Russian Subway Dogs Gets Its First Major Update

Russia Subway Dogs came out a few months ago, and has now been updated with a new puppy to play, new difficulty, and Linux support.

Russian Subway Dogs, the systemic arcade game inspired by the real life stray dogs of the Moscow metro, is getting its first major content update and adding Linux support!

Featuring a new playable character and difficulty mode, the Panda-monium Update is out today (October 3rd 2018) and includes:

• Xiao Hong the Red Panda - A brand new playable ‘pupper’ as voted on by the players!

• Tourist Mode - a new Campaign difficulty mode for players who prefer an easier game with faster progress!

• Increased variety and replayability with over 20 new pop-up Proletaricat missions added to Endless mode. Obey your feline leader and reap the rewards!

• Linux Support!

• A whole pack tweaks and quality of life improvements!

View the full list of changes.

A fast-paced systemic arcade game inspired by the real-life stray dogs of the Moscow metro. Can you steal enough food to survive? Available now on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/762610/Russian_Subway_Dogs/ Coming to Xbox One, PS4 and PS Vita later this year!

The game is out now on Steam, and is planned for PlayStation 4, and Vita.

Twitch Streams: Assassin's Creed Odyssey - Boat Combat, Side-quests

Once again, I streamed Assassin’s Creed Odyssey tonight, and posted it on Youtube for those who missed it. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey hits PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC October 5th.

No story spoilers, but playing the rest of the first island, some boat combat and additional side quests. Played on PS4 Pro. -- Watch live at https://www.twitch.tv/canadiangamedevs This was recorded September 30th. Code provided by Ubisoft. https://canadiangamedevs.com/ -- Watch live at https://www.twitch.tv/canadiangamedevs

Last Year: The Nightmare Official Trailer

Montreal developed Last Year: The Nightmare gets its official trailer this week, showing off some of the monsters and gameplay from Elastic Games 5 vs 1 horror game.

Halloween night. 1996. A group of teenagers awake to find themselves trapped in a dark, twisted reflection of their sleepy hometown of Forest Hills. As they make their way across the East Side High School campus, they realize they are being hunted by a supernatural force taking the forms of fearsome killers. Relentlessly pursued, the teens must band together to fight back, survive, and escape the terrifying anomaly they have come to know as The Nightmare.

The game is coming Fall 2018, and will be coming to Discord first. So you can check out the developers Discord right here.

Halloween night. 1996. A group of teenagers awake to find themselves trapped in a dark, twisted reflection of their sleepy hometown of Forest Hills. As they make their way across the East Side High School campus, they realize they are being hunted by a supernatural force taking the forms of fearsome killers.

Twitch Streams: Assassin's Creed Odyssey - Gameplay On The First Island

I streamed Assassin’s Creed Odyssey tonight, and posted it on Youtube for those who missed it.

Doing some side quests on the first island in Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Played on PS4 Pro. -- Watch live at https://www.twitch.tv/canadiangamedevs This was recorded September 28th. Code provided by Ubisoft. https://canadiangamedevs.com/

Towerfall Out Now On Switch

Towerfall, the multiplayer game from Montreal developer Matt Thorson has launched on Nintendo Switch. Originally released on Ouya in 2013, Towerfall has been ported to many systems since and enjoys a few extras in the Switch version. You can pick it up right here.

TowerFall is now available on Nintendo Switch! 🏹
-Murder your friends with archery!
-There's also 4 player co-op
-And new 6-player versus mode + maps
-Madeline and her reflection from Celeste join the fight!
-Dark World DLC includedhttps://t.co/9ZDcBuklVT pic.twitter.com/PUViu5YNJ7

— Matt Thorson 🍂 (@MattThorson) September 27, 2018

Interview With Storyteller Mohammed Hasan - Why Do We Play Video Games?

Mohammed is a local Toronto author who prides in storytelling in video games. He recently wrote a blog post about why we play video games.

Mohammed and Steve discuss story in games, and the recent Telltale closing.

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.

