Latest news with #Fable
Cision Canada
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cision Canada
OLG ADVANCES INCLUSION WITH FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND ACCESSIBLE ICASINO GAME
TORONTO, May 29, 2025 /CNW/ - Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is supporting accessibility in the iGaming industry with the launch of Red Panda Tails of Wealth – the first digital slot game designed with built-in accessible features to support players with disabilities. In the popular digital casino landscape, people with disabilities often face barriers to participation. Instead of waiting for change, OLG is driving it by introducing the industry's first inclusive gaming experience that provides the same fun and excitement to all players. "We are excited to launch Red Panda Tails of Wealth on which is the result of a focused effort to put accessibility at the forefront of game design," said Dave Pridmore, OLG's Chief Gaming Officer. "The game is a proof of concept that shows how removing barriers to play can move us towards a more inclusive future in the gaming industry." With nearly one-third (28 per cent; StatCan 2022) of Ontarians reporting a disability, the launch of Red Panda Tails of Wealth breaks barriers and provides more equitable access to play for an often-overlooked audience. While Red Panda Tails of Wealth mirrors the appearance and gameplay of other iCasino slot games in market, it is built with universal design principles to deliver a fun, inclusive and user-friendly experience for all players. Key accessibility features include: Compatibility with assistive technologies like screen readers and keyboard navigation A high-contrast colour palette for enhanced visibility An accessible heads-up display engineered to integrate seamlessly into future games To develop this first-of-its-kind game, OLG collaborated with Pixiu Gaming and Light & Wonder Spark. To ensure the game was accessible and inclusive OLG partnered with Fable – a Toronto-based company that connects organizations with people with disabilities for digital accessibility insights. The insights from people with disabilities collected via remote user testing sessions played a key role in helping OLG create a game that meets real-world accessibility needs. "Our mission at Fable is to empower people with disabilities to participate, contribute, and shape society – and this is how true accessibility is achieved," said Kate Kalcevich, Head of Innovation at Fable. "We're thrilled to partner with OLG, who recognize the importance of embedding the voices and experiences of people with disabilities throughout the development of their new game." Red Panda Tails of Wealth is now available for play at OLG is a crown agency that contributes to a better Ontario by delivering great entertainment experiences for our customers. Acting in a socially responsible way, OLG conducts and manages land-based gaming facilities; the sale of province-wide lottery games; Internet gaming; and the delivery of bingo and other electronic gaming products at Charitable Gaming Centres. OLG is also helping support the horse racing industry in Ontario. Since 1975, OLG has generated approximately $62 billion for the people and Province of Ontario to support key government priorities like health care; the treatment and prevention of problem gambling; and support for amateur athletes. Each year profits from OLG's operations also support host communities, Ontario First Nations, lottery retailers and local charities across the province.
Time Out
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Raise a glass to World Paloma Day
Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen Having featured several times in the prestigious World's 50 Best Bars lists, Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen is all about celebrating the flavours and culinary heritage of the Cape, with owner Kurt Schlechter and his team of talented mixologists creating an ever-changing array of cocktails. Expect reinvented classics and offbeat signatures on a menu with a sense of whimsy, but also a serious approach to waste and sustainability. Caus Effect also celebrates the region's award-winning brandies, with guided tastings of vintage spirits. Fable This slick bar promises cocktails with a story, and it doesn't disappoint. Each carefully curated concoction at Fable tells the tale of a local legend, from ill-fated lovers to ghostly ships haunting the seas off Cape Point. If that's altogether too complicated, there's an extensive collection of classic pours, craft brews and local wines. Regular DJ sets add to the promise of a lively night out, with flavour-packed food and bold drinks to match. The House of Machines Ask a local for the best negroni in Cape Town and chances are they'll point you towards The House of Machines, a diminutive bar in the city centre. In office hours it's a popular spot for remote workers, but come evening THOM shakes itself off to become a lovably noisy rabble-rouser of a cocktail joint. Don't expect umbrellas, foams and frivolity here: at THOM they're more into craft beer and barrel-aged spirits poured properly. With live music most nights and barkeeps unafraid to speak their mind, it's a bar with plenty of attitude. Just the way the locals like it. The Willaston Bar You'll want to smarten up a little before booking a table at this classy hotel bar. Set on the sixth floor of The Silo Hotel – itself perched atop the world-class Zeitz MOCAA art museum in the V&A Waterfront 's Silo District – The Willaston Bar offers dazzling city views in a deeply elegant setting. Sink into barstools of soft Italian leather and ask the bar staff to pick something for you, or to mix up a surprise. They shake up a fine martini here, but the wine list is equally worth exploring, with an excellent selection of local and international estates. Gigi