Reporting on the games made in Canada and the creators behind them
Tribes of Midgard Season 3 drops later this month which comes with a slew of free updates, including a new Saga Boss, a revamped survival mode, new weapons, enemies, armors, and more.
Read MoreAre you interested in becoming a social media marketer? What about running a marketing campaign for your indie game on a low-to-zero budget? Corina Diaz is here to answer all those questions and more as we discuss indie games, and marketing around them.
Remember to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or SoundCloud. And Patron's at the $4+ level got this episode 2 days early.
Vancouver-based indie developer Daniel Mullins Games has announced their next project, Inscryption, a deck-building dungeon crawler with some dark humour.
Make sure to following Sebastian Scaini on Twitter and remember to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or SoundCloud.
Solo indie dev expert and longtime friend-of-the-site Devon Wiersma joins us to talk their latest release Centauri Dark, working across AAA, mid-sized and solo indie dev and how to fix this goshdarn industry.
David B joins us from the west coast best coast to talk about the upcoming Quiver Games Incubator!
Bizdev extraordinaire Eric Beer joins us to give his Hades II impressions and chat v-bucks subsidized game preservation.
We break down Baldur Gate 3's unprecedented success & the knock-on effects it'll have on the industry and how we make games moving forward. We also speak to Ontario-based indie game devs Twinolli about their upcoming action-puzzler Highlighters which just got a (Dad Deck-verified) Steam demo!
We speak to Québécois game dev Dragon Slumber, creator of Tech Support, Aethernaut and many more!
We reveal the winners of our ‘23 Community Awards poll and discuss Drinkbox’s latest teaser for their next project- and more!
This week thousands more game developers join Stephan in the "terminated by evil, stupid people" camp as layoffs hit tons of studios all over Canada and the world. We discuss Sonic as well. Sonic supports Unionizing your Workplace!
Stephan got terminated but that’s okay he just has more time to cover Canadian games now.
Hey! So we've done six interviews so far and I wanted to make sure you didn't miss any - here they are!
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And remember that Patron's get the podcast a few days earlier, so head over to our Patron to help support TorontoGameDevs.
Vancouver-based indie studio Vblank Entertainment (@RetroCR) is releasing physical versions of Shakedown: Hawaii for PS4, PS Vita, Nintendo Switch, Wii and Wii U.
The free-to-play “Monster Hunter” clone released by Vancouver-based Phoenix Labs Dauntless will have its 1.0 version launch September 26th across all platforms.
This week on our weekly interview show, I chilled out with Benjamin Rivers. An indie developer here in Toronto, Ben has released Home on PlayStation 4, Vita, iOS, and Steam, as well as Alone With You on PlayStation 4, Vita, and Steam. He is also a teacher, illustrator, and Twitch streamer.
We talked about his history as a gamer, and then game developer, as well as his two releases and teases for his next game. Remember to subscribe on iTunes and Google Play!
This interview was available to Patron's first.
Interview number five! This week I sat down with voice actress and singer Felicia Valenti, who has done voice work for anime, tv shows, and video games. We go over her history as a opera singer, a gamer, her tips for becoming a voice actress/actor and rant a little bit at the end as well. It's good times. You can check out her work here, and follow her on Twitter here.
Remember to subscribe on iTunes and Google Play!
Tribes of Midgard Season 3 drops later this month which comes with a slew of free updates, including a new Saga Boss, a revamped survival mode, new weapons, enemies, armors, and more.
In the midst of Ice Storm 2018, Steve sat down with Blair and Jean Leggett from One More Story Games on their individual history's, starting a studio focused on story-based games, the games they've created and what's in store for the future.
Remember to subscribe on iTunes and Google Play!
Skies of Fury DX is coming out to Switch this week on April 12th, and I was fortunate to site down with Dan Stopnicki, the Chief Innovation Officer at Seed Interactive. In the talk we go over Dan's history as a game developer, talk about Seed Innovation's previous games on mobile, then we go in depth about their first console experience: Skies of Fury DX.
What's it like from going from mobile to Switch? What did they go with Switch, and Skies of Fury? All that a more! Check it out below!
Remember to subscribe on iTunes and Google Play!
This week I interviewed Toronto Twitch streamer SteelRain27 where we discussed his past, how he got into Twitch streaming, and his thoughts on the state of gaming, specifically what he thinks on Sea of Thieves, and much more.
You can follow him on Twitter and Twitch and check out the interview below. Friendly reminder that Patrons at the $4.00+ level got early access to the interview.
Our first audio-interview! We've put the podcast on hold for he time being, and instead we'll be doing interview with local developers/people. Bret and I have a few ideas on hand as well.
