Additional new features include:

• A new ‘Pass and Play’ multiplayer mode for playing against friends on a single device
• Three new powerful cards that can be obtained by referring friends

o Baphomet – Increases the damage from all the owners spell cards by 50%
o Vassal of Water – Heals 10 life to owner when summoned. Water mana growth +1. Attack equals water mana
o Traitor – Destroys targeted opponent’s card

• Option to auto-complete all of the mage sets for players who purchase the full unlocked game
• Improved art and animation throughout the game

“We are excited to announce support for iOS 5 and introduce multiplayer functionality into Kard Combat. With this social-focused update,” said Hothead producer Hamish Millar. “Nnow everyone can enjoy playing strategic card battles against their Game Center friends.”

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.

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 rewards
* 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.”

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

Watch the video to learn how players can earn upgrades for their mage, items, and additional cards by completing the Tower campaign.  The walkthrough covers basic strategy, offensive and defensive tactics, card combinations, and powerful spells.  This particular battle is fought out on the Master difficulty level, but nothing less should be expected from the producer of the game.

Kard Combat is rated 12+ for the following:

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

Device Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 3.1.3 or later.

PokerStars, another major online poker site involved in the April shutdown, still has its license. The poker room released an official statement assuring that players will not be affected. Full Tilt Poker’s suspension is completely unrelated to the operation of PokerStars, which will continue unchanged, the statement confirmed. For players in Canada, the Full Tilt Poker site is currently listed as undergoing “scheduled maintenance.”

According to Canadian-poker.ca spokesman Leon Daniels, it might take time until Full Tilt Poker resolves its licensing issues. “In the meantime, there are plenty of other options for us Canadian poker fans, and at this point we can only trust sites run by publicly traded companies who won’t risk their reputation or stock value.”

“Take 888 Poker for example; it’s remained online and reliably in operation while other sites struggle with lawsuits and regulators. In fact, 888 Poker is winning back the hearts of Canadian poker players who were swept away to other poker rooms, but who are now realizing it’s best to stick to a strong company.” Leon also remarked that 888 is now offering players in Canada special bonuses for “returning home” from other poker sites.

Party Poker is another example of an operation that has remained reputable and reliable throughout this period of online poker turmoil, and is an option for players looking to play at an established institution. Party Poker recently merged with Bwin Poker and players can enjoy both brands under the same protection of a strong, publicly traded company.

Despite Leon’s concern, Canadian-poker.ca is convinced there is no reason for Canadian players to be concerned over the latest Full Tilt news. Companies like 888 Poker, Party Poker, and Bwin continue to operate as usual, and online poker in Canada is as strong as ever.

According the game’s official site, The Kard is an elite order of wealthy magi. Collectively, they use their immense power to rule over the Forbidden Kingdom from the Black Tower. However, every thousand years there is a shift and they each vie for control of the Tower in a battle of cards and magic.

Players can choose from either a quick duel or a full campaign in Tower Mode. In Tower Mode, each battle takes place on a successive floor of the Black Tower. It is the player’s goal to ascend the Tower floor by floor, ultimately defeating Master Mage Harkus. Only in his defeat can players realize their destiny and determine the fate of the people for the next millennium.

Tower Mode battles often have unique win conditions and special Kards in play that can drastically alter the strategy that players need to employ to defeat their opponent. The deck is made up of over 100 hand-crafted cards and there are four mage-types, each with their own special powers, from which to choose.

According to the game’s site, Kard Combat has a lot of the depth of a collectable card game but without the massive time and money investments that they typically require. At its heart, Kard Combat is a strategy game where players learn how to use the Kards they are dealt at the beginning of a duel most effectively.

It’s much more of a game of skill than chance, though. Players will often be able to choose their reward for winning a battle in Tower Mode, including Kards that will then become part of their deck. While not a traditional CCG, there is collection involved. Each mage has their own set of unique Kards for you to collect as you fight your way up each floor of the Tower. These unique Kards open up very different strategies to the player.

Check out the game’s site where you can learn more about Kard Kombat and look at more of the game’s awesome artwork. Kard Kombat is rated 12+ for the following:

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

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

Launching at Hobby/Specialty stores on June 4^th, followed by mass retailers nationwide in August, Redakai™ is a ground-breaking innovation in gaming, taking trading cards to the next level with amazing Blast3D™ technology.  Never before have trading cards contained 3D and animation effects like Redakai™.  A new  “stack to battle” gaming advancement automatically tracks your progress and allows you to see the damaging effects of your attacks.

“We are very excited about Redakai and I think our gaming customers will be too,” says Ed Evans of All Things Fun!, a prominent hobby and gaming retailer in New Jersey.  “The cards themselves are revolutionary and the game play is fantastic.  Redakai literally has the potential to be a game changer for the trading card game category.”

“Everyone who has seen Redakai – from hobby store owners and mass retailers, trading card game experts to kids in focus groups – has had an amazing response,” says Johnny O’Neal, Sr. Brand Manager of Redakai for Spin Master. “We’ll be building momentum all summer, with the animated series in July and the toy launch in August, so we’re poised to make the jump to full-blown craze this fall.”

Redakai: Conquer the Kairu is an animated kids adventure series on Cartoon Network starring Ky, a 15-year-old student of ancient martial arts who embarks on an incredible quest to find the Kairu, a primordial alien energy force. Helped by his friends Maya and Boomer, Ky travels the globe looking for the Kairu to protect it from his extraterrestrial teenage opponents, with the hope that one day he will become the greatest Kairu warrior of them all – a Redakai.

Additionally, starting on launch day, June 4^th, kids will be able to play Redakai™ through Official Redakai™ Organized Play programs.  Organized Play kits will contain everything needed to run league events and tournaments: prize cards, training materials, and game accessories. Redakai™ Organized Play will be fully supported at Redakai.com, including nationwide leaderboards and achievements.

Reminder: Round 2 of Battle of The Apps is open for submissions until April 15th 2011.
Reminder: Microsoft Blue Sky Innovation Excellence Awards are open for submissions until April 25th 2011.

Game Production Studios has a new title on the WP7 Marketplace. Crescer is a unique Windows Phone 7 game challenges you to become the best gardener in the mobile world. Use your green thumb skills to grow the perfect plant across eight different environments while purchasing tools, upgrading your plants, earning money and expanding your bounty with new plants. Bloom supremacy is not as simple as tossing a seed in the ground and hoping for the best though, because Mother Nature is not feeling overly co-operative. You must use an assortment of tools and gardening secrets to protect your plant from all manner of environmental hazards which range from weather fronts and bug infestations to volcanic eruptions.

If you manage to make your blooms flourish, and unlock all of the game’s regular achievements, you will unlock an arcade style bonus level, where you play as Sunny “The Sunflower” and defend The Moon against evil bug invaders.

Bar Star HD time management game from Ottawa dev studio Glitchsoft has expanded to the Mac App Store. Released last summer to iTunes for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, Bar Star HD puts players in the action packed role of a new bar owner, mixing high fashion drinks, serving celebrity guests, and stylizing their bar with upgrades and improvements.

Bar Star HD is a true pick-up and play game that features stunning full screen graphics, intuitive controls, and super addictive gameplay featuring dynamic player characters, Chase and Artie, a brother and sister who need your help transforming their run down bar into the best upscale lounge. They earn valuable tips as they mix, serve, and upgrade their way through 50 exciting levels. Tips are then used to hire new staff including bouncers and DJs, as well as to improve the style of their bar including drink selection, the dance floor, and decor. Players will experience up to 16 different customers plus 4 celebrity guests who will visit their bar, and like any entertainment and service venue, players need to impress the clientele in order to earn the maximum amount of tips.

Bar Star HD for the Mac features:

* 50 exciting levels including a Zombie Takeover
* 16 unique customers and 4 guest stars
* Mix and pour all types of delicious drinks
* Upgrades for you’re bar including a dance floor, disco ball, plants, and drinks
* Grow your staff
* Serve customers different types of draft beer, wines and mixed cocktails
* Earn points to enhance your bartending skills
* True HD graphics
* Multiple player profiles, time attack Mode and replayable missions

Netflix, Inc. and Paramount Pictures (Viacom Inc.) have reached a new multi-year licensing agreement, adding hundreds of new movie titles, including the exclusive subscription television rights to all first-run films, for Canadian Netflix members to watch instantly on their computers and TVs.

Netflix members in Canada can enjoy theatrical hits from Paramount in the coming months starting with “The Last Airbender” and Marvel’s “Iron Man 2.” The five year agreement will add over 350 new movies available to watch instantly from Netflix in Canada, including epics like “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Titanic,” and “Defiance,” great comedies like “Zoolander” and “Wayne’s World,” and beloved classics like “The African Queen,” “Sabrina” (1954) and “Terms of Endearment.”

Monster Math Squad, a new CG animated series for kids has been announced by DHX Media Ltd. The series will star loveable monsters who help children develop formative math-related skills. The preschool show has been commissioned by CBC and SRC in Canada and will be produced by DHX Media’s Halifax-based studio, further boosting DHX’s library of standout preschool properties.

“We all know that preschoolers love to learn,” says Kim Wilson, Creative Head for Children’s and Youth Programming at CBC, “so taking a concept like early numeracy and pairing it with a fantastic monster world of fun is a winning combination. DHX has a history of creating wonderful user-focused programs of the highest quality so we are thrilled. ”

D-BOX Technologies Inc. will be expanding its presence in Chicago, Florida and Utah with the addition of four more theatre locations installing D-BOX motion technology seating. In Utah, the newly expanded Megaplex 17 at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi and the brand new Megaplex 14 at Legacy Crossing in Centerville will each be equipped with 30 D-BOX MFX Seats that offer moviegoers access to a completely immersive movie experience. Meanwhile, over in the Chicago area, the Rosemont 18 theatre will soon feature 36 D-BOX MFX Seats while the Parisian 20 theatre in West Palm Beach FL will install a total of 30 seats, both scheduled to be unveiled in the coming months. Additionally, Muvico Entertainment’s Thousand Oaks movie theatre in California, which introduced D-BOX in February, is preparing to install an additional 12 D-BOX MFX Seats to keep up with the demand.

Intertainment Media Inc.’s social media translation interface Ortsbo has seen a 47% growth in User Engagement Minutes since the end of February, growing from 82.3 Million minutes to 121.3 Million minutes of total engagement. Other key indicators have also grown substantially with active monthly unique users, month over month, now at 8.6 Million, a 37% increase since the end of February. In the past week, Ortsbo has generated over 10.8 Million minutes of User Engagement, 6.4 Million Page Views, 3.1 Million Online Sessions and 2.2 Million Unique Users. Ortsbo, at just over 9 months since launch is at the same levels achieved by Facebook in its first 29 months.

