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Mobile Syrup

Here are The Game Awards 2021’s Canadian nominees

The full list of nominees for the 2021 Game Awards has been revealed.

Geoff Keighley, the Canadian producer of the show, hosted a brief presentation to announce all of the nominees ahead of the December 9th main event.

To start, the six titles up for the coveted Game of the Year Award are:

  • Deathloop (Arkane/Bethesda)
  • It Takes Two (Hazelight/EA)
  • Metroid Dread (Mercury Steam/Nintendo)
  • Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine/Xbox)
  • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac/PlayStation)
  • Resident Evil Village (Capcom)

While none of the Game of the Year nominees are from Canadian studios, it’s worth noting that many other homemade games received nods.

To start, Canada dominated the ‘Innovation in Accessibility’ category, which recognizes games that excel in offering a suite of features to include more players.

  • Far Cry 6 (Ubisoft)
  • Forza Horizon 5 (Playground/Xbox)
  • Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos Montreal/Square Enix)
  • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac/PlayStation)
  • The Vale: Shadow of the Crown (Falling Squirrel)

Notably, three of those five are Canadian: Far Cry 6 from Ubisoft Toronto, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy from Eidos Montreal and The Vale from Niagara Falls, Ontario’s Falling Squirrel. These nominees were selected by a special jury of accessibility experts that included Toronto’s own Steve Saylor.

Other Canadian nominees include:

  • Age of Empires IV (co-developed by Vancouver’s Relic) — Best Sim/Strategy
  • Boyfriend Dungeon (Montreal’s KitFox) — Games for Impact
  • Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Vancouver’s Greg Lobanov) — Games for Impact
  • Far Cry 6 — Best Action, Best Performance (Giancarlo Esposito)
  • FIFA 22 (EA Vancouver) — Best Sports/Racing
  • Guardians of the Galaxy — Best Action/Adventure, Best Narrative, Best Score and Music
  • Inscryption (Vancouver’s Daniel Mullins Games) — Best Independent Game, Best Sim/Strategy

And of course, since we’re MobileSyrup, here are the five (non-Canadian) mobile nominees:

  • Fantasian
  • Genshin Impact
  • League of Legends
  • Marvel Future Revolution
  • Pokemon Unite

You can find the full list of 2021 Game Award nominees here.

Image credit: Square Enix

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Mobile Syrup

5G network at the heart of Rogers’ and UBC’s new environmental changes partnership

Rogers and the University of British Columbia (UBC) have teamed up to develop lifesaving projects powered by 5G technology.

Part of the focus of the partnership is directed towards wildfire management. The project will involve monitoring forest conditions in real-time through the use of a 5G network.

This would be vital for a province prone to wildfires and other climate-related disasters. According to the Government of British Columbia, 1,610 wildfires burned 868, 203 hectares of land this year alone. 35 percent of these were caused by nature and 60 percent by humans.

“The 2021 wildfire season in B.C. was the third-worst on record in terms of area burned,” said Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais from UBC’s department of earth, environmental and geographic sciences, in a press release.

A second project is focused on teleoperations. It will offer telemedicine to residents in remote communities using a system combining mixed reality, haptic technology, control theory and 5G.

Monitoring emergencies and disasters is another area of interest. The goal will be to create a medical platform powered by 5G slicing to address larger situations in a timely manner.

“5G is a critical part of Canada’s future and the ecosystem around leveraging its full potential is as important as building out the network behind it,” said Joe Natale, president and CEO of Rogers, in a statement.

This is the next step in an ongoing relationship between the two organizations. They first came together in 2018 with plans to build a 5G hub in Vancouver’s UBC campus.

MobileSyrup reached out to Rogers for more information regarding the project’s future availability once it’s completed.

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Mobile Syrup

Rogers ‘Wrapped in Red’ event offers Black Friday deals on phones and more

Rogers revealed its Black Friday promotions on November 16th, including deals on phones and more.

Some of the highlight deals include the iPhone 12 mini and Google Pixel 6 being available for $0 down with a $10/mo financing charge using Rogers’ Upfront Edge program, which discounts the monthly cost of a phone if customers agree to return the device or pay back the difference after two years.

Rogers also highlighted its iPhone 13 deal. Customers who trade in an iPhone 11 can get the iPhone 13 for $0 down and $5/mo financing on Upfront Edge.

Further, customers that activate any device during Black Friday can get a $125 accessory credit over 24 months to kit out their new phone with cases and other gear.

Moreover, Rogers highlighted that it offers perks like six-months free Disney+ and Apple Music when you sign up for select Infinite plans (although it’s worth noting these offers aren’t specific to Black Friday). Check out some more highlights from Rogers below:

  • Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 128GB — $0 down, $15.83/mo financing after bill credit (regular $50/mo)
  • Add a free tablet plan for 24 months on a $90/mo+ Rogers Infinite plan
  • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 — $0 down, $40/mo financing after bill credit (regular $52.34/mo)
  • Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 — $0 down, $70/mo financing after bill credit (regular $92.21/mo)
  • Google Pixel 6 Pro — $0 down, $39.13/mo financing after bill credit (regular $47.55/mo)
  • Moto Edge — $0 down, $33.34/mo financing after bill credit (regular $43.34/mo)
  • iPhone 12 mini — $0 down, $12.09/mo financing after bill credit (regular $12.09/mo)
  • Samsung Galaxy S21 — $0 down, $37.67/mo financing after bill credit (regular $48.92/mo)
  • iPhone 12 Pro — $0 down, $48.92/mo financing after bill credit (regular $54.92/mo)

You can check out all of Rogers’ Black Friday deals on the promotions page here or devices page here. Fido’s Black Friday promotions are available here.

