FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction is the sequel to IGN’s 2006 racing game of the year FlatOut 2. In the tradition of the franchise FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction will include the ever-popular Rag doll party games while at the same time introducing innovative game modes.

“FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction will provide the millions of fans of the franchise wide ranging game modes, extensive content, new vehicles and much more. We have more than doubled the amount of game play hours from previous installments and for the first time offer a fully integrated motion controller powered by Sixense which will complement SteamWorks. The game has received enthusiastic feedback from the FlatOut fanbase who were extremely involved in its development.  We are confident that this sequel will surpass the already high expectations of our loyal fans,” commented Strategy First Director Emanuel Wall.

FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction is a Steamworks title that offers over 30 steam achievements featured through out all 9 different game modes.  Some achievements involve maximum scores, fastest times, fastest speeds, and win/loss record to name a few.

FEATURES:

• Physics Engine capable of delivering over 20,000 fully destructible objects on every track
• 47 vehicles with everything from muscle cars, monster trucks, tanks, bulldozers and more
• 9 game modes plus challenge mode that incorporates all game modes into one with 50 events
• 10 racing environments with 62 different race tracks
• 3 stunt mode environments with 12 stunt tracks
• 9 Destruction Derby Battle environments
• All new Monster Truck, Nightshift, Off Road, and Speed modes
• 8 multiplayer modes with support for up to 16 players
• Force Feedback support for racing wheels
• Larger Destruction Derbies with 24 players
• Complete Chaos in Off-Road Mode
• Complete Destruction in All new Monster Truck Mode
• Head to Head in nightmarish, thunderous, rainy, fog weather in Night Shift Mode

FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction is available for $29.99 upon launch. Pre-Order is available with a 10% incentive. Also available is the FlatOut Complete Package which will feature FlatOut, FlatOut 2, FlatOut Ultimate Carnage and the all new FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction for only $39.99.   Pre-Order is available with a 10% incentive.

All offers are available at http://store.steampowered.com/app/201510

Featuring an all-star cast including Mad Men star Christina Hendricks, Never Back Down’s Sean Faris, 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Model Irina Shayk and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Chrissy Teigen, Need for Speed The Run takes players on a thrilling cross-country race known simply as “The Run.” With $25 million on the line, players take the wheel as Jack Rourke navigating thousands of miles of treacherous terrain from San Francisco to New York squaring off against 200 other racers all while evading the cops and the mob, who are hot on his trail.

“This is the biggest, fastest and most dangerous Need for Speed game yet,” said Jason DeLong, Executive Producer, Need for Speed The Run. “Need for Speed The Run delivers the series’ trademark thrilling racing and ups the ante with incredible action sequences and stunning performances from our all-star cast.”

And the action doesn’t stop when players cross the finish line in New York. Need for Speed The Run delivers an addictive challenge series and highly-competitive multiplayer. The acclaimed Autolog feature also returns, delivering moment-by-moment performance feedback to ensure players are always in head-to-head competition with friends, enemies and online competitors.

The expansive vistas and impressive tactile environment in The Run are made possible by the Frostbite™ 2 engine. The raw power of the DICE game engine, that enhanced real time warfare in Battlefield 3, enabled the massive scale and scope of Need for Speed The Run from visually stunning courses like the slippery slopes of Independence Pass, CO to the hottest vehicles, including the all-new 2012 Porsche Carrera S and 2012 Lamborghini Aventador.

The Run is the 18th entry in the Need for Speed franchise. Started in 1994 with The Need for Speed, the franchise has sold over 115 million units and totaled more than 1 billion dollars in revenue. Need for Speed The Run is available now in North America and will be available on November 17, 2011 in Europe for the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3, PC, Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™. Need For Speed The Run is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.

Bay is the world-renowned director of some of the biggest, most visually spectacular action films of all time, including Transformers, Pearl Harbor and The Rock. To create this unique promotional spot, Bay spent time playing the game and spoke with the creative production team to get a feel for Need for Speed The Run and the franchise itself, which is known for bringing exhilarating racing action to the forefront of real-life car culture. In the trailer, Bay brings his vision and signature high-octane Hollywood style to The Run, adding his explosive touch to the blockbuster action already in the game.

“Working with Michael and his company, The Institute, was such an honour. He’s known for delivering exhilarating, over-the-top, action – exactly what players are looking forward to experiencing in Need for Speed The Run. We knew from the moment we met with Michael that he was the perfect person to bring our game to life for gamers seeking non-stop action,” said Jason DeLong, Executive Producer, Need for Speed The Run. ”I encourage everyone to visit our Facebook page and help get the commercial unlocked for the entire world to see!”

Need for Speed The Run features Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks, Never Back Down’s Sean Faris, 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Model Irina Shayk and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Chrissy Teigen as characters in an intense race-for-your-life story taking players on a cross-country race from San Francisco to New York. Powered by Frostbite™ 2, Black Box Studio makes its return and takes the action racing genre to new heights with stunning visuals and car physics that hug the road at insanely fast speeds. The game is the action racing blockbuster of the holiday.

Need for Speed The Run will be available this November 15th in North America and November 17th in Europe for the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3, PC, Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™.

“Need for Speed The Run brings unprecedented racing action into an expansive race course which encompasses a coast-to-coast race from the Golden State to the Empire State,” said Jason DeLong, Need for Speed The Run Executive Producer. “Our innovative, all-new performance capture technology pushes the boundaries of character animation allowing us to perfectly capture Christina and Sean’s likeness resulting in an engaging narrative experience coupled with top-notch racing.”

Christina Hendricks, the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actress who plays the gorgeous, bold and savvy Joan Harris (née Holloway) in the hit AMC drama Mad Men, makes her videogame debut in Need for Speed The Run as Sam Harper: a woman with ambition, street smarts and a penchant for lightning fast cars. She’s turned her lifelong passion into a lucrative livelihood, managing the best drivers in the cutthroat world of outlaw street racing. In this illicit, male-dominated racket, she’s betting on Jack, the story’s protagonist, by fronting his $250K race buy-in in hopes of winning the $25 million prize. It’s Sam that enables Jack to enter the race as she remains his eyes and ears on the course.

“It’s very exciting to be part of Need for Speed The Run. I’ve never been a video game character before so this is definitely a first for me. It’s been fantastic fun to do something so different and to show a different side of myself as well,” said Christina Hendricks.

Sean Faris (The Vampire Diaries, Never Back Down), one of Hollywood’s up-and-coming leading men, gets in the driver’s seat as Jack Rourke in Need for Speed The Run. One of the best drivers around, Jack’s cockiness and arrogance has led him into a debt he can’t repay. The mob has put a price on his head, and it’s a lofty one. He’s looking for a way out and only Sam can help. His only chance of survival is to enter and win the race to New York.