Rooftop One of the city's most popular rooftop bars, Gigi Rooftop is hidden away above Gorgeous George, a design-driven hotel in the heart of the city centre. In a space filled with tropical foliage and natural light, in-house mixologist Leighton Rathbone shakes up a tantalising cocktail menu that includes all the classics alongside bespoke pours utilising local spirits and indigenous flavours. The bar comes alive at sunset, with views out across the city rooftops. The Drinkery The Drinkery is a gem of a watering hole is hidden away upstairs in Heritage Square, a modern speakeasy shaking up a menu of innovative house cocktails and the classics done properly. That's thanks to a bespoke collection of boutique brands behind the bar, from small-batch Caribbean rums to single-barrel single malts. Get there early to grab a terrace table overlooking the sheltered courtyard. Bascule Bar You don't have to book a suite upstairs (though we'd recommend it) to enjoy a taste of the revamped Cape Grace, which reopened in early 2024 after a major refurbishment and a rebrand under the Fairmont umbrella. Part of the overhaul was a reimagining of the Bascule Bar, a ground-level space overlooking the glamorous marina. But Bascule isn't about sea views as much as cosying up indoors. Leather couches and sumptuous booths set the scene, the walls decked out with array of works by young African artists to lend the space an upscale aesthetic taking its cue from the vibrant shebeens of Africa. Bascule has always been famous for its whisky collection, and you'll find hundreds of single malts and bourbons on offer, alongside a creative cocktail selection. Tasting flights are available, tutored or self-guided, as are guided wine tastings on request. A compact menu of upscale small plates, well-pitched to match the malts and cocktails, ensures sundowners can stretch into a casual dinner, or keep you well-fed into the wee hours. The Gin Bar It's no surprise what's on offer at this bar, which is set in a tiny courtyard. The Gin Bar sings the praises of South Africa's artisanal distillers, with more than 80 local gins available alongside a handful of international brands. That's an excellent excuse to dabble in a little G&T experimentation, or let the ever-friendly bartenders impress you with one of their House Remedies, a curated selection of house G&Ts 'to cure all manner of ills.' The attached Bubbly Bar does the same for Cape Classique – South Africa's champagne-style sparkling wine – as the main bar does for gin Tjing Tjing Rooftop Bar Reached by tackling three flights of narrow stairs, Tjing Tjing Rooftop Bar is the very definition of a local secret. Taking its design cues from Japan (there's also a fantastic, izakaya-inspired eatery on the ground floor), expect red-lacquer furniture and embroidered macaque monkeys adorning this 200-year-old attic space. At the bar, dive into the bespoke cocktails made with Japanese whisky, gin and sake, or explore the extensive wine list of boutique South African producers. The Athletic Club & Social The speakeasy game is strong in Cape Town, and particularly so at The Athletic Club & Social, which stretches across three stories of an inner-city venue. It's a large space, but made up of many intimate corners, allowing you to choose the vibe that's right for you. Find a cosy nook with your plus-one or groove to a few tunes in the basement. But whatever your night entails – trust us here – get there in time to grab a sunset table on the balcony. The cocktail menu ticks-off all the classics, as well as an impressive array of signature drinks, paired neatly with an extensive canapé menu.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
$80 Switch 2 and now Xbox games aren't a big shock, analyst says, and games haven't really been $70 for a while: "The average price people are paying ... is much higher"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. One gaming analyst reckons $80 games aren't too much of a shocker because gamers have typically been paying more than the base $60 or $70 price tag for a while. Nintendo made headlines with the Switch 2 reveal, partly because of the console itself but also because of its decision to launch Mario Kart World at $80, well above the $70 standard that most publishers had transitioned to during this console generation. It didn't take long for other companies to follow, either. Xbox just announced that at least "some" of its first-party games will also adopt the new $80 norm, which will potentially affect this year's Call of Duty, next year's Fable, or any number of upcoming releases from Xbox Game Studios. Circana's games executive director, Mat Piscatella, isn't hugely surprised. "The big games have not been 60 or 70 bucks for some time at launch," he said in an interview with GamesRadar+. "With all of the Collector's Editions and Gold Editions and Silver Editions and all these other things, the average price people are paying for a new video game on average is much higher than that base price, and has been for years, and keeps inching up. So I'm not as kerfuffled about the $80 price point as a lot of other people are, because, realistically, people have already been kind of spending that, whether they want to admit it to themselves or not." Publishers sure can charge whatever they like, but will people accept the change? Piscatella reckons the "the same kind of pushback" has always come for these types of price hikes, though it doesn't usually work. "Ultimately, if someone thinks a game is really cool, they want to play it, they're going to buy it at whatever price they need to buy it at," he explained. "That's just kind of the nature of the price-insensitive video game fan that wants to play the game they want to play." And if these $80 games sell well, then there's nothing stopping other publishers from adopting the same pricing: "Is $80 for that