31st July 2009

The Winner Is Chosen and Other News

We here at Village Gamer apologize for the rather abrupt end to this article, and the lack of news posted today.  Due to a family emergency, any pending news stories and articles will be posted a little later than usual.

OrbyVancouver – Yesterday afternoon we braved the heat and Vancouver traffic to make a quick stop at Radical Entertainment for our PROTOTYPE prize draw. Alright, so we have A/C in the little truck, but traffic in Vancouver is still awful. We will be very glad when the new Pitt River Bridge is completed, because when traffic is bumper to bumper over the Port Mann, the new Golden Ears Bridge is way faster and with a QuickPass, it’s also cheaper than creeping forward on Highway 1.

Dave Holding The Bag

Dave Holding The Bag

Anyway, on to the prize draw. We had many entries, but alas only one copy of PROTOTYPE to give away, so a winner had to be chosen. For those who don’t know, the answer to our question was “Deadly shape-shifting action.”

KellyDave2Radical President Kelly Zmak and Vice President, Technology Dave Fracchia conducted the draw. As expected, the moment was full of amusement and mockery as Dave was left holding the bag while Kelly drew the winner, and we are pleased to announce that J. Berg of Langley is the chosen one. Our thanks to Kelly and Dave for participating in our first give-away. We have other freebies planned

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30th July 2009

First Tweetmyride Global Campaign To Raise $1 Million For Charity Via Twitter

Vancouvertweetmyride is a Twitter-driven global charity campaign, created to raise money for 10 charities around the world in the lead up to Vancouver-based Australian, Gavin Romanis, participating in tweetmyridethe international mountain bike race, La Ruta de los Conquistadores in Costa Rica from November 11-14, 2009 – known as one of the toughest on the planet.

Inspired by Ashton Kutcher and CNN’s challenge to gain 1 million followers on Twitter, and fuelled by the vibrant biking community of Vancouver, Canada, the basis behind the tweetmyride global campaign is to encourage global giving to a variety of causes. Co-founders Leoni Milano and Gavin Romanis integrated these ideas to create a campaign with global reach, utilizing Twitter to help achieve their goal to raise $1 million over the 4-month period that runs from July 30 – November 30, 2009.

“When I realised how gruelling La Ruta de los Conquistadores was going to be, I knew that I would need more than my own determination to get me through it – so the idea of doing it to help charities across the world seemed like the ideal inspiration” says Gavin Romanis, who has no prior experience in mountain bike racing, but was seduced by the challenge’s combination of travel and outdoor adventure.
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30th July 2009

iBabyBuddy Debuts in Apple App Store

Mantaray CreativeCalgary – There’s a new playmate in town, and it comes in the form of Mom or Dad’s iPhone with the release of Mantaray Creative Lab’s newest app, iBabyBuddy. Designed to keep babies and toddlers iBabyBuddyentertained when there’s not a toy box in sight, the first release of iBabyBuddy features iconic animal characters that make noises and vibrate in response to baby’s movement and interaction.

“Busy parents often find themselves juggling fussy babies and a long list of errands and there’s rarely enough time to pack a bunch of toys for the road,” said Tamara Rosenblum, principal and creative director of Mantaray Creative Labs. “Most people have their phone at their disposal regardless of where they are so with that in mind we developed iBabyBuddy to be a traveling playmate that never leaves your side,” she said.

Designed to work with both the iPhone and iPod Touch, iBabyBuddy entertains, stimulates and teaches through interaction and discovery. The first release includes three must-have themes: animals, musical instruments and whimsical toy sounds. Combined with a Shake-n-Change feature, iBabyBuddy guarantees an endless array of non-stop, educational fun…and an opportunity for Mom or Dad to take a quick break from being the constant entertainer.

New themes will be added regularly (free of charge) to ensure iBabyBuddy grows alongside its earliest fans. iBabyBuddy is available in the iTunes App Store for $1.99 usd.

