• Village Gamer

  • Directors Guild of Canada celebrates Canadian Talent At TIFF

2nd September 2011

Directors Guild of Canada celebrates Canadian Talent At TIFF

directors guild of canadaThe Directors Guild of Canada is delighted to join TIFF 2011 in celebrating Canadian cinema. The over 30 feature films and close to 50 short films selected for screenings at TIFF 2011 represent 16 DGC director members nationally.

Among the hundreds of international films selected for screenings at TIFF 2011 are several outstanding Canadian films created by guild members from across the country. The work of DGC members appears in multiple TIFF programmes including:

  • Contemporary World Cinema
  • Special Presentation
  • Canada First
  • Galas

“It fills me with a great sense of pride and optimism about this country’s film, television and digital media industry when I see the quality of work and the commitment of its creators,” said Gerry Barr, National Executive Director & CEO, “TIFF is a great way for the DGC to highlight its mission to advance member interests as a creative and labour force and as an advocate on behalf of our industry.”

DGC president Sturla Gunnarsson has been invited to sit on TIFF’s prestigious Canadian feature film jury this year, “I look forward to the opportunity to screen the best of this year’s Canadian cinema.  As a filmmaker, I understand the challenges and think of every film that gets made as a kind of miracle, and will approach the process with the respect it demands.”

In anticipation of the myriad of exciting screenings at TIFF, DGC’s publication, Montage hits the stands today, featuring in-depth interviews with Canadian directors whose films will premiere at TIFF, including Sarah Polley (dir. Take this Waltz); Leonard Farlinger (dir. I’m Yours) and Ingrid Veninger (dir. i am a good person/i am a bad person).  This issue of Montage also presents interviews, editorials and in depth reports on a variety of timely topics of interest to Members, the industry as well as those interested in learning more about this country’s cultural landscape.

 

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

posted in Associations, Events, National News By: | Print This Post Print This Post

2nd September 2011

Enderby Entertainment Wraps Principal Photography

enderby entertainmentEnderby Entertainment has just completed principal photography in British Columbia on its new paranormal thriller titled, “No Tell Motel.” The film, produced by Enderby’s Rick Dugdale and directed by Brett Donowho, is slated under Enderby’s horror division, Tony-Seven Films, and continues the company’s ongoing schedule of film projects. Soon to follow will be “Stranded” and “Heartbreak Hill,” among others. The producer-director duo most recently worked together on “Silver Falls,” now in post-production.

“It’s been quite the homecoming for us to bring a film back to the Okanagan Valley,” said Dugdale, who hails from the area. “We’ve attempted to shoot here before with no success, but in this case we found the locations we needed. We were able to test the waters for production infrastructure with our horror division Tony-Seven Films and I would say the answer is, yes, we can make a film here.”

Enderby’s busy slate will continue through the end of the year with “Stranded,” shooting this fall in the Los Angeles area with Daniel Petrie, Jr. directing and Dugdale producing. Petrie just completed filming on ABC’s “Combat Hospital” and Dugdale is fresh off “No Tell Motel” and “Cherry,” which features James Franco, Heather Graham and Dev Patel.

The screenplay for “No Tell Motel” was written by T.J. Cimfel and tells the story of five friends abandoned at a motel who find they share the same dark secrets as the tortured souls who died there. The film stars Angel McCord (“Sacred,” “Chemistry), newcomers Chalie Howes, Johnny Hawkes, Andrew MacFarlane and Chelsey Reist.

The script won “Best of Horror” in the 2010 Chicago Screenwriters Network Contest, and was a winner in the Script Savvy Contest, 2010. The screenplay for “Stranded” was written by Rachel Long and Brian Pittman, who also wrote Enderby’s “Silver Falls” with Cam Cannon, as well as the upcoming Rob Cohen-helmed film “1950.”