“I’ve definitely done my share of intense action scenes in movies but it’s totally different and thrilling to actually be a character and driver in Need for Speed The Run. I got a kick out of seeing myself in the game, it’s totally me! I’m a huge fan of the Need for Speed series so I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the game,” said Sean Faris.

Need for Speed The Run will be available November 15th in North America and November 17th in Europe for the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3, PC, Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™.

The Need for Speed The Run and adidas promotion will be celebrated at three of the USA’s and game’s most iconic locations: Chicago, San Francisco and New York, where American consumers will get exclusive access to the limited edition Need for Speed The Run shoe and video game.

“Our goal with Need for Speed is to be more than just a videogame franchise, as we view ourselves as a leader in youth and automotive culture as well. adidas is one of the biggest lifestyle brands in the world and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with them on Need for Speed The Run,” said Kevin Maher, Senior Director of Marketing at EA.

“When we heard about Need for Speed The Run, we felt like it was a great fit with our brand and our core consumer, as Need for Speed shares our same vision of striving to be the leading lifestyle brand in their respective industry,” says Simon Atkins, head of Sport Style Division at adidas North America.

The Need for Speed The Run and adidas Originals promotional events kick-off on October 12 in Chicago. 50 pairs of the limited edition Need for Speed The Run Top X shoe will go on sale today at the adidas Originals Chicago store. The first ten consumers to purchase a pair will get a ticket to the exclusive kick-off event at the store on October 12. Promotional disclaimer: While supplies last. Must be 21+. Transportation to and from event not included. Additional conditions and limitations may apply. See retail store for details.

Headlined by DJ Neil Armstrong and Kids These Days, guests will also be able to get an early taste of Need for Speed The Run, playing as Jack Rourke in the race to be first to New York, equipped with the classic adidas Superstars.

The next event will be in San Francisco on October 27 at the adidas San Francisco store. An additional 50 pairs of the limited edition shoe will go on sale October 22 at the store. The first 20 consumers to purchase a pair will get a ticket to the exclusive event at the store on October 27 headlined by Mick Boogie*. It all culminates in New York on November 15 to celebrate the game’s launch.

Need for Speed The Run will be available November 15, 2011 in North America and November 17, 2011 in Europe for the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3, PC, Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™.

In the Need for Speed The Run demo, players will have access to two high-powered supercars including the Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni. The second car, the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S, will be unlocked when gamers refer a friend to download the demo, giving them one of first opportunities to get behind the wheel of this 400HP luxury ride. The Need for Speed The Run demo will be available on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace worldwide and the PlayStation®Network in North America from October 18^th to November 1^st, and available on the PlayStation Network in Europe from October 19^th to November 1^st.

Need for Speed The Run takes gamers on a heart-pounding, high-stakes race that will have them surrounded by a constant feeling of danger. The heat is on and lethal action unfolds as gamers take on the role of Jack Rourke and battle 200 of the world’s most notorious racers for a $25M cash prize. Weaving through dense urban traffic, rocketing down icy mountain passes and navigating narrow canyons at breakneck speeds, gamers will be challenged in this illicit race for their life. Powered by Frostbite™ 2, Black Box makes its return and takes the action racing genre to new heights with stunning visuals and car physics that hug the road at insanely fast speeds. In Need for Speed The Run, the cars are hot, the racing is intense and the story will have players at the edge of their seat, delivering this holiday’s hottest action racing game.

Need for Speed The Run will be available on November 15th in North America and November 17th in Europe for the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3, PC, Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Sports Illustrated to deliver the biggest, fastest, and sexiest entertainment event of the holiday with Need for Speed The Run,” said Steve Seabolt, Vice President of Global Brand Partnerships at EA. “With a global reach and a quality standard that’s comparable to what we achieve in our games, Sports Illustrated makes the perfect partner. Gamers, racers and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit aficionados alike will love seeing Irina and Chrissy transform from the physical to the digital world, playing lifelong friends competing in a heart-pounding race from San Francisco to New York.”

Irina Shayk, cover model of the 2011 SI Swimsuit and Chrissy Teigen, a feature model in the 2011 issue, star as best friends and rival racers competing against Jack, the protagonist and “man on the run” in Need for Speed The Run. As part of the partnership, Sports Illustrated and Electronic Arts are producing “The Making of Need for Speed The Run” DVD which will be included in a Sports Illustrated subscription offer whereby new subscribers will receive a six month “All Access” subscription to SI, Need for Speed The Run video game** and the DVD (for $49.95). Additional marketing extensions will also include commercial promotions for the offer and Sports Illustrated will have promotional billboards in the game, which will be used to promote the Sports Illustrated “All Access” Subscription offer as well as SI’s Sportsman of the Year and Swimsuit franchises.

“There are only a few companies that deliver upon the promise of excitement and innovation with every new product launch and EA stands at the top of that list. This is why it is very exciting that SI Swimsuit will be part of the latest edition of the Need for Speed franchise,” said Frank Wall, Vice President and Publisher of Sports Illustrated. “I’m sure that the millions of Swimsuit fans will be excited to see Irina and Chrissy behind the wheel and millions more will be introduced to franchise in a fun and unexpected way.”

Need for Speed The Run will be available November 15th in North America for the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3, PC, Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™. This title is not yet rated.

Jens Uwe Intat, Senior Vice President of EA European Publishing, said, “The old model of making games every few years to coincide with new hardware launches is gone. We have a very powerful set of games for today’s consoles, and now we offer that IP to players as year-round entertainment across all of their devices and platforms. We’re looking forward to our fans’ response when they get hands-on with our line-up at the show – we think they’ll like what they see”.

Canadian-made games at the show include:

• FIFA 12: Huge space that puts players on the pitch to experience the gameplay action.
• Need for Speed™ The Run: Get behind the wheel in a race for your life from the Golden Gate to the Empire State.
• Mass Effect™ 3: Bioware’s high octane alien invasion adventure explodes in an all-out galactic war. The time has come to join the war effort and experience the industry’s most critically acclaimed RPG first-hand.
• The Secret World: Funcom producers will be showing an exciting live demo in one of many dungeons, highlighting combat, progression and boss fights.

Drag Racer: Pro Tuner, a reinvention of the classic flash game Drag Racer, this game will appeal to those of you who enjoy burning up the race track and saving $2.00 at the same time. Drag Racer: Pro Tuner offers new features, more customization and new racing modes, as well as the ability to share your car designs with your friends on social media.

Each car can have its own unique look, with custom paint jobs and over 70 decals to choose from. If you want even more customization, you can create your own decals from photos or images on your device for a truly one of a kind car.