With over 79% of Ortsbo users coming direct to www.ortsbo.com and www.ortsboqq.com, Ortsbo continues to experience strong viral growth as the vast majority of users are coming direct to the web sites, not using search engines or third party referrals. If you’ve never heard of Ortsbo, it supports global communications with instant translation capability, real time multi- lingual social media chat and instant Twitter translation allowing users to communicate with family, friends and colleagues around the world. Ortsbo provides users with the ability to break down language and cultural barriers through its easy to use, language centric interface. User demographics have continued to favor the BRIC countries with China remaining the number 1 usage country for Ortsbo followed by Brazil, the US, South Korea, Canada, Taiwan, Germany, Argentina, Russia and India. Ortsbo’s Top 10 user countries have a combined population of over 3.4 Billion people.

A free version of The Balls! Extreme Sports Ball Busting has been released by Savant Inc. The Balls game is compatible with the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad; the paid version is listed at 99 cents USD. The free version offers OpenFeint and the same great graphics, audio, and frantic gameplay as the paid version, with a teaser for another mode coming in the future.

Riese: The Battle for Eleysia by Genius Factor Games has had an update to its features, along with a bug fix. Add features include the addition of Head-to-Head Multiplayer (via local wifi), stability improvements and aforementioned bug fixes, along with updates to the battle screens, How To Play help and screen-flow for editing decks. Riese: The Battle for Eleysia sells in the iTunes App Store for $2.99 USD.

Drift Mania Championship is now available worldwide on the Mac AppStore for $2.99. This new high-resolution version includes all the in-app purchase items that are available as options in the iOS version. As with all previous platform versions, the Mac AppStore version is loaded with new features like real drifting, as well as the ability to compete with users who are on other iOS or Android devices. Experience longer burnouts, taking 11 different vehicles through 3 levels of difficulty on 8 tracks as you compete to take over the global leaderboards.

ACM SIGGRAPH Vancouver has just announced its latest event, which will be held on February 8th in the Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema at the SFU Woodward’s campus on West Hastings. Tron – Cult Favourite to Franchise will feature two presentations that will take a look at this convergence of  Vancouver film and game development teams. The first presentation will cover the visual effects used in the making of TRON and TRON: Legacy. This session will be presented by TRON animator and programmer Frank Vitz and Darren Poe, Digital Supervisor at Digital Domain Vancouver.  In the second presentation, former Propaganda Games Technical Art Director Gary Snyder and Art Director David Patch will share their experiences working with the TRON: Legacy film team to recreate the TRON assets and storyline in the video game TRON: Evolution. Tickets for this event are $25.00 for non-SIGGRAPH members or $15.00 for members and include a pre-event social mixer.

Hothead Games has released part two of the Ask Dr. Mike video series with Dr. Mike Hayward. Watch this intense and dramatic documentary which studies the habits of Swarmites as they weave their way through diabolical and unrelenting gauntlets of death and destruction, attempting to be the last pudgy blue moron still standing. It is highly recommended that those who are planning to take over their own Swarm colonies study the video series closely, so that you will be prepared for any situation into which your Swarmites will undoubtedly  place themselves. If you have the opportunity to practice herding cats, I suggest you take advantage of the experience.

As part of the PlayStation®Network “11 for 11” sale, players can grab Big Sandwich’s thrilling dragon-themed game HOARD™ for half-price until January 31st. With game play for 1 to 4 players, HOARD™ combines action and strategy elements to create an innovative gameplay mix unlike anything else on the store. The game features over 35 levels, 4 game modes, 100+ badges to earn, trophy support, leaderboards, and any combination of couch and online players. Best of all, HOARD™ puts the dragon in the hero’s role, where he must strive against cruel knights, fierce wizards, conniving burglars, and even rampaging giants.

Critics and consumers alike have appreciated HOARD’s unique design. IGN recently honored HOARD™ with the “Best Quick Fix” Best of 2010 award, and the game was also nominated in the “Best Competitive Multiplayer” category. Joystiq says “HOARD’s gameplay shines,” and 1UP reports “the game hides a surprising layer of complexity and strategy.”

“If you’ve been keeping an eye on HOARD™ but have been waiting for the right time to try it, now’s officially that time,” says Glenn Barnes, Big Sandwich’s Creative Director. “For less than 8 bucks you get a proven, acclaimed game with over 20 hours of gameplay. It’s a no-brainer.”

Don’t forget to get your nominations in for The Technology Impact Awards. The BCTIA will be accepting submissions for BC’s top technology innovations, companies and individuals from all sectors until March 11th. The TIAs will be held on the evening of June 9th at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The Award categories are as follows:

Technology Awards: Most Promising Pre-Commercial Technology, Excellence in Product Innovation and Best Application of Technology

Company Awards: Most Promising Start-up, Emerging Company of the Year and Company of the Year

Personal Recognition Awards: Team of the Year, Community Engagement and Person of the Year

The Canadian Marketing Association invites you to attend the 2nd Annual CMA Awards Case Study event, where attendees will join Master of Ceremonies Aldo Cundari in a close-up look at some of today’s top creative works and better understand how they came to be CMA Award winners. The Case Study event will be held in the Victoria Room at  Toronto’s Metropolitan Hotel on February 2nd from 3:30 – 5:30pm, with a networking social immediately following the session. All-inclusive tickets are $75.00 each for CMA members or $95.00 earch for non-members. Tickets for the cocktail party only are $25.00 each for CMA members or $30.00 each for non-members.

Merging+Media has announced that there will be a Spring session featuring Anita Ondine-Smith, who will present an exclusive Transmedia Seminar + Lab on April 28th and 29th at the VanCity Theatre in Vancouver. The focus of this session will be a 1/2 day Seminar with a 1 ½ day hands-on in-depth lab on the full cycle of Transmedia development, writing, production and distribution from Conception to Consumption. Event participants will obtain a framework for production as well as Creative Toolkit and Business Strategies for Transmedia production. This Transmedia theory, Case studies and architectural workshop is designed to provide tools to create successful transmedia productions. The seminar portion of the event will be open to 100-150 people, while 20-24 producers, writers, broadcasters, commissioning editors will be selected to take part in the workshop.

Merging+Media has also confirmed that the next full conference and master class will be returning in October. Like the first conference held last fall, this event will feature world class speakers and experts who will present “Best in Class” case studies and high calibre discussions on the business of cross-media production. The two day programme will include a Masterclass + Conference, International B2B Matchmaking, Networking receptions, M+M Socializer + Digital Gallery to showcase our latest local technology. The Merging+Media 2011 Masterclass will include the Merging+Media Pitch and Development Prize. Keep an eye on the Merging+Media site for confirmed dates and speakers.

The Canadian Telecom Summit has early bird pricing available until February 28th, which means you can save $200.00 off the regular registration price. The 10th annual Canadian Telecom Summit will be taking place in Toronto on May 31st through June 2nd and offers three days of discussion regarding the key issues and trends surrounding the Canadian Telecom industry.

Group buying site SwarmJam, which launched across all Postmedia Network properties in December has expanded to the Winnipeg area through a partnership with the Winnipeg Free Press. The promotion-based system uses a platform through which consumers are connected with local businesses. SwarmJam’s group buying service offers savings of 50% or better, which for some deals can actually grow progressively better as more people sign onl For “progressive deals”, when the offer closes, the number of cumulative purchases determines the actual discount. So, these deals become better as subscribers share the promotion with friends, family and people in their social network. Users of the service simply sign up for a free subscription to get the SwarmJam Winnipeg Daily Deal emailed directly to their inbox. They can then click on deals they like, pay online, print the certificate and visit the business to redeem it. There are currently thirteen major urban and suburban areas which offer SwarmJam deals.

Wicked Interactive, publisher of Mission Against Terror, has launched Occupation Mode with a twist. Alongside the hotly anticipated new game mode which brings hardcore, capture-the-flag-style gameplay comes the chance to win the most unique and priceless weapon so far seen in the popular, free-to-play shooter – the Golden AK-47.

“We have been saving this announcement for just the right moment,” said Sam Ho, Director, Wicked Interactive. “With the frenzy of excitement over Occupation Mode, it seemed like the perfect time to blow everyone’s minds with this news. The Golden AK-47 is the ultimate showpiece for the M.A.T. community.”

The Lottery System enables players to take a break from a raw competition of Occupation Mode. Just like any other lottery, players step up, lay down their ticket and spin an actual wheel that appears right in the middle of the screen. The Golden AK-47 is merely the ultimate prize; there are plenty more for those who are feeling lucky.

“There are a whole assortment of weapons that the Lottery System offers,” added Ho. “Many, like the Golden AK-47, are one-of-a-kind items that cannot be purchased. We hope the M.A.T. Community enjoys the new System. It’s our way of helping them forget the winter doldrums.

Mood Media Corporation has added PopCap Games‘ multi-million selling casual games Bejeweled, Zuma and Bookworm to its increasingly popular casual games retail program. Under the agreement with PopCap, the games will be sold through Mood Media’s Somerset Entertainment interactive displays, which allow customers to sample the game before purchasing. The overall strategy involves providing multiple entertainment titles and continuing to bring innovation to the shopping experience.

If you haven’t yet played Ray Ardent Science Ninja by Shane Neville, I would have to ask you what you’re waiting for – go play it now over at Armor Games – it’s free – and it uses science, so it’s also educational! Over 211, 000 attempts have been made thus far as gamers take on the persona of ninja scientist Dr. Ray Ardent, battling through dangers and surviving to talk about it – nearly 200 of them have rewarded the game by marking it as a favourite, too. You can also check out a myriad of nerdy t-shirts designed by Shane, and really get your geek on by adding them to your wardrobe.

EA Sports has released a first look video for Fight Night Champion, which will be coming to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2011. EA has declared that Fight Night Champion will set a new standard in sports videogames by delivering the most dynamic simulation fighting experience to date, pushing visual boundaries and redefining the single player journey for the category.

Fight Night Champion will break the mold of what is expected in a single-player sports game. Players will be introduced to an entirely new way to step between the ropes and experience the drama, emotion, excitement and tragedy of world championship boxing.

Featuring a refined physics-based animation system that incorporates improved locomotion, punching and stamina mechanics, Fight Night Champion will enable users to move, attack and dodge with the speed and power of the best champions, contenders and pretenders in the world of boxing. In addition, an all-new control scheme, dubbed Full Spectrum Punch Control, will deliver the most realistic punching system ever seen in a simulation fighting game, while still delivering an accessible experience that will make Fight Night Champion the most user-friendly title in the franchise’s history. Fight Night Champion has not yet been rated by the ESRB

RentClick.ca is the first Western Canadian company to offer a free iPhone app that conveniently allows customers to view rental listings for apartments, condos, houses and vacation properties on their mobile device. Renters can quickly view the following information for each listing: monthly rent, available date, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, community name, address, square feet, parking, pets, smoking, area amenities, listing ID number, a detailed property description and the landlord’s contact information. Additionally, Property Management companies can feature their listings under the Property Manager tab.

Customers can easily refine their search in the app by property type, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, area of the city, monthly rent and listing ID number. Customers can also tag listings as their favorites. Currently, the app features Calgary and Edmonton apartments, condos, houses for rent.