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

posted in National News By: | Print This Post Print This Post

2nd September 2011

Dog Pile Gets A Pirate Challenge

skymodoJust in time for the Labor Day Weekend developers JoshOClock and ArtWitz Design (working under the SkyModo label) have released a brand new version of their critically acclaimed and highly praised “Dog Pile” title, updating the game on its entire range of platforms for the Apple iPhone®, Apple iPod touch®, Apple iPad® and Android. In celebration of the extended holiday weekend, the game is currently available as a free download, but only for a limited period of time.

This new and improved version of “Dog Pile” features 12 brand new levels in a unique Pirates Theme called dog pile-pirates“Pirates Challenge”, much harder than previous stages, and primarily aimed at more experienced players. The update also includes two new objects, Cannons and Breakable Crates with the dogs uttering things like “Walk the plank you scurvy Dog”!

“Dog Pile” is a hilarious and cute match-3 spinoff, featuring the best gameplay components from all genres. Throughout a series of ingenious and brilliantly designed levels, your fat puppy falls from the top of the screen into what can best be described as a pinball-style environment! Incorporating realistic physics you must “touch, swipe and tilt” to aid your furry little friend match up with his buddies at the bottom of the screen before time runs out. The sound effects and music add so much to the game you just feel like cranking up the volume full blast, and the cutesy and adorable graphics begs you for just “one-more-go” like a dog begging for a bone. As you become better at the game, and you rank up points and dog bone biscuits, you have the option to go shopping, upgrading your dog pack to feature awesome accessories such as cool eye wear and hats!

“Dog Pile” is ideal to anyone, regardless of age, and its multiple stages with plenty of levels will keep you snapping at anyone trying to stop you from completing the game!

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

posted in Casual, Everyone, Mobile, National News, New Releases By: | Print This Post Print This Post

2nd September 2011

Uniserve Now Accepting Users for Its Free Uniserve Cloud Beta Offering

uniserveUniserve Communications Corp. has announced that it is now accepting users for its Free Uniserve Cloud Beta offering. Targeted at anyone who runs a computer for a server, the Uniserve Cloud Beta will give users two free months of access to one of the top public cloud platforms in Canada on the Uniserve Cloud, powered by US-based Joyent Software. Uniserve’s Free Beta offer is scheduled to run until November, but could go longer depending on demand.

“Whether you’re a web app developer or a Python or Ruby coder, our 1 GB SmartMachine is ideal for anyone looking for an application platform,” said Bruce Sanderson, Uniserve President. “By leveraging Joyent’s six plus years in the Cloud computing space we’re able to deliver an easy to use, fast, and reliable Cloud solution that is hosted in Canada. A highly optimized, virtual compute container with guaranteed resources, our SmartMachines allow users to experience burstability, elasticity, and speed not normally found from other providers.”

Uniserve hopes to spread the word about their new Cloud offering with their Free Beta trial, stating that “we’re very excited by our Cloud product. We know we are using the best Cloud platform in Canada which is why we are looking for users who want to take the Uniserve Cloud for a free test drive. We know once you do, you’ll be hooked.”

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

posted in Business News, National News By: | Print This Post Print This Post

2nd September 2011

Catching Up With Ezio and Revelations

ubisoft canadaUbisoft has announced that the Assassin’s Creed Revelations multiplayer beta is now available for download on the Playstation®Network, exclusively for PlayStation®Plus members and Playstation®3 Uplay members, and will be playable from September 3rd 10am, closing on the evening of September 11th. Players can preload to take the proverbial leap of faith into the action the moment the beta starts, on September 3.ACR Ultimate Edition

The multiplayer beta offers access to nine characters (The Sentinel, The Vanguard, The Guardian, The Vizier, The Thespian, The Deacon, The Bombardier, The Trickster and The Champion), three maps (Knight’s Hospital, Antioch, Constantinople) and four playable modes (Wanted, Manhunt, Deathmatch, and Artifact Assault), which are only a sample of the final multiplayer content.

In Assassin’s Creed Revelations, master assassin Ezio Auditore walks in the footsteps of the legendary Altaïr on a journey of discovery and revelation. It is a perilous path – one that will take Ezio to Constantinople, the heart of the Ottoman Empire, where a growing army of Templars threatens to destabilize the region.