Once you’ve created your dream car it’s time to race. Drag Racer: Pro Tuner lets you race head to head in more than 20 challenges, including a new Street Race mode which puts you bumper to bumper with some of the toughest drag racers on the street. Fans of Drag Racer: Online will be happy to hear that Nitrous Oxide, gear tuning, and other performance options have been included in Drag Racer: Pro Tuner as well as the ability to race against your friends over BlueTooth or Wi-Fi.

If designing the next greatest fashion look is more your thing, Style Studio is also on sale for $2.00 off the regular price. Style Studio: Fashion Designer allows users to create a full line of men’s and women’s clothing from dresses to tops, outerwear, pants and skirts.

The easy-to-use interface is simple enough for the younger user, but provides options to keep even the most experienced designer entertained. Users can choose one of the basic product designs, and alter it to fit their style. Then they can choose from thousands of materials, prints, belts, buttons, zippers, bows, pockets and accessories to further customize their design. Clothing can be tried out on any of the models included within the application, or designers can upload a photo of themselves or friends to try on the new fashions.

Once clothes have been designed, they can be showcased on fashion magazine mockups or turned into an entire fashion show. Designs can be shared with friends through Facebook, Twitter and Email integration into the app. Additional styles, materials and accessories can be purchased through the in-app store with more content being added all the time.

Style Studio: Fashion Designer has the most extensive customization engine for clothing design ever seen on the iPhone. It takes XMG’s powerhouse customization engine and applies it to the world of fashion, making this App for more compelling then the many dress-up-doll types of applications found in the App Store.

Style Studio: Fashion Designer is available for the iPhone and iPod Touch in both a free version and the full version, as well as for the iPad. Style Studio has been featured by Apple in their Fashion Week roundups and in the App Store’s “What’s Hot” sections.

The winners will act as Need for Speed ambassadors at events throughout 2012 including representing Need for Speed products at high profile gaming events across Europe and our Team Need for Speed racing team in the prestigious FIA GT3 European Championship and Euro Drift program.

Models searches are being conducted in Six territories: France, Germany, Norway, Russia, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Finalists will be selected from each territory with the final two winners being announced in November in conjunction with the release of Need for Speed The Run.

Along with the chance to represent the UK in the grand final, two UK regional finalists will win £1500 worth of entertainment merchandise. The UK regional competition is now live for online entries.

Since 1994, Need for Speed has been a leading force in gaming and automotive culture.  With over 115 million units sold, Need for Speed has debuted some of the world’s hottest cars like the Pagani Huayra and Nissan GT-R.  It has also featured actors, models, musicians including Brooke Burke, Kelly Brook, Maggie Q, Kanye West, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Prodigy.

From the Golden Gate to the Empire State, Need for Speed The Run, in development at EA Black Box, takes players on a heart-pounding, high-stakes race that will have players surrounded by the constant feeling of danger. The heat is on and lethal action unfolds as gamers not only get out of the car for the first time, but also get up-close and personal with the franchise’s first hero, Jack – all while battling hundreds of the world’s most notorious racers. Weaving through dense urban traffic, rocketing down icy mountain passes and navigating narrow canyons at breakneck speeds, players will be challenged in this illicit race for their life.

Need for Speed World features some of the hottest cars of today including the Lamborghini Murcielago, Nissan Skyline R34 and Corvette Z06. Players can visually customize their own vehicles for that personal flair as they take down other racers in style. In addition, Need for Speed World players can be the first in the world to test drive the Audi A1 clubsport quattro unveiled at the annual Worthersee tour in Austria today. The Audi A1 clubsport quattro is exclusive to Need for Speed World and will be available to all players as a free in-game rental car from June 1 to June 4.

Joining the A1 clubsport quattro on the Audi stand at the GTI meeting are 17 series production vehicles from the current Audi model lineup. Sporting a very dynamic appearance and an exquisite finish, the Audi A1 clubsport quattro makes no secret of its potential: it is designed as a road vehicle for the race track. The heart of the showcar is a classic Audi gasoline engine – a five-cylinder unit displacing 2.5 liters with turbocharging and direct fuel injection. The output of the TFSI engine has been increased dramatically to 503 hp and 486.79 lb-ft of torque. Another area where the A1 clubsport quattro shines is its overall weight of just 3,064 lb. The powerful engine catapults the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds. From 0 to 200 km/h takes just 10.9 seconds, while the car goes from 80 to 120 km/h in fourth gear in just 2.4 seconds. A six-speed manual transmission and quattro permanent all-wheel drive deliver the power to all four wheels. Top speed is governed at 250 km/h.

Need for Speed World brings together best-in-class action racing with an unparalleled social experience on the PC. Players can compete against their friends and family or pick from thousands of players to challenge in intense online battles and police pursuits. Gamers race the way they want in an ever-expanding world with a constant stream of new content, cars, and features.

The heat is on – and it isn’t just the fuzz who are after you. Entering the race is just the beginning as you blow across borders, weave through dense urban traffic, rocket down icy mountain passes and navigate narrow canyons at breakneck speeds. Powered by DICE’s state-of-the-art Frostbite™ 2 engine, Need for Speed The Run takes the action racing genre to new heights with stunning visuals and car physics that hug the road even at top speeds all built around a gripping storyline. The cars are hot, the racing is intense and the story will have you at the edge of your seat… all the way from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Empire State building.

“This is the year that Need for Speed goes to the next level,” said Jason DeLong, Executive Producer at EA. “We think that Need for Speed The Run is going to surprise people with its intense, thrilling story and big action feel. But the game would be nothing without hot cars and crazy-fast chases. So that is what we’re delivering — explosive racing that will have players flirting with disaster at 200-miles an hour.”

Using the groundbreaking Frostbite 2 engine, Need for Speed The Run will set the bar with unparalleled visual quality and enhanced physics. Need for Speed The Run will also take immersive storytelling to a new level with cutting edge performances that will draw the player into a world with no speed limits, rules or allies. Autolog, the Need for Speed franchise’s revolutionary social competition functionality, is back and better in Need for Speed The Run as it will continue to reinvent how people play games, track career progression and compare game stats.

Big Blue Bubble’s Burn the Rope has ignited puzzle gaming on the iPhone and iPad, and will soon be doing the same for the Mac OS. Wickman has been looking to make his next move, and with brand new cursor and keyboard-driven controls, Burn the Rope for Mac OS brings the original hit mobile gaming experience and proven flame-lighting fun to Mac gaming enthusiasts everywhere, now from the Mac App Store.