game gonna fly in the holiday window? And if it does, then we'll see people follow. And if it doesn't, maybe they don't." "It's up to that video game buyer whether or not they want to make that purchase, and generally, if a game's good enough, they will, and if a game is not good enough, or they're not excited enough about it, they won't," he continued. "And prices come down really fast. It's just the nature of the price sensitivity and the enthusiasm of the audience. So we'll have to see. I think [Mario Kart World] will be fine at launch. We'll see what it does in holiday." Commenting on the broader shape of today's industry, Piscatella points out that there's a much greater range of price points at different levels of the industry, from premium $80 games to topical hits like the $50 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and down to many free-to-play games. "Back in the physical-only days you had 50 bucks. That was it. That was the only game you got," he says. "Now, games of all sizes, all kinds, are priced in all kinds of different ways, and more free-to-play than ever. I know everyone's kind of focused on that top level, and sure, I get it, but in terms of the available options, there's so many all over the board, and it's more diverse than it's ever been. Publishers are much smarter about discounting and pacing, pulsing of the promotional pricing and how to keep that demand going. So, yeah, it's nothing new. This is nothing new that we haven't been through as an industry, over and over again for years and years and years. A day after our interview, Piscatella reacted to the fresh Xbox price bumps on social media: "This is going to eventually happen across all gaming products which are subject to 'market conditions' (ie tariffs). Was expected to happen. Is now happening. Will be happening more." Check out the new games of 2025 and beyond to see what might be affected. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Perth Now
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Sexy, funny, edgy: Famous cabaret circus show comes to Perth
Perth people have been cordially invited to witness a night of 'absolute chaos' featuring sword swallowers, fire breathers and cabaret artists when La Clique comes to town for the first time. The theatrical phenomenon, celebrating its 20th anniversary, features a riotous troupe performing in-your-face acts which defy the elements. Sydney-born cabaret star Clara Fable said WA was in for a real treat when the show takes over Eve nightclub at Crown Perth. 'For someone who doesn't know too much about circus and cabaret, it's more of a lineup variety show, so you've got artists and acts from all around the world all in one place performing the best of their abilities and their own unique talents,' she said. Fable describes herself as a 'fire-breathing vocalist' and encouraged people to get their tickets to see 'some crazy stuff'. Clara Fable and David Pereira who star in La Clique. Credit: Andrew Ritchie / The West Australian 'We've got sword swallowers, we've got myself, fire breathers, we've got people in all backgrounds doing crazy things with their body,' she said. 'We've got a stunning soundtrack, beautiful lighting, we've got the champagne flowing and just a night of absolute chaos. 'I think that Perth honestly absolutely loves entertainment of all kinds. You know we're right across the theatre from Sister Act at the moment, and the hype around this venue at the moment has just been incredible, so I think you're gonna love it.' Clara Fable is a singer and fire-breather. Credit: Andrew Ritchie / The West Australian Since its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2004, La Clique, created by David Bates, has redefined cabaret entertainment for a new generation. The show usually tours in its original Spiegeltent and Fable said it had been 'awesome' but an obstacle switching the show to a different venue. After its Perth run, La Clique will perform in Auckland, Adelaide and Edinburgh.
West Australian
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Olivier award-winning La Clique set to dazzle Perth for two weeks at Eve nightclub
Perth people have been cordially invited to witness a night of 'absolute chaos' featuring sword swallowers, fire breathers and cabaret artists when La Clique comes to town for the first time. The theatrical phenomenon, celebrating its 20th anniversary, features a riotous troupe performing in-your-face acts which defy the elements. Sydney-born cabaret star Clara Fable said WA was in for a real treat when the show takes over Eve nightclub at Crown Perth. 'For someone who doesn't know too much about circus and cabaret, it's more of a lineup variety show, so you've got artists and acts from all around the world all in one place performing the best of their abilities and their own unique talents,' she said. Fable describes herself as a 'fire-breathing vocalist' and encouraged people to get their tickets to see 'some crazy stuff'. 'We've got sword swallowers, we've got myself, fire breathers, we've got people in all backgrounds doing crazy things with their body,' she said. 'We've got a stunning soundtrack, beautiful lighting, we've got the champagne flowing and just a night of absolute chaos. 'I think that Perth honestly absolutely loves entertainment of all kinds. You know we're right across the theatre from Sister Act at the moment, and the hype around this venue at the moment has just been incredible, so I think you're gonna love it.' Since its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2004, La Clique, created by David Bates, has redefined cabaret entertainment for a new generation. The show usually tours in its original Spiegeltent and Fable said it had been 'awesome' but an obstacle switching the show to a different venue. After its Perth run, La Clique will perform in Auckland, Adelaide and Edinburgh.