Canadian GameDevs Is Now Affiliated On Twitch

We’ve been streaming for a few weeks now, and last night we hit affiliated on Twitch! Check out the channel and follow/subscribe if interested, and I’ll be working on bonus’ for Patrons and what not. Thanks again for everyone’s support!

Watch live video from CanadianGameDevs on www.twitch.tv

Assassin's Creed Odyssey Launch Trailer

Even though the game launches next month, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey got a launch trailer today. The game will be out on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC October 5th.

Forge your own destiny and define your own path as a legendary Spartan hero. Assassin's Creed Odyssey is available October 5. #AssassinsCreedOdyssey Website - http://bit.ly/2t7jeqz https://www.facebook.com/assassinscreedUS https://instagram.com/AssassinsCreed_US https://twitter.com/assassinscreed https://www.youtube.com/UbisoftNA ABOUT ASSASSIN'S CREED ODYSSEY: BECOME A LEGENDARY SPARTAN HERO Embark on your journey from humble beginnings to living legend as Alexios or Kassandra.

Alto's Adventure Out Now On Mac

Alto’s Adventure has been released on Mac, which you can pick up right here for $9.99 USD. Snowman’s founder Ryan Cash let me know via email that this was planned for a while:

“Ever since we launched the game on iOS we’d always wanted to do a Mac version, and we’d actually begun working on it a long time ago. We kind of got tied up with the tvOS version when that launched, and then of course, Alto’s Odyssey. When Apple announced the new Mac App Store at WWDC this year we knew it was time to dust off the code and bring it to the finish line.”

Alto's Adventure is an endless snowboarding odyssey, set against a beautiful and ever changing alpine landscape. App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/altos... Google Play: http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.noodlecake.altosadventure Kindle Fire: http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=com.noodlecake.altosadventure http://altosadventure.com http://www.twitter.com/altosadventure http://www.facebook.com/altosadventure

Double Stallion Releases Speed Brawl On Pretty Much Everything

Montreal based studio Double Stallion have released their combat-racer Speed Brawl on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

London, 1888. After a decade of war with the Lunar invaders we named the Selenites, the British Empire finally vanquished the insect-like menace thanks to a dashing officer by the name of Hugo Wells. He crushed the colony’s queen and in doing so cemented his status as both a hero of the empire and the de facto patriarch of the drone-like Selenites.

Speed Brawl is a 2D combat-racer about moving fast and hitting hard! Maintain your momentum, build your combos, and unleash powerful special moves. Find your own fighting style, and assemble the finest team of brawlers ever seen. Then do it all again faster… faster… FASTER!!!

#SpeedBrawl is out! #brawler #beatemup #combatracer Whatever your flavour. Come get some! #madewithunity #indiedev

Steam: https://t.co/1D9qo6GH0L
PlayStation: https://t.co/c1JcGPYerp
Switch: https://t.co/IjiOKSd63p
Xbox One: https://t.co/R7WZ6EGBoU
GOG: https://t.co/hCLmZKG0pO pic.twitter.com/AJkDqdkz3k

— Double Stallion (@dblstallion) September 20, 2018

Guest Post: Why do we play video games? - Mohammed Maxwel Hasan

The follow is a guest blog post from our friend Mohammed Maxwel Hasan. Stay tuned for more from Mohammed as he’ll be joining me on the podcast shortly about storytelling in games.

[Update September 26th: We did our podcast]

You’re nestled in a comfy chair, gripping an overflowing popcorn bag while the booming surround sound penetrates your chest. You look to your right; teenage guys howl loudly at the character fights. You look to your left; fists are pumped in the air a mile a minute. As you lean back into your chair, you begin to wonder how many treasured memories are made at video game tournaments.

Why do we play video games? It’s embedded into our societal DNA as a favourite pastime. With millions poured into game development, what makes this a lucrative entertainment industry?

One reason has two words: wish fulfillment. Video games make the impossible possible. Maybe you’ve always wanted to experience what it’s like to be a hero, saving the planet from a dastardly villain or discovering an exotic land untouched by humans. Real life is limited with your unique circumstances but gaming gives you a window into another world.