First up is Jason Canam from Household Games who just recently released Way of the Passive Fist on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Jason and I chat about his time at Drinkbox Studios, starting Household Games, accessibility in games, trophies/achievements and more!
Check it out and remember to subscribe on iTunes.
Our friend Jake Butineau (who recently launched a Patron by the way) interviewed Peter Chapman, who amongst other things, was the composer behind Guacamelee and Sound Shapes.
"Peter and Jake get excited for Guacamelee! 2 by talking about composing Guacamelee's soundtrack, retro games and the struggle of finding time to game while working as a full-time composer."
You can check out the full podcast on Youtube (and below).
Peter and Jake get excited for Guacamelee! 2 by talking about composing Guacamelee's soundtrack, retro games and the struggle of finding time to game while working as a full-time composer. Support Jake on Patreon and join our Discord!
"No amount of great animation will save a bad story.
John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer at Pixar
As a '90s kid, growing up with the Nintendo 64 encompassed a fountain of endless fun and impeccable classics. Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda, Super Smash Brothers and much more! However, as time progressed, the video game industry changed its focus to immersive storytelling. This paradigm shift begs the question: Do video games make the story or does the story make the video game?
Let's look at Naughty Dog, the lucrative company that prides itself on character-driven narrative with the Uncharted series and The Last of Us. Their studio philosophy and award winning titles redefined the emotional connection gamers have with their characters, while aiming to set the narrative gold standard. "I want studios that make story-based games to start taking their stories more seriously...[with] an in-house writer that sits next to the designer, helping them make their levels," Neil Druckmann beckons. While this meticulous standpoint cemented Naughty Dog's legacy in the industry, other companies etched their name in a different way.
Arguably, Nintendo is the root of the video game tree. Its mega influence stretches worldwide and at the forefront of that triumph is the Mario franchise. Despite its earth-shattering sales, it’s unlikely that the average gamer recognizes the Mario series based on its storytelling. Getting entangled with the enthralling Super Mario 64 levels overshadowed the basic goal of rescuing Peach, who happened to make a delicious cake and left it at the castle. I highly doubt gamers mouths’ watered as they heroically strived to obtain that cake with every collected star, ability cap and crushed Goomba. In this case, Nintendo laser focused on memorable gameplay, not memorable storytelling. "Video games are meant to be just one thing. Fun. Fun for everyone," Satoru Iwata proclaimed. Even though you weren't hanging on the edge of your seat anticipating the flavour of the cake, Super Mario 64 embodied the fun factor.
So, is storytelling necessary for video games? It depends on how you view gaming in general. If you're someone who casually pops in a disk or cartridge to have a good time, then gameplay would probably take precedence instead of storytelling. However, if you look at gaming as an immersive, cinematic experience, then scout out story-driven games.
Play the story or let the story play you.
About the Author
As a local GTA resident, Mohammed Maxwel Hasan enjoys the treasure trove of effective storytelling in a variety of contexts. Starting with the N64, he found gems within the video game world and looks forward to what the future brings. For storytelling in video games, feedback on this article, or just want to connect, you can directly email him mohammedmaxwel@gmail.com or visit his website https://maxwel92.wixsite.com/mohammedmaxwelhasan.
One last preview as Levelup TO is today, at the Design Exchange (234 Bay St.) from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. I interviewed Livius Grosu, a Ryerson University student in Computer Science. He has created a VR horror game that he will be showing today at LevelUP TO.
TGD: Tell me a bit about yourself. (Is this your first experience at LevelUP? Have you created games in the past?)
Livius Grosu: I'm currently attending Ryerson University for Computer Science and I plan on breaking into the game dev field. I've had an interest in making games ever since I got my hands on it! From gamer maker studio to the latest version of Unity, I've been making games ever since. This LevelUp that I'm attending will be my first and I'm super excited about it!
TGD: What is your game for LevelUP TO this year?
L.G: This year I'm submitting a VR horror game called MK. My goal for this game is to create a dark/sinister world with unwelcoming 'inhabitants'.
TGD: What did you get your inspirations for this game?
L.G: The VR horror games theme stems from the games Amnesia, Penumbra, and Thief the Dark Project. Ever since I played those games, I always wanted to mimic the horror and tension atmosphere that those games created. Amnesia and Penumbra helped me understand different types of horror. What those games really tried to emphasize was the horror of the unknown, which in my opinion, is the best kind of horror as it pulls through the core of what horror is. Thief had tension between the player and the environment such as hiding in the shadows while a guard is nose hair away from you. I wanted that kind of tension in my game to emphasize the fear and horror that a player might encounter.
TGD: What are you most excited to show off about MK, and about LevelUP?
