CanadianGameDevs.com Podcast

FULL EPISODE NOTES

Join our Discord! - London, ON-based trans streamer Keffal's Twitch Channel

OVERVIEW: Huge development in the forced abroad Canadian streamer Keffals' story battling online abusers and doxxers, a new game from Dauntless' devs coming exclusively to Switch, Stephan and Steve dish on The Last of Us Part 1 and much more Canadian gaming goodness!

EVENTS:

- Indie Cup Canada '22 - online exhibit starting Oct 20, award nominees revealed Nov 3, winners Nov 17

- Game Slice 2022 Online - Stream Oct 4-6 - Playtesting Sept 20-Oct 6 Playtester Sign-up DEADLINE: Sept 16 @ 5:00 PM EST

- Super FESTival by Hand Eye Society (@HandEyeSociety) - Oct 15-16

JOBS: (Remote) Legends of Learnings - Game Developer

CANADIAN GAMING NEWS:

(Northern Ireland) Keffals’ Launched Campaign Deplatforms Abusers (St. John’s, NL) Project Winter Permanently Lowers Price as New Update Drops (Montréal, QC) Motive Montréal Developing an Iron Man Game (Waterloo, ON) Omega Strikers Enters Open Beta on Steam (Vancouver, BC) Vancouver Indie Studio Anemone Hug Unionizes, Dauntless Devs Announce New Game 'Fae Farm' Coming Exclusively to Switch

LAUNCHES: In Retrospect by @PaperSalamander (Toronto, ON) comes to Steam, Session: Skate Sim by @actionofcreate (Montréal, QC) leaves early access on Steam and comes to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series S|X

UPDATES: Frozen Hearth DLC for Nobody Saves the World by @DrinkBoxStudios (Toronto, ON) comes to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series S|X and Steam, 2nd Free Update for Mario Strikers: Battle League by Next Level Studios (Vancouver, BC) comes to Switch

PORTS:

Hardspace: Shipbreaker by @InsideBBI (Vancouver, BC) comes to PS5 and Series S/X and GamePass, TUNIC by @dicey (Halifax, NS) comes to PS4, PS5 and Switch on September 27, 2022

WISHLIST THIS:

Championship Wrestling Promoter by Pykrete Games (@PykreteGames) in Halifax, NS. Releasing TBD 2022, Wishlist on Steam, Joshua's Legs (@JoshuasLegsGame) by Francis Cote-Tremblay (@trespetitlegume) in Montreal, QC. In Early Access until February 2023 (probably), Wishlist on Steam, Tails: The Backbone Preludes (@backbonegame) by eggnut (@eggnutgames) in Vancouver, BC. Releasing 2023, Wishlist on Steam

CREDITS:

MUSIC:

00:00:00 - Intro Music by @jakebutineau (Toronto, ON)

00:05:31 - 'Escape' from Project Winter OST by @itsbobtown (Michigan)

00:38:59 - 'Puzz' from Grindstone OST by @hollett_samuel (Toronto, ON)

01:10:19 - Tails: The Backbone Preludes trailer song by @eggnutgames (Vancouver, BC)

01:32:51 - Outro Music by @Composingdan (Toronto, ON)

PODCAST ART BY: @Poltergust234/Ko-fi (Alberta)

HOSTED BY: @StephenLCrane (Owen Sound, ON) & Stephan Reilly

PRODUCED BY: Stephan Reilly (Halifax, NS)

Join our Discord!

London, ON-based trans streamer Keffal's Twitch Channel and GoFundMe Campaign

OVERVIEW:

Oodles of Gamescom announcements from Canadian studios and projects- from New Borderlands to a massive Age of Empires anniversary to loads more. We also go over all the fresh Canadian video game releases, wishlist some unreleased Canadian indies and talk about what we've been playing to close out. Enjoy!

EVENTS:

Game Slice 2022 Online (@GameSliceEvent) Stream: Oct 4-6 Playtesting: Sept 20-Oct 6 “Back for its seventh year, Joydrop is proud to host Game Slice 2022. We continue to conduct the event online as we await a safe opportunity to return to an in person event.”

Super FESTival 2022 by Hand Eye Society (@HandEyeSociety) Oct 15-16 Volunteer, showcase your game or apply to be a speaker for the 10th festival showcase by the Toronto-based non-profit arts org.

