14th July 2011

New And Noteworthy From XMG Studio

xmg studioToronto’s XMG Studio has been very busy lately. The studio recently joined forces with toy manufacturer Spin Master Ltd. to deliver innovative mobile gaming to the newly announced App Blaster. The collaboration is bringing a new dimension of realism to spin mastershooter games everywhere, giving users a truly unique way to interact with their favourite XMG sniper game, Marine Sharpshooter, which is currently being optimized for the App Blaster. With over 5 million unique downloads, Sharpshooter has become one of the most popular sniping games, making it a perfect fit for the peripheral.

“Working with Spin Master on this has been really exciting”, says Ray Sharma, Founder and CEO of XMG Marine SharpShooterStudio. “It’s a great opportunity to really expand the expectations of what people consider to be traditional mobile gaming.”

This partnership marks a major strategic alliance of these leaders in their respective industries. The concept of combining an out-of-game experience with an in-game effect and using an interactive, real world object is extremely cutting-edge. The App Blaster will revolutionize the way future first person shooter games for mobile devices are played – less button mashing, more strategic aiming. Now, with the innovative toy-making and consumer expertise of Spin Master, coupled with the mobile gaming savvy of XMG Studio, sniper-fans everywhere can have something incredible to look forward to with a far more intense game-play experience, bringing them closer than ever to the skill and precision of the real thing.

“What we have here with App Blaster is very cool and very innovative,” says Dave Colebrook, VP Marketing at Spin Master.  “Gamers haven’t yet seen this type of gaming, so we’re glad to be working with such a company as XMG to bring this to concept to life.  This is just the beginning of this kind of interactive gaming.”

In addition to some awesome updates to one my favourite game titles, Cow vs Aliens, XMG Studio has also recently two great new games in Apple’s App Store that you might be interested in checking out.

Degrassi: A story-driven game based on the hit TV series, it has already reached a degrassi#1 ranking in the App Store’s “Role Playing” category. As their first days of school unfold, players make important decisions, engage in meaningful conversations and play their way through classes, all in the ever-familiar locations of Degrassi. The player is free to forge his or her own pathway through the game, ultimately resulting in a different ending depending on which choices were made. Degrassi is the most watched drama on MuchMusic in Canada, and highly rated on TeenNick in the U.S. It’s an interactive role playing game that allows the user to build and maintain relationships with familiar characters from the popular TV series.

Louisville Slugger Homerun Challenge: There are plenty of baseball games, and even some home run derby apps, but Louisville Slugger distinguishes itself in a few ways in that it’s extremely accessible with simple, responsive swipe controls. The game has crisp hand-drawn artwork, multiple game modes, stadiums, and Louisville Slugger bats modeled after original Louisville Slugger models. (published by our partner mLamb Productions)

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14th July 2011

Silicon Knights Receives Provincial Funding Support From Ontario

OntarioOntario is once again showing how the province supports digital media development and the impact the industry has on the economy. St. Catharines game development studio Silicon Knights has received significant assistance from Ontario’s government, which will allow Silicon Knights to expand its production capabilities and  create 80 new jobs as well as protect 97 existing positions.

With the province’s support, the company is developing a 3D Game Development Engine that will include new advanced camera systems, improved audio and video and better computing technology. The new 3D tools will help the company develop the next generation of gaming systems and become a self-sustainable, self-publishing company. Silicon Knights is also working on the latest X-Men game title, Destiny, which is scheduled for release in early Fall 2011.

“With Ontario government support, we are better-positioned to further develop the 8th Art of video games,” said Silicon Knights President Denis Dyack. “This will enhance our competitive edge within the highly-competitive video game market, help us become a self-sustainable, self-publishing entity, and allow us to enter lucrative global markets.”

Last summer Silicon Knights had also announced its exciting collaboration with McMaster University, the Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH) and Mohawk College. The partners will work to create a new research institute around interactive digital media that will pioneer and shape cutting-edge advances in the interactive entertainment arena. The initiative, called “Eight: The Hamilton Institute for Interactive Digital Media,” will be located at McMaster Innovation Park in Hamilton and will debut in 2011.