Assassin’s Creed® Revelations will be available on November 15, 2011, with European and Australian gamers once again being offered special editions not available in Canada or the United States, and it’s the one edition which contains the Assassin’s Creed Encyclopedia. Well – one version of the Encyclopedia, because true to Ubisoft’s way, there are two editions of the book – a white version and a black version. The black version is the one included with the Animus Edition bundle, and does not include “Cartes Blanche” – a section that features Assassin’s Creed artwork by other professional artists or game fans. The only place to get the white version of the encyclopedia, which does include “Cartes Blanche”  is through UbiWorkShop, where it is available for pre-order, with a list price of $34.95USD.

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

Here, according to the Assassin’s Creed wiki, are all of the editions to be available, but the Ultimate Edition Bundle isn’t (as of this writing) even listed on the GameStop.ca site, and neither is the Collector’s Edition. In all honesty, the way Ubisoft has these editions broken down really doesn’t make a lot of sense, but many things the developer/publisher does don’t always make a lot of sense, so I suppose having these multiple editions shouldn’t either.

Special Edition

  • A copy of the Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Game
  • Game soundtrack
  • Two multiplayer characters (The Crusader and the Ottoman Doctor)
  • Turkish Assassin Armour

Signature Edition – This edition can only be obtained by pre-ordering Assassin’s Creed: Revelations from Gamestop.

  • A copy of the Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Game
  • Bonus single player map, Vlad the Impaler’s Prison
  • Weapon capacity upgrades – possibly the same ones listed in the Animus Edition?
  • A multiplayer character, The Ottoman Jester
  • A DVD of the Assassin’s Creed: Embers short animated movie
  • Game soundtrack

Ultimate Bundle Edition – this edition can only be obtained from Gamestop.

  • Signature Edition of Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
  • Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood da Vinci’s Flying Machine replica
  • Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood 7-inch Ezio Collectable

Collector’s Edition

  • A copy of the Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Game
  • Collectable casing
  • 50-page artbook
  • A DVD of the animated short film Assassin’s Creed: Embers
  • Original soundtrack
  • Bonus single player map, Vlad the Impaler’s Prison
  • Two multiplayer characters (The Crusader and The Ottoman Jester)

Templar Collector Edition– only available from OpenGames Italia.

  • A copy of the Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Game
  • Collectable casing
  • 50-page artbook
  • A DVD of the animated short film Assassin’s Creed: Embers
  • Original soundtrack
  • Bonus single player map, Vlad the Impaler’s Prison
  • Two multiplayer characters (The Crusader and the Ottoman Jester)
  • 8.5″ Statue/Figurine of Ezio Auditore

Animus Edition – available only in Europe and Australia

  • A copy of the Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Game
  • Assassin’s Creed: The Encyclopedia
  • A DVD of the animated short film Assassin’s Creed: Embers
  • Game soundtrack
  • Bonus single player map, Vlad the Impaler’s Prison
  • Two multiplayer characters (The Crusader and The Ottoman Jester)
  • The Armor of Brutus outfit from AC: Brotherhood
  • Capacity upgrades for the Pistol, Hand-held bombs, and Crossbow
  • One exclusive customization item
  • ‘Ezio in Altaïr’s outfit’ multiplayer skin. (Only when pre-ordered at certain stores.)
Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

posted in Action Adventure, Mature, National News, Upcoming Releases By: | Print This Post Print This Post

2nd September 2011

Point Grey Launches 1 Megapixel Firewire Camera

Point GreyPoint Grey’s newest addition to the Grasshopper Express camera series is housed in the same compact housing as the original Grasshopper, but offers a host of new features and a new hardware architecture designed to accommodate a wide range of high speed quad-tap image sensors. The first available model, the GX-FW-10K3M-C, uses a monochrome version of the Kodak KAI-01050 1 megapixel 1/2-inch CCD image sensor. The KAI-01050 sensor features broad dynamic range, low smear, and a 4-output readout architecture that allows the camera to generate 1024 x 1024 pixel images at up to 70 FPS.