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Mobile Syrup

Here are Fido’s Black Friday deals

Ahead of ‘Black Friday’ on November 26th, Rogers flanker brand Fido has revealed a slew of Black Friday deals.

As usual, there are some decent offers, but also a few that I would say aren’t really that great. For example, $0 down and 0 percent interest at $15/month on an iPhone 12 mini is a great offer, while five extra free hours of unlimited data isn’t particularly exciting.

Below are all of Fido’s Black Friday deals:

iPhone 12 mini — $0 down and 0 percent interest at $15/month for 24 months
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE — $0 down at $20/month for 24 months ($1,200 outright)
10GB of data — $50/month
6GB of data — $45/month
Save up to 50 percent per month on Unlimited Home Internet — must be paired with a mobile plan
0 percent interest financing on accessories
2nd-gen AirPods — $0 down at $2.50/month for 24/months ($180 outright)
Five extra free hours of unlimited data

For all of Fido’s Black Friday deals, follow this link. You can find Rogers’ Black Friday deals here.

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Mobile Syrup

Fido customer receives 30GB/$55 exclusive offering

Some Fido subscribers are reportedly receiving exclusive deals.

For example, RedFlagDeals (RFD) user ‘y2Dave’ says that they were offered 30GB for $55, which in the context of the Candian telecom industry, is a pretty stellar deal. This offer also includes unlimited Canada-wide minutes and unlimited text, picture and video messages from Canada to the U.S.

 

Other RFD users don’t seem to have the exact same offers, but there are reports of similar deals. For example, a few of the RFD users were sent $60 for 30GB, $65 for 35GB and $90 for 50GB offers. Further, one user was offered a $45/25GB win-back deal.

If you’re a Fido subscriber, take a look at your account to see if any of these deals have been sent to you.

Source: RedFlagDeals

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Mobile Syrup

Fido customer receives 30GB/$55 exclusive offering

Some Fido subscribers are reportedly receiving exclusive deals.

For example, RedFlagDeals (RFD) user ‘y2Dave’ says that they were offered 30GB for $55, which in the context of the Candian telecom industry, is a pretty stellar deal. This offer also includes unlimited Canada-wide minutes and unlimited text, picture and video messages from Canada to the U.S.

 

Other RFD users don’t seem to have the exact same offers, but there are reports of similar deals. For example, a few of the RFD users were sent $60 for 30GB, $65 for 35GB and $90 for 50GB offers. Further, one user was offered a $45/25GB win-back deal.

If you’re a Fido subscriber, take a look at your account to see if any of these deals have been sent to you.

Source: RedFlagDeals

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Mobile Syrup

Genshin Impact developer miHoYo expands into Montreal

miHoYo, the Chinese developer of the massively popular Genshin Impact video game, has opened a new studio in Montreal, its first North American location.

The Canadian office is located in downtown Montreal and aims to reach 100 employees over the next two years. To that end, miHoYo Montreal is currently hiring for a variety of positions, including game design, art, engineering and project management.

As miHoYo’s first North American expansion, the Montreal office will work with the company’s other global studios on a new IP. According to Montreal International, the Montreal team is collaborating on a “AAA open-world action-adventure game featuring shooting-based gameplay within a living, breathing paranormal world.”

This would mark a departure from Genshin Impact, which is an anime-inspired action-RPG that’s heavily inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. miHoYo says it’s also working with Montreal International and Investissement Quebec on recruitment and education initiatives in the province.

It makes sense that miHoYo is ready to expand its global presence to work on a new property. In its first year, Genshin Impact generated an “unheard of” estimated sum of $2 billion USD (about $2.5 billion) on mobile devices alone.

Montreal is also a logical place to set up North American operations, given Quebec’s pool of developer talent and lucrative tax incentives. Over the past year, a variety of notable studios have opened in the province, including Quantic Dream (Detroit: Become Human), Dontnod (Life is Strange) and Gearbox (Borderlands).

In other Canadian industry news, the Entertainment Software Association of Canada recently released its latest report on the national games sector. You can read our interview with ESAC president and CEO Jayson Hilchie for a deep dive into the Canadian gaming industry’s massive growth.

Image credit: miHoYo

Via: Montreal International

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Mobile Syrup

Google reportedly ditches its early 2022 foldable Pixel plans

Ross Young, the CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), has offered several important details regarding Google’s rumoured foldable pixel smartphone.