The partnership brings together several prominent groups whose talents and synergies will result in a groundbreaking initiative. Silicon Knights brings its development and creative expertise, which complements the talented faculty at McMaster, a leading research-intensive university with a track record of world-class research and education capabilities. AGH, a leading public art gallery that positions digital art as one of its key artistic activities through research exhibition and education, has a solid track record of engaging, stimulating and enriching the community through art, and this expertise will be compounded by talented faculty and staff at Mohawk College, with its keen focus on and responsiveness to industry and market trends.

Investing in local business is a key component of the McGuinty Government’s plan to create and support jobs for Ontario families and strengthen local economies. Ontario is home to about 1,000 interactive digital media companies that contribute almost $1.5 billion annually to Ontario’s economy and employ around 16,000 people, and the province’s Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit was valued at close to $20 million in 2009-10.

Ontario has been aggressively developing and strengthening the province’s creative industry position with financial support for school programs as well as various industry sectors and technology corridors. In May the province sought out and attracted new creative development activity in the form of a $40 million investment in media, film and television production infrastructure representing three to four upcoming feature films, television and/or digital media projects.
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14th July 2011

Electronic Arts Announces Proposed Offering of Convertible Senior Notes

EAElectronic Arts Inc.  has announced that it intends to offer $550 million of Convertible Senior Notes due 2016 in a private placement. EA also expects to grant the initial purchasers in the proposed offering an option to purchase up to an additional $82.5 million aggregate principal amount of notes solely to cover overallotments. The notes are being offered only to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933.

The notes will be convertible into cash and shares of EA’s common stock, if any, based on a conversion rate to be determined. Interest on the notes will be payable semiannually in arrears on January 15 and July 15 of each year, beginning on January 15, 2012. The notes will mature on July 15, 2016, unless previously repurchased or converted in accordance with their terms prior to such date. The interest rate, conversion rate and other terms of the notes will be determined at the time of pricing of the offering.

In connection with the pricing of the notes, EA intends to enter into privately-negotiated convertible note hedge and warrant transactions with affiliates of one or more of the initial purchasers of the notes (the “option counterparties”). EA anticipates that the warrants will have an exercise price that is up to 75% higher than the closing price of EA’s common stock on the date the warrants are issued. The convertible note hedge transactions are expected to reduce the potential dilution with respect to EA’s common stock upon conversion of the notes. However, the warrant transactions could have a dilutive effect with respect to EA’s common stock to the extent that the price per share of EA’s common stock exceeds the strike price of the warrants. If the initial purchasers exercise their option to purchase additional notes, EA may enter into additional convertible note hedge and warrant transactions.

EA has been advised that, in connection with establishing their initial hedge positions with respect to the convertible note hedge transactions and the warrant transactions, the option counterparties and/or their respective affiliates will enter into various cash-settled over-the-counter derivative transactions with respect to EA’s common stock and/or purchase shares of EA’s common stock concurrently with, or shortly following, the pricing of the notes, and may unwind any such cash-settled over-the-counter derivative transactions and purchase shares of EA’s common stock in open market transactions following the pricing of the notes. These activities could have the effect of increasing, or preventing a decline in, the market price of EA’s common stock concurrently with or following the pricing of the notes.

In addition, the option counterparties and/or their respective affiliates will modify their hedge positions with respect to the convertible note hedge transactions and warrant transactions from time to time after the pricing of the notes, and are likely to do so during any observation period related to a conversion of notes, by purchasing or selling shares of EA’s common stock or the notes in privately-negotiated transactions and/or open market transactions or by entering into and/or unwinding various over-the-counter derivative transactions with respect to EA’s common stock. The effect, if any, of these activities on the market price of EA’s common stock or the trading price of the notes will depend on a variety of factors, including market conditions, and cannot be ascertained at this time. Any of these activities could, however, adversely affect the market price of EA’s common stock and the trading price of the notes, which could affect the ability to convert the notes and, to the extent these activities occur during the observation period related to a conversion of notes, could affect the amount and/or value of the consideration that holders receive upon conversion of the notes. Read the rest of this entry »

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13th July 2011

Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference In Toronto For 2012

Microsoft CanadaOne of the world’s most prestigious and advanced conferences will come to Toronto next July as Microsoft Corporation announced today that its Worldwide Partner Conference will meet in Toronto in 2012.