Every Grasshopper Express camera is equipped with a 32 MByte frame buffer, 14-bit analog-to-digital converter, and on-board temperature and power sensors to monitor camera status. Like all Point Grey cameras, the GX-FW provides automatic control of most camera properties, such as gain, exposure, and white balance; user Grasshopper Expressconfiguration sets for defining custom power-up settings; and customizable region of interest and binning modes. The Grasshopper Express complies with version 1.32 of the IIDC specification, which allows it to be used with many third-party software packages. Also included with every camera is the FlyCapture® SDK, a full software library that provides a common control interface for all Point Grey cameras under both Windows and Linux.

“We are excited to expand our imaging product lineup with the launch of the Grasshopper Express camera series and the addition of the Kodak KAI-01050 CCD to our sensor portfolio,” says Michael Gibbons, Product Marketing Manager at Point Grey. “The camera’s 800 Mbit/s FireWire interface allows full resolution images to be transferred at 70 FPS and is well-suited to building low latency, highly deterministic, multiple camera networks. The square 1:1 aspect ratio of the KAI-01050 sensor and industry-leading price-performance further make the Grasshopper Express an ideal solution for industrial machine vision applications.”

The Grasshopper Express GX-FW-10K3M-C, list priced at USD $1995, is available to order now from Point Grey and its network of distributors. Additional models are planned to be released later in 2011.

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

posted in National News, New Releases, Peripherals By: | Print This Post Print This Post

2nd September 2011

Poynt and Missing Children Society of Canada Launch Child Search Alerts

poyntPoynt Corporation and the Missing Children Society of Canada (MCSC) have gone live with their previously announced geo-targeted notification system to push Child Search Alerts to Poynt users globally. Child Search Alerts are available to Poynt users on BlackBerry smartphones, iPhone and Android devices, putting the ability to stop child abductions directly into the hands of people while they are going about their day.Missing Children Society of Canada

Judy Peterson, mother of Lindsey Nicholls, advocates for technology that will help in the recovery of missing children. Lindsey vanished on August 2, 1993 on her way to visit friends in  Comox Valley and has not been seen or heard from since. Unfortunately, her story is not uncommon as more than 50,000 children are reported missing in Canada every year.

“The concept of reaching out to all Poynt users in a specific region and being able to ask for their help is amazing. I can’t help thinking that if this technology existed 18 years ago when my 14-year old daughter vanished, we would have had answers,” said Ms. Peterson. “The contrast between the power of this technology and my desperate search using the telephone and trekking around town with my stack of homemade posters and roll of scotch tape is overwhelming. Parents will have the comfort of knowing they are not searching alone and that there are millions of people out there who care and will now have the ability to actively help find their child.”

Lindsey Nicholls

Have you seen Lindsey Nicholls?

A first-of-its-kind geo-targeted notification system through a mobile app, Poynt will assist in the timely location and recovery of missing or abducted children. When a child goes missing or new information on their whereabouts is received, time is of the utmost importance. By pushing geo-relevant Child Search Alerts to Poynt users already in the vicinity of a missing child, Poynt and MCSC will be able to quickly disseminate important information to aid in the recovery of missing children. The Child Search Alerts will direct Poynt users to a mobile website where they can view information about the missing child including pictures, a physical description, background details, information about other potential people who are with the child, as well as the areas where the child is thought to be located.

The Missing Children Society of Canada, a registered Canadian charity, will enter information that will create a child search alert containing timely information on a missing child which will in turn be sent to Poynt users in a specified geographic area. Poynt users will then be notified via push notification that a child has been potentially sighted within a relevant radius of where they were last sighted. Users do not have to be using Poynt at the time to receive a notification; notifications will be made based on the Poynt users last known location. On iPhone, a pop-up dialogue will appear notifying the user that a missing child might be in their area. On Android and BlackBerry smartphones a notification icon will appear at the top of the phone. The system will have an opt-out option which can be found in the menu on each device.

