New Podcast And Interview Up On Patreon

Today we recorded two podcasts. The first was with Alex Bethke where we talked about his extensive game creating history, and his work with Toronto Game Jam. The interview will be up for everyone on Tuesday, but if you're a Patron at the $4+ level you can grab the episode here.

I also recorded a E3/catch up podcast episode with Bret. We went over the games released so far this year, what we've be playing, and our predictions for E3. It'll be up tomorrow, or you can check it out on Patreon if you're at the $1+ level.

Remember to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Google Play! 

Golem Out Now On Steam

Golem, the platforming puzzle from Hegemony developers Longbow Games is out now on Steam, and enjoying a 10% discount (as of this writing). Golem has you playing a young girl and shape-shifting golem who must navigate the ruins of an ancient tower.

No one knew who built the ancient tower that loomed beside the coast. The young girl figured water must have once flowed down its giant aqueducts into her village, but even her grandfather couldn't remember seeing the mill's old water wheel turn. These days it is the job of her and the other children to journey to-and-from the tower to collect what little water bubbles up in the caves beneath it. But everything is about to change when she awakens a mysterious glowing orb buried beneath the puddles. Images long hidden on the cavern walls now glow with hints of a new hope for her drought-stricken village, and the sealed door of the tower sits ajar for the first time in centuries. With her curious companion in tow, the young girl bravely enters the crumbling ruins of the ancient machine to discover if its long-held secrets hold the key to her future.

#GOLEM is now available for PC ! Buy it now for -10% off !

Steam: https://t.co/PUI0NU2NgE

GOG: https://t.co/7BvNLo3kOm@LongbowGames #longbowgolem pic.twitter.com/S9a5WgU8nh

— Golem (@longbowgolem) May 29, 2018

You can pick up the game on Steam right here $16.99 CAD (and it's currently on a 10% discount). 

Ubisoft Canada and Northern Arena Announce the Rainbow Six Canadian Nationals

Ubisoft Canada and Northern Arena have announced the Rainbow Six Canadian Nationals which starts this month and will have teams compete in Rainbox Six: Siege for $15,000. You can check out the website, trailer, and press release below.

The RAINBOW SIX CANADIAN NATIONALS is a tournament FOR CANADIANS, BY CANADIANS. Set across two Seasons of gameplay, teams from all around the country will compete for the top title in Canada and TWO cash prizes of $15,000 CAD. REGISTER YOUR TEAM NOW!

UBISOFT® CANADA PARTNERS WITH NORTHERN ARENA FOR THE

TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX® SIEGE CANADIAN NATIONALS

 Canadian teams will compete for a $15,000 CAD prize pool

MONTREAL, CANADA - May 28, 2018 - Today, Ubisoft Canada is pleased to announce the Rainbow Six Canadian Nationals, the video game publisher’s first partnership with Northern Arena, the largest esports organizer in Canada. The exciting new esports competition, featuring the popular Canadian-made Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege®, will crown one team as Canada’s best!

Presented by Ubisoft Canada and powered by Northern Arena, the Rainbow Six Canadian Nationals will kick off in June 2018. The competition will consist of two seasons, with live finals taking place in Montreal and Toronto. Each season, participating Canadian teams will compete for a $15,000 CAD prize pool.

Each season will begin with a two-day Open Qualifier, where teams (made up of all Canadian players) will compete for their chance at a spot to compete in the Canadian league. Once league play begins, each season will consist of eight days of matches spanning four weekends. The tournament will follow a round robin format, and rankings will be determined on a point-based system.

Season One Open Qualifiers will take place on June 23-24, with online league play happening each weekend in July. Season Two Open Qualifiers will take place on September 22-23, with online league play happening over every weekend in October.

At the end of each season, the two top-ranked teams will move on to a live Grand Final in Montreal (Season One: August 4) and Toronto (Season Two: November 3). The winning team from season 2 will become the Year 1 national champion!