More than 15,000 people are expected to attend the Toronto conference, representing technology companies in 130 countries. While the main hubs of the action will be the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and the Air Canada Centre, many other venues will be involved as 500+ events take place during the conference and at least 32 hotels across the Toronto region will host delegates.

“Winning a prestigious meeting, for such a widely admired company, is not only a boost to the local economy but a testament to Toronto’s ability to host major events,” said David Whitaker, President and CEO of Tourism Toronto, which submitted the winning bid along with provincial and local partners.

“Microsoft Corporation’s annual Worldwide Partner Conference attracts more than 15,000 delegates,” said Eric Gales, General Manager, Microsoft Canada. “The four-day event celebrates the accomplishments of the company’s 640,000 global technology partners. Microsoft Canada is thrilled that next year’s event will be hosted in the city of Toronto and excited by the opportunity for the city to showcase its diverse culture, entertainment, and world-renowned hospitality.”

From July 9 through 13, 2012, Worldwide Partner Conference is a must-attend conference for the technology industry that attracts delegates, vendors and suppliers from around the world. It is an opportunity to showcase Toronto as a destination as well as Toronto and Ontario’s innovative information technology businesses.

“Our government is thrilled that Toronto has been chosen to host next year’s Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference and we’re proud of our support to help bring it here,” said Laura Albanese, MPP York South-Weston. “This is a major win for the GTA and Ontario – it will put us front and centre on the world map, while boosting support for jobs, the economy and increased tourism.”

Tourism Toronto has committed to create a scholarship program to assist international students participating in the 2012 conference, with more details on this initiative to be shared in the coming months. Tourism Toronto will also provide opportunities for students in Ontario’s tourism and hospitality programs to gain valuable experience in event management through a marquee international conference.

“We are confident this will prove to be the most inspiring and technically advanced Worldwide Partner Conference ever for Microsoft, and will highlight our ability to come together as a tourism community to host large and sophisticated global corporate events,” said Mr. Whitaker.

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13th July 2011

A Space Shooter By Frima Coming To iOS

frima studioFrima Studios has been traced as the source of this cryptic message that has been transmitted across the gaming universe today:

“Attention people of Earth! It is I, Commander P Jefferson, sending this message from the future to a space shooter for free boss fightalert you that the galaxy is finally safe from alien scum. How did it become safe, you ask? Well, because I kicked their ugly alien butts!

On July 28, you will be able to recreate my epic battles with the forces of evil (a.k.a. anything that isn’t human) by downloading A Space Shooter for Free!, an exciting shooter that takes place in—wait for it—space! I bet you humans from the past are neither smart nor handsome enough to grasp that concept. A Space Shooter for Free! costs nothing to try and features an infinite supply of aliens to obliterate. The big ASS version, with more special weapons, more bosses and more power-ups can be unlocked in-game for only $0.99.

Within this epic and critically acclaimed game, previously available for the PSP, yours truly will yet again demonstrate how to kill aliens dead by blowing up their ships, earning loot to upgrade the USS Eradicator, and blasting even more aliens dead.”

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13th July 2011

Animated Media Launches LiveMobile

Animated Media IncAnimated Media has released LiveMobile, a customizable mobile application that captures and manages video streams in a Flash-based UI.  LiveMobile runs on both Apple and Android based devices, allowing the user to capture video, edit the video, add photo and text annotations, save it locally and then selectively publish it to websites for sharing.  “Reskinning” this application with your unique UI is an easy process.   LiveMobile Screen

LiveMobile is enabled by Animated Media’s multimedia development suite, the VGK Platform  and its innovative ability to deploy Flash content across mobile, consumer and digital home platforms and dynamically manage content to the full capabilities of the underlying hardware — enabling multi-stream video playback at the highest performance possible.  Another feature set supported by the VGK Platform is the ability to access video websites such as YouTube, compile video lists and enable selection and playback of multiple videos on one screen.