“Being socially responsible and giving back to our community is an important part of how we feel we can make an impact. We value our families and locating missing children is a cause near and dear to us,” said Andrew Osis, President and CEO of Poynt Corp. “The capabilities of our location technology to target an area at a critical moment where a child’s life can be saved, is the perfect fit for us. The addition of Child Search Alerts enables our users to positively impact their communities in a simple yet highly effective manner, and that really has a greater societal impact.”

“We know that this push system will bring children home,” said Amanda Pick, Executive Director of MCSC. “Being able to immediately engage people in a pin-pointed area where we are conducting an investigation or where a missing child has recently been sighted is a game-changer in the search for missing children.”

“Increasingly, our investigators are working parental abduction cases that cross international borders,” continued Pick. “The ability to connect with Poynt’s existing, engaged 10 million users around the world is a huge asset to our investigation team. Most importantly, it’s a huge asset to our searching families.”

“Whether a child has been missing for 5 minutes or 5 years, communicating time-sensitive information in a case’s breakthrough moment is going to make the difference in bringing that child back to safety.”

Founded in 1986, MCSC is the only non-profit organization in Canada that has an in-house team of former law enforcement investigators that actively search for missing children. If you have seen Lindsey Nicholls or know of her whereabouts, please call 1 (800) 661 6160 or email tips@mcsc.ca.

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

posted in Business News, Digital Products, National News, New Releases By: | Print This Post Print This Post

2nd September 2011

Cackleberries For Kids

Cackleberries, the latest online virtual world introducing children to the future of education is now open for familes to explore. This living community, full of fun learning and adventure, is the brainchild of entrepreneur Eronne Foster, a passionate mother cared so much about the future of children’s education and the promotion of a safe online environment to learn in that she assembled a team of educationalists, British Columbia’s finest animators and game developers to develop an imaginative world rich in learning and packed with entertainment.

“Information technology provides us with opportunities to make learning material more visual, interactive, and accessible,” Eronne says. “We encourage children to learn through creativity, playful thinking, social integration and computer skills. Cackleberries is designed to allow young children between the ages of 3 and 7 to play and learn. It’s not just about reading and math, but embodies life skills, social practices and cultural integration.”

Cackleberries, named after an Australian word for “egg,” reside in a live, ever changing, exciting virtual world. Aside from the wondrous characters and structures illustrated by Vancouver artist Ken Rolston, many unique features contribute to this learning environment.

“We have strived to make the learning seamless” says Eronne, “in the reading skills component, for example, it is the word bar that helps children learn. It brings together both visual and audio cues. Multimedia learning is enhanced with this combination of visual and auditory stimuli, and the beauty is that children are fast tracked into learning outcomes without even realizing they are learning. ”Eronne Foster

A highlight of Cackleberries experience is the safety aspect. Using Adobe AIR, developers of Cackleberries are able to build and deploy rich web applications and content directly to the desktop. They have developed a proprietary “Cackleberries Desktop Safety Icon.” The safety icon takes your child into the online world of Cackleberries with no access to the wider internet and no one on the internet has access to your children. The wondrous characters children interact with are carefully crafted computer generated avatars that deliver the fun and education.

“While many parents have recognized the advantage of online supplemented early education, there is nevertheless a fear of allowing children unrestricted access to the internet,” says Eronne. “At Cackleberries we are passionate about providing the safest online environment for your children to play, explore, and learn in. We take early childhood education and online safety very seriously, and consult with some of the top experts.”

“It’s important that parents are able to engage and help direct their children’s play and learning outcomes,” continued Eronne. “We are building a growing resource centre with current information on parenting, early childhood education and child safety. To this end the Cackleberries team has developed Club C for grownups. Club C is for anyone who has a child in their life – parents, grandparents, educators and caregivers.”

In Cackleberries world children develop their own avatars, which are engagingly interactive and kick start the child’s creativity. Children participate in a growing, living world, with houses, streets and communities that evolve around them. The creators imagined a place for children where everyone is accepted, differences are never feared and innocence still exists.