“Esports is one of the most important and fastest growing industries globally, and we are proud to partner with a renowned Canadian organizer like Northern Arena to continue to build esports in Canada. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is a Canadian-developed game and we are excited to help more Canadians perform at higher competitive levels,” says Olivier Ernst, Managing Director at Ubisoft Canada. “Partnering with Northern Arena allows us to offer a competitive esports playground for Canadians, by Canadians.”

“Esports is our passion and partnering with Ubisoft, one of the leaders in video game publishing, is an honor for us. We are excited to create this organized platform for the growing Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six community in Canada,” says Carl-Edwin Michel, founder and CEO of Northern Arena. “We look forward to fostering the amazing talent developing all over the country.”

Additional details regarding spectator opportunities for the Grand Finals will be released closer to each final, and fans are encouraged to follow Northern Arena and Ubisoft Canada on social media for real-time updates.

Canadian Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege players can register their team for the Canadian Nationals today, and find more information about the tournament at: http://northernarena.ca/rainbowsix/.

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, please visit https://rainbow6.ubisoft.com/siege and the Facebook group page.

About Ubisoft

Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2017-18 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,732 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoft.com.

About Northern Arena

Northern Arena has become the leader of esports throughout Canada and is focused on creating platforms for on-site events and online leagues. By working closely with various game developers, Northern Arena is aiming to bring these events and leagues to players and audiences seamlessly and professionally with world-class production quality and innovative content distribution methods. Canadian cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver are home to vast grassroots gaming communities that have been waiting for a pinnacle platform to enable Canadian esports to thrive. Northern Arena is dedicated to building comprehensive, integrated professional esports leagues and entertainment platforms for a variety of esports titles while still focusing on providing opportunities for grassroots communities to flourish.

Game Developers At VRTO

I was given a list of game developers (both local and out of city/country) that will be attending/presenting at VRTO (which we've talked about here). Remember that TorontoGameDevs.com readers have a chance to save! Use the code: TOGameDevs15 to save 15% on tickets.

Game Dev Speakers

• Steve Gaynor - Fullbright (Gone Home, Tacoma) - Portland, OR

• Paloma Dawkins - NFB (Alea, Gardenarium, Palmystery) - Montreal

• Blair Renaud - IRIS VR (Road Warrior, GTA: London, Technolust) - Toronto

• Phillip Rosedale - Founder (Second Life, High Fidelity) - San Francisco

• Johnny Montsarrat - Founder (Turbine) - Boston, MA

• Elli Raynai - Cinehackers (Circuit Rider) - Toronto

• Lee Vermeulen - Alientrap Games (Apotheon, Cryptark, ModBox) - Toronto

• John Bolton - Globacore - Toronto

Game Dev Exhibitors:

• Stephen Shew - (Battleverse  - Multiplayer Augmented Reality RPG) - Toronto

• Martov Co. - (Chiaro and the Elixir of Life) - Montreal

• Paloma Dakwins - (Museum of Symmetry) - Montreal)

• Chris Cooper - Singular Dream (Shatter Everything) - Toronto

• Dustin Freeman - Escape Character (Moatboat, Shapeshifter/Tweetris) - Toronto

• VRulez - showcasing the Katwalk Premium VR treadmill seen in Ready Player One with various VR games - Toronto

• Globacore - Various

Pirate Pop Plus Coming To Nintendo Switch May 31st

Dadako Studios developed, and 13AM Games published Pirate Pop Plus is hitting Switch this week. The puzzle game is also available on Steam, 3DS, and Wii U, and makes for a good time waster while we wait for Runbow on Switch, and their next game Double Cross.

"Join Pete Jr on his quest to defeat the nefarious Bubble Pirate, an evil villain who has trapped the innocent townsfolk in bubbles! Dodge and pop bubbles with your anchor while collecting power-ups and managing Bubble Pirate’s constant gravity-switching mischief! When you feel at your Piratey-est, test your skill in the ultra-challenging Hyper Mode... The game may be faster and harder, but you'll find treasures beyond your wildest dreams. Coins as far as the eye can see! Collect coins to unlock content in the game’s shop like new music, new faceplates, buttons, backlights, and even characters for your bubble-popping mayhem! Yarr!"