According to Young’s report, Google won’t launch its rumoured foldable Pixel in the first half of 2022 despite what previous rumours indicate. Young says that his sources state Google believed its foldable isn’t currently as competitive as it needs to be, particularly when compared to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip series that dominates the North American and European markets.

The Pixel Fold reportedly offers similar sizing and display specs as the Z Fold 3; however, it reportedly lacks an in-display camera. Additionally, Google’s foldable likely won’t feature the Pixel 6′s new and improved camera sensors and utilizes the shooter featured in the Pixel 5, Pixel 4 and Pixel 3 series (yes, Google used the same sensor for three years). That said, it’s worth noting that Samsung’s Z Fold 3 also utilizes a 12-megapixel sensor that isn’t quite as good as what’s available in its flagship S series.

It’s expected that the first Pixel foldable will run Google’s recently announced Android 12L OS. Android 12L is an Android 12 variant designed specifically for larger screens thanks to its more intuitive multi-tasking and other features.

DSCC’s upcoming ‘Quarterly Foldable/Rollable Display Shipment and Technology Report’ should offer more insight into the foldable smartphone technology that could appear over the next year and possibly even Google’s rumoured foldable pixel.

Source: Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC)

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Mobile Syrup

Google reportedly ditches its early 2022 foldable Pixel plans

Ross Young, the CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), has offered several important details regarding Google’s rumoured foldable pixel smartphone.

According to Young’s report, Google won’t launch its rumoured foldable Pixel in the first half of 2022 despite what previous rumours indicate. Young says that his sources state Google believed its foldable isn’t currently as competitive as it needs to be, particularly when compared to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip series that dominates the North American and European markets.

The Pixel Fold reportedly offers similar sizing and display specs as the Z Fold 3; however, it reportedly lacks an in-display camera. Additionally, Google’s foldable likely won’t feature the Pixel 6′s new and improved camera sensors and utilizes the shooter featured in the Pixel 5, Pixel 4 and Pixel 3 series (yes, Google used the same sensor for three years). That said, it’s worth noting that Samsung’s Z Fold 3 also utilizes a 12-megapixel sensor that isn’t quite as good as what’s available in its flagship S series.

It’s expected that the first Pixel foldable will run Google’s recently announced Android 12L OS. Android 12L is an Android 12 variant designed specifically for larger screens thanks to its more intuitive multi-tasking and other features.

DSCC’s upcoming ‘Quarterly Foldable/Rollable Display Shipment and Technology Report’ should offer more insight into the foldable smartphone technology that could appear over the next year and possibly even Google’s rumoured foldable pixel.

Source: Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC)

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Mobile Syrup

What’s new on Xbox Game Pass on console, PC and mobile in late November 2021

Every month, Xbox adds new games to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service.

Typically, new titles are rolled out in two waves and now, Xbox has unveiled November’s second batch of new Game Pass games:

  • Dead Space (Cloud) — November 16th [EA Play]
  • Dragon Age: Origins (Cloud) — November 16th [EA Play]
  • Next Space Rebels (Cloud, Console and PC) — November 17th
  • Exo One (Cloud, Console and PC) — November 18th
  • Fae Tactics (Cloud, Console and PC) — November 18th
  • My Friend Pedro (Cloud, Console and PC) — November 18th
  • Undungeon (Cloud, Console and PC) — November 18th
  • Deeeer Simulator (Cloud, Console and PC) — November 23th
  • Mortal Shell (Cloud, Console and PC) — November 23th
  • Evil Genius 2 (Cloud, Console and PC) — November 30th

It’s also worth noting that a free three-month trial for YouTube Premium is now available as an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perk.

Meanwhile, the following 17 Game Pass titles on mobile have received touch controls:

  • Aragami 2
  • The Artful Escape
  • Dandy Ace
  • Echo Generation
  • Flynn: Son of Crimson
  • Football Manager 2022: Xbox Edition
  • Frostpunk
  • The Good Life
  • Lost Words: Beyond the Page
  • Moonglow Bay
  • Phoenix Point
  • The Procession to Calvary
  • Skatebird
  • Superliminal
  • Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
  • Yakuza 5 Remastered

Finally, here’s what’s leaving Game Pass on November 30th:

  • Call of the Sea (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • FIFA 19 (Console and PC, EA Play)
  • Football Manager 2021 (PC)
  • Football Manager 2021 Xbox Edition (Console and PC)
  • Haven (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Hello Neighbor (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Morkredd (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Va-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action (PC)

It’s also worth noting that Destiny 2: Beyond Light (Cloud and Console) is leaving Game Pass on December 8th. As always, members can purchase these or any other Game Pass titles with an exclusive 20 percent discount to keep playing them even after they exit the catalogue.

Xbox Game Pass is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Android and iOS in beta. Game Pass for Console and Game Pass for PC each cost $11.99 CAD/month.

Meanwhile, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $16.99/month and is required for streaming (which Xbox refers to as ‘Cloud’). On top of that, this tier includes Game Pass for both Console and PC, as well as an Xbox Live Gold subscription and access to EA Play.

Find out what came to Game Pass earlier this month here.

Image credit: Playstack

Source: Xbox