The goal of Burn the Rope is to burn as much rope as possible on each level. The fire only burns upwards, so the player must rotate the rope to keep the flame going – once all the flames are out, it’s game over. With clever puzzle designs for each level and rope-crawling insects that add to the game-play in unique and interesting ways, Burn the Rope is one of the hottest apps in the App Store. Burn the Rope is fast-paced addictive fun, and the Burn the Rope for Mac OS is sure to please puzzle game fans of any age.

EA Black Box invites you to experience the white-hot intensity of illicit street racing in the all-new Team Escape mode in Need for Speed™ World, the Play4Free online PC action racing game from EA. Available now, players can team up with three friends to win the race while battling a determined police force. This is a race to the finish line using any means necessary including roadblocks, spike strips and deadly rhino SUVs. Players can also fight back with two brand new power-ups; Team Emergency Evade, which can be used to save friends from getting busted with a more powerful blast than regular evade, and Team Slingshot which gives one team a huge burst of speed. 

Need for Speed World players will be the world’s first game to use Dolby® Axon voice technology. This innovative new technology lets players stay in constant contact as they organize objectives, create race strategies and perfect escape tactics without requiring a separate application or any drain on bandwidth.

Additionally, Need for Speed World players can now further personalize their cars with an enhanced visual customization system featuring window tints, underbody neons, license plates, wheels, and lowering kits.

Need for Speed World brings together best-in-class action racing with an unparalleled social experience on the PC. Players can compete against their friends and family or pick from thousands of players to challenge in intense online battles and police pursuits. Gamers race the way they want in an ever-expanding world with a constant stream of new content, cars, and features.

Square Enix Ltd. has announced that Deus Ex: Human Revolution™ Collector’s Edition, an extremely limited, exclusive product will be releasing in select European countries on August 26, 2011 and in Australia and New Zealand on August 25, 2011, snubbing the Deus Ex fans in the home country of developer Eidos Montreal – unless the publisher is being coy and simply not yet announcing something special for the NTSC zone gamers, but why do something that will blatantly alienate the gamer community the studio has worked very hard at engaging prior to the game’s release?

The Collector’s Edition will include some extras that can be purchased with one of the Augmented Reality versions or as a standard edition pre-order bonus (I’ve had an AR copy on pre-order since the title showed up in the GameStop computers), and while this newly announced edition will include all of the previously mentioned bonuses, it will also include the highly coveted and highly collectable Adam Jensen action figurine designed by Play Arts Kai – a Square Enix company.

This is not the first time Canadian gamers have been shut out of collectable extras sold by the publishers of Canadian-made titles. One of the most recent incidences was with Assassin’s Creed 2, when gamers in Canada (and the USA) could not purchase the AC2 CE with Ezio dressed in black Assassin’s garb, only white. Wouldn’t it be nice to see Canadian developers recognize their “hometown” supporters with a Canada-only special edition?

Vancouver’s Slick Entertainment has launched the next iteration of Scrap Metal™, this time to the iTunes App Store. Scrap Metal for iPad, iPad 2, iPhone and iPod Touch, is due for release on March 11th, 2011 for $2.99.

Drift around corners with guns blazing and take out legendary competitors in the fast-paced, top-down racer, Scrap Metal™! Fight your way through four different game modes filled with explosive, action-packed missions, and compete with your friends on the Game Center leaderboards. Amazing graphics combined with a completely new super intuitive input method makes this a game you can’t afford to miss!

We will (hopefully) be taking it iOS version of Scrap Metal for a spin around the track this weekend to see how it translates to the small screen, if updates to Scott’s iPhone go well. The game is not compatible with 2nd generation iPod Touches, so I can’t play it, and Scott can’t risk updating his iPhone during the week, just in case the update doesn’t go well, and we all know that OS updates can sometimes go sideways. Scrap Metal does support the following hardware: all OpenGL ES2 devices: iPad, iPad2, iPhone (3GS and better), iPod 3rd gen. (32Mb or more) and iPod 4th generation. Retina display and Game Center supported.

Scrap Metal is also available on Xbox Live Arcade for 1200 points and is rated E10+ by the ESRB, with Mild Violence, Mild Suggestive Scenes, Alcohol and Tobacco Reference. There is a demo available for the 360, so if you haven’t yet, I recommend trying the game, it’s a load of fun to play.

Nickelodeon and Budge Studios present Dora’s Ballet Adventures, an Application based on the primetime musical special of the same name, premiering Monday, March 14, 8-8:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.

Available on iTunes today, Dora’s Ballet Adventures will be available for the iPhone, iPod Touch ($1.99usd) and in HD for the iPad ($3.99usd). This App contains activities specifically designed for preschoolers including: helping Dora dance with simple finger swipes and gestures, matching animals while using the built in microphone to make animal sounds, and playing songs while learning about different musical instruments. In addition, the App also teaches reading and allows preschoolers to follow along with Dora’s voice, read by themselves, or have the story read to them, all while learning Spanish words and phrases.

In the primetime special, “Dora’s Ballet Adventure,” Dora’s dance class is having a big show for all of their friends and family. Dora is opening the show and can’t wait for her family to see her dance! She just needs her dance slippers, but the delivery duck gives her scuba flippers instead. It’s a dance-filled adventure as Dora and Boots play “follow-the-bunny” to make their way through Bunny Hop Hill, dance in the animal hoedown across Benny’s barn and rush to the show aboard the dancing train.

In 2010, Dora the Explorer celebrated its 10th anniversary and remains one of the top preschool shows on television. Dora the Explorer, which can be seen in 151 markets and is translated into 30 languages, has been honored with awards including the Peabody, NAACP, Alma, Imagen, Latino Spirit, Gracie Allen, Parents’ Choice Award, the Television Critics Association Award and has received 16 Daytime Emmy nominations.

Zincroe’s will be launching their latest app, a Stella and Sam adventure, in the iTunes store on March 10th. Into The Snow We Go revolves around a missing toboggan and young readers will have to help Stella and Sam solve a series of quests to find it. The activities featured in this tale include Pictures in the Snow, Snowman and Under the Snow.

Based on the children’s books by Canadian author Marie-Louise Gay, The Stella and Sam Adventures for the iPad are a wonderful way for families with small children to enjoy and experience the same playful world of Stella and her little brother Sam as seen in the animated TV series.

Each adventure takes preschoolers on a quest and features:

* Four original animated story chapters
* Three open-ended, age-appropriate games
* Ten minutes of continuous storytelling
* Game replay
* Quick navigation by chapter and game

Webcast: If you missed the Canada Media Fund webcast outlining the changes which have been made to funding guidelines, you can view the video in either French or English online. Note, registration and log-in is required to watch the video.

Event: The next MoMoVan will be held at the Granville Island Brewing Company on March7th. The topic will be Privacy and Security. Tickets are free for DigiBC members, sponsors, students and partners, $25.00 for non-members. Attendance is limited to 100, so register early.