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30th July 2009

Third Annual SecTor Conference Announces Canadian IT Security Awards

SecTorToronto – Organizers of SecTor (Security education conference Toronto), Canada’s premier IT security education event, are proud to announce the creation of the Canadian IT Security Awards, to be awarded at the third annual SecTor Conference, taking place October 6-7 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

The three award categories include:

Non-commercial Security Product
Commercial Security Product
Overall Security Solution

“The awards dovetail nicely with the momentum that we’ve been building in the industry over the past two years” says Brian Bourne, Co-Founder, SecTor. “There’s no other IT Security event in Central Canada that brings together the industry’s top professionals and vendors from Canada and beyond. It makes perfect sense to call out and award the best products and practices at SecTor.”

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29th July 2009

An Audio Guy’s Perspective of Casual Connect Seattle 2009

After 4 days of seminars and networking events, I was beat. But, boy was it worth it.

Day 1

The first day was devoted almost entirely to the Casual Connect Leadership Conference organized and supported by Women In Games International (WIGI) and Women In Games Vancouver (WIGeh). Numerous speakers presented a variety of topics, each with a particular interest in the role that women play in games, games play in the lives of women, and the portrayal of women in games.

As a person interested in the breakdown of stereotypes, thus allowing everyone’s true potential to shine, I was very engaged in the presentations of the day, which in the end left me feeling very hopeful and empowered about the potential of gaming.

Not long after, a set of roundtable discussions were set up with a variety of topics ranging from working as a contract vs employed worker, owning a small business, and moving up in the games industry.

A networking event followed with the inclusion of other folks from a more general Casual Connect audience, and it was a great night!

Highlight of my day: Megan Gaiser of Her Interactive’s presentation on “The Importance of Leadership”

Day 2 (Day 1 of Casual Connect officially)

Audio day! The entire day had an option to hear speakers who are professionals in the audio for casual games environment. Great ideas were shared including a glimpse into how other professionals create their sound design assets. It was entertaining, welcoming, and I learned a great deal. Speakers covered a wide range of aspects including the creation of stings, sfx, composition, recording, and producing. I would recommend this to any person interested in the audio for casual games arena. A very cohesive day in the audio stream.

Highlight of my day: Barry Dowsett of Sound Rangers on “The Birth and Life of a Sound Effect”
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29th July 2009

StyleTap Announces OEM Agreement with Techneos

StyleTapToronto and VancouverStyleTap Inc. and Techneos Systems Inc. today announced the completion of an OEM agreement which allows Techneos to integrate StyleTap® Platform with its Entryware™ mobile survey application. The resulting Entryware 6.4 system enables customers to seamlessly obtain the benefits of the world’s most powerful and flexible mobile survey software on inexpensive and readily available devices running Windows Mobile™.

Entryware running on StyleTap

Entryware running on StyleTap

A primary benefit of the integration of StyleTap Platform and Entryware is the elimination of the need for separate installation and licensing of the two products. Although existing versions of Entryware execute on StyleTap Platform, Entryware 6.4 was enhanced to recognize the StyleTap environment and to take advantage of device-specific capabilities, such as high-resolution techneosscreens and support for cameras on Windows Mobile smartphones.

“Many of our key customers were already using our product with StyleTap Platform,” said Dave King, CEO of Techneos. “This integration makes it easier and faster to deploy Entryware on a wider range of devices, while maintaining a consistent user experience regardless of the hardware manufacturer. And for many of our global customers, the ability to use inexpensive devices that can easily be obtained in their local markets is essential to their use of our software.”
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29th July 2009

Corel Welcomes Kris Hagerman as Permanent CEO

CorelOttawaCorel Corporation today announced that Kris Hagerman, who joined the Company as Interim CEO in May 2008, will assume the role of Corel CEO on a permanent basis effective today.

“We are delighted that Kris is joining Corel as its permanent CEO,” said Alex Slusky, Chairman of Corel’s Board of Directors and Managing Partner at Vector Capital, the Company’s majority shareholder. “Since joining the Company, Kris has been actively engaged in advancing all aspects of Corel’s business strategy, while steering the Company through a very challenging economic cycle.”