Did you play Uncharted 4 for the story?

Speaking of worlds, the human craving of compelling stories also pulls us into interactive media. When we watch something that resonates, we can’t stop talking or thinking about it long after the credits roll. The moment you can see yourself in a character, an instant bond forms and an emotional attachment with the narrative develops.

Take Uncharted 4’s dialogue as an example: “Emptiness. Yeah, well, you know, as thrilling as the next adventure might be, in the end... you’re always left with that same feeling. Sometimes you just gotta choose what you’re gonna keep and... and what you’re gonna let go.”

Then there’s the story. You can have the same story, but when the cast is swapped, you can have an entirely different experience. Stemming from the ability to connect with others, gamers look for those on-screen figures to cultivate positive associations. These one-sided connections are called “parasocial relationships.”

Look at the upcoming Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. Throughout the hype, gamers frequently comment and request for a story mode. Seeing all the classic franchises clashing is one thing, seeing them together in a coherent story is another.

Should Super Smash Brothers Ultimate have a story mode?

Sometimes, living out these stories is all about escaping to a new reality outside our own. Not always necessarily escaping from the negative, but encountering new friends and experiencing new worlds that enhance imagination. It’s analogous to the saying from George R.R Martin: “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… The man who never reads lives only one.”

Video games anchored its place as a leading pastime. With all the various genres and diverse productions, there’s something for everyone. So why do we play? By exploring the behind-the-scenes of the gaming experience, maybe video games can save us from ourselves.

Game Developer Jobs - Unity and C# Developers At All Levels

Our friends at SEED Interactive, who have worked on Skies of Fury, and Bee Odyssey are looking for Unity and C# developers of all levels - if interested check out the blurb below.

SEED Interactive is a creative digital studio producing mobile apps, VR/AR interactive experiences, educational software, and an occasional Nintendo Switch game. Which is to say we do interesting and fun stuff. We are currently looking for a C# / Unity Intermediate to Senior developer. We offer an exceptional workplace in downtown Toronto, honest and hardworking coworkers, corporate outings, beer Fridays, and competitive salaries. If you're creative, competent and ambitious, SEED might be just the right fit. To apply, please send a few sentences why we should hire you to ivan@seedinteractive.co and don't forget to attach:

• your one-page resume
  

• links to some of your past projects
  

• your github repository
  

Please note that we have filled in our junior hires and currently do not offer any entry level positions.

Numizmatic Releases Light Fingers On Switch

Light Fingers, the turn-based multiplayer board game is out on Switch, which you can pick up right here.

What do skulking thieves do after a night of procuring shady spoils? They gather at a favourite tavern and wager it away on a friendly game of Light Fingers!

Played on a magical clockworks game board, this turn-based multiplayer game has real-time action and devious opportunities for misdirection, all in the pursuit of securing more loot than your opponents.

I also streamed it on Twitch the other night, which you can check out here.

Light Fingers is available now on the Nintendo eShop for the Switch. More info on our website: http://LightFingersGame.com

Look what just snuck onto your #NintendoSwitch! Discover the magical, mechanical board game that thieves play as you race for loot and outwit your friends in #LightFingers! Now available in the North American eShop! https://t.co/s9hdUzCJ3M pic.twitter.com/JTOSkVMm81

— Numizmatic - Light Fingers Sept. 20! (@numizmatic) September 20, 2018

Transference Out Now In Both VR And Non-VR

Ubisoft Monreal have released Transference for VR (PSVR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive) and non-VR (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) this week. You can check out the details below for their psychological thriller:

Jump into an escape room set in a deranged mind and experience a first-person exploration game in a chilling new dimension. Shift between three perspectives and attempt to unravel the mystery hiding in this mind-bending psychological thriller. Project yourself into a riveting narrative experience and become immersed in an unsettling psychological thriller. Piece together a family's mystery as you recover fragmented memories from the corrupted consciousness of each perspective. In this first-person narrative mystery, you must explore the walls of the family's home to interpret events and discover the truth. Playable in VR and non-VR modes.