Competition: Game developers take note, Dream Build Play 2011 is now open for registration. Once registration closes on May 17th, the game submission period will begin. Entrants will have until June 14th to submit their Xbox 360 creations built using XNA Game Studio 4.0. Winning game developers split $75,000 USD in prizes and get a shot at an Xbox LIVE® Arcade publishing contract, and their games will be featured on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

Grey Alien Games has announced its next title. Spring Bonus will be a Spring and Easter-themed match 3 styled game scheduled to launch on April 15th to several platforms including including PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, XBox Live Indie Games and Windows Phone 7 – possibly for Linux as well. Grey Alien’s founder Jake Birkett has released his first dev diary for the new title, you can read about the lead-up to Spring Bonus’ development on the Grey Alien blog.

Trekking around the halls of GDC with Jake is Brian Provinciano, founder of Vblank Entertainment and developer of Retro City Rampage. Brian will be participating in a panel discussion titled The Next Steps of Indie: Four Perspectives during the Indie Games Festival within the GDC umbrella. Attendees to this panel will get an inside look at the road Brian followed as he developed Retro City Rampage, from NES programming in 2002 right up to our current next-gen consoles. Retro City Rampage will be coming to Xbox Live Arcade and Nintendo WiiWare later this year. Retro City Rampage is also a finalist for the Excellence in Audio category at the Indie Games Festival Awards.

Sale: Endloop Systems has announced that their iPad app iMockups will be on sale for 30% for the duration of GDC. iMockups for iPad is a mobile wireframing and mockup app for your web, iPhone and iPad projects, combining a beautiful interface with intuitive functionality, taking full advantage of the breakthrough touchscreen device. With a comprehensive and growing list of pre-built dynamic controls (for Web, iPhone and iPad) help turn your ideas into full fledged designs at the office or on the go.

New Media Manitoba will be very active at this week’s Game Developers Conference, which is just getting underway in San Francisco. The association is leading a provincial delegation that will showcase the Manitoba digital media industry and offer start-ups and seasoned game companies the opportunity to grow their business. New Media Manitoba will be hosting a networking event at Thirsty Bear from 4-6pm on March 3rd.

One of the shiny new yet retro members of the Manitoba delegation is the Winnitron itself, making its first appearance at the GDC. The Winnitron will showcase exclusive Manitoba made games like Leap4Blue, Trash Pilot, C4ke, Sumo Topplers, and Robots Robots Everywhere, along with other high profile indie titles such as Canabalt 2-Player and Super Crate Box. Fans from all over the indie game circuit are already buzzed about playing classic indie games like Space Sushi, Indie Brawl, and N Arcade on the Winnitron for the first time ever. Winnitron Photo Credit: Chrissy Chubala

Four companies will be sharing space at our booth on the Expo Floor—Tomkorp Computer Solutions (creators of Clones ), Cube Force Media (creators of Aerrevan), Cogmation Robotics , and Project Whitecard, which is currently leading development on a multiplayer problem-solving game for NASA.

Representing the Winnitron at the booth will be Bit Collective (creators of the Winnitron) members Alec Holowka of Infinite Ammo, Tom Rab of Reborn Games, Noel Berry, Marlon Weibe and New Media Manitoba’s own Kert Gartner. Manitoba game developers Red Reptile Studios and Complex Games, who recently won a Canada New Media Award for Best Web Game, will be making waves at the conference via some targeted meetings.

If you’ve been following news on Indie Game: The Movie, you’ll know that the Globe and Mail and major industry publications (including this site) have already been celebrating the pre-release footage Blink-Works has posted on their web site. The 2-person team behind the project, Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky, will be chatting about their film at Manitoba Booth #1137 on Thursday, March 3.

New Media Manitoba would like to gratefully acknowledge the amazing support from Manitoba Trade & Investment, Western Economic Diversification, and Red River College for their contributions toward growing the game companies in Manitoba and this Trade Mission, as well as: Complex Games, Agence nationale et internationale du Manitoba (ANIM), Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT), Industry Canada, Manitoba Innovation, Energy, and Mines (IEM), Economic Development Winnipeg, and Manitoba’s tireless game development community.

Vancouver-based IE Market Research Corporation has released its 1Q.2011 Global Mobile Entertainment Forecast, 2008 – 2015, which is available now for purchase. IEMR’s forecast provides our quantitative forecasts for Mobile Music, Mobile Gaming, Mobile Personalisation, Mobile TV, and other premium content. It covers 50+ countries and regions, and it is one of the most comprehensive forecasts of its kind in the world.

“We think that the global mobile entertainment market will see significant growth over the next five years. Globally, we are expecting mobile multimedia revenue to rise from $32 billion in 2009 to $52.8 billion in 2015. Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2011 to 2015 will be 9.5%,” said Nizar Assanie, Vice President (Research) at IEMR. “Among different categories of mobile multimedia, we expect that Mobile TV will see the biggest growth in revenues over the next five years. We forecast that global mobile TV revenues (which are broadcast and unicast revenues) will increase from $2.52 billion in 2009 to $6.6 billion in 2015.”

To the comprehensive data set, we are adding a PowerPoint presentation which provides our clients with an overview of key trends in the global mobile entertainment market.

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has secured a new, exclusive membership benefit for members – an airline travel discount. Starting immediately, all IGDA members can get a 5 percent discount on Virgin America flights booked to attend GDC, E3, IGDA Summit, Casual Connect Seattle, PAX Prime and the IGDA Leadership Forum. Naturally, Virgin America appears to fly only out of Toronto on our side of the border, but I guess one could drive to Seattle or take the shuttle bus, and then fly down to the California events from there if the overall savings were substantial.

IGDA members in good standing can access the promo codes online. Please note that discounted tickets are limited and members should reserve their flights as early as possible. Remember to add your IGDA special promo code before purchasing your ticket in order to get the discount.

Your travel on Virgin Airlines must fall within these timelines:

GDC 2011: To SFO: 2/24 – 2/28 and From SFO: 3/4 – 3/8
E3: To LAX: 6/4 – 6/8 and From LAX: 6/9 – 6/11
IGDA Summit/Casual Connect Seattle: To SEA: 7/14 – 7/18 and From SEA: 7/20 – 7/24
PAX Prime Seattle: To SEA: 8/29 – 9/1 and From SEA: 9/5 – 9/9
IGDA Leadership Forum: To LAX: 10/22 – 10/26 and From LAX: 10/30 – 11/3

There’s a new installment of the Dr. Mike tutorial video series about dealing with Swarmites. Watch closely and listen carefully as Dr. Mike teaches you how to score with a Swarmite in this upcoming action platformer from Hothead Games.