Get ready to hop into the lovely pixellated world of Pirate Pop Plus from @dadakostudios on your #NintendoSwitch next week on May 31st! It will be coming with a 20% off launch discount as well, so make sure get your hooks into it right away! pic.twitter.com/bQgQkrR07V

— 13AM Games (@13amgames) May 24, 2018

Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness Release Date Announced

We knew that Far Cry 5 was getting three pieces of DLC, and now we know the date of the first one - Hours of Darkness. The DLC will take players to Vietnam as they relive the experiences of Wendell Redler who was a character in the main campaign of Far Cry 5. The DLC will be out June 5th, and comes part of the Far Cry 5 season pass.

We also get a timeline of future DLC, including ones based on missions to Mars, and zombies. Full press release and trailer is below:

Escape from behind enemy lines in war-torn Vietnam and get your squad to the extraction zone! Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness will be available on June 5th, 2018 #FarCry5 #FarCry Please SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/UbisoftYouTubeChannel Visit our official channels for the latest information on all things Far Cry: https://far-cry.ubisoft.com/ https://www.facebook.com/farcry.usa https://www.instagram.com/farcrygame_us/ https://twitter.com/FarCrygame http://www.youtube.com/UbisoftNA ABOUT FAR CRY 5: Far Cry comes to America in the latest installment of the award-winning franchise.

FAR CRY 5: HOURS OF DARKNESS LAUNCHES ON JUNE 5

Travel from Hope County to Vietnam in Far Cry’s First DLC Adventure

Montreal — May 24, 2018 — Today, Ubisoft announced Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness, the first post-launch adventure, will release on June 5 across all platforms. The first DLC will transport players back in time as they play Hope County’s Wendell “Red” Redler, who must find and rescue his fellow squad members from hostile forces during the Vietnam War. Hours of Darkness can be purchased as part of the Far Cry 5 Season Pass for $39.99 and Gold Edition for $119.99. 

Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness transports players into a war-torn Vietnam as they relive the harrowing experience of Wendell Redler from the main campaign of Far Cry 5. Playable in solo or online co-op, Hours of Darkness transports players from rural Montana to a dangerous jungle where they must rescue imprisoned squad mates, wreak havoc on the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army, and fight to get back home by any means necessary. This first DLC adventure will feature new gear and abilities as well as two different playable modes that will be unlocked after completing Hours of Darkness: Survivor Mode, giving players a limited loadout for a more challenging playthrough, and Action Movie Mode, where a generous loadout delivers over-the-top action. 

In addition to the DLC, all Far Cry 5 players will have access to new Vietnam-themed assets in Far Cry Arcade available on May 24 with the release of title update (TU) 6, the Vietnam Update Map Builders will be able to integrate these assets into their existing maps or create new maps focused on the Hours of Darkness theme. All future DLCs will also include thematic assets that will be added to Far Cry Arcade for free. 

Alongside today’s title update, Ubisoft released the soundtrack for Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness, available here: https://idol.lnk.to/FarCry5_Hours_of_Darkness. Composed by Wade MacNeil (Alexisonfire, Gallows, Black Lungs) and Andrew Gordon Macpherson. Driven by fear, confusion and violence, the music takes us on a journey into the madness of war. With the participation of renowned multi-instrumentalist Kim Uyen Le, Wade and Andrew have created a sound palette that blends traditional Vietnamese instruments with hypnotic, late 60’s psychedelic soundscapes, gritty vintage electronic textures, and pounding rhythmic patterns. 

Far Cry 5 post-launch will continue with two new DLC adventures – Lost on Mars and Dead Living Zombies – which will be released in July and August of this year. Two additional asset drops will give map builders more tools to create unique Far Cry Arcade experiences. The DLC adventures are available in the Season Pass, or as standalone DLC purchases, while new asset releases for Far Cry Arcade will be available for free to all players.