Journey into a corrupted mind, where the only way to escape is to attempt to solve the mystery. With each perspective, you will unleash new truths. Welcome to Transference! Available Now in VR (PlayStation®VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive) and traditional platforms (PS4, Xbox One and PC).

UBISOFT ANNOUNCES TRANSFERENCE™, NOW AVAILABLE IN BOTH VR AND NON-VR

Montreal — September 18, 2018 — Today, Ubisoft announced the first-person exploration game Transference™ is now available at the suggested retail price of $33.49 in both VR and non-VR on PlayStation®VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, as well as on PlayStation®4 system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One, Xbox One S and Xbox One X and Windows PC. The game is rated “M” for Mature.

“Whether playing in VR or non-VR, players will find themselves in an escape room like situation inside the experiment of a troubled scientist. They’ll shift between the three perspectives of family members and attempt to find out the disturbing truth,” said Transference producer Kévin Racapé. “Transference is a visceral, engaging experience, and we can’t wait for players to enjoy unraveling the mystery in this mind-bending psychological thriller.”

While exploring and solving the mysteries of the house, players will cross paths with a family where each member has a story and a unique perspective on the events buried in their memories. 

There is a free downloadable demo, The Walter Test Case, available now on Playstation VR and PlayStation 4 system in both VR and non-VR that serves as a prequel to the full game.

Transference was developed by Ubisoft Montreal in collaboration with SpectreVision, the production company founded by Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah and John C. Waller.

For further information about Transference, please visit: https://www.ubisoft.com/en-ca/game/transference

Below please find the embed link to the Transference launch trailer: https://youtu.be/8jQYGPDoafU

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 SPECTREVISION 

Founded in 2010 by partners Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah and Josh C. Waller, SpectreVision was created to tell character-driven stories tackling emotional and human experiences that test the boundaries of the genre space. In 2015, Lisa Whalen joined the company as the fourth partner.

The SpectreVision productions of A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, Cooties, Open Windows, The Boy and their latest cult hit, The Greasy Strangler, have earned spots at the most prestigious festivals in the world, as well as numerous awards and nominations. SpectreVision has also released, under its SpectreVision Presents banner, the acclaimed films, Toad Road, LFO and, in partnership with Cinefamily, the enormously successful restoration and re-release of the lost animated classic, Belladonna of Sadness.

SpectreVision has expanded its focus, with new and exciting forays into the worlds of television and digital media, and has a partnership to create virtual reality content with Ubisoft. At the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, SpectreVision's parent entity, Company X, premiered their first production, Bitch, which sold to MPI.

© 2018 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Transference, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are registered or unregistered trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Capcom Vancouver Closes Its Doors

Sad news today as Capcom have announced that they have shut down their Vancouver office, who have previously worked on the Dead Rising games since the second one back in 2010.

We're sad to announce that effective today, Capcom Vancouver has suspended operations. We want to express our deepest thanks to our team and our fans for all your support.

— Capcom Vancouver (@CapcomVancouver) September 18, 2018

From the Vancouver Sun: “Capcom has been focused on increasing the efficiency and growth of its game development operations. To support this objective, new R&D facilities and annual hiring have been underway at the Osaka headquarters,” Capcom said in a statement.

“In consideration of this process, as a result of reviewing titles in development at Capcom Vancouver, Capcom has decided to cancel the development projects at this studio and will concentrate development of major titles in Japan.

“As part of this overall direction, the Capcom Vancouver studio will suspend operations, effective today, so the current staff will be laid off and the office will be closed.”

Company spokesperson Alicia Kim says multiple game titles have been cancelled, but Capcom still owns the Dead Rising brand.

“We appreciate the hard work and contributions of all the studio team members in creating unforgettable gameplay experiences for the Dead Rising series and Puzzle Fighter,” Kim said in a emailed statement.

We wish everyone the best affected by the layoffs.