For those unfamiliar with the game’s premise, you will take control of 50 utterly fearless Swarmites and drive them through an intense, entertaining and often suicidal battle of survival. Run, bash, huddle, boost, stack, jump, push and throw your way through gauntlets of death and destruction in an attempt to collect valuable DNA and ensure that at least one Swarmite survives.

Transgaming Studios has announced that the first update to the recently launched Garage Inc. is now live on the iPhone app store. This update includes Game Centre integration, Achievements and the ability to replay any completed day via a handy calendar. A second update is already in progress, which will include an Endless Day mode, which has been the most requested feature by both the press and gamers. The planned timeframe for the release of the second update is within the next 30 days.

Psychic Parrot Games has released a new title on Kongregate. Built with Unity, MudFire is a 4×4 racing game that you can control with either your keyboard or USB Xbox gamepad. The game features options for setting the graphics and audio to your liking (or your computer’s specs) and starts you off in the 4×4 Wander vehicle. Once you get into the winner’s circle, you can unlock the 4×4 Wander Paws, 4×4 Fire, the green Team Parrot 4×4, the Pink 4×4, Red Leader 4×4 and the Super Pickup 4×4. Recent improvements to MudFire include better in-vehicle cams and better vehicle handling.

Speaking of Unity, the Unity team has announced the continued expansion of its Asset Store. Announced at Unite 2010, the Unity Asset Store is a digital marketplace where developers can share and sell assets to each other to accelerate their workflows. It’s immediately accessible in the Unity editor under the Window > Asset Store menu so assets are at developers’ fingertips when they most need them.

Over the last two months, the Unity Asset Store catalogue has grown to more than 200 new items including a variety of assets such as free tutorials, open-source libraries, art packs and advanced script libraries. The majority of these assets have been produced by the Unity development community – who individually are bringing in revenues of thousands of dollars each month monetizing their assets. January’s top seller brought in more than $4,000. Top selling assets include:

· Unisky by Six Times Nothing
· GUIKit001 by Blackish
· EZ GUI by AB Software
· Sprite Manager by AB Software
· Shader Fusion by Kurt Loeffler

The Unity Asset Store features free assets that range from sophisticated terrain road and river tools to complete packages with learning materials. A popular release, C# Game Examples by Mark Hergaarden, includes five simple, but essential game examples to learn from and modify. Developers can spend hours programming obstacles to animate, swing, thump, follow paths and generally move around or accomplish the same thing in a matter of minutes with one of the top-downloaded free items, iTween, which brings intuitive and easy-to-use tweening animation to Unity.

“We’re getting great feedback from developers and it’s exciting to see content creators monetizing their assets and making thousands of dollars every month,” said Caitlyn Meeks, Asset Store Content Manager. “Our Asset Store user base has grown to more than 10,000 users in less than three months, and it’s quickly becoming the #1 marketplace of choice for Unity developers.”

Meeks continued, “An exciting growth area of the Asset Store can be found in the Editor Extensions category. The Unity editor is surprisingly extensible with editor classes so that the actual development environment itself can be customised to a degree that one would think only possible with source-level modification, including vehicle wizards, procedural sky systems, UI toolbars and added functionality to the workspace.”

Absolute® Software Corporation has launched a closed beta of Computrace® Mobile for the Android platform. This new solution will deliver asset administration, data protection and geolocation tracking for the popular Android line of devices, which generally includes tablets and smartphones.

Computrace Mobile for the Android platform will deliver:

* Reduced operational costs associated with managing mobile devices by leveraging the Computrace platform’s integrated Customer Center reporting for hardware, software and user information.
* An additional layer of data protection and increased compliance with government data breach laws through remote Data Delete capabilities.
* The ability to geolocate a device and display it on an internet map including current and historical locations (only performed with the prior consent of the device owner on corporate liable devices).

During the beta testing period, some of Absolute’s current commercial customers have privileged, pre-release access to Computrace Mobile for Android at no additional cost. Interested journalists and product reviewers may also request a demonstration of the solution prior to its general availability.

Computrace Mobile is supported on the following platforms: Windows Mobile® 5, 6, 6.1, 6.2, and 6.5 handheld devices; Symbian – S60 Third Edition and later releases; and BlackBerry® Mobile Versions 4.5 and later. Absolute Manage Mobile Device Management allows organizations to manage the Apple® iOS devices (iPad™, iPhone®, iPod touch®) in their deployment.

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.

Several Canadian titles have been named as finalists for the AIAS Interactive Achievement Awards which will be presented at DICE Las Vegas this coming February 10th. The dev teams from EA Canada will be competing against each other in the Sports Game of the Year category with both FIFA Soccer 11 and NHL 11 receiving nominations. The debut title for United Front Games, ModNation Racers, has been named to the Racing Game of the Year category.

Relic Entertainment’s Dawn of War 2: Chaos Rising has been nominated in the Strategy Game of the Year category, while Ubisoft Montreal action title Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction is competing in the Achievements in Animation category. Bioware has been named to the Outstanding Character Performance category for Mass Effect 2 – Male Shepard, while Mass Effect 2 was given the nod for both the Outstanding Achievement in Story,  Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year and Game of the Year categories.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood has been nominated for an Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition Award as well as Adventure Game of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Online Game Play. The Ubisoft Montreal blockbuster will also be going head to head with Bioware’s blockbuster Mass Effect 2 as they compete in the  Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction category. Best of luck to all of our Canadian nominees!

Vancouver Film School graduate Nicholas Yonge has officially launched his indie game development studio krangGAMES, which will initially be focusing on flash games with an eye to expanding its products to other platforms in the future. The studio is currently developing DotGuy vs The Galaxy, which is an action-puzzle game where the player must successfully guide DotGuy out of a damaged spaceship. According to the game’s description, DotGuy vs The Galaxy will feature a campaign mode, unlockable modes of play, multiple playable characters, and user-made content via the Assembly Level Editor. krangGAMES also developed a game named Prior, which was created for the Ludum Dare Competition #19. Prior is a msyterious 2D platformer that was built in Adobe Flash, and in following with the LD19 theme of Discovery, players must navigate through a dark facility in an effort to figure out who they are, what has happened, where they are, and why they are there, developing their story piece by piece.

Hothead Games has brought Swarm creator, Dr. Mike Hayward, out of his dark and windowless office for a few short minutes to explain how players can control their “Swarm” in this first edition of “Ask Dr. Mike.”