“We are always developing exciting new learning delivery methods which encompass a wide skill set,” enthuses Eronne.  “As borders open between nations, ethnic diversity has become part of the mosaic of life. Cackleberries teaches acceptance, understanding and caring; and shows our young audience how to celebrate, not fear differences.”

 

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

posted in Casual, Digital Products, Educational, Everyone, National News, New Releases By: | Print This Post Print This Post

2nd September 2011

Helping Tweens Find Their Way

kids nowIt’s not easy being tween. Youth today face difficult and sometimes life-threatening decisions, and at this time of year, back-to-school anxiety and stress is much discussed among parents, educators and the media. Tweens and young teens, confronted with peer pressure, cyber-drama, bullying and the increasingly pervasive influence of social media, often need support to help them navigate their way from childhood to high school.

And schools in Toronto and the GTA are able to do that with the free kids.now after-school program, which matches one volunteer mentor with 10 students in a 12 week curriculum-based program that provides students with important lessons in building self-confidence, resolving conflict, setting goals, improving communication and managing stress.

“We are really pleased to be partnering with kids.now to offer many of our students the opportunity to work with a mentor that will help students discover who they are and what they can become,” says Chris Spence, Director of Education for the Toronto District School Board. “I know from personal experience the value of mentorship and I encourage students to get involved and let their journeys begin.”

Since 1999, kids.now, a charitable organization, has provided free in-school group mentoring programs to more than 11,000 grades 7 and 8.  This fall, kids.now will run 80 programs in Ontario and 40 more throughout New Brunswick and Alberta.

“What we do is really provide kids with a toolbox that helps them in these critical years but that they can also access as they get older,” said kids.now President and Founder Janet King. “We empower youth to believe in themselves to make positive choices so they can reach their full potential.”

Marilia Lana signed up “shy introvert” Vinny during a particularly difficult time in her family’s life. “After the program, Vinny was like a flower blossoming. He just became better,” said Marilia, a family support worker. “Our experience with kids.now has impacted our whole family, and I want to tell other parents that this program is a no brainer – the results are big, a huge improvement in social skills.”

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

posted in Associations, Careers, Education, National News By: | Print This Post Print This Post

2nd September 2011

Stylish Girl Now On Android

After experiencing the great success with their two iPhone apps “Stylish Girl” and “Cool Guy” (more than one million downloads and over 100000 active users worldwide), the Toronto based DDN Media team has decided to expand their fan club by inviting Android users in it. They gave advantage? to the girls first and developed stylish girl“Stylish Girl” for Android so that they could feel as stylish as their iPhone friends.

Stylish Girl is a multifunctional fashion app focusing on three major fashion elements:

1. users’ virtual closets where they can create numerous outfits

2. Shopping by allowing users to combine items from the online fashion stores with their own and shop from their phone directly

3. fashion news on style and tips from professional stylist The social element anchors the fun by the allowing users to post links and pictures of items and outfits with comments to twitter and Facebook

Stylish Girl was presented by Apple on New York Fashion Week as a successful symbiosis of mobile technology and fashion and later included in their well-known campaign for the app store”There’s an app for that.”

“Our strength lies in the number of users. We love and them and respect their feedback always replying each of them. Many of those emails were surprisingly from Android who have seen the app at their iPhone friends and wondering if they would ever be able to use it on their android devices. The Android version was on our to do list for some time already but we have finally hired another developer and shortened the process getting the Android users closer to fashion style and shopping by making Stylish Girl inseparable part of their lives. And this is not the end of surprises. The soon coming app. upgrade includes a pop up shop and the version for guys is on the way as well,” says DDN Media co founder  Dubravko Naumov.

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

posted in Casual, Everyone 10+, Mobile, National News, New Releases By: | Print This Post Print This Post

  • Archives

  • Subscribe to our Newsletter


  • Select a list:

  • GWEN Radio
  • Gamers Giving Back