions of Canadians are shouting at the top of their lungs this morning, as Netflix announced plans to launch a streaming-only service in America's northern cousin sometime "this fall." That said, French Canadians take note: the service will only be launching in English, with a French option to follow "over time."

So will the service be accessible through Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii, as it is in the US? According to the announcement, "Canadian Netflix members will be able to instantly watch a broad array of movies and TV episodes right on their TVs via a range of consumer electronics devices capable of streaming from Netflix, as well as watching on PCs and Macs."

A Netflix representative told Joystiq this morning, "We're not announcing the Netflix ready devices until the service launches, but it's fair to assume that several popular, brand name devices will be capable of streaming from Netflix to TVs at launch - in addition to the ability to watch instantly on computers -- and that we'll add to the family of devices over time."

While the service doesn't launch until this fall, interested Canadians can head over to the Netflix Canada website right now and sign up for ongoing, (presumably) more specific notifications about when "streaming instantly" will go live.

[Thanks, Chris D.]

Netflix streaming headed to Canada this fall originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PlayStation Store celebrates Canada Day with free Charlie's Angels

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST

Sony has a special surprise for Canadians today. To celebrate Canada Day (and the Canadian launch of the PlayStation Network video delivery service), Sony is offering a download of Charlie's Angels for free. To access the video service, go to the PlayStation Store on your PS3 or PSP, and click on the new "Video" tab at the top. An e-mail will be sent to the registered PSN account with a redeemable voucher.

The offer is valid in Canada only, and unfortunately, cannot be traded in for a better movie.

PlayStation Store celebrates Canada Day with free Charlie's Angels originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PlayStation Video Store coming to Canada on July 1

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:40:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

First announced at the Sony E3 2010 press conference, the PlayStation Network Video Store is coming to our Canadian neighbors on July 1st. It's taken a long time, but Canadians will finally be able to download movies and television shows directly to their PS3 and PSP systems.

[Thanks, djpenny!]

PlayStation Video Store coming to Canada on July 1 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Assassin's Creed 2, Dragon Age: Origins win Canadian game awards

David Hinkle — Thu, 06 May 2010 17:00:00 EST

We like to playfully rip on Canada every now and then (America's hat!), but we must admit that The Great White North knows how to make some quality games, evidenced by the winners at the inaugural Canadian Videogame Awards ceremony. While Game of the Year went to Bioware's Dragon Age: Origins, Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed 2 made out with the most awards, winning Best Console Game, Best Visual Arts, and Best Game Design, and sharing the award for Best Technology with Radical Entertainment's Prototype.

That's not to say all of the awards went to the triple-A titles, as Toronto's own darling, Capybara Games, received nods for two of its titles: Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes, which won Best Handheld Game, and Critter Crunch, which secured victory as the Best Downloadable Game. Maybe now that cute little guy will stop crying so much!

[Thanks, Alan Strangis]

Assassin's Creed 2, Dragon Age: Origins win Canadian game awards originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 May 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silicon Knights gets $4 million from Canadian government

David Hinkle — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:30:00 EST

Silicon Knights has been shoving the beggar's cup in the face of the Canadian government for some time now and The Welland Tribune reports that a grant has been approved. This means Silicon Knights has been awarded $4 million (pretty big cup, eh?), which it will use to recruit 65 new workers for the Ontario-based studio to help create its next game -- the rumored Siren in the Maelstrom.

President Denis Dyack is obviously stoked about the influx of cash, but offered little on the studio's next game. "We can only say it's a next generation title and a high production value game," he offered. "That's all we can say." Hey, that's all well and good, but we don't want to hear jack about a siren and some maelstrom or whatever. Give us an Eternal Darkness sequel, please. Please?

[Via GI.biz]

Silicon Knights gets $4 million from Canadian government originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy Canada trading DSi XL for five used games on March 28

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST

Farsighted Canadians who are jonesing to get their hands on Nintendo's embiggened handheld, the DSi XL, will have a pretty sweet offer waiting for them at Best Buy on March 28. Participating stores will be handing out DSi XLs in exchange for five game trade-ins -- provided the aforementioned games aren't too worthless.

Check out Best Buy Canada's site to get a full list of the titles eligible for the one-day promotion. No, you can't hand in five copies of Madden '97. Thought you had the system beat, didn't you?

[Via Go Nintendo]

Best Buy Canada trading DSi XL for five used games on March 28 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Warner Bros. Interactive opening Montreal studio

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is the latest company to take advantage of Canada's talent (and yummy, yummy tax incentives) for game developers and publishers. GameFocus reports that WBIE (WBI-oui?) will open a new studio in Montreal that will be lead by division president Martin Tremblay and employ over 300 people. The studio will be known as WB Games Montreal. We've contacted WBIE for comment on the new studio, but the publisher has yet to make a formal announcement.

In a previous professional life, Tremblay was the big fromage at Vivendi and Ubisoft Montreal. The executive also apparently claimed that the publisher would open a studio in another city soon. That could be a new studio, or it could be a developer WB has invested in, like Turbine -- or a solid developer that's recently tripped into some eye-catching success.

Update: The province of Quebec has made it official.

Report: Warner Bros. Interactive opening Montreal studio originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 Arcade currently $130 in Canada

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:30:00 EST

If you've been holding out on buying an Xbox 360 for the last five years you live in Canada, you'll be totally psyched to hear that the Arcade bundle of Microsoft's console is currently on sale in for $130.

The Xbox Canada site lists the price drop for both Futureshop and Best Buy, though we also found it over at Amazon Canada and GameStop Canada. Get 'em while you can! We've followed up with Microsoft to clarify whether or not this is a permanent change for our Canadian friends, and, of course, if we'll be seeing a similar sale/price drop in the US.

Xbox 360 Arcade currently $130 in Canada originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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