Tech Blog

The financial woes for the video game industry deepened this past week with THQ announcing a $56 million loss for their financial quarter ending December 31, 2011.  This loss comes days after reports that THQ recently underwent a wave of layoffs, which affected their administrative and publishing departments.  While the news is pretty grim, if there is a silver lining here at all it's that rumours of THQ's demise has been greatly exaggerated.

"We don't call you our customers, we call you our guests."  Those words spoken by 38 Studios founder Curt Schilling preceded the very first live demo of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning at PAX East, welcoming those in attendance into its epic world.  With just two days to go before the release of the game for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, the world of Amalur is about to visited by an influx of guests from across North America.

Last year marked the 25th Anniversary for The Legend of Zelda, a huge milestone for one of the most iconic franchises in the history of video games.  Yet despite year-long celebrations by Nintendo, it seems that even our green tunic-wearing hero couldn't match the selling power of a pudgy Italian plumber named Mario.

The PSVita is certainly shaping up to be the console for music fans. Launching on February 14th (a perfect Valentines gift, perhaps?) Lumines Electronic Symphony features 33 licensed tracks, including some amazing tracks like Aphex Twin's Windowlicker and Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.'s Bang Bang Bang.

There have been a lot of titles released for the iOS platforms that, you know, should make us feel like it's a "serious" games platform. Something that's absolutely on the level with the DS, the PSP... maybe even the 3DS and the upcoming Vita. Titles like Infinity Blade, let's say. But for some reason I can't ever quite buy the narrative, and you know, I play tons of games on my iPod touch! Maybe it's that lack of buttons thing. I just can't see it. But... you know... Capcom releasing Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, really not that long after it was released on Nintendo DS, well, there's something to be said for that.

Yep, you read that right. Kinect! For Windows! Except... well, not quite yet for consumers, but there's a lot of promise in today's announcement that "any business" can now develop applications for Kinect in Windows. I mean... it could revolutionize human-computer interaction, right?

After the release of the incredibly fun co-op platformer Rayman Origins, Ubisoft has now announced yet another Rayman game: Rayman 3 Hoodlum Havoc HD.  While technically not a "new release" the re-release of this 2003 fan favourite (doesn't time just fly?) will come as a pleasant surprise with totally revamped hi-def graphics.  Look for it on Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network on March 21, 2012!

One of those very long headlines there that seems to tell the whole story, eh? Well! Capcom has just announced that Dragon's Dogma, it's open world action combat game, will be released for Xbox 360 and PS3 on May 22nd, and both systems will get Resident Evil 6 demo download tokens included: but much, much earlier on Xbox 360.

Earlier this week we posted about Prototype 2's April 24 release date; however it seems PC users will have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on this much-anticipated game. According to the official Prototype Facebook page, the PC version won't arrive until July 24.

Just before the most romantic day of the year, Nintendo is launching an eye-catching 'Pearl Pink' coloured 3DS on Friday, February 10, 2012. 

O Canada.  Such wonderful video games you make. To honour our great industry leaders across the land, the Canadian Videogame Awards are held annually in Vancouver, produced by Reboot Communications and Greedy Productions.  The 3rd Annual Canadian Videogame Awards will be taking place on April 21st in conjunction with the very first Fan Expo Vancouver, the city's first major comicon.

Video game... news! Here is some more of it! Including such stuff as dates for Ghost Recon and versus modes for Raccoon City, that sort of thing.

The times, they are a-changin'.  Nintendo started out this console generation posting record profits thanks to its runaway success with the Wii, coupled with the immensely popular Nintendo DS family of handhelds.  Now as we enter 2012 it seems the house that Mario built is forecasting its first annual financial loss in over 30 years, and the first loss since Nintendo became a video game powerhouse.

There’s relief this weekend for the piles of gaming enthusiasts anxiously waiting to get their hands on the PlayStation Vita handheld console. On Saturday, February 4, select Future Shop stores will be providing live demos between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. (local time).

I was just a wee lad when I first got my hands on the tile-matching sensation Tetris.  Created in 1984 by the now-famous Russian programmer, Alexey Pajitnov, the game is one of the most successful in history having sold over 70 million copies and a further 100 million-plus mobile downloads (as of Jan 2010).  Adding to Tetris' already impressive list of accolades is a new one, as of the end of last year: it was the most downloaded game on Sony's PlayStation Network.