Online training solution provider BIS Trainer is preparing to launch the latest version of their proprietary Learning Management System (LMS) in Q1 or 2011. This new release will include system features like the ability to create a master package of courses with one unique certification and reverse course navigation using a chaptering system.

The new features are built on the specifications of various clients and regulatory bodies to ensure adaptability and security. Master packaging of courses will include checks and balances to confirm each course in succession is completed successfully before the next course can be started. Upon successful completion of all course in the package, the end-users will receive a certificate for from the employer or authorized content owner.

BIS provides custom content development for online training courses. Each course is tailored to achieve specific learning objectives for the client as well delivering key messages that provide employees or learners with information required to improve performance.

Off-the-shelve online courses from BIS clients include WHMIS, First Aid, Oil Sand Orientation, and Winter Driving Fundamentals. Additional off-the-shelf content in development schedule for early 2011 release include hazard assessment, drug and alcohol awareness, incident investigation, workplace harassment and OSHA courses.

Ontario’s Peel District School Board students will find out on November 18 and 19 if 5,000 students can really make a difference when they come together for Leadership Now! at the Powerade Centre. The event features inspirational speakers and live entertainment—all designed to motivate youth to speak up and take action. The conference is part of the Peel board’s Student Leadership for Global Development program which is produced with the support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency.

“Leadership Now! teaches students about global issues and encourages them to become active at school and within their community. It’s an action-packed day to inspire and motivate students to affect change and make a difference,” says Tony Pontes, director of education, Peel District School Board.

The November 18th event is for middle school students. Secondary students will attend the event on November 19th, with both days presenting a similar program that includes keynote presentations from the following presenters:

* Dev Aujla, social entrepreneur, founder of DreamNow
* Sol Guy, Canadian music producer, social activist and host of MTV’s 4REAL

“Leadership NOW! teaches young people about finding their passion and their ability to help themselves and others,” says Guy. “Change does not happen by attending an event, but the inspiration can happen. How to take an action step and then integrate into your life so that giving becomes part of who you are and what you do. In that way you affect yourself in others in ways you could never imagine.”

“Events like Leadership NOW! inspire students to become active citizens,” says Aujla. “Students need to tap into their creative ideas because they have the power to change lives.”

Students will also be entertained by VYbE Dance Company who will perform breaking, pop/wave/tut and fusion acts. VybE has worked with a number of well-known artists and groups like Shaggy and the Toronto Raptors Dance Pack. They have raised money each year for local and international charities such as Hamilton Health Sciences, Art Starts, Free the Children and Evergreen. In addition to speakers, the event will include emcees from Absolute Leadership and live music from Hearts in Stereo.

For those who aren’t already aware, Ubisoft has acquired Longtail Studios’ Quebec City location, and will absorb most of its staff into their own studio. Longtail had contributed to Ubisoft’s Michael Jackson: The Experience, and while this means that Longtail Quebec is no longer in operation, both of Longtail’s maritime studios – Charlottetown and Halifax are still open for business. The Halifax studio recently launched its latest title, Dance on Broadway. By the way, the Halifax studio is currently looking to fill four career positions, including that of Game Tester.

EA Mobile put several of its titles on sale for 99 cents yesterday – if you live in the USA. The only exemption to the USA location restriction is Reckless Racing, which was put on sale worldwide. The other titles currently on sale in the US App Store are:

Tiger Woods PGA Tour – Skate It by EA – Command & Conquer Red Alert – Yahtzee Adventures – Trivial Pursuit – Boggle – Clue – Spore Creatures – Boggle for iPad – Snood – EA Sudoku – Spore Origins – Star Trek – Lemonade Tycoon

WordCamp Fraser Valley is going to be held at the SFU Surrey Campus from 9 – 5 on November 20th. The Early Bird tickets are available until November 7th for $36.00, after November 7th the price goes up to $45.00 for the day. The schedule & list of speakers has not yet been posted, but organizers will update it as soon as they are confirmed. If you are new (or even a novice) to using the WordPress platform, I highly recommend attending this WordCamp.

I also missed the launch of Riese: Battle for Eleysia, developed by Vancouver’s Genius Factor Games, who is continuing their transmedia strategy with this second title in the Riese series.

Riese: Battle for Eleysia ($3.99 in the App Store), which was developed exclusively for the iPhone and iTouch, brings the world of the award-winning, steampunk inspired Syfy web series Riese: Kingdom Falling, features the voice of Felicia Day (The Guild, Dr. Horrible?s Sing Along Blog), is an RPG card battle game that lets players battle for control as the deadly Sect, the glorious Eleysian Army, or the dedicated Resistance, all in an effort to conquer and rule the land of Eleysia.

Players can customize their decks of over 60 gorgeous cards and 24 modifier cards to develop packs that best suit their own personal battle strategy, track their progress with OpenFeint achievements, unlock additional content as they play through the campaign and immerse themselves in the Riese world with Felicia?s narration and the riveting series soundtrack composed by Rich Walters.

“Riese: Battle for Eleysia is built upon the rich and diverse canon from the already successful show and sets the stage for another unique and deep way for fans to explore and engage in the series.” said Ted Nugent, President of Genius Factor Games. “Our focus on independent IP naturally aligns us with production companies like Riese Productions, Ltd. and we are extremely excited about future transmedia projects.”

A product update is already in the works with additional features including head-to-head multiplayer, supplemental content and other improvements. The update is slated for release around mid December 2010. An iPad specific version is also in development and anticipated in early 2011.

“Working with GFG on the Riese: Battle for Eleysia game has furthered our goal of being truly transmedia” said series co-creator Kaleena Kiff, “The story we’re telling with the live action series is the basis for the game, while the game itself has allowed us to create a larger world, full of depth and new characters and inventions that will eventually become a part of the live action series. With the two fueling one another, we feel like we’re just beginning to scratch the surface of the expanding stories we’ll soon be able to tell with both the series and the game.”

Bioware yesterday announced Dragon Age^TM Legends, a new Play4Free Facebook^® game that expands on the critically acclaimed RPG franchise Dragon Age. The new game is inspired by the award-winning BioWare franchise but custom-designed for the casual and social play style for Facebook users of all ages. Dragon Age Legends blends accessible and engaging tactical combat with compelling co-operative gameplay perfectly suited for social networks, making for a unique offering on the platform. Launching in February 2011, Dragon Age Legends will also give gamers the chance to earn exclusive unlocks (EA account required) for Dragon Age II, one of the most highly anticipated video games of 2011. If you are interested in participating in the beta, visit the Legends website for information on how to sign up.

“We are privileged to be working with BioWare to bring the Dragon Age universe to the hundreds of millions of gamers on Facebook,” said Mark Spenner, General Manager of EA 2D. “Our goal is to change the perception of social network games and attract new players to the Facebook platform by raising the quality bar. Dragon Age Legends will deliver a deep, sophisticated experience, and we will continue to delight gamers by adding new features and content far into the future.”

Dragon Age Legends will give players their first taste of the Free Marches, the primary setting of Dragon Age II. Alongside their Facebook friends, players will take on challenging quests within an engaging storyline, earning loot, sharing rewards and growing their kingdom. The game will include a gratifying character customization and upgrade system that will allow players to tackle demons and darkspawn to become a legendary hero within the Dragon Age universe.

Rethink Canada’s first campaign for Toronto-based premium stock photo agency Masterfile launched yesterday by introducing the world to the “Master Creative” —the ancient, all-knowing, wise-cracking guru of the advertising and design industries.

The four-language initiative spanning North America and Europe is designed to highlight Masterfile’s image search platform, Endless Media, as the fastest way to find the right image.

“We’ve got the best image search interface of any stock house anywhere,” says Steve Pigeon, Masterfile’s Toronto-based CEO. “In under five minutes, the Master will teach art directors and designers how to save hundreds of hours over the course of their careers—in a fun, engaging way.”

An online hip-hop video introduces the Master and invites ad professionals to visit Masterfile.com, where they can test their creative kung-fu in a series of creative challenges to unlock their very own “wisdom beards,” ranging from Brown Beards for beginners to the coveted Platinum Diamond Beard. Online ads featuring challenges like computer “mouse mastery” also drive players to the site.

The Master urges every “Creative-san” to: “Learn my ways to achieve true creative enlightenment and become a Master like me.” And adds, “If you don’t got the chops, I send you home crying, if you do, I give you sexy wisdom beard.”

“This is a very different approach than you’ve ever seen from a stock photo house,” says Dré Labre of Rethink Canada, the agency that developed the campaign. “Using outrageous humour, quirky industry insights and playing off of Creatives’ competitive nature will help keep us top of mind and encourage repeat visits.”

Though primarily housed online, the communication also extends to print, DM and trade-show material and is set to run through February.

The game is a card based strategy game in which you play as one of three factions The Sect, The Eleysian’s or The Resistance with the goal to take over the world. As you try to gain control of the Riese world provinces, for each province you try to take over you must battle the computer or online opponent and gain control of 75% of the game board by placing your troops and defeating the bad guys. As you progress you will unlock new cards for your battle and using open feint some nice achievements. Fans of the series will be glad to know that you can use the heroine Riese as a character and her trademark wolf Fenrir in battle.

The game looked really nice when I got to take a look at it, the graphics were polished and the audio sounded good.The controls were easy to pick up and learn. I will also mention I was surprised to learn that the narrator for the game is Felicia Day from The Guild.

When the game launches it will have 3 difficulty settings for you to choose from. In the version 1.1 release local multiplayer will be added so you can battle your friends. The group at Genius Factor Games is optimistic that the game will be enjoyed by the Series’ fans as well as gamers who enjoy strategy card games.

Riese The Series Backgrounder:

Riese tells the story of a banished princess on the run from a dangerous religious sect in a steampunk inspired world. It stars Allison Mack (Smallville), Ryan Robbins (Sanctuary), Alessandro Juliani (Battlestar Gallactica), Patrick Gilmore (Stargate Universe), Emilie Ullerup (Sanctuary), Sharon Taylor (Stargate Atlantis), Ben Cotton (Harper’s Island), and in the title role, Christine Chatelain (Sanctuary).

“Riese has proven that digitally distributed content can be equal to or surpass regular broadcast content. ” said Ted Nugent, Genius Factor president and founder. “It aligns with our own plan for digital distribution of games and interactive entertainment. Riese is an excellent backdrop to build great gaming upon. With Felicia’s participation in the project, the overall experience is amped up, adding depth and greater immersion to the game.”

“Online is the future of entertainment,” said Ryan Copple, Riese co-creator and series executive producer. “High-quality web productions have really changed the way you reach audiences and an interactive gaming experience was the logical next step for Riese. We’re honored to be working with Felicia Day and Genius Factor on this endeavor, as they’ve truly been an inspiration to everyone involved with Riese.”

Riese The Game will be available this October in the iTunes App Store for $3.99.