JOBS:

Edmonton, AB: Crimson Herring Studio Job - Game Programmer (Unity), 3D Environment Artist

Remote: Legends of Learnings - Game Developer

CANADIAN GAMING NEWS:

Lunenburg, NS: Tiger Woods to be Cover Athlete and Executive Director for PGA TOUR 2K23

London, ON: Trans Twitch streamer Keffals forced to flee country in wake of death threats and abuse

Montréal, QC: The Outlast Trials Getting Closed Beta Halloween Weekend

Québec, QC: New Tales from the Borderlands Announced, Gearbox Studio Québec Leading Development

Toronto, ON: Hand Eye Society Releases Second Mixtape

Toronto, ON: A Short Hike Getting Physical Collector's Edition from Super Rare Games

Toronto, ON: Trio of Benjamin Rivers' Games Getting Physical Nintendo Switch Collection

Vancouver, BC: Relic's Age of Empires IV Getting Anniversary Update, Franchise Turns 25 Years Old

Vancouver, BC: Hardspace: Shipbreaker Coming to Xbox Series S, X and PS5

Vancouver, BC: Blackbird Interactive's Homeworld 3 Delayed to 2023

LAUNCHES:

I Was a Teenage Exocolonist (August 25, 2022) Platforms: Switch, PS4, PS5 and Steam Developer: Northway Games (Vancouver, BC)

Evasive Maneuvers (August 31, 2022) Platforms: Steam Developer: Sky Pyre Studios (Ottawa, ON)

UPDATES:

Water Rats DLC for Radio General (August 23, 2022) Platforms: Steam Developer: Michael Long, Foolish Mortals Games (Saskatoon, SK)

PORTS:

Inscryption (August 30, 2022) Platforms: PS4, PS5 Developer: Daniel Mullins Games (Vancouver, BC)

WISHLIST THIS:

Tall Poppy 2 by Attainable Entertainment (@AttainableEnt) in Sudbury, ON. Coming soon - Wishlist on Steam. “In this comedy-horror adventure, explore the city of Boots Bay where you must go through hell to discover the reason why Tall Poppy is tormenting you. It's time to put an end to his terror once and for all!”

Caerulean: Beneath and Beyond by Spotless Mind Studios (@That_Haifisch) in Montréal, QC. Coming soon 2022 - Wishlist on Steam. “The year is 2058. Ocean sea levels have risen considerably and several coastal cities have been abandoned. As Laura Deckard, you will explore underwater stations and surrounding areas, help clean underwater ecosystems and interact with the other denizens of the blue world.”

This Bed We Made by Lowbirth Games (@LowbirthGames) in Montréal, QC. Releasing 2023 - Wishlist on Steam. “This Bed We Made is a third-person mystery game in which you play as a maid in a 1950s hotel and snoop around strangers' rooms to uncover their deadly secrets. Discover what links the clients together in this tale of love, heartbreak and murder!”

CREDITS:

MUSIC:

00:00:00 - Intro Music by @jakebutineau (Toronto, ON)

00:05:57 - Ancient Futures by @Lifeformed (Taipei) and @Janice Kwan (Taipei)

00:47:11 - Homeworld 3 trailer song by @InsideBBI (Vancouver, BC)

00:52:46 - Four Scrybes by @JonahSenzel (USA)

01:01:47 - The Bed We Made trailer song by @LowbirthGames (Montréal, QC)

01:09:10 - Outro Music by @Composingdan (Toronto, ON)

PODCAST ART BY: @Poltergust234/Ko-fi (Alberta)

HOSTED BY: @StephenLCrane (Owen Sound, ON) & Stephan Reilly

PRODUCED BY: Stephan Reilly (Halifax, NS)

FULL EP 216 SHOW NOTES

Join our Discord!

London, ON-based trans streamer Keffal's Twitch Channel

OVERVIEW:

Stephan regales Steve of his incredible time at Canada's largest retro arcade bar in London, ON, called Tilt. He finally understands pinball and the appeal of those flapper thingies. We discuss a scary swatting in a transphobic attack on a London, ON-based Twitch streamer. We wishlist some games of our friends and then Steve explains why Multiverse's season one monetization is an issue.

EVENTS:

Quiver Games Checkpoint - Saturday August 20th @ 7:00 PM PDT! - “Join us for a wonderful night of sped up game industry networking, light food and games in the first ever Quiver Games Checkpoint.”

Vancouver Video Game Development Meetup - Thu, Aug 25 @ 7:00 PM PDT - “If you’re a game developer, aspiring or professional, then here’s a safe space waiting for you! Connect with hundreds of other game devs who share the same burning passion for game development and design.”