Since Dr. Mike tends to speak in programming code without even realizing it, Hothead brought in “man of the people” and “regular guy”, Lead Designer, Pete Low, to bridge the gap and explain to us laypeople the unique and fun way to control your Swarm. Swarm is the upcoming and ultra addictive action game from UTV Ignition and Hothead Games set to release early this year. Dr. Mike did his PhD research in the field of artificial intelligence, and while his research didn’t directly relate to causing the horrific deaths of little cute and pudgy blue creatures, he has harnessed his work to realize that vision in Swarm. In the newly released video, Dr. Mike shows us everything from how to jump, group up, huddle and even stack and bash your Swarmites.

Swarm gives players control of 50 utterly fearless Swarmites and drives them through an intense and often suicidal battle of survival. Swarm is the first game to feature mass character control, where players move all the Swarmites at once. Steer the flock of pudgy, clueless little blue morons through the game and they naturally flock and flow around obstacles. Creatively combine swarm moves to work your way through a relentlessly dangerous and hilariously brutal environment. Compete against friends to get the high score by deftly moving through the world and cleverly solving puzzles the game throws your way. Swarm is rated T for Teen by the ESRB

EA SPORTS™ and Virgin Gaming™ have penned a new agreement which names Virgin Gaming as the official worldwide provider of online tournaments for EA SPORTS. The agreement covers all head-to-head competitive play, pay-to-enter and sponsored tournaments for select EA SPORTS console video games.

As part of the agreement, the Virgin Gaming tournament platform will integrate directly with select EA SPORTS titles offering seamless web functionality and enhanced community tools for competitive gaming across Xbox 360® and PlayStation®3 consoles. The first tournaments will begin early 2011, with details to be announced in the near future.

“EA SPORTS is the leading sports video game brand and publisher in the world, and we are thrilled to offer our members the opportunities to compete in some of their very best multiplayer sports games,” said Rob Segal, CEO of Virgin Gaming. “Virgin Gaming is a unique convergence of competitive gaming, video games and social/community networking, and we are excited that EA SPORTS shares our vision for the platform and its potential.”

“Competitive online gaming is an increasingly popular component of our industry and a great way for EA SPORTS and Virgin Gaming to help connect gamers around the world through the global language of sports,” said Peter Moore, President of EA SPORTS. “Virgin Gaming demonstrates the system-wide integrity we desire, and this is a great opportunity for EA SPORTS fans to experience secure and impeccably managed online tournaments for some of our top titles.”

Wicked Interactive and Mission Against Terror (M.A.T.) today offered a first look at Occupation Mode, the eagerly anticipated update which brings hardcore, capture-the-flag-style competitive action to everyone’s favorite free-to-play shooter.

“Gamers have been extremely curious,” said Sam Ho, Director, Wicked Interactive. “Since there hasn’t been an Old School hardcore competitive title in quite some time, gamers seem like they can’t wait to get their hands on Occupation Mode. We hope that these screenshots hold them over until Occupation Mode goes live, which, we promise, will be very soon.”

What’s New in Occupation Mode:

· New maps
· Territory capture and control – the two essential ingredients of a competitive title
· New team-based action and coordination
· Ability to set time-challenges – game creators determine how long one team has to hold all points on map for the win
· Opportunity to test out recently purchased or unlocked weapons in new, challenging environments

“With Occupation Mode, we offer players a great mix of flexibility and raw competition,” added Ho. “Some players want an experience that is nothing less than a fight to the death, with matches lasting countless rounds until one team finally emerges victorious from the firefight. For others, it’s about light, scrimmage with friends. We are proud to serve both communities of gamers with this latest update to M.A.T.”

Mobile IT management solution provider Rove has announced the rapidly growing adoption of its award-winning solution, Rove Mobile Admin, a secure smartphone- and tablet-enabled IT management solution giving IT staff unprecedented mobile access to incident detection, diagnosis, triage and resolution.

Spurring the surge of interest and uptake has been Rove’s Dashboard, functionality that aggregates alerts, alarms, notifications and tickets from IT monitors and incident management systems, presents them to IT administrators directly on their mobile device’s screen, and makes it possible to drill down quickly into problem details to identify the cause and implement a fix.

“We use Microsoft’s System Center Operations Manager to monitor a wide variety of security and server health issues,” said Jeff Rountree, Global Network Manager for Dover’s Pump Solutions Group (PSG), a world-leading manufacturer of industrial pumps and compressors. “While email alerts for warnings and errors are available to us, setting them up takes a number of steps and our time. With the Rove Mobile Admin Dashboard my team can view alerts directly, without the need for any email escalations. The added value is being able to receive alerts regarding our Exchange and/or Blackberry servers even if they’re offline – as long we have network connectivity we can get the Rove Dashboard alerts and begin taking corrective action.”

“There is a growing awareness within IT organizations that robust, proven mobile solutions are required to effectively manage their networks and infrastructure,” said Russell Ure, President and COO, Rove. “Rove Mobile Admin is increasingly seen as the preferred solution to address these needs.”

Vancouver developer Dark Acre has just launched a novella for Amazon Kindle titled Tale of the Madeus (The Solarus Cycle) in the first in a series, and is currently available via download for only $1.99 USD. Written in the style of a science fiction space opera, Tale of the Madeus takes place in the Far Vacuum of the Solarus system and follows a series of events which occur between the Oslean Stellar Trade League Transport Vessel ‘Madeus’ and the pirate vessel ‘Staine’, and was written as a supporting background piece for Dark Acre’s game Project Zero Zero, which is currently in development.

Indie developer Celsius Games has announced that there will soon be an update for its inertial survival shooter game Red Nova. It looks like players are in for at least one new mode of transport – or maybe a new enemy, as the image is only showing up as a shadowy blip on the Village Gamer game spotter. Still available for the launch price of 99 Cents USD, Red Nova is compatible with the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. As the person in control, you have been sent on a mission to test a number of prototype fighters which could be destined to replace the Earth Colonial Fleet’s aging Starhawk. While voyaging across the galaxy in your carrier, the ECS Red Nova, you discover the dastardly deeds of a previously unknown alien fleet as they prepare to stage a sneak attack on Earth’s space colonies. Being the hero that you are, it’s up to you and your crew to save humanity from certain destruction at the hands of these alien foes.

If you want to see the Best of 2010′s Xbox Indie Games included on the dashboard, head over to this article written by Matthew Doucette of Xona Games to find out how you can vote on this issue. As a supporter (and purchaser) of our Canadian indie dev-made products, I would like to see the indie games front and centre just like all of the big-budget (and sometimes nowhere near as fun) titles.

Bioware and i09 are offering a sneak preview at who the Illusive Man really is (surprise, he’s not really Martin Sheen). This brand new comic from Dark Horse will peel back the layers of secrecy we first got a glimpse at in Mass Effect 2.