Perfect Stride is a horse-themed card game that can be fun and challenging for everyone, but it will hold particularly strong appeal for girls and women. “There are many games out there that are primarily directed towards boys,” said Kay Darby, President of Funleague Inc. “I decided that it was time girls and women, particularly those who love horses, had a game designed with their interests at heart.”

In the game Perfect Stride, players are horse riders who gallop across the countryside toward the finish line over a random course of jumps. The players must combine their skills as riders with their horse’s abilities as they attempt to clear each obstacle. Ribbons are earned along the way and at the end of the race the rider with the most ribbon points wins the game.

In addition to the engaging game play, there’s a lot of visual interest here to satisfy the eyes. Almost 100 unique pieces of art are in the game; each is drawn and painted with an eye for accuracy. “I wanted Perfect Stride to be fanciful, yet still believable and somewhat accurate,” said Kay Darby. “As a horse-lover myself, I always appreciated when horses were portrayed in a thoughtful and informed way.”

While Perfect Stride features a theme that is typically of interest to girls, the design was mindful of others too. “It’s an inclusive game that doesn’t indulge in stereotypes,” Darby explained. “We worked hard to keep the design open and approachable and make it inviting to everyone who would like to enjoy the game.”

In celebration of Mega Bloks’ 25th birthday, MEGA Brands will be launching its first iPhone and iPad application ‘Mega Bloks Playground,” a unique mobile-based toy designed to give younger children a fun and engaging experience developed by

MEGA Brands is proud to bring the realms of children’s toys and digital entertainment together with the release of their first-ever iPhone and iPad application based on its founding product ‘Mega Bloks Playground.’. This intuitive new app will be available October 1st, 2010. The preschool world includes two playable characters, a boy and a girl, who interact with a full set of playground elements, such as swing sets, slides, teeter-totters, playful animals, a lake with a sailboat, and even a hot air balloon. While playing the app, children will be delighted to collect piles of colorful bloks that will ultimately piece together to form new Mega Bloks creations every time!

New Quebec-based Budge Studios, the developer and publisher of the Mega Bloks app, specialize in creating children interactive products for touch devices and tablet computers. Budge Studios goal was to create the ultimate digital playset for preschoolers with the number one preschool construction brand, Mega Bloks.

Both iPad and iPhone versions will be released October 1st, 2010. Mega Bloks Playground is $1.99 (iPhone) and $3.99 (iPad) and available worldwide exclusively through the Apple App Store in the Game – kids section. Starting on the day of the launch, the app will be 50% off for 48hours.

Offers.com launched Offers.com Canada earlier this week to help Canadian consumers save time and money. Offers.com Canada is a one-stop resource that brings together the best money-saving offers available for online shoppers in Canada. The site helps consumers save money when shopping online and save time by presenting all the best offers in one well-designed site.

Offers.com Canada has the best online coupons, coupon codes, and other offers from over 150 stores and companies. Offers.com Canada features offers from Canadian companies, including TheSource Coupons, SportChek Coupons and Dell.ca Coupons and companies who ship to Canada. The Offers.com editorial team reviews, verifies, rates and adds new offers and stores daily. Offers.com Canada features:

* 125 offer categories, including appliances, camping and outdoors, clothing and electronics, making it easy for consumers to find the money-saving offers they want;
* Several types of offers, including coupons and coupon codes, free shipping, clearance, deals and free trials;
* Blog posts with money-saving ideas and strategies for consumers;
* An email newsletter, RSS feeds and Twitter updates that can alert consumers to new savings opportunities; and,
* Featured lists of companies and quick links to recently added stores to make it easy for consumers to find their favorite online store or company.

“We’ve helped save consumers millions of dollars since we first launched Offers.com and Canadian consumers have been asking us to bring the same money-saving offers to Canada,” said Steve Schaffer, founder and CEO of Offers.com. “In these challenging economic times, we’ve focused on making it easy for shoppers to save money when buying online. Don’t forget to look for a coupon on Offers.com Canada before your next online purchase.”

SoliScare lets you embark on a fantastic journey through graveyards, haunted houses, and spooky castles. Put the beat down on ghosts, zombies, and classic movie monsters in 100 levels of play.

Game play follows one simple rule: move monster cards to your hero pile by choosing cards that are one higher or lower than your current hero card. As you make longer card runs, you’ll capture these creatures and add them to your jailhouse. Capture all 37 ghosts, zombies, and monsters to become the new Van Helsing.

Ludia Inc., and Sony Pictures Consumer Products announced today that Ludia will create video games based on the hugely popular Pyramid series of television game shows. The licensing deal will result in games across major console platforms, PC/Mac, iPhone/iPod touch and iPad, the first of which games is slated for release in Q1 2011.

“Pyramid is a classic TV game show favorite, and we are thrilled to create games around the property so that fans of the show and broader audiences alike are able to feel the thrill of reaching ‘Winner’s Circle’ from home,” said Alex Thabet, Founder and CEO of Ludia Inc. “This deal serves to further expand Ludia’s prominence across platforms in the game show video game category, which has been a successful growth strategy for us.”

Pyramid will feature all the favorite elements from the show as the game pits pair against pair in a bid to reach the coveted ‘Winner’s Circle’. Players pick from six categories on the pyramid-shaped game board, and guess a series of words or phrases as described by their team mate. The duo that scores more points than their opposing team wins the match, and gets a shot at the grand prize. Additionally, the Pyramid video games will incorporate thousands of questions, connected gaming elements, single and multiplayer game modes, as well as reward systems to fuel the competitive fun between players.

“Pyramid has been a long-standing and successful game show franchise, and we are delighted to work with Ludia to create new opportunities that will bring an engaging entertainment experience to fans of the show,” added Mark Caplan, Vice President Licensing, Sony Pictures Consumer Products.

Three of EA Sports’ titles are vying for the top spot in the Golden Joystick Awards. FIFA 10, Skate 3 and 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa are all in the final run to the top. Ubisoft Canada is also competing against itself in the Action Title category, with both Assassin’s Creed 2 and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction in the running.

Assassin’s Creed 2: Bonfire of the Vanities and FIFA 10 are finalists for Downloadable Game of the Year while Next Level’s Punch Out!! and EA Sports’ Fight Night Round 4 have entered the ring for Fighting Game of the Year. EA Blackbox is trying to be first over the finish line in the Online Game of the Year with Need For Speed World while franchise twins Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines and Assassin’s Creed Discovery are both in the running for Portable Game of the Year. We have a cross-country showdown going between EA Montreal’s NFS Shift and United Front’s Modnation Racers in the Racing Game of the Year category.

Bioware fans will have a real problem voting in the Role Playing Game of The Year category as Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age Origins Awakening have all made it to the final list. In the soundtrack category, we have Mass Effect 2 competing against Assassin’s Creed 2, and in the RTS category we have household favourite Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Chaos Rising from Relic. The voting for Ultimate Game of the Year is going to be hot and heavy with Assassin’s Creed 2, Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins all hoping to take the podium.

According to a new study by FADE, congratulations are due to Hothead Games, whose new release DeathSpank topped PSN sales during the July period with 50,000 units sold during the month. Comparatively, DeathSpank sold just over 70,000 units on XBLA, bringing the title to over 130,000 units sold between both console platforms.

In another study, this one conducted by The Creative Group, it seems that social media provides new channels to marketers but they are challenged when it comes to staying current on developments. More than seven in 10 (71 per cent) advertising and marketing executives interviewed said it’s at least somewhat challenging to keep up with social media trends. According to 22 per cent of respondents, the best resource for staying up to speed on this topic is participating in networking events and industry association meetings. Attending conferences or seminars was the second most common response, cited by 20 per cent of those polled.

The Canadian study was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service providing creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals on a project basis, and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on more than 250 telephone interviews — approximately 200 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 50 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.

Advertising and marketing executives were asked, “How challenging is it for you to stay current on social media trends?” Their responses:

Very challenging………………………………… 18%
Somewhat challenging…………………………….. 53%
Not challenging…………………………………. 29%

Advertising and marketing executives also were asked, “What do you consider the single best resource for staying current on social media trends?” Their top responses included:

Networking events or industry associations meetings…. 22%
Conferences or seminars………………………….. 20%
Webinars or online training………………………. 18%
Trade publications………………………………. 17%
Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn posts……………….. 10%
Blogs………………………………………….. 7%

“The rise of social media has quickly and significantly transformed online marketing practices, making it challenging to stay current on industry advancements,” said Lara Dodo, vice president of The Creative Group’s Toronto operations.

Added Dodo, “To effectively navigate changes taking place within the social media space, it’s essential for marketers to take full advantage of their professional toolbox. Leveraging available resources, both online and in-person, will help identify what information is most valuable.”

For information on developing a strong social media program and team, or to read about common social media roles, download The Creative Group’s new guides, 10 Questions to Ask When Staffing for Social Media and Social Media Job Descriptions.

Vancouver: September 14-15
Edmonton: October 05-06
Toronto: October 27-28
Halifax: November 02-03
Ottawa: November 09-10
Montreal: November 23-24
Winnipeg: December 07-08
Calgary: December 14-15

If you are a Joss Whedon fan, then you will want to be spending some time at Whedon Fest, a 3 day unofficial convention to celebrate all that is Whedon. The convention will feature guests and events from Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dr. Horrible and Dollhouse. Organizers and fans will be celebrating the Joss ‘verse from Friday October, 1st to Sunday October, 3rd 2010 at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Centre in Toronto, Canada. The unofficial Whedon Fest convention will comprise of guest talks, autograph and photograph sessions, charity auction, a Saturday night masquerade and dance, contests, and more.

BattleGoat Studios and Paradox Interactive are pleased to announce that Supreme Ruler Cold War, the next title in the Supreme Ruler series, is scheduled for release in Q2 2011. Building on Supreme Ruler 2010 and 2020, BattleGoat Studios invites you to relive the tension and uncertainty of the Cold War. As the 1950’s approach, the Korean War looms, the Arms Race intensifies, the Berlin Crisis leads to the formation of NATO, and the world anticipates a new World War.

As leader of the United States or the Soviet Union, you must make the correct Economic, Diplomatic, Domestic and Military decisions to successfully navigate your country through this dangerous historical era and increase your nation’s Sphere of Influence on the world stage.

Features

- Play as the United States or Soviet Union in Campaign Mode
– Control any Nation in Post-World War II Era in Sandbox Mode
– Use Diplomacy, Trade and Espionage to influence the policies of other nations
– Research new Technologies to give your nation an edge
– Grow and Modernize your Economy
– Control Military production and deployment, or let your Ministers take care of the details
– And when Diplomacy Fails… Sophisticated Real-Time Strategic and Tactical Control of your Military Forces!
– Enhanced Graphics and Sound including New 3D Terrain
– Experience the redesigned GUI with improved On-Map feedback and streamlined controls
– Up to 16 players in Multiplayer over local network or Internet

ApeZone has released a free version of SoliScare for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, letting you take a free peak at their whimsical card game, specifically designed for the iPhone’s touch screen. The free version lets you play though ten ghost levels, where you will use your astral weapons of everyday objects to beat down ghosts. Drawing a club, gives you a golf club, a spade gives you a shovel, and so on. As you make longer runs of cards, you’ll capture ghosts and place them in your jailhouse. Try to capture all 13 ghosts. Collect coins as you clear cards and buy game perks to help you out.

