BT Calgary Blogs

There’s no denying Sony’s Motorstorm: Apocalypse has had a rough start. When we first laid hands on the game back in February everything was looking great. The game was looking slick, fans of the series were excited, and the launch details were being finalized. Who could have predicted what was to happen.

A devastating earthquake hit Japan, followed by a tsunami which inevitably delayed the North American launch (good call on Sony’s part). Then when it finally hits store shelves Sony’s PSN was forced offline by hackers, preventing gamers from playing online with friends.

The launch certainly hasn’t been ideal, but should that deter you from buying into this high octane franchise? Read my review to find out.

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I will never forget the thunderous roar from the Playstation community when Sony announced a new Twisted Metal game was headed for the Playstation 3 at last year’s E3. It was incredible. In fact, the reaction even took Sony reps by surprise as many I have spoken to admit no one expected it.

For those who are not aware, Twisted Metal is the longest running franchise on the Playstation. More than 16 million copies of the seven different games have been sold in North America alone. So why is the creator David Jaffe so concerned about fan reaction to the upcoming release?

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The world as we know it has been lost. It has been four years since the events of Resistance 2 and the situation now looks dire. Instead of fighting the invading Chimera, the last of the human race have hunkered down and are just trying to stay alive. That’s how we stumble upon our new hero Joseph Capelli.

Capelli is in hiding with his wife and child when he is approached by Dr Fyodor Malikov. The doctor says there still may be a chance to save earth, that is if they can get to New York City.

“Resistance 3 is all about heroic survival in a brutal world.” says Insomniac’s Ryan Schneider. “There is really no military left in the United States or really the world to speak of so it’s up to him and Dr Malikov to thwart the Chimeran effort once and for all. Really at the end of the day Joseph Capelli is just trying to save his family.”

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The Ratchet and Clank series has quickly become a flagship franchise for the Playstation platform. And rightfully so. The likeable characters, colourful graphics and humourous dialogue has helped it chisel out a loyal following. But as with any aging franchise a shakeup is always inevitable.

Insomniac is taking a new direction with the upcoming Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One. As the title suggests Ratchet and Clank won’t be the sole protagonists in this game. They will be joined by two other well known characters Captain Qwark and believe it or not…robot mad scientist Doctor Nefarious in a multiplayer free for all.

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Hard to believe it’s only been a year since the infamous Google Phone first hit the North American market. The Nexus One had many nice features but Google’s decision to sell it online instead of purchasing the handset through carriers was an obvious mistake. The phone didn’t sell nearly as well as it probably could have. Fast forward one year and we now have a true successor to the Nexus One, this time offered through multiple carriers in the US and Canada.
Is it a worthy follow-up?

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While Nintendo focused on the younger audience with its 3DS launch titles, Capcom took a different strategy by targeting the more seasoned gamer by releasing a 3D version of its hit Super Street Fighter IV.

Street Fighter is without a doubt a fan favourite franchise. You know exactly what you’re going to get with this fighter. Classic characters, familiar moves, and a surprisingly deep experience. And as cheesy as it may sound, that experience becomes even deeper when you take it into the 3rd dimension.

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It seems fitting Nintendo has chosen Pilotwings Resort as one of the launch games for the Nintendo 3DS. Pilotwings was one of the original launch titles for the SNES back in 1991 and helped launch the Nintendo 64 in 1996 with its updated pseudo-3D Mode 7 graphics. So why not use the franchise to launch yet another console, this time the Nintendo 3DS.

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Apple is about to launch the iPad 2 across Canada and 24 other countries around the globe today. Lineups have formed outside many Canadian Apple stores in anticipation of the faster, sleeker version of the original iPad.

I was lucky enough to spend some time with the iPad 2 prior to launch. Check out my thoughts on Breakfast Television below.

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It was the talk of CES! An ultra-powerful smartphone which could turn into a multimedia center and a laptop. What was even more surprising was the fact that it would debut in Canada in March. Typically cell phones launch in the US first then can take months to come to Canada (if they ever do). But Motorola’s ATRIX will hit Bell stores this Thursday!

I got my hands on the device before launch to give Breakfast Television viewers an early look at the promising device. Do it really live up to the hype? Check out the video below.

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If you love technology there’s a good chance you have a drawer full of old gadgets collecting dust. Sure you can recycle them but why not turn them into cash! Many websites are popping up in the US allowing you to trade your old gadgets into money, but they don’t offer the same deals to Canadians. So I scoured the web to find out what options Canadians have.

(note: I am not endorsing any of these sites. These are simply sites I have discovered with services in Canada. If you have any experience with any of these services please leave a comment and share your thoughts)

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