Set in America, a first for the franchise, Far Cry 5 offers players total freedom to navigate a serene-looking yet deeply twisted world as the new junior deputy of fictional Hope County, Montana. Players will find that their arrival accelerates a years-long silent coup by a fanatical doomsday cult, the Project at Eden's Gate, igniting a violent takeover of the county. Under siege and cut off from the rest of the world, players will join forces with residents of Hope County and form the Resistance. Far Cry 5 will continue to receive premium DLC adventures available in the Season Pass as well as free content including new Far Cry Arcade assets and in-game live events following the launch. 

For more information about Far Cry 5, please visit farcry.com.

For the latest on Far Cry 5 and other Ubisoft games, please visit news.ubisoft.com.

ABOUT UBISOFT

Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2017-18 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,732 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoft.com.

© 2018 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Far Cry, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are registered or unregistered trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries. Based on Crytek’s original Far Cry directed by Cevat Yerli.

Ubisoft Reveals E3 Plans

Ubisoft announced their plans for E3 (while not giving everything away), and we'll have a chance to check out Beyond Good and Evil 2, The Divison 2, Starlink: Battle for Atlas and more. We know that Ubisoft Toronto is working on Starlink: Battle for Atlas, and have worked on For Honor but we'll have to wait until E3 to see their full lineup.

Ubisoft's E3 conference kicks off at 1 PM PDT on Monday, June 11, at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles. Before the conference starts, tune in for a preshow starting at 12:15 PM PT / 8:15 PM CET when you'll be able to join in the live chat, see some awesome community content, and go behind the scenes with our teams around the world. When the show begins, expect some huge reveals, including fresh looks at Tom Clancy's The Division 2, Beyond Good & Evil 2, Skull and Bones, Starlink: Battle for Atlas and Transference, along with content for For Honor. Once that's wrapped up, stick around for the post-show, which will feature a deep dive at one of the games from the conference.

From June 12-14, the Ubisoft booth at the Los Angeles Convention Center will be packed with Ubisoft developers from around the world, so come join us in the South Hall at booth #1623. This year, we'll have more gameplay stations than ever before, as well as live demos on stage, shows from the Just Dance team. The Ubisoft shop will also offer a selection of the best items from Ubi Workshop and UbiCollectibles, including some E3 exclusive items. On top of this, everyone who plays through any of our demos on the booth will receive a selection of in-game rewards for free thanks to the Ubisoft Club.

N++ Out Now On Switch

In case you missed it, ninja platformer N++ from Metanet Software is out now on Nintendo Switch.

N++ is a fast-paced, momentum-based platformer about darting around obstacles, narrowly evading enemies and collecting gold in a beautiful minimalist landscape.

N++ is all about using your momentum to complete levels and get high scores, but in this sci-fi world, there's a slew of inadvertently homicidal enemy robots trying to prevent you from completing your goal.

Through the hand-crafted (NOT procedurally generated) levels, you'll experience platforming at its most intense. Using only your fluid movement, you need to 'solve' each level and get to the exit.

N++ is out NOW on the Nintendo Switch. YEAH!

Release your inner ninja.
EU: https://t.co/gtgQeWroc3
NA: https://t.co/tcD9Nvinl5

And check out the incredible launch trailer: https://t.co/uxjCRjubLH#NintendoSwitch #Nplusplus pic.twitter.com/WoZbSMVGeN

— Metanet Software (@metanetsoftware) May 24, 2018

SkyPyre 'The Blobs Fight' Coming To Steam Next Month

If you didn't get a chance to play The Blobs Fight at EGLX, then never fear - as the arena party game from SkyPyre will be coming to Steam in June. There is even a Steam page that you can add to your wishlist. 

"The Blobs Fight is a silly, over-the-top arena party game about creatures of blob like nature, fighting each other to the blash! (Blob for death). Run around as a blob attacking other players to knock pieces (aka bits) of them off, collect those pieces to get bigger, be the largest or the last one standing, profit."