Paradox Interactive and Vancouver’s Kerberos Productions have released new screenshots and gameplay scenes from Sword of the Stars II, the sequel to the hit 4X franchise, Sword of the Stars. Scheduled for release in Q2 2011, Sword of the Stars II will feature the six races from SotS and its expansions, as well as revealing the dark, running secret of the original series, the Suul’ka – an ancient race that is responsible for tampering with other races in the Sword of the Stars universe.

“We’re really excited to have the Sword of the Stars II as a part of our lineup at Gamescom” Says Executive Producer Mattias Lilja at Paradox Interactive. “PC gamers have a lot of love for the genre and we’re no exception. The game looks and plays great already and we’re really looking forwarding to showing off the game.”

nGen, Niagara’s Interactive Media Generator is pleased to announce the opening of its $3 million, state of the art facility designed for digital interactive media advancement. Funded by the Community Adjustment Fund, a government fund established as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan to address the short-term economic needs of Canadian communities impacted by the global recession. The new facility houses cutting edge digital interactive media technologies and will undoubtedly increase Niagara’s already growing reputation as a hub for digital interactive media. The expanded facility has been branded the Generator at one. Located at one St. Paul Street in downtown St. Catharines the facility has the capacity to enable entire media projects to be created at one location.

“The technology at the Generator at one is second to none” explains Jeff Chesebrough, Executive Director of nGen. “Coupled with the fact that we are 25 minutes from the U.S Border and an hour from the heart of downtown Toronto, we are extremely excited about the future of digital interactive media in Niagara.” The facility is highlighted by its Production Studio, Audio Suite, Research and Development Lab, Datacentre, VFX Suite and Presentation Theatre. the Generator at one is powered by nGen with the technology being managed by its three Technology Partners: Fourgrounds Media, Furi Enterprises, and morro images. The technology is available for commercial or independent rental, however the three Technology Partners also offer independent creative services incorporating the cutting edge facility. These Partners are locally owned and operated businesses specializing in the innovation, creation and support of digital interactive media.

the Generator at one is equipped with one of the most advanced motion capture systems in the world, the Vicon MX system with T160 cameras. The facility’s system allows for the capture of audio and motion simultaneously making it one of the few Vicon Studios in North America with this ability. Motion capturing technology is probably best known for its widespread application in Video Game development as a way of capturing realistic character movements. There are only a small handful of motion capture systems in Ontario and the T160 camera system is at the top of its class.

Other technologies available at the Generator at one are the facility’s two Red One Cameras, capable of filming 4X HD quality video. It is widely speculated that these cameras, which produce digital video, will eventually replace film cameras in the majority of Hollywood productions. The technology is already being adopted by some of Hollywood’s most noteworthy directors such as, Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings and District 9. the Generator at one is also equipped with high-end software for editing video, audio and adding visual effects, which is highlighted by Autodesk Flame and Smoke, Pro Tools HD3, and Final Cut Pro. Many of the top film and television production studios in the world use the same software for their projects. The Research and Development Lab houses a 3D printer and 3D scanner for rapid prototyping and reverse engineering, and the powerful Datacentre provides the IT infrastructure necessary to support high-end media creation.

“The building was designed for seamless workflow for digital interactive media projects. Our leading edge technology enables projects to be completed all within one building,” states Chesebrough. “Niagara is an extremely attractive location for businesses to complete their projects. With a lower cost of business, a strong contingent of local talent, a less stressful ‘city’ environment, and an exceptional tourism industry, we are extremely confident that companies will think of Niagara when they are planning their next project.”

David Oakes, Director of Economic Development for the City of St. Catharines and a member of the Ontario Technology Corridor, is excited about the possibilities nGen has created for the Region. “Niagara is a hotbed of innovation and entrepreneurship, with nGen being one of our greatest examples of bringing together the private and public sector in partnership. nGen encompasses the intellectual and physical capital needed to develop a global competitiveness in digital and interactive media.”

Mobile Innovation Week in Toronto will showcase global mobile thought leaders, developers, innovators, institutions and industry professionals coming together for an exciting and engaging series of events all focused on exploring new mobile Internet frontiers, applications and business ideas.

Running from September 13th – 18th, Mobile Innovation Week features a full line up of workshops, conferences, symposiums, bootcamps and featured networking receptions – all focused on delivering and driving new business opportunities for today and into the future. The week’s events will bring together the leaders of the mobile industry all in one city — all in one place — to help grow your business and build your network of expertise. Register today for any, or all, of the Mobile Innovation Week events to stake your claim on serving over 5 billion mobile consumers world wide.

As Canada’s back-to-school shopping season reaches full gear, many retailers find getting in touch with consumers, especially parents with limited shopping time, a rapidly changing mission. Now, retailers must rethink how they communicate, connect and sell to their customers.

“The Canadian economy is recovering and most retailers are in relatively good financial shape. However, retailers still face skittish consumers who are expecting retailers to deliver value — every day,” says Daniel Baer, Ernst & Young’s Canadian retail and wholesale industry leader. “Recent economic news, including consumer confidence and unemployment rates, will only serve to sharpen consumers’ resistance to spend.”

Already, consumers are delaying buying decisions, hoping for prices to fall. Based on current trends, 2010 back-to-school sales are expected to increase approximately 4% to 5% — keeping in mind, 2009 sales results were comparatively weak compared to prior years.

The economy is not the only factor affecting retailers’ growth and consumer spending. Consumers no longer live to shop, but rather they shop to live. They’re looking for more than the convenience factor; they expect their input and opinions to be heard.

Retailers can remain ahead of the competition by taking advantage of the web, the fastest-growing retail channel, and the emerging mobile application platform. In order for retailers to continue building customer relationships and keep up to date with the ever-changing shopping landscape, they should:

* Increase investments in the mobile platform: Mobile commerce, or m-commerce, is the newest channel to connect with shoppers. New applications offer mobile updates and promotions, allow product research, improve consumer relations and gain brand loyalty in the long run.

* Re-think the website: Websites are becoming the number-one shopping arena, and are often even more profitable than physical stores. Purchasing needs to be seamless and transparent to the consumer, regardless of the channel — consumers are buying from a brand, not a channel.

* Embrace social media: Social media allows for real-time customer feedback. Features like Facebook’s “like” button or Twitter’s “retweet” spread opinions instantaneously. Social media not only increases sales, but drives traffic to company websites raising brand recognition, which is good for the bottom line.

* Build customer intelligence: Understanding customer buying trends is essential when building short- and long-term plans for the sales and product mix. Retailers who offer branded credit cards and loyalty programs often gather more important customer information and brand build. Consumers respond positively to and are looking for targeted email based on their individual shopping patterns.

“Consumers go online to find the best deals and selection, coupons and product information. This is especially true during the back-to-school season,” says Baer. “Television has taken a back seat to the internet and mobile applications. Retailers who embrace these new platforms today will be tomorrow’s winners.”

To continue success in the midst of change, retailers must go beyond traditional shopping methods and adapt to emerging trends and technology dominating the buying landscape.

DigitalJournal.com is proud to announce it is hosting The Future of Media, an event which features a live panel discussion that will explore how media organizations are adapting to the Web, how social media has influenced journalism, and what the future holds for media professionals. The event will conclude with an interactive Q&A with audience members and users on Twitter and Facebook.

The Future of Media will take place Wednesday, September 8 at the Drake Hotel Underground (1150 Queen Street West) at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and admission is free. Seating is limited and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis, so guests are advised to arrive early.

The Future of Media panel includes a diverse lineup of industry leaders: Jordan Banks, Managing Director of Facebook Canada; Anjali Kapoor, Managing Editor of the Globe and Mail Digital; David Skok, Senior Producer of Online Content for Global News; Kunal Gupta, CEO of Polar Mobile; and Mark Evans, a digital marketing and social media strategist and co-founder of the MESH conference. The Future of Media will be moderated by DigitalJournal.com.

Panelists will address how social and digital media are changing traditional journalism; why social services such as Facebook are increasingly being regarded as a discovery point for news; how real-time information is changing mainstream media and the role of mobile devices; and how changing media consumption habits offer a glimpse into the future of media.

The Future of Media event is sponsored by Queensway Audi, Suite 66, Dell Canada, Rogers Wireless, Flip Video, Palm and CNW Group. At The Future of Media event, sponsors are providing many high-end gadgets and tech toys as raffle prizes to attendees. The prizes include: a 32GB Apple iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G (3G data plan sold separately) courtesy of Suite 66; a Dell Studio 15 notebook with artist lid courtesy of Dell Canada; 5 Flip Ultra HD camcorders courtesy of Flip Video; a Samsung Galaxy S Captivate smartphone courtesy of Rogers Wireless; and a Palm Pre smartphone with Touchstone Charging Dock courtesy of Palm.

It seems there is finally some light at the end of a very long tunnel for Producer/Director of Bong Of The Dead. Thomas Newman has been in post production for one and half years working on his epic 5 thousand dollar movie which he is doing entirely in his basement.

The film was shot on a farm owned by a friend, and has been getting sweetened entirely in post by Thomas Newman himself. Over 260 shots have been composited with a rate of 30 frames per second and some shots being about 10 seconds long you can imagine the painstaking process of animating frame by frame.

The film is now set to be completed by October 1st in order to be available for major film festivals around the globe. It has been confirmed that scheduled ADR (Automated dialogue replacement) sessions with his actors will begin early in September. Once the audio is in place, it will be then onto color correction and final touches to prep for final output.

How could he possibly be this much of a gluten for punishment you ask? We asked the same thing and his answer was quite honest:

“I figure everything that I’m doing toward my film right now needs to be documented so that I can put together a documentary of the wild journey because it has been insane! Besides I want to make sure they have plenty of footage of me trying to build my career one frame at a time for Biography!”

Be sure to check out a top secret sequence screening in Vancouver at the Rio Cinema on August 20th. The very next day the Bong cast and crew will be marching at the front of the official Anjali Vancouver Zombie walk which brings out all the gashes and ghouls Vancouver has to offer. The entire event will be documented by yes you guessed it Thomas himself and a micro crew of a stills photographer and second camera operator.

In the first half of 2010, Wattpad established cross-promotional partnerships with major self-publishing houses, including Smashwords, Lulu and Bubok. To assist writers in connecting with readers on the site, Wattpad is launching the Self-Published Writers Program, a new marketing initiative that creates additional value for the time authors spend promoting their work online. Authors who have accounts with one of Wattpad’s self-publishing partners will be able to gain additional exposure through Wattpad channels based on their level of interaction.