According to the comic’s official description, “Mass Effect 2 Lead Writer Mac Walters reveals the origin of our galaxy’s most mysterious powerbroker—The Illusive Man! With co—writer John Jackson Miller (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic) and artist Omar Francia (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2), Walters chronicles humanity’s first deadly days on the galactic stage and uncovers the pivotal role The Illusive Man played in it all! Available only in comics, this essential piece of Mass Effect canon offers new insights for existing fans, while the focus on humanity’s first steps into the wider Mass Effect universe provides a riveting story of action and intrigue for sci-fi readers of all stripes!”

Please visit the i09 site for a look at the 5 page Mass Effect Evolution preview.

Doritos®, in partnership with Microsoft, has announced the winner of its Unlock Xbox competition, with Crash Course taking first place. Crash Course was developed by Behaviour Interactive’s Chile studio Wanako from a concept by North Carolinian Jill Robertson. Her game concept was inspired by one of her favourite shows, Wipe Out – and is loads of fun. As the winner, Jill was awarded a $50 000.00 USD game consulting gig with Doritos, but in an unprecedented move, Doritos also awarded $50 000.00 to second place contestant Justin Carpenter of Ogden, Utah. His game concept, Harm’s Way, was also extremely well received – both titles had well over Xblox Live Arcade 2 million downloads between them – and they are both well worth the effort, offering tons of replayability and gaming fun. Both titles are still available for download, and at free, you certainly can’t scoff at the price for so much fun.

Digital Leisure Inc. has launched Dragon’s Lair II: Time Warp, the follow up to arcade classics Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace, designed exclusively for Nintendo’s DSiWare™ service and available now for 800 DSi Points. From legendary animator Don Bluth (‘An American Tail’, ‘The Land Before Time’) Dragon’s Lair II: Time Warp allows you to play the heroic Dirk the Daring, who must stop the Evil Wizard Mordroc as he has kidnapped Princess Daphne and taken her through time! But you must hurry, for once the Casket of Doom has opened, Mordroc will place the Death Ring upon Daphne’s finger in marriage and she will be lost forever… in the Time Warp!

Sharpen your sword and get ready to guide Dirk the Daring as he races through time to save the beautiful Princess Daphne from the clutches of the Evil Wizard Mordroc in Dragon’s Lair II: Time Warp. You’ll journey through time to rescue the beautiful Princess Daphne by using your Nintendo DSi™ to move and wield your sword.

Big Blue Bubble Inc. is pleased to announce the release and immediate worldwide availability of Burn the Rope ($0.99 USD), their new original game for iOS devices. Winning the hearts of users with smash hit Thumpies – game that reinvented the rhythm genre – developers are intended to do it again by bringing to the App Store a unique game for all who are fascinated with flame and all kinds of fire effects.

Starting today users have the freedom to set fire without any fire hazard or need for a fire extinguisher. The game involves a mix of strategic planning, thinking ahead, coordination and the ability to stay in deep focus. Users have to feed the fire and burn as much rope as they can in each level to progress. The challenge is that fire only burns upwards, leaving players to tilt and turn their iPhones to keep the flame alive.

The game features 80 devilishly tricky levels with polished graphics and mesmerizing fire effects. Bugs that crawl along the rope spice things up demonstrating different reactions to the flame from level to level. Ants change the color of the flame so that users could burn different colored ropes, and the spider shoots out a web bridge providing access to the parts of the level that were beyond players’ reach before.

“Burn The Rope is our most innovative game initially prototyped with a string of rope and box of matches. It’s really easy to learn, but quite hard to master! That game was created with the whole family in mind and I’m sure that all family members will have enormous fun playing with fire.” – said Damir Slogar, CEO of Big Blue Bubble Inc.

In collaboration with OpenFeint’s Free Game of the Day, Zoo Toss from PlayBrains and Bytemark Games is free for today only. In Zoo Toss, the player is challenged through 20 levels to keep three hungry animals happy and fed by flicking good food at them. Keep your vegan giraffes, carnivorous lions and garbage-can warthogs content, don’t feed them bad food and keep vitamins in stock for when they’re looking a bit sickly. Zoo Toss is OpenFeint-enabled with Game Center achievements and leaderboards.

Indie game developer Tomkorp today announced that they will be offering their strategy/puzzle game Clones at 50% off over the holiday season. Tomkorp recently partnered with Get Games Go, the PC game distribution platform for Eurogamer. Clones is also available for purchase on Steam, Direct2Drive, and the official ClonesGame.com website.

An updated version of Clones was made public on Dec. 16th. “Since launch we’ve had relatively few technical problems. This maintenance release includes a few requested features and improvements suggested by our growing fan base.” said Tom Kaminski, co-founder.

Clones is winning the hearts of puzzle players from around the world. “We are thrilled with the number of positive reviews Clones has received” said Ryan Tomko, co-founder. One reviewer, James Allen of Out Of Eight PC Game Reviews, writes “While the single player content will last you a while, what sets Clones apart is the robust multiplayer action”, giving the game a “Buy It” rating of 7 / 8.

Clones is a friendly, fun, and engaging evolution to the classic Lemmings puzzle genre that includes robust internet-multiplayer with team play, different game modes, powerups, and leaderboards. The built-in level editor was used to create the singleplayer campaign of over 150 clontastic puzzles spanning 11 CloneMaster bosses over 5 regions of the Clones Planet.

In Clones, the player controls cute alien “clones” by telling them when to morph their bodies in order to overcome obstacles in the landscape and complete the level objective. This can include beaming up a minimum number of clones, leading a special clone to an exit, or reducing all opponent clones to bits. Each puzzle has a leaderboard on the ClonesGame.com website that ranks all solutions based on stats like the number of morphs used, and the time to complete the level. Clones is rated E for Everyoneby the ESRB.

EA Sports and EA Mobile bring you FIFA 11 for the iPad. The larger Multi-Touch screen on iPad delivers an incredible measure of visual excellence – and sets the stage for a total soccer experience like you’ve never seen before. Featuring authentic teams, superstar players, and precision controls, FIFA 11 on iPad truly kicks it to the next level!

Take the field with superstars like Real Madrid’s Kaka and Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney. Match up more than 500 teams from real leagues around the world while quality graphics make every detail on the field spring to life. Team colors are ultra vibrant. The green of the grass is even more glorious. Capture the passion and power of the world’s favorite sport with an unprecedented level of visual clarity that you can only get with iPad. The new D-pad and button layout options provide more gameplay sophistication for veterans and simplicity for casual players. Control the ball and the action with 360° player movement and gesture-driven skill moves. Swipe a player to make an attacking run! Control of the action is even more precise and responsive on iPad.

Traveling through space. Mowing down hordes of evil aliens. Upgrading your ship into the most lethal