“I’m excited about joining Corel on a permanent basis and by the opportunity to drive the future of the company with a longer-term outlook,” said Hagerman. “In my time at Corel, I’ve been impressed by the quality and commitment of the team, and I’m excited about what Corel can accomplish in the years ahead as we look to leverage the many strengths of the company, including its vast customer base, the depth and breadth of its product portfolio, its reputation for innovation, quality, and value, and its global distribution channels.”
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29th July 2009

Ludia to Develop The Bachelor & The Bachelorette Videogames for WB Interactive

LudiaMontrealWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Ludia Inc. today announced a deal to create and distribute videogames based on the hit reality TV dating shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, from Warner Horizon Television and created by Mike Fleiss. The worldwide licensing and distribution arrangement will launch the videogames across multiple platforms following the conclusion of The Bachelor’s 14th season in 2010 on the ABC Television Network.

“The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are extremely popular on television and we are looking forward to bringing the properties into the videogame space,” said John Quinn, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Operations, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “These games are meant to engage fans of the show and the wider public beyond television, enriching the overall entertainment experience around the brand.”

“The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are first-rate licenses in reality TV’s dating genre, which is a hugely popular category with television viewers,” said Alex Thabet, Ludia’s founder and CEO. “We see great potential for the segment within the context of video games, and look forward to our collaboration with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to deliver a true-to-show game experience on a wide variety of platforms.”
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29th July 2009

MEGA Brands Launches Exclusive Giveaway of 10 000 Limited Edition Halo Wars Figures Online

Mega BrandsMontreal – Starting at noon EST on Friday, July 31, MEGA Brands Inc. is offering Halo Wars© fans an exclusive opportunity to receive a limited edition Mega Bloks UNSC Steel Spartan or an ultra-rare UNSC Active Camo Spartan miniature figure at halowars.megabloks.com.

Mega Bloks UNSC Steel Spartan

Mega Bloks UNSC Steel Spartan

Ten thousand limited edition Halo Wars figures will be given away to fans on a first come first serve basis: 9,900 Limited Edition UNSC Steel Spartan and 100 randomly inserted, ultra-rare UNSC Active Camo Spartan miniature figures. Each 1.75” tall figure will include its own weapon and an exclusive camouflage effect block.

Spartans are the most powerful soldiers in the history of the Human race. Their dominance of the battlefield was absolute until they met the Covenant. Their training allows these super-soldiers to wield any weapon and master any combat vehicle. The Limited Edition UNSC Active-Camo Spartan has an advantage over the UNSC Steel Spartan. It can become invisible when in combat to hide from its enemy, the Covenant.

“With the successful launch of the Halo Wars video game and the new Mega Bloks authentic collector’s series, we wanted to offer collectors a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get their hands on limited edition Halo Wars figures,” said Vic Bertrand, Chief Innovation Officer of MEGA Brands. “The Halo franchise has a massive following and now fans can grow their collection with new Mega Bloks building sets.”

This exclusive online offer is only available through the Halo Wars Mega Bloks website in the United States and Canada, and is not available in stores. The quantities are limited and certain conditions apply.

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28th July 2009

Ubisoft and Universal Pictures Partner for Scott Pilgrim vs The World Game

UbisoftMontrealUbisoft® has announced the development of a video game based on Universal Pictures’ upcoming action-comedy, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Co-written and directed by genre-smashing filmmaker Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead), the film stars some of Hollywood’s leading young talent, including Michael Cera (Juno, Scott Pilgrim vs The WorldSuperbad), Kieran Culkin (Igby Goes Down), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Live Free or Die Hard), Chris Evans (Fantastic Four series), Brandon Routh (Superman Returns), Mae Whitman (Nights in Rodanthe), and Jason Schwartzman (upcoming Funny People). The game is being developed by Ubisoft Montreal through a licensing agreement with Universal Partnerships & Licensing and is expected to launch worldwide with the film’s 2010 release.

The live-action Scott Pilgrim vs. the World film is based on a series of award-winning graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley. The series has earned numerous awards including: Entertainment Weekly’s Independent Comic of the Year, Wizard’s Indie Book of the Year and the Harvey Award for Humor in Comics. Published by Oni Press, the sixth and final volume in the series is set to debut in 2010—also timed to the film release. In the film, Scott Pilgrim (Cera) has just met the girl of his dreams (Winstead), but the only catch to winning her is that her seven evil exes are coming to kill him.
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