Wattpad provides a platform for self-published authors to expand their online presence to a dedicated reading audience and is playing an increasing role in a writer’s marketing efforts. The Wattpad community spends over a quarter of a billion minutes on the site every month, sharing all genres of fiction, recommending titles and interacting with writers and readers around the world.

J. Alexander Greenwood, author of “Obsidian,” explains his reasoning for joining Wattpad: “Wattpad is the latest social media community I’ve joined. I learned about it from Smashwords. I posted an award-winning short story of mine and instantly received useful feedback! I also garnered interest in my ebook. I am really pleased with the response from the Wattpad community.”

Writers can link their Wattpad account directly to Smashwords, Lulu and Bubok, creating a straightforward way for new fans to purchase authors’ work.

“We are always so impressed with the willingness of new Wattpad authors to not only share free content, but reach out to readers in order to grow their fan base,” explains Allen Lau, co-founder and CEO of Wattpad. “As authors continue to take advantage of self publishing, they require more targeted social networking services to connect with readers. “We are excited about the many amazing authors who have decided to join Wattpad since partnering with these self-publishing companies and the Self-Published Writers Program managed by Wattpad is a natural fit.”

In addition to promoting their work online, authors benefit from Wattpad mobile apps for Android, iPad and over 1,000 other devices, which allows readers to easily connect with writer profiles and their work.

Youth in Motion, an organization benefiting disadvantaged youth in the Little Burgundy neighborhood of Montreal’s Southwest borough, was the happy recipient of seven computer stations donated by Vigilant Futures. The computers will serve to provide area youth with an additional resource for homework assignments, as well as help them improve their computer skills.

“We welcome this donation with great enthusiasm and appreciation as the kids who come here often use computers only at school since few have one at home. Unfortunately, Little Burgundy continues to be an area that is plagued by meager educational and purposeful services,” said Rosemary Segee, Project Coordinator at Youth in Motion.

Their dedication to serving the youth of the Little Burgundy community with a strong emphasis on education, recreation and culture programs complements Vigilant Futures’ own philosophy as the company supports various Montreal-area initiatives that promote youth education.

“Youth in Motion provides youth with the opportunity to see beyond poverty and violence through their community programs and computers are the perfect tool to get kids interested in education. It‘s our way to show we believe in the importance of their community work,” said Josh Felker, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Vigilant Futures.

Youth in Motion sees on average 20-30 kids come through its doors each day after school and the numbers grow during the summer break with increased programs and daytime activities that promote community bonding with strong levels of parental involvement.

Netfirms Inc. announced today its been named a main sponsor of WordCamp Montreal being held on August 28 and 29th at the UQAM Coeur-des-Sciences Complex. WordCamp Montréal strives to provide educational, interesting and relevant talks about all aspects of using, developing and deploying WordPress for online publishing needs.

“WordPress is the top open source application deployed on our web hosting platform. We are very excited to partner with Wordcamp Montréal and to help support the WordPress community in Montréal and from around the world,” says Thomas Savundra, President and CEO of Netfirms Inc. “Most importantly, we are dedicated to supporting WordCamp Montreal’s commitment to providing casual WordPress users and web professionals a venue to participate, share ideas, and get to know each other.”

This event coincides with Netfirms’ completion of recent improvements to its cloud computing grid hosting infrastructure to seamlessly support WordPress development and high traffic deployment. Netfirms WordPress experts will be on hand to interact with attendees and to provide a special Netfirms giveaway and prizes including two Apple iPads. To help celebrate this get-together Netfirms will be giving each attendee of WordCamp Montreal an Advantage Web Hosting plan and two free domain names for only $1.

Dedicated to producing smart series that entertain, empower and resonate with their viewers, Astral’s Family Channel announces that it will greenlight three new live-action comedy series all set to premiere in spring 2011.

“Whether it be the premise, the characters, the writing team or the possibility to explore a multiplatform rollout strategy, each of these series presents many exciting opportunities to deliver on the ‘never a dull moment’ Family Channel experience,” said Michael Goldsmith, Director, Original Programming. “We’re looking forward to working with the production teams on each show and seeing how our audience reacts to each series.”

DECIDEDLY DEBRA (13 episodes x 30 minutes)
Produced by Cookie Jar Entertainment, Decidedly Debra follows Debra Delong, an effervescent teen with a unique style and outlook on the world who is determined to start her own business. Debra’s best friend Preston is sometimes reluctant to become embroiled in Debra’s ambitious schemes but always manages to stick by her side. Decidedly Debra is created by Andrew Nicolls and Darrel Vickers (Jimmy Neutron, Fairly OddParents, Back to the Barnyard) and marks Cookie Jar Entertainment’s first live-action series for Family Channel.

REALLY ME (13 episodes x 30 minutes)
Best friends Maddy and Julia win their own reality TV show and look forward to the fame, endorsement deals and perks they assume will go along with gig. However, with a pushy producer, an over enthusiastic family and no privacy, they soon discover that having their lives documented 24/7 may not be as much fun as they thought. Really Me is created by Tom McGillis and Jennifer Pertsch and produced by Fresh TV (6TEEN, Total Drama Island, My Babysitter’s A Vampire).

WHAT’S UP, WARTHOGS! (100 episodes x 5 minutes)
A group of teens aim to transform their school’s morning announcements into an entertaining news show in What’s Up, Warthogs!, produced by Aircraft Pictures (Todd & The Book Of Pure Evil) and executive produced by Bill O’Dowd of Dolphin Entertainment (Zoey 101). Utilizing online as well as on air, What’s Up, Warthogs! will roll out as short-form episodes on Family.ca before premiering on the network. Created by Alex Diaz and Julie Sagalowsky, the writing team will be lead by Dean Batali (That 70′s Show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

Solitaire and the City is a unique blend of the classic solitaire card game mixed with the type of speed that will test anyone’s hand-eye coordination. Gamers have 45 seconds to clear as many cards as they can off of the board in order to earn points. The points earned daily go toward unlocking cool items in the gamers’ fashionable closet. Users can also ‘gift’ items to their friends and try to collect every item available. For the competitive gamer, badges are earned for hitting high scores that are displayed on a profile tab, enabling users to show their friends where they stand in the rankings.

If you haven’t noticed by now, the title and fashion infusion are definitely a direct ‘ode to’ the popular “Sex and the City” series and movies. The user gets to fill up their walk-in closets with some of today’s hottest fashion and accessories from Gucci, Prada, Jimmy Choo and more. As the user clicks on the cards, the on-screen martini glass fills up with a New York Cosmopolitan drink! Competing against friends to earn a high score has never been so fashionably fun.

In news that is going to make the CaveChild salivate, THQ and Relic Entertainment have announced that Warhammer® 40,000®: Space Marine®, will be shipping for the Windows PC in addition to the Xbox 360® and PlayStation®3 in early 2011.

Jonathan Dowdeswell, General Manager of Relic Entertainment commented: “The loyal PC audience is incredibly important to us here at Relic so we are delighted to be able to announce the PC version of the game.”

Combining intense melee and ranged combat, Relic’s 3rd Person Action-Shooter Space Marine puts players into the boots of one of humanity’s elite soldiers, genetically engineered and equipped with state of the art weapons and armor. Players are dropped right into the action as they battle to defend an Imperial Forge World, from an invasion by the savage and brutal Orks, using the most devastating weaponry mankind has at its disposal.

Travis Plane, Vice President of Global Brand Management commented: “Delivering great content the fans want to play is the key goal in the core games division at THQ so we are pulling out all of the stops to make this the best possible game for PC and console audiences alike.”

Telefilm Canada is today unveiling its brand-new online directory of mentors and scriptwriting consultants, which includes the names of more than 100 experts, that creators working in Canada’s film industry will be able to access via Telefilm’s website. New applications for mentors and consultants will now be accepted on an ongoing basis and the directory will be updated regularly.

“Telefilm Canada is dedicated to supporting all links in the Canadian film industry value chain,” stated Sheila de La Varende, Telefilm Canada’s Director of National and International Business Development. “Canadian filmmakers are bursting with talent, and we are committed to meeting their needs and supporting their growth and development-which, at the end of the line, will result in the creation of high-quality feature films that will appeal to their target audiences. We are very enthusiastic about the potential of the new online directory of mentors and scriptwriting consultants that we’re unveiling today, which enables Telefilm to act as a catalyst for the industry’s success.”

“When I started my career, I was very lucky to benefit from the patient advice I received from such industry professionals as Michael Miner (Anaconda, Robocop), the wonderful writer and film editor,” said Vancouver writer Michael Giampa, who is included in the directory as a scriptwriting consultant. “Having a mentor who can answer your questions and provide encouragement makes all the difference when you’re starting out in the business. I hope that this directory will foster these kinds of relationships and that it becomes a key tool in the development of a mentoring philosophy within Canada’s movie industry, one that will hep nurture Canadian talent.”

The new online directory of mentors and scriptwriting consultants will enable emerging writers and producers to make contact with industry mentors and veterans, offering them the possibility of developing their skills or finding specific expertise for a given project. All the producer-mentors and writers included in the online directory were chosen by Telefilm following a call for candidates issued in May, and all have agreed to makes themselves available to offer professional advice, coaching and know-how, and thereby help foster the development of talent and projects.

The directory will also enable those participating in such programs as Écrire au long, Feature It! or Featuring Aboriginal Stories to seek out a mentor-consultant who will support them for the duration of their project-one of the eligibility criteria of these programs. Others working in the industry seeking expertise in a variety of areas may also approach the consultants listed in the directory; it will be up to the two parties themselves to negotiate the terms of their agreement.

For Starcraft II fans, several Best Buy Canada locations will also be hosting events tonight in addition to the Future Shop stores who announced midnight launch events last week:

Edmonton South – 9931-19 Avenue NW, Edmonton
Edmonton West – West Point Centre NW, Edmonton
Bay & Dundas – 65 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Sunridge – Sundridge Power Center, Calgary
Ottawa West – 1701 Merivale Road, Nepean
St. James – A-810 St. James Street, Winnipeg
Langley – 200th St & 64th Ave, Langley
Cambie – 2220 Cambie Street, Vancouver

The Best Buy events will feature on-site DJs, prize giveaways and the chance to be the first to play
StarCraft II from 9 p.m. Monday, July 26 until midnight. The first 150 customers at each store will receive a free Microsoft Sidewinder X3 Gaming Mouse with their StarCraft II purchase. Anyone who trades in 2 select games (see store for the list) from July 27th through 29th will get StarCraft II for free, and there will be a minimum of 100 Collector’s Editions guaranteed available at each midnight event host store. All other stores will have a minimum of 25 available. Those who purchase StarCraft II will also be entered for a chance to win one of five Toshiba Ultimate Gaming Prize Packs comprised of a Toshiba X500-03L gaming laptop and StarCraft II Collector’s Edition.