Animated Media continues to bring browser functionality into native apps.  Our tools and services bring a mix of web functionality and Flash technology to support simultaneous live broadcast or streaming video, in-app advertising, and audience and social media interactivity in a single native app with exceptionally fast performance to deliver the best user experience.

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13th July 2011

Kard Combat Worldwide Release

Hothead GamesHothead Games has unleashed strategy card game Kard Combat upon the world of iOS devices, complete with a Launch Special. Players can download the game for free from iTunes and join this ancient tournament of cards and magic. Entrants into the tournament grow powers and their Kard collections by battling their way up the Black Tower. On every floor there is a new opponent to fight using the cards at hand. There are rewards to earn to help defeat the Arch Mage, Harkus, and the many other magi to be encountered online.

From now through to July 20th, Kard Combat will be featured as OpenFeint’s Free Game of The Day. Players who download Kard Combat during this first week will receive Catastrophe, one of the most powerful cards in the game, and a +1 Life Crystal Shard.

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The free download includes:

* All 4 mage classes, each with unique strategies: Holy, Death, Machine and Dominator
* Over 40 Kards to use in battle
* Unlimited, turn-based multiplayer battles
* 5 Tower battles, complete with rewardsKard Kombat Mages
* 3 Single Duels
* 3 Difficulty levels to match any player’s skill
* OpenFeint and Game Center enabled, with achievements and leaderboards

For the minimum in-app purchase price of $0.99, players will also receive:

* The full, 33 battle Tower campaign
* Unlimited Single Duels
* Access to over 100 incredible, hand-crafted cards
* The ability to run up to 20 simultaneous multiplayer games

Lending his vision to co-design the game, Richard Garfield, creator of the wildly popular card game, Magic: The Gathering, stated “for years I’ve wanted to create a Magic-like experience for people who play video games. Kard Combat on iPhone and iPad does this and is simple enough for anyone to pick up and play, but with plenty of depth for the hard core player. Hothead has created a truly magical game.”

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Kard Combat is rated 12+ for the following:

Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes
Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
Frequent/Intense Horror/Fear Themes

Device Requirements:

Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1.3 or later

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13th July 2011

Can Stock Photo Launches New Design and Stock Photo Search Engine

can stock photoHalifax-based Can Stock Photo announced several major web site upgrades today that are designed to make the stock photography website more user-friendly, making it possible to find stock photos faster and easier. Can Stock Photo hopes that by focusing on speed and by making searching for stock photos faster, they will have more satisfied customers who can save a few minutes a day when searching for stock photography.

The most apparent change at Can Stock Photo is the new website design. The page layout and design has been completely revamped, featuring a new logo, navigation links, front page, and search box. The intended focus of the new design is to provide more user-friendly navigation, visual appeal, and focus on the company’s collection of nearly 5 million stock photos. This marks the first major site redesign for the stock photography company in the past several years.can stock photo

The second major component of Can Stock Photo’s upgrades is its new search engine. The new search engine features technology that enables Can Stock Photo to return stock photo searches in milliseconds to its customers. This is a significant advancement, considering other similar search engines take over 5 seconds to load each search page. “We believe this may be the fastest stock photo search engine available anywhere” said Can Stock Photo’s General Manager, Duncan Enman.

Building on the fast search technology implemented in Can Stock Photo’s search engine, the company borrowed a page from Google’s playbook and implemented an instant search feature. Customers searching for stock photos are now able to refine their search and see instant updates to their image results. The goal of this feature is to further save customer’s time by eliminating the page load time often associated with refining each search criteria when browsing stock photos.

 

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13th July 2011

TM Events Launches Event Social Media Service

tm eventsVancouver’s TM Events & Promotions has become the first event planning company in Canada to offer fully-managed event social media services as part of its comprehensive portfolio of event and promotion services. The company launched its new event social media service at the TM Events 10th anniversary celebration on July 6. The event featured a social media campaign, designed in collaboration with MarketingSmartt, which propelled TM Event’s party into one of the top trending topics in Canada.