#TheBlobsFight is coming soon on #Steam!#Wishlist here: https://t.co/X88DXOgzef#madewithunity #TBF #blobs #indiegame #indie #indiedev #game #videogame #gaming #localmultiplayer #partygame #beatemup #gamedev #gameplay #letsplay #steamrelease #comingsoon pic.twitter.com/msdVu9nofE

— SkyPyre - The Blobs Fight! (@SkyPyreStudios) April 23, 2018

Toronto GameJam 2018 Games

Toronto GameJam was a few weeks ago, and friend of the site Tabby let me know that most of the games from the event are up on itch.io - you can check them out right here.

Make sure to also check out our Discord which has active chats about gamedev related things :)

First Impact: Rise of a Hero to Leave Early Access on June 8

The VR game which launched into Early Access in February 2017 will see it's official release on June 8th, according to developers Red Meat Games. 

Vacation Time - Guest Blogger

Hey everyone! Just a friendly reminder that I'll be on vacation fora week and won't be updating the website that much. However, good friend Sebastian Scaini (who you can follow on Twitter here) will be taking care of you with some updates.

See you in a week! Oh and remember to join the Discord and become a Patron :)

Really proud of my MisJam team and what we pulled off! Check out our 2 player boxing game Bear Knuckle Boxing!https://t.co/arx4nYurXd

Made with Carson Mackie, @wuwuwuzhang and @ShawarmaSwarm pic.twitter.com/6cSNAXK98t

— Sebastian Scaini (@sebastianscaini) May 14, 2018

I'm shaking with excitement - Sebastian Scaini

Run Jump Fail Out Now On Steam

Run Jump Fail is the latest game from Luke O'Connor, who previously released Kapsul Infinite on Steam. In Run Jump Fail is a platformer where you will...fail, a lot:

"Run Jump Fail puts you in control of the hapless HappyMan, and tasks you with guiding him through a whole load of treacherous obstacle courses. You'll fail a lot along the way, but watching HappyMan collapse and flail when he's just run into a wall, or tripped on a ledge, or been hit by a big red spinning thing is a lot of fun.

Seriously, failing is 90% of the fun. So fail away."

You can check out the trailer and screenshots below. But make sure to head over to Steam to pick it up for only $7.99. Of course if you're a Patreon at the $4.00+ level you have a chance at getting a free copy as well.

Out now on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/781640/Run_Jump_Fail/

N++ Announced For Nintendo Switch - Coming Later This Month

Metanet Software has announced the next console to get the ninja platformer N++. The game will be coming to Nintendo Switch May 24th.

"We can't wait for you to try N++ on the Switch -- it plays perfectly, local multiplayer is a blast, and the fact that you can take it with you when you travel is just the best. We've been waiting for this day for a very long time, and it's incredibly exciting that it's almost here. You're going to love it!"

Check out the trailer below.

YEAH! N++ is coming soon to the Nintendo Switch! SOON! Get ready to release your inner ninja on May 24th, 2018. Click SHOW MORE to see details: N++ is a fast-paced, momentum-based platformer where you get to play as a badass parkour-loving ninja, narrowly escaping enemies and collecting gold in sci-fi landscapes.

VRTO - Virtual and Augmented Reality World Conference and Expo 2018

In June, VRTO (the Virtual and Augmented Reality World Conference and Export) will be held here in Toronto, and TorontoGameDevs.com readers have a chance to save! Use the code: TOGameDevs15 to save 15% on tickets.

If you're unfamiliar with VRTO, it's a yearly event centered around VR - you can check out the website and full details here. This year will have a  bunch of local speakers including Lee Vermeulen from Alientrap.

VRTO aims to empower people to share their world, culture, knowledge and dreams with the assistance of emergent immersive technologies.

Recognized internationally for its high caliber, high-quality discussions, in-depth training, world-class presentations and top level speakers, VRTO brings together compelling discourse and bleeding-edge prototypes, demonstrations and innovative companies in carefully crafted schedules and environments.

While many conference focus on airing the problems and pain points in the industry, VRTO has an acute focus on searching for solutions for these problems, and testing candidates.

VRTO is always an opportunity to build powerful and long-lasting business and personal relationships, with a very open-minded and inclusive community, unafraid to ask the big questions. Furthermore, the show provides many different tools to ensure attendees find their best matches towards meeting their goals at the show.