Keeping with the StarCraft franchise, LanPartyEH! has launched their site for the StarCraft II League tournament event which will be taking place at Vancouver’s Anime Evolution this August 13th – 15th at UBC. Participants will not have to take their own computers, unless they want to take part in the LAN party or practice ahead of competing. There will be prizes awarded for the tournament, and there are a limited number of seats (64) available – competitors will need to purchase an Anime Evolution pass in order to gain admittance to the tournament area. If you want to compete in the StarCraft II League, early registration is highly recommended. If you or your company is interested in sponsoring this tournament, more information is available on the Sponsorship page.

Demo reels and websites are all great to look at, but nothing makes an impression quite like a well-done book. Elephoto™ has partnered with parent company The Printing House Ltd.™ (TPH®), to introduce Custom Books for Business. Businesses now have the opportunity to tell their corporate story through hard and soft cover books in various sizes and finishes.

Offering businesses the ability to professionally present documents, the Elephoto™ technology allows designers to include text, images, charts, graphs, and so much more into their designs. The books can be personalized with variable content and imagery and provide a sense of legacy due to the professional bindery and presentation. Elephoto™ and TPH® can provide competitive pricing and fantastic turnaround time for volume orders.

Congratulations to the team over at online community and social software developers Igloo Software, who has announced another record quarter for both customer and revenue growth, with over 15 major customer acquisitions in the second quarter of 2010, including the Drug Information Association (DIA), Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), SailPoint, British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Origo and ArcPlan.

“Q2 was the most successful quarter in our company’s history – on all fronts,” said Dan Latendre, CEO of Igloo Software. “More and more, companies are turning to Igloo Software for their online community and business social software needs. The reason is simple – value, agility and superior service. That is what’s driving our growth in 2010.”

Igloo Software continued to see rapid adoption of its community platform with over 15 new customers, including two enterprise-wide deals, resulting in a 163% quarterly revenue increase year-over-year. Additionally, Igloo is now supporting over 1,000 free online communities for organizations that wish to try the software before they buy as well as those seeking social technologies with limited budgets. Igloo also recently launched Group Spaces, which allows a company’s employees to instantly self-organize around specific projects, teams and even departments within their online business community. Next month will see Igloo release the next version of its award-winning community platform, adding inline editing of documents, calendar integration via *.ics, advanced search, broadcasting on all channels, filtering and content following.

If you are a UBC student or a recent alumni operating a company you would like to present to a panel of investors and UBC alumni at the Plug and Play Tech Centre in California, entrepreneurship@UBC would like to send you there. The programme is searching for a total of six UBC entrepreneur-founded companies, where three were founded by students currently enrolled at UBC and three were founded by recent (past three years) UBC graduates. The chosen six will have the opportunity to profile their business venture in front of a panel of venture capitalists and distinguished UBC alumni at the Plug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale, California on August 31, 2010. Interested parties must apply by July 31st, and the chosen six will have travel and accommodation costs for up to two people per company (up to $680, based on flights out of Vancouver) covered by entrepreneurship@UBC.

After eleven years of making PC games, Quebec-based ApeZone has released its first iPhone game, SoliScare. Use the solitaire skills you’ve honed while killing time at work on your Windows PC to whack Zombies, smack Ghosts, and mash Monsters on your iPhone. As you work your way through the game, you will travel to graveyards, haunted castles, and other spooky locations. Put the beat down on things that go bump in the night, collecting all 37 ghosts, zombies, and classic movie monsters by making extraordinary card runs. As your skill level increases, you can unlock 100 unique, hand-crafted levels and use coins to purchase in-game enhancements, giving you a new experience each time you play. SoliScare is available in the iTunes App Store for 99 cents.

Frima Studio announced today that the Summer of the PlayStation Mini is officially here with the arrival of Widgets Odyssey on the PlayStation Store in North America for only $1.99 USD. As a PlayStation Mini title, playable on both the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Widgets Odyssey takes players on the first of two interstellar puzzle-platforming adventures that will continue in Widgets Odyssey 2, also releasing later this summer.

“The launch of Widgets Odyssey marks an exciting day for puzzle-platforming fans everywhere, and we’re also happy to be kicking off a series of summer releases for the PlayStation Minis platform from Frima,” said Steve Couture, CEO and co-founder of Frima Studio. “The Minis platform has allowed us to deliver our proudest creations to players on both the PSP and PS3 without them having to break the bank. We couldn’t be happier to continue the tradition this summer with both installments of Widgets Odyssey, as well as our upcoming action-epic, Young Thor.”

In Widgets Odyssey, five robots aboard their space vessel have just one simple mission: to save the universe from the tyrannical Yagor and his evil henchmen! Armed with the abilities of Spad, Cosmo, Bruce, Helmut, and Monk, players will guide each robot along their exciting adventures filled with puzzles, mazes and minigames. Players can also look forward to the continuing adventures of the ‘S-Space’ crew in Widgets Odyssey 2 when it launches later this summer.

Ratrod Studio Inc. is proudly announcing their latest iPhone game title “Drift Mania Championship” which has been developed in collaboration with the official Drift Mania Canadian Championship league (DMCC). This exciting video game will be available worldwide in mid July 2010 for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The game is rated 4+ (for everyone) and can be purchased on the Apple App Store.

Already entering its 5th season, DMCC is the only professional drifting series and sanctioning body in Canada developing over 600 drivers, hosting 10 competitions from Vancouver to Quebec and capturing hundreds of thousands of fans every year. Like real drifting, the Drift Mania Championship video game is a combination of driving skills, style and showmanship. It’s all about loss of the rear wheel traction while keeping the race car in total control.

“It was very exciting to collaborate with Ratrod Studio on this project. We have been able to develop this adrenalin-packed drift game that everyone has been waiting for!” says Eric Belec (DMCC, President).

Drift Mania Championship includes a global online leader board which keeps track of everyone’s best scores and season point totals. Challenge your friends by submitting your high scores for each circuit and expose your achievements to the world. Play often to increase your overall career score and become the next Drift Mania world champion. The top 100 positions for each category are displayed on the official Drift Mania website (Leader boards).

The game features stunning 3D graphics with realistic drift controls including a variable throttle system and hydraulic handbrake. Users will be able to select between 5 vehicles, each with their own performance specs and the ability to personalize their car. The game includes 3 different circuits to master and 3 levels of difficulties. So whether you are a casual or advanced gamer, you will be able to enjoy hours of challenging game play to suit your skill set.

Drifting is a very unique Motorsport where points are allocated on 4 main criteria: speed, line, angle and impact. Players will need to qualify on the podium to unlock different circuits and cars. They will also be able to choose between 3 different camera views and watch their performance highlights using a replay system that shows off their best combos. The game soundtrack features bands from the Good Fight Music label including “I Am Abomination” and “Conditions” latest albums. Users also have the ability to listen to their own songs from their personalized music library.

Ratrod Studio also announced an upcoming update for their popular iPhone game “Mike V: Do or Die – Skateboarding” that was nominated at the “2010 IMGA Awards” and a free “Do or Die Lite” version which will also be available mid July 2010.

EA Sports has unveiled a new feature for FIFA 11 called Creation Centre, which will provide football fans with the tools to customize content in FIFA 11 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation3 in new ways. Craft your own football player and create the team of your dreams using the online web-based application,  choosing his appearance, accessories and attributes and then create an original team with a distinctive crest and kits, complete with home stadium.

Fans will be able to share their created players and teams with friends and download into their console to play online, in Tournaments and in Kick-Off matches in FIFA 11. In addition, fans can choose player attributes and manage their created team’s formations and tactics right from the web. Creation Centre will launch when FIFA 11 is available in stores on Sept. 28 in North America and Oct. 1 in Europe and Asia.

“Having the ability to customize content in FIFA 11 to the degree where you are creating players and teams, choosing player attributes and managing team tactics effortlessly from the web opens up a world of possibilities of original content that fans will be able to create,” said David Rutter, Producer of FIFA 11 on Xbox 360 and PS3. “Creation Centre will perfectly compliment the official league and team licenses that are the hallmark of the FIFA franchise.”

Also new this year in FIFA 11 is Custom Audio, which enables fans to assign chants for every team and league in the game. Fans can set their home club’s chants to play during player introductions, halftime, and after goals – even hearing their name echo in the stands of Old Trafford or San Siro with created chants for their Virtual Pro. Plus, fans now have the ability to play music from their hard drive in game. FIFA 11 will be available in stores for the PlayStation3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii, PlayStation2, Nintendo DS, PSP and mobile on Sept. 28 in North America

Kudos Coins, a revolutionary new way to transmit money online while expressing approval or gratitude, is now available to the public. Developed by a graduate of Waterloo University’s prestigious Computer Science program, Kudos Coins allows users to offer congratulations and monetary rewards to others via the web. With Kudos Coins, web users may send and receive money while staying in touch with one another. Kudos Coins offers other features as well and is geared toward social networking and creative-content websites.

With Kudos Coins, users may send rewards to anyone they please using a simple interface. The service can be accessed from any computer or web-capable mobile device. The user purchases the desired number of Kudos Coins and sends them to whomever he or she pleases. The recipient is then able not only to enjoy the esteem his or her work has earned, but also to redeem the coins for real money. Recipients may exchange one thousand Kudos Coins for one dollar (US).

Kudos Coins is primarily marketed toward social networking websites and owners of creative content published on the World Wide Web. The Coins provide customers a way to reward others for their services or creations. Content creators will find this a new and convenient way to earn support for their works. If, for example, a Kudos Coins account holder were to see a video he enjoyed on YouTube, he could express his approval by sending the video’s creator a certain number of Coins, along with a personalized message of support. The coins are then transferred from the viewer’s “Bucket” to the creator’s.

Another feature of Kudos Coins is the “Leaky Bucket,” which allows account holders to request information or services and set aside a selected sum of Kudos Coins to be transferred upon completion of the request. The “Kudos Maps” feature allows users to be notified when new offers are available near them. The “Linked Account” system permits Kudos Coins accounts to be linked with other social networking accounts.

Kudos Coins aims to integrate payment and social networking for the convenience and enjoyment of its users. In addition to the functions described above, the application may also be used as a voting or rating system, a means of spreading product awareness, or a way of collecting funds for charitable causes or group events.

Kudos Coins is currently capable of being embedded in any webpage, and accounts may be linked to accounts for a number of popular social networking, creative-content, or commercial websites, including AOL, Blogger, eBay, Facebook, Flickr, GMail, ICQ, MySpace, Slashdot, Twitter, Vimeo, Windows Live, and YouTube. Kudos Coins hopes to add accessibility to other sites in the future. The Kudos Coins application is indicated by a green “thumbs-up” symbol.

There is no charge to sign up for a Kudos Coins account or to send or receive money, however a small fee is applied when purchasing or redeeming the Coins and a PayPal account is required to use the Kudos Coins system. Software indexer Softpedia has certified Kudos Coins’ software to be free of any adware or spyware.