According to trendsmap.com, which tracks Twitter trends worldwide, within three hours of the event’s start, the #TMSOCIAL hash tag had generated more than 100 tweets and over 70,000 online impressions. TM Events achieved this trend with only 200 participating attendees. The evening’s social media activities delivered 86 mentions on Twitter and 100 comments on TM Event’s Facebook page. More significantly, the campaign added 100 new TM Events Facebook fans and 50 new Twitter followers.tmsocial

“We are dedicated to creating unique and memorable events for our clients,” says Traci Myles, president of TM Events, “which includes helping them achieve their business goals. Social media has become essential for maintaining brand awareness, and our 10th Anniversary party campaign proves that integrating social media with a well-planned event can deliver amazing results. Companies can use this type of event to launch their social media program, to kick-start or revitalize their brand. I can see demand for this service at product launches or rebranding events.”

Myles also feels that private clients will see value in adding social media to their events. “Guests told us that the social media activities actually made the party more fun for them, since they could share the experience with friends, family, and colleagues. It’s a connected world now, and social media allows for remote participation.”

Prior to the event, MarketingSmartt collaborated with TM Events on a tailored social media and content strategy which included elements such as online registration management and an event-specific email campaign. During the party, on-site activity included a social media game designed to reward guests who tweeted, posted, or recorded content from the event. There will also be follow-up outreach activities from TM Events to maximize the value of the campaign.

Saleh Tousi, CEO of MarketingSmartt, emphasizes that best practices for an event social media campaign needs to include key performance metrics that can be tracked and measured for business impact.

“In working with TM Events,” Tousi says, “we have been consistently impressed with their focus, initiative, and attention to detail. They gave us accurate audience profiles and a clear mandate which we could turn into measurable metrics that prove ROI. They executed flawlessly on all the social media activities we created. We are delighted to partner with them to help their clients and ours engage with event social media.”

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13th July 2011

Unhaggle Founders Presenting at International Startup Festival

unhaggleWith consumers and the business community falling for online automotive marketplace Unhaggle.com and its compelling promise to eliminate the time and hassle of negotiating a new car deal – it’s only natural that the founders are attending the upcoming International Startup Festival in Montreal.

Taking place from July 13-15, the International Startup Festival invites talented entrepreneurs with fast growing and innovative companies to present their businesses to top-tier investors and founders from around the world.

“We started Unhaggle because most people hate negotiating or just don’t have the patience to do it, particularly with car dealers. I realized this after a frustrating experience going through the car buying process myself,” explains Andrew Tai, co-founder, Unhaggle.com. “I wished there was an easier way to get a great deal without having to visit multiple dealers and haggling… and now there is with Unhaggle.”

“The Internet has made it easier to comparison shop for almost every product imaginable, so why not new cars?” asks Radek Garbowski, co-founder, Unhaggle.com.  “We are the only source that provides Canadian consumers with true market based pricing on new cars by getting dealers to compete online.  At the same time, we provide dealers with an efficient way to sell more and faster.”

Launched three months ago, here’s how Unhaggle works:

  • Customer builds the exact vehicle they want, selects local dealers to compete for their business and pays $47 on Unhaggle.com
  • Selected dealers are invited to submit their best offer for either the exact vehicle requested or an available alternative (e.g., different colour)
  • All dealer offers are presented to the customer for comparison
  • Customer clicks ‘Accept’ on Unhaggle.com to reserve an offer, providing a small deposit which is credited to the purchase price
  • The winning dealer is revealed and the customer personally completes the transaction and picks up the new vehicle at the dealership

“For less than the cost of a tank of gas, Unhaggle offers car buyers the convenience of not having to negotiate with any dealers, and the peace of mind of knowing they got a great deal,” adds Neal Shah, co-founder, Unhaggle.com.

The automotive industry is quickly embracing Unhaggle’s innovative model. The company announced today that it has agreed to be the exclusive new car buying service for integration with CanadianBlackBook.com, Canada’s leading resource for automotive pricing information. Unhaggle and Canadian Black Book will be developing and launching services that simplify and streamline the car buying process for consumers and dealers alike.

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