L.G: We're excited to show off how the game can bring out the fear in a player. Every asset from sound, models, lighting, and more, pushes this principle and it all ties nicely into a horrifying bundle. I'm also excited to talk to members from Unity, AMD, and Ubisoft and get a slice of how the game dev field works!
Thanks again to Livius for taking the time to interview. We'll see everyone tonight at LevelUP TO!
The debut game from a new Western Canada indie dev duo was revealed during Day of the Devs 2024.
Cat couple owner slash game dev studio Max Inferno announced a 2nd DLC pack for their tidy puzzler.
A year after being announced, Compulsion Games has shown some gameplay for their 3rd person, action-adventure game.
After severing ties with recently unionized QA studio Keywords and terminating 50 developers earlier this year, BioWare has rebranded their next game from Dragon Age: Dreadwolf to Dragon Age: The Veilguard seemingly ruining years of perfectly good SEO.
Gears of War: E-Day was announced during Xbox’s Game Showcase, marking the second prequel in the Gears of War franchise.
Vancouver-based Company of Heroes 3 developer Relic Entertainment has secured funding from UK investment firm Emona Capital after laying off almost 200 staff since May 2023.
Victoria-based indie devs Hololabs have released their mobile AR game Sky Haven: AR Merge Adventure for iOS.
NetEase Games has announced the opening of a new game studio in Canada, named Bad Brain Games, to work on an "ambitious new franchise," which will be a story-driven open-world action-adventure game.
Bloom Digital Media have released a demo for their upcoming visual novel game Long Story 2, which is a sequel to the 2017 game.
Halifax-based devs Max Inferno have released Cupboards & Drawers DLC for their 2022 puzzler A Little to the Left.
I did an interview via Skype with 5 Horsemen Games, a group of Sheridan College students. Their game Unspokin is a story about a young woman who cannot speak, and a blind bear, who work together to replenish their environment.
5 Horsemen Games includes:
Katherine Elliott: Art Director, QA Lead
Eirik Murbraech: Level Artist
Danielle Rainey: Producer, Project Manager, 3D Artist
Filipe Seabra: UIDdesigner, Programmer
PJ Tremblay: Audio Artist, Narrative lead
Here is our interview. Enjoy!
5 Horsemen Games will be at LevelUP TO and Digifest 2017. Check them out on Twitter @5horsemengames, and you can email them at 5horsemengames.info@gmail.com.
I recently spoke with a team of students from Sheridan College about Disco is Dead! which they will be showcasing at LevelUP this year. It looks really unique, and they even built custom controllers to add to the experience.
TGD: How many of you are in this team? Have any of you created a game in the past?
Team: We are a team of 4th year Bachelor of Game Design students at Sheridan College. Our development team includes Nuha Alkadi, Coulter Baker, Jeffrey Barkun, Kassandra Kadar, Jennifer Johnson and Melissa McQuarrie, with P.J.Tremblay as our composer. Throughout our years of study, we’ve developed and prototyped numerous games and participated in many game jams. For our capstone year, we took on the challenge of creating an arcade game that plays with custom built alternative controllers titled Disco is Dead!
TGD: Tell us more about Disco is Dead!
Team: Disco is Dead! is a buddy cop comedy horror co-op arcade game that plays with custom built slappable zombie heads and disco ball controllers. It follows the story of two funky disco-loving cops – Reggie and Kenny – who must save their city from a zombie apocalypse… by slapping! The main gameplay is a fixed runner where players must slap in the indicated directions, and there are interactive comic-book styled cutscenes where slapping can impact the narrative.
Team: Additionally, the game allows players to feel like true buddy cops themselves. With cooperative and competitive goals, the two players create off-screen conflict, immersing themselves into enacting the similar behavioural nature of bickering buddy cops. Many players’ favourite moment of the game is activating buddy mode, which requires both players to “grab the (disco) balls and touch (high-five) each other.” Originally, Disco is Dead! was a game jam prototype we created during the summer of 2016. It was designed to be played on arcade cabinets, and the only control was simply slapping the joystick. We decided to take this wacky idea further and create an even more immersive experience.
TGD: How long have you been working on it?
Team: We have been working on Disco is Dead! for about 8 months now, since September 2016.
TGD: Do you plan on working on this game post-level up as well?
Team: Disco is Dead! is designed to be a fun and wild experience to play in public places such as arcades and showcases. We are hoping to take our game to as many places as possible to offer players the unique and rare opportunity to slap zombies!
Thanks again to the group for taking time for this interview. Really looking forward to playing this at LevelUP TO. Check them out on Twitter at @DiscoIsDeadGame, and their site here.
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Frolic Labs announces official release date of Dune Sea.