Strategic mobile consultant and developer Xtreme Labs is celebrating the 10 millionth recorded download for their clients’ Blackberry-exclusive apps. As the creator of over 100 mobile applications for an array of clients, Xtreme Labs has dozens of additional apps currently under development. “We’re extremely busy at the Labs,” says Farhan Thawar, VP of Engineering at Xtreme Labs. “Our reputation is preceding us when it comes time for potential clients to choose a strategic partner for mobile applications.”

Their membership in RIM’s Elite Alliance program has added even more cache to Xtreme Labs’ already stellar reputation for building exceptional Blackberry mobile applications. “Being part of RIM’s Elite Alliance enables Xtreme Labs to receive specialized technical, marketing, and sales support as well as insight into upcoming innovations in the BlackBerry ecosystem,” says Thawar.

Some of Xtreme Labs’ clients include Microsoft, NBA Digital, Dictionary.com, AccuWeather, and Urbanspoon, “With the increasing popularity of mobile platforms, companies want to be a part of the latest trend, in this case company-specific mobile applications,” says Sundeep Madra, Co-founder of Xtreme Labs.

In keeping with this demand, Xtreme Labs has launched a practice focused on tablet platforms, including the Apple iPad. With 3 million iPads sold in 80 days, and 11,000 iPad apps already in the App store, Xtreme Labs is embracing Apple’s latest creation. Says Madra, “The iPad has caused an even greater surge in popularity of the development and use of mobile applications. We see the iPad as a growth platform not just for Apple, but for us as well.”

Waterloo’s Desire2Learn Incorporated is expanding its client-focused commitment with the establishment of its newest subsidiary, Desire2Learn Australia Pty Ltd., providing local presence for both clients and prospects in the Asia-Pacific region.

Brisbane Grammar School, Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu – The Correspondence School, Curriculum Council of Western Australia (CCWA), amongst others, are part of the growing list of clients in the region who will benefit from having direct access to Desire2Learn personnel in the area.

The Desire2Learn Australia Pty Ltd. team, who have extensive backgrounds in international education and eLearning, has been hired within the region. Heading up these efforts are: Chris Jones – Regional Sales Director and Ian Smissen – Director, eLearning Strategies.

“We are very pleased to be announcing the establishment of our subsidiary in the Asia-Pacific region,” states John Baker, President & CEO, Desire2Learn. “This region has demonstrated its leadership in adopting eLearning technology. We are looking forward to the continued growth of our local teams and helping clients achieve their goals and vision.”

A new global survey commissioned by global workplace solutions provider Regus revealed that 34 percent of Canadian businesses have successfully used social networks to win new business, reinforcing the impact that social media has had on corporations. That said, Canada lags slightly behind the global average in this regard, with 40 percent of businesses globally having successfully leveraged social media tools for business development.

Up to now, relatively little analysis has been available regarding the real use businesses are making of social networking and whether true revenue potential can be generated through this channel. To glean whether businesses globally believe that social networking is ready to take its place among an array of marketing tools, the Regus survey asked business leaders not only whether they had achieved any customer wins using social networking, but also whether they believed the channel was effective enough to be awarded its own portion of marketing budget. Proving the faith businesses have in the social networking medium is seen in the revelation that more than a quarter of businesses worldwide (27 percent) have set aside a proportion of marketing budget specifically devoted to social networking activities.

Globally, social networks are still used for their original purposes. The most popular use of social networks is staying in touch with business contacts, with 58 percent of respondents globally declaring they use networks in this way. Joining special interest groups is also popular (54 percent).

Although a number of skeptics (34 percent) believe social networking will never become a significant method of connecting to customers and prospects, 51 percent of companies globally organize, connect to or manage customer groups via social networks. Fifty four percent of firms use social networks to find useful business information. Surprisingly, however, only 22 percent of respondents had found new employment through social networking, in spite of the specific job search functions of networks such as LinkedIn.

In Canada specifically, although 28 percent of businesses have set aside a proportion of marketing budget devoted to social networking activities, results deviate marginally from the global average. Fifty three percent of respondents used social networking to keep in touch with contacts, slightly below the global average of 58 percent. Only 49 percent declared that they used social networks to source relevant information (globally 54 percent), while five percent fewer respondents than average (51 percent) declared that the main usefulness of social networking in business is to organize, connect to and manage customer groups.

Wes Lenci, Regus regional vice president for Canada, comments, “Our global survey has revealed that social networking has finally become a mainstream business tool. Although there is a core group of sceptics globally, who do not believe that social networks will become a significant method of reaching customers and prospects, a significant proportion of firms are devoting real marketing budgets through the medium to acquire new customers and keep existing ones.

“While the most popular function of these networks remains that of keeping in touch with contacts, businesses are also successfully acquiring new customers, supporting their retention efforts and interacting with customer groups. With approximately 33 percent of the country logged onto Facebook and more than two million Canadians on LinkedIn, reservations towards using social networks professional seem misplaced. This survey indicates that organizations who have not yet ventured into the world of social networking may be missing out on sizeable business opportunities. This is particularly the case in the Netherlands (48 percent), India (52 percent), Mexico (50 percent) and Spain (50 percent), where the highest level of new customer acquisition via social networking was reported.”

The survey also analyzed company size differences and found that overall small companies were a little more likely than average to use social networking. In Canada, 60 percent of medium and 34 percent of small companies successfully found new customers through social networks, compared to only 15 percent of large companies. More small companies (30 percent) also actively devote marketing budget to this activity than the global average (27 percent). Bucking the global trend encountered by the survey, employees of larger firms were the least likely to have found employment via social networking (15 percent) compared to small (17 percent) and medium (20 percent) firms.

On a sector basis, consultancy businesses were exactly on average, with 40 percent of respondents having found new customers through social networking. In this sector 29 percent of companies also actively devoted a part of their marketing budget to social networking activity and 56 percent used social networks to find useful information. Unsurprisingly, fewer skeptics than average were found in the consultancy sector (23 percent) than average (34 percent).

Gormley

Vancouver – Slick Entertainment has announced that their latest title, Scrap Metal, has passed certification at Microsoft, and will be released on Xbox Live Arcade this Spring. Scrap Metal had a great showing at this year’s CES, where attendees had the opportunity to check out this new fast-paced, top-down racer. Players can drift around corners with guns blazing fight their way through explosive, action-packed missions and defeat cunning bosses to win their vehicles. Customize newly-acquired cars and return to the track to blast through more enemies. Then, jump online with Xbox LIVE® to race against friends and crush their cars with the wheels of a massive monster truck in pulse-pounding online multiplayer matches.

Ontario – Contact North has released an important new study and challenge paper titled Strategic Directions For e-Learning In Canada. In the paper’s introduction, Contact North President and CEO Maxim Jean-Louis states:

“One of the three components of Contact North | Contact Nord’s mandate is to support innovation in education and learning through testing and applied research of new modes of “delivery” using technology, and to share information in Northern Ontario, as well as nationally and internationally.

In keeping with our mandate, Contact North | Contact Nord developed this challenge paper, Strategic Directions for e-Learning in Canada, to encourage a thoughtful and intellectual discussion on the future role of technology in learning.

Our goal with this paper is to inform, to think about what the future will look like, and to see how we can best use technology to ensure Ontarians and Canadians have quality access to the education and training opportunities that are critical to our future prosperity.

We call it a ‘challenge paper’ because some of the ideas outlined here are challenging, both in terms of accomplishments in this field, as well as the challenges ahead. Again, our intention is to stimulate a conversation by exploring both the opportunities and acknowledging the challenges.”

Interested parties can view the full PDF report on Contact North’s web site.

Toronto

Rise & Ruin is an entirely new twist on the trading card game (TCG) genre. Players level up their own ideal avatar while assembling decks from an ever-growing pool of powerful attack, defense, magic, and specialty cards. Thrilling, cinematic 3D battles take place directly in a web browser allowing for fast and accessible game play.

“We’re excited to get the Open Beta launched,” says Geoffrey MacDougall, CEO of Veil Entertainment. “We’ve worked hard to build an experience that combines the best of our favourite genres to provide character-driven, fast-paced game play. The guys on our live team are also eager to start implementing the storyline and tournaments they’ve developed over the last several months.”

“Now that we’re in open beta the team can start to focus on polish, reacting to the player experience, and implementing new features, ” says Joe Wagner, R&R’s Community Manager. “It’s great to be live. Players can also join us every Friday at 7:30 EST for Friday Night Fights where organized chaos reigns.”

Rise & Ruin gives players the unrestrictive option to play for free, for as long as they wish, with opportunities to win additional cards through community events. Similar to other TCGs, players can purchase credits to acquire new cards and access additional perks and content within the game.

Rise & Ruin is produced through the financial support of Telefilm Canada, Administrator of The Canada New Media Fund, funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage, Government of Canada.

Lasalle

Herobits Series 1 consists of three complete 50 card collectible decks, each one featuring a single armored hero. This easy to learn and fast paced game is centered on a devastated future Earth where great wastelands have formed. Mechanical monsters called Reapers dig, drill, and blast to feed “the Machine”; but, inside Arcadia, one of the last remaining human enclaves, powerful armor and weaponry are being developed, and Arcadians known as Herobits are training to wield them. Working together, Herobits prepare to combat the Machine and restore the Earth.

Players can sit down, learn the rules, and be playing within 10 minutes right out of the box. There are no booster packs, eliminating the need to spend more money to truly enjoy the game. Game play requires just 2 players aged 8+, each with their own Herobits 50 card deck. New 3 character releases are scheduled at two to three-month intervals. Every new series will feature new artists and great new artistic styles. Providing entertaining games for kids and a collectible, Herobits is easy to learn, play, and enjoy for two players.

The Canadian distributor is the reputable Grosnor Distribution Inc. Herobits will be added to their already extensive lineup of products. In the United States, ACD Distribution LLC will help stock the US retailers in time for the June 21st release date. The card games will be shipped from ACD warehouses from California to Pennsylvania. ACD has been working with Herobits Corp. to get the games into numerous hobby and game stores throughout the United States.

Vibrant artistry is unique to each Herobits character as artists from around the world imagine their own Herobits, in their own unique style. Cards are printed to collectible card grade standards by Cartamundi, the same company that prints some of the most popular and sought after collectible card games on the market. Ed Greenwood, a Canadian author of over 30 fantasy novels, when shown a private preview of the card game said, “The cards look beautiful. The color really impressed me!”

Included with the 50-card deck are a rules sheet and character poster. You’ll find store displays with a choice of the three Series 1 characters, four decks for each character currently available. Series 1 Herobits include James Willstorm, Li Kui and Ulrika Vidar. More characters are on the way, including the LRX1 Reaper, sworn enemy of the Herobits.

The Herobits Corp. Canadian Launch event will be held at 401 Games in Toronto, Ontario, on June 21st, starting at 11:30 that morning. Meet the Lead Rules Smith, Stephen Helleiner, and sit down for a game of Herobits. Series 2 artist Ryan will be on hand to sign and give away limited run posters of his Herobits character, Johnny Awesome.