Game Slice 2022 Online - Stream Oct 4-6 - Playtesting Sept 20-Oct 6 Playtester Sign-up DEADLINE: Sept 16 @ 5:00 PM EST - “Back for its seventh year, Joydrop is proud to host Game Slice 2022. We continue to conduct the event online as we await a safe opportunity to return to an in person event.”

Super FESTival by Hand Eye Society (@HandEyeSociety) - Oct 15-16 - Volunteer, showcase your game or apply to be a speaker for the 10th festival showcase by the Toronto-based non-profit arts org.

JOBS:

Toronto, ON: Bloom Digital Media - Art Director Game Dev Job (Remote)

Edmonton, AB: Crimson Herring Studio Job - Game Programmer (Unity), 3D Environment Artist

Remote: Legends of Learnings - Game Developer

UPCOMING LAUNCHES:

Vancouver, BC: I Was a Teenage Exocolonist coming to PS4/PS5 August 25, 2022

Vancouver, BC: Inscryption coming to PS5 August 30, 2022

CANADIAN GAMING NEWS:

Edmonton, AB: Survival game Nightingale delayed until first half of 2023, upgrading to Unreal Engine 5

London, ON: Trans Twitch star fears for life after someone sent swat team to her London home

Toronto, ON: Quill Studios announces the upcoming launch of an all-new mystery visual novel 'Autumn with the Shiba Inu’ coming to Kickstarter

WISHLIST THIS:

Little Hellions by Schadenfreude (@ProfessorOnion) in Alberta. Releasing Q4 2022, Wishlist on Steam. “4 friends. 1 weirdo mechanic. THROW AWAY YOUR FRIENDS with your trusty Trick Hook in this passive aggressive fighter where you can’t fight!”

CURSES by Killjoy Games (@killjoygames) with devs in Ontario. Releasing August 24, wishlist on Steam. “CURSES is a game about a girl with troubles and dark feelings. Help her cope with them with the aid of a cynical cat and sprinkle of magic.”

Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) (@TwoFalls) by Unreliable Narrators (@UNarratorsGames) in Montréal, QC. Releasing Fall 2023, Wishlist on Steam. “Immerse yourself in the harsh wilderness of 17th century Canada through the eyes of Maikan, a young Innu, and Jeanne, a French woman who crossed the Atlantic to start a new life. Decide how the characters will survive, and watch the impact of your choices unfold in this coming-of-age story!”

CREDITS:

MUSIC:

00:00:00 - Intro Music by @jakebutineau (Toronto, ON)

00:06:33 - 'Clip Joint Calamity' by @KrisMaddigan (Toronto, ON)

00:23:16 - 'Deathcard Cabin (Reprise)' by @JonahSenzel (USA)

00:39:05 - 'Two Falls trailer song' by @TwoFalls/@UNarratorsGames (Montréal, QC)

01:09:10 - Outro Music by @Composingdan (Toronto, ON)

PODCAST ART BY: @Poltergust234/Ko-fi (Alberta)

HOSTED BY: @StephenLCrane (Owen Sound, ON) & Stephan Reilly

PRODUCED BY: Stephan Reilly (Halifax, NS)

Checkout the 2022 Games from BC Steam page 

OVERVIEW:

Yet another BioWare veteran has quit the beleaguered studio who hasn't shipped a new game since Anthem in 2019 (if you don't count the Mass Effect collection- which we don't). We've got oodles of new details on Digital Extreme's successor to Warframe entitled Soulframe which I think is a great name. We've of course got all the upcoming gaming events, more news, some jobs for you to checkout and more Canadian-developed games to add to your wishlist!

EVENTS:

Expert Talks - How to Fund Your Game Studio (CMF) - Jul 28 - Aug 4“XP Gaming is proud to present a series of Expert Talks sponsored by the Canada Media Fund, which will have industry leaders from Alberta, the Atlantic, and the Prairies join us to give region-conscious advice on funding your game studio.”

Quiver Games Checkpoint - Saturday August 20th @ 7:00 PM PDT!“Join us for a wonderful night of sped up game industry networking, light food and games in the first ever Quiver Games Checkpoint.”

Vancouver Video Game Development Meetup - Thu, Aug 25 @ 7:00 PM PDT“If you’re a game developer, aspiring or professional, then here’s a safe space waiting for you! Connect with hundreds of other game devs who share the same burning passion for game development and design.”

Game Slice 2022 Online - Stream Oct 4-6 - Playtesting Sept 20-Oct 6 Playtester Sign-up DEADLINE: Sept 16 @ 5:00 PM EST“Back for its seventh year, Joydrop is proud to host Game Slice 2022. We continue to conduct the event online as we await a safe opportunity to return to an in person event.”

Super FESTival by Hand Eye Society (@HandEyeSociety) - Oct. 15 - 16Volunteer, showcase your game or apply to be a speaker for the 10th festival showcase by the Toronto-based non-profit arts org.

JOBS:

Toronto, ON: Bloom Digital Media - Art Director Game Dev Job (Remote)

Edmonton, AB: Crimson Herring Studio Job - Game Programmer (Unity), 3D Environment Artist

LAUNCHES:

Cheese Runner by one of our wonderful patrons Kai Hutchence and Massive Corporation (@Massive_CA) in Saskatchewan is now available on Steam. “Trade illicit cheese in a dystopian cyberpunk city filled with police killbots trying to hunt you down in this ASCII Art text-based early 80s retro trading game. Like a fine blue cheese, this isn't for everyone.”

UPDATES:

Huge update to Moonglow Bay (@moonglowbay) by Bunnyhug (@BunnyhugGames) with some devs in Quebéc.

PORTS:

Hardspace Shipbreaker by Blackbird Interactive (@InsideBBI) in Vancouver, BC is now available on the Epic Games Store. “Equipped with cutting-edge salvaging tech, carve & slice spaceships to recover valuable materials. Upgrade your gear to take on more lucrative contracts and pay your billion credits debt to LYNX Corp!”

CANADIAN GAMING NEWS:

Edmonton, AB: BioWare recommits to Star Wars: The Old Republic as creative director departs

London, ON: Warframe Team's Next Game Is Soulframe

Montréal, QC: Dead by Daylight: Resident Evil: PROJECT W Teases Leon for August 3rd Stream

Montréal, QC: Tribes of Midgard Season 3: Inferno Saga Coming August 16

Toronto, ON: Cosmic Darkside Updates Adds a Ton to Grindstone

Toronto, ON: TornBanner’s Chivalry 2 hits 2 million copies sold across PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4 & PS5 since April 23, 2021

Montréal, QC: TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge Sells 1 Million Copies In A Week across PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One

Oakville, ON + Around Canada: The Delicious Last Course sells 1 million copies across PC, Switch, Xbox One, PS4

WISHLIST THIS:

Spheriums by Braintonik GameStudios (@Braintonik) in Canada. Leaving Early Access Autumn 2022, Wishlist on Steam. “As Arcos in a single-player journey to rescue your civilization, you will discover forgotten weapons to defeat the Drainers. During your adventure, you will need to upgrade your equipment, gather resources, solve puzzles, and travel to enchanting worlds filled with unique creatures.”

Evil Bird Simulator by mr_noodler, a foreigner living in Canada. “coming next year” Wishlist on Steam. “Evil Bird Simulator is a weird pixel art game where you control an evil bird that craps on people and cars. Some of the people will try to attack you and you will go to hell if you get a game over. You will have to play your way through hell to get back to the normal game. Do you have what it takes?”

Vintage Records from Hell by Doubleton Game Studio (@Doubletonstudio) in Montréal, QC. Releasing “in a few months”, Wishlist on Steam. “Ever dream of running your own Heavy Metal Record Store? How about having the most amazing Vintage Vinyl collection?If so, dear metalhead, this game was made just for you.”

CREDITS:

MUSIC:

00:00:00 - Intro Music by @jakebutineau (Toronto, ON)

00:09:04 - 'Liara's World' by @jackwallmusic (Los Angeles, CA)

00:31:44 - 'Cheese Runner trailer song' by @Massive_CA (Regina, SK)

00:45:52 - 'Vintage Record from Hell trailer song' by @Doubletonstudio (Montréal, QC)

01:22:33 - Outro Music by @Composingdan (Toronto, ON)

PODCAST ART BY: @Poltergust234/Ko-fi (Alberta)

HOSTED BY: @StephenLCrane (Owen Sound, ON) & Stephan Reilly

PRODUCED BY: Stephan Reilly (Halifax, NS)

Full show notes: https://canadiangamedevs.com/podcast/ep-214-qubecs-very-stupid-language-bill

EVENTS:

- Online Grant Writing for Creatives Workshop hosted by Hand Eye Society (@HandEyeSociety) - July 13th @ 6pm EST: “Join us as we delve into the often intimidating field of Grant funding and give you advice on what grants you can apply for, how to write arts grants, and typical expectations to met to create a strong application!”

- Game DEV Summer BBQ Meetup hosted by Vancouver Game Development (Eventbrite) - Sat. Jul 16 @ 2:00 pm PDT: “Meet up with fellow Vancouver Video Game Developers. Free Hotdogs. Free Prizes. ***Bring your own Food and Drinks.***”

- Super FESTival by Hand Eye Society (@HandEyeSociety) - Oct. 15 - 16: Volunteer, showcase your game or apply to be a speaker for the 10th festival showcase by the Toronto-based non-profit arts org.

JOBS:

- Toronto, ON: Bloom Digital Media - Art Director Game Dev Job (Remote)

- Edmonton, AB: Crimson Herring Studio Job - Game Programmer (Unity), 3D Environment Artist

LAUNCHES:

- Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course by the mouldenhouer’s brothers' homes in Oakville, Ontario and Regina, Saskatchewan, respectively and a bunch of other folks everywhere (composer in Toronto!) out June 30, 2022, on Xbox One, PS4, Switch, GOG and Steam.

- Neon Blight (@Neon_Blight) by Bleeding Tapes in Montréal, QC, out June 11, 2022, on Steam.

CANADIAN GAMING NEWS:

- Edmonton, AB/Austin, TX: KOTOR II on Switch Broken, “We are aware there’s no way to finish the game” lol, then Fixed

- Montréal, QC: Sea of Stars Delayed Until 2023

- Montréal, QC: Marvel's Avengers version 2.5, New Hero: The Mighty Thor

- Québec: Bill 96 Is Gonna Make the Province’s Stupid Games Industry Even Stupider

- Vancouver, BC: Hardspace: Shipbreaker Hits 500,000 in sales milestone

WISHLIST THIS:

- Push Comes to Shovel by Mantra Games (@mantra_games) in Halifax, NS. Releasing TBA, Wishlist on Steam. “Push Comes to Shovel is a snowy sim-adventure set in the frigid town of Windrow. Become the Blizzard Wizard you've inspired to be and clean up the town. Upgrade and utilize a variety of plows, snowblowers, shovels and tools to complete chill jobs.”

- Broken Edge (@BrokenEdgeVR) by Trebuchet (@trebuchetvr) in Montréal, QC and published by Fast Travel Games (@fasttravelgames) in Stockholm, SWE. Releasing Fall 2022, Wishlist on Steam. “Broken Edge is a VR multiplayer fantasy dueling game where you embody historical swordfighters. Use their unique techniques and powers combined with cutting-edge fencing mechanics to claim victory against online components and climb the ranks!”

- Deadwind: An Open World CRPG Roguelike Adventure by Jason Accardo (@thinginger) in Toronto, ON. Releasing TBD, Follow on itch.io. “Inspired by other games of the same genre like NetHack, Caves of Qud, or Dwarf Fortress, my aim with this project was to expand on the rogue-like dungeon formula and offer an open world to the likes of Ultima to explore with Dungeons & Dragons style skill checks.”

CREDITS:

MUSIC:

- 00:01:30 - Intro Music by @jakebutineau (Toronto, ON)

- 00:09:38 - 'Labour of Love' by @jonogrant (Canadian in London, UK)

- 00:38:36 - 'Gnome Way Out' by @KrisMaddigan (Toronto, ON)

- 00:54:22 - 'Main Title and Credits' by @PeterNMcConnell (int'l)

- 01:13:11 - Outro Music by @Composingdan (Toronto, ON)

PODCAST ART BY: @Poltergust234/Ko-fi (Alberta)

HOSTED BY: @StephenLCrane (Owen Sound, ON) & @StephanReilly

PRODUCED BY: @StephanReilly (Halifax, NS)

PLUGS:

- Support the Wet’suwet’en Defend Their Land 🌎

- Get the Queer Games Bundle 2022 "to support queer people in a life changing way and in exchange you get over 500 amazing, heartfelt, fun, and radical games."

OVERVIEW:

Is the new TMNT game Tribute Games' ultimate tribute? What the heck got announced at Keigh3 and do the developers at Cococucumber Co ever sleep? We investigate these questions and more- and then talk some more about more (Canadian) games- on this week's show.

EVENTS:

- June monthly meet-up by GameCamp Edmonton (@GameCampYEG) - June 28 @ 7 pm mt: “This month, the topic is unionization in the games industry, and the recent success of the KW QA at BioWare to unionize. More info and RSVP on Eventbrite!”

- Game Dev Picnic Edmonton by GameCamp Edmonton (@GameCampYEG) - Sat, July 10 4-8 pm mt RSVP for more info

- Game DEV Summer BBQ Meetup hosted by Vancouver Game Development (Eventbrite) - Sat. Jul 16 @ 2:00 pm PDT: “Meet up with fellow Vancouver Video Game Developers. Free Hotdogs. Free Prizes. ***Bring your own Food and Drinks.***”

- Super FESTival by Hand Eye Society (@HandEyeSociety) - Oct. 15 - 16: Volunteer, showcase your game or apply to be a speaker for the 10th festival showcase by the Toronto-based non-profit arts org.

JOBS:

Here are all the game dev jobs we’re currently advertising on the site!

- Kixeye: Devs, Leads, VP & More (Canada remote or at office in Victoria, BC)

- A-Game Studios - Unity/C#

- Crimson Herring Studio Job - Game Programmer (Unity)

LAUNCHES:

- Montréal, QC: Lemon Cake 🍋 and Bunny Park 🐰 to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch in September

PORTS:

- Toronto, ON: Grindstone now on Steam

- Peterborough and Toronto, ON: Later Daters Premium is out now on Steam and Nintendo Switch

CANADIAN GAMING NEWS:

- Toronto, ON: Emergent Fates Re:Developed Announce

- Montréal, QC: @Raekwon and @GhostfaceKillah (thanks to @SuperFeminaEnt) from the Wu-Tang Clan are serving the ultimate hip-hop experience in @TMNT #ShreddersRevenge

- Montréal, QC: Boyfriend Dungeon Secret Weapons Update

- Vancouver, BC: Blackbird Interactive Maybe Working on Mojang/Minecraft Spin-off for #Xbox acc to @JezCorden

- Vancouver, BC: I Was A Teenage Exocolonist, the time-looping narrative RPG, releases August 25th!

- Vancouver, BC/Montréal, QC: Meet Andie and Everett Rekindle their friendship while you manage your community and build sustainably in Mossfield Origins

- Vancouver, BC: New Apex Legends Short

WISHLIST THIS:

- DOOM TOMB by Blue Boa Games in Acron, Ontario. In Early Access until “early 2023”, Wishlist on Steam. “Cut to the chase with DOOM TOMB! A chase-based PvP arena game. Catch, evade and outplay your opponents in this 3D arena filled with obstacles! Chose from a selection of abilities and items that will suit your playstyle.”

- OZARK by ALTER-BOY (@ALTERBOYDOTCA) in Sudbury, ON. Releasing TBD, Wishlist on Steam. “A search and rescue gone wrong, crash landing in a remote mountain. A derelict facility, signals lost. Nothing is quite as it seems. Fight for your life in this side-scrolling action adventure and unravel the mysteries that lie beneath.”

- Ravenlok by Cococucumber Co in Toronto, ON. Releasing 2023 (on gamepass) and Wishlist on Epic Games Store. “Ravenlok, an action-packed fable from Cococucumber, is a fairytale reimagining of a kingdom troubled by an evil queen and a young girl’s destiny to fulfill a dangerous prophecy.”

CREDITS:

MUSIC:

- 00:01:30 - Intro Music by @jakebutineau (Toronto, ON)

- 00:23:18 - 'Lunch Time Rush' by @matthewharnage (int'l)

- 00:28:14 - 'Later Daters Theme' by @Bloom_Digital_ (Peterborough and Toronto, Canada)

- 00:49:16 - 'We Ain't Came to Lose' by @Raekwon and @GhostfaceKillah (int'l)

- 01:13:11 - Outro Music by @Composingdan (Toronto, ON)

PODCAST ART BY: @Poltergust234/Ko-fi (Alberta)

HOSTED BY: @StephenLCrane (Owen Sound, ON) & @StephanReilly

PRODUCED BY: @StephanReilly (Halifax, NS)

In a little over a month James Russwurm and his colleagues at Keywords Edmonton, who’d been supporting BioWare Edmonton with quality assurance support since the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, unanimously unionized their studio creating the FIRST game dev studio in the country, the third in North America after Vodeo and Raven Software. This is his story.

You can follow the Union on Twitter KWS Edmonton United (@KWSUnited) for more updates and if you have ANY questions about unionizing your workplace DM them, DM us, GET IN TOUCH!

We’d been covering the story on the podcast for a few weeks now, which you can get caught up on if you wish in Ep 208 - UNIONIZE BIOWARE (Stephan Named This One) and Ep 211 - CONTINUE UNIONIZING BIOWARE('S CONTRACTORS).

PLUGS:

- Support the Wet’suwet’en Defend Their Land 🌎

- Get the Queer Games Bundle 2022 "to support queer people in a life changing way and in exchange you get over 500 amazing, heartfelt, fun, and radical games."

OVERVIEW:

This (slightly late) episode we discuss exciting updates to retro puzzler Highlighters (including a sick listen to the trailer song). Then we break down several new releases from across Canada and a title announcement for the definitely real new Dragon Age game. Steve geeks out about all the Resident Evil news and feels vindicated by PlayStation 1 trophy support. Stephan humours.

EVENTS:

- Game DEV Summer BBQ Meetup hosted by Vancouver Game Development (Eventbrite) - Sat. Jul 16 @ 2:00 pm PDT: “Meet up with fellow Vancouver Video Game Developers. Free Hotdogs. Free Prizes. ***Bring your own Food and Drinks.***”

- Super FESTival by Hand Eye Society (@HandEyeSociety) - Oct. 15 - 16: Volunteer, showcase your game or apply to be a speaker for the 10th festival showcase by the Toronto-based non-profit arts org.

JOBS:

Here are all the game dev jobs we’re currently advertising on the site!

- Kixeye: Devs, Leads, VP & More (Canada remote or at office in Victoria, BC)

- A-Game Studios - Unity/C#

- Crimson Herring Studio Job - Game Programmer (Unity)

LAUNCHES:

- Toronto, ON: The Big Con: GRIFT OF THE YEAR EDITION is NOW AVAILABLE as a FREE Update for PC & Xbox players, AND for the first time on Nintendo Switch!

- Toronto, ON: HYPER METEOR is being delivered to early Playdate owners today!

- Winnipeg, MB: The Last Taxi by ZenFri Inc. (@ZenFri) on Steam

- Vancouver, BC: Hardspace: Shipbreaker (@ShipbreakerGame) by BBI (@BBI) on Steam, Windows and GamePass

CANADIAN GAMING NEWS:

- Ottawa, ON: Highlighters Gets Composer and New Features

- Edmonton, AB: Definitely Real Dragon Age Game ;) now referred to as “Dragon Age: Dreadwolf”

WISHLIST THIS:

- Cornucopia by Subconscious Games (@CornucopiaPC) in Vancouver, BC. Releasing 14 April, 2023, Wishlist on Steam. “A heartwarming indie farming RPG. Grow crops, plant fruit trees and berry bushes, make friends, get married, raise and breed animals, pet assisted combat, card quests, fishing, racing, fun mini-games, a custom soundtrack and much more! Will you restore the Cornucopia?

- Radio Free Europa with dev by Scott McClusky/published by Coffee Puck Games (@CoffeePuckGames) both in Burnaby, BC. Leaving early access “love to have it in full release by the end of the year, but as this is my first 'real' game I'm still learning how long things take to complete”, Wishlist on Steam. “A top-down 2.5D Spaceship shooter. Choose your ship and upgrade it as you go as you fight your way back to earth to deliver a message. Fast-paced dogfights, massive bosses, vibrant graphics, and an original soundtrack that reacts to gameplay.”

- In Retrospect by Paper Salamander Games (@PaperSalamander) in Toronto, ON. It’s releasing TBD, Wishlist on Steam. “Are you prepared to travel back into your memories and tell me about your life, in retrospect? Craft your own story and gameplay based on which collectibles you focus on! Health, wealth, love, education, creativity, or spirituality? What direction will your life take?”

CREDITS:

MUSIC:

- 00:01:30 - Intro Music by @jakebutineau (Toronto, ON)

- 00:09:01 - 'Milo Takes Flight' by @torrybobs (Int'l) feat. in @twinolivg's (Ottawa) Highlighters

- 00:28:32 - 'Clip Joint Calamity' by @KrisMaddigan (Toronto, ON) feat. in @StudioMDHR's (Toronto-Nationwide) Cuphead

- 01:13:11 - Outro Music by @Composingdan (Toronto, ON)

PODCAST ART BY: @Poltergust234/Ko-fi (Alberta)

HOSTED BY: @StephenLCrane (Owen Sound, ON) & @StephanReilly

PRODUCED BY: @StephanReilly (Halifax, NS)

(This one was also named by Stephan- let it be known.)

Support the Wet’suwet’en Defend Their Land 🌎

OVERVIEW:

We (Stephan specifically) celebrates the BioWare contract studio Keyword's unionization drive and recent win of a key demand that work from home remain for everyone who wants it. We also discuss Behaviour Interactive's surprise but already highly anticipated Dead By Daylight dating simulator. And then Stephan complains about NHL 22's blatant bug despite record profits (clearly not reinvested in development) and Steve's awesome first impression of Ghostwire Tokyo.

EVENTS:

- Games Writer Circle May [Online] by DMG (@DMGToronto) - Thu. May 26 @ 6:30 pm est“Join other game writers and narrative designers for a cozy, digital get together every month!”

- Games Writing Working Group June [Online] by DMG (@DMGToronto) - Thu. Jun 2 @ 6:30 pm est“This low-key online social is specifically geared towards writers who want to work together in a virtual space.”

- May Social - Casual Show & Tell by DMG (@DMGToronto) - Sat. May 28 from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm est“Take up to five minutes and share a beloved project or something about your own practice, with text, mic, camera or screenshare – and see what your fellow DMGfolks have been making themselves!”

- Super FESTival by Hand Eye Society (@HandEyeSociety) - Oct. 15 - 16Volunteer, showcase your game or apply to be a speaker for the 10th festival showcase by the Toronto-based non-profit arts org.

JOBS:

Here are all the game dev jobs we’re currently advertising on the site!

- Kixeye: Devs, Leads, VP & More (Canada remote or at office in Victoria, BC)

- A-Game Studios - Unity/C#

- Crimson Herring Studio Job - Game Programmer (Unity)

PORTS:

- Toronto, ON: Clan O’Connal coming to Switch June 2nd

CANADIAN GAMING NEWS:

- Edmonton, AB: BioWare Contractors Filing to Unionize Win New Work from Home Rules

- Montréal, QC: Dead Space Remake Dated

- Toronto, ON & Montréal, QC: Hooked on You: A Dead by Daylight Dating Sim™ Coming This Summer

WISHLIST THIS:

1 - Hellpoint: Blue Sun by Cradle Games (@CradleGames) in Québec and published by tinyBuild (@tinyBuild) in Bothell, Washington. Releasing July 12, Wishlist on Steam. “Hellpoint: Blue Sun DLC reveals the complete story of Irid Novo, for those who can understand it. Asmodeus, the deal maker, takes an interest only in the most proficient of Spawns!”

2 - Hill Agency: PURITYdecay by Achimostawinan Games (@AchimoGames) in Ontario. Releasing FALL 2022, Wishlist on Steam. “Murdered sisters, mind altering drugs and flying cities, to a case that goes way further than the banks of this one detective's little neighbourhood in this Indigenous cybernoir detective narrative adventure set in a post-post-apocalyptical future.”

3 - Spheriums by Braintonik GameStudios (@Braintonik) in Montréal, QC. Leaving Early Access this summer, Wishlist on Steam. “As Arcos in a single-player journey to rescue your civilization, you will discover forgotten weapons to defeat the Drainers. During your adventure, you will need to upgrade your equipment, gather resources, solve puzzles, and travel to enchanting worlds filled with unique creatures.”

CREDITS:

MUSIC:

- Intro Music by @jakebutineau

- ‘Arbatskaya’ from Russian Subway Dogs OST by Peter Chapman aka Coins in Toronto, ON

- ‘Boat Buds’ by Mark Spalding in Toronto, ON, for the game A Short Hike (2019)

- ‘Arpent’ by Kevin Macleod royalty-free music used by PEI-expat dev Walk Home Games in the game Cardful Planning (2022)

- Outro Music by @Composingdan

HOSTED BY: @StephenLCrane & @StephanReilly

PRODUCED BY: @StephanReilly

Summary:

This week we talk dumb PR ways not to say a game is cancelled, we celebrate Abhi's announcement they're leaving their job to do Venba development full-time, Phantom Compass' cool new game preservation move and more!

Full show notes: https://canadiangamedevs.com/podcast/ep-210-just-say-its-canceled

FOLLOW US:

Website: https://canadiangamedevs.com/

Twitter: @CanadaGameDevs

MUSIC USED:

- Intro Music by @jakebutineau

- art of rally original soundtrack ‘the art of rally’ by Tatreal

- Downpurr trailer song by +w+ (Vernal Edge) (@pluswplus)

- Outro Music by @Composingdan

HOSTED BY: @StephenLCrane & @StephanReilly

PRODUCED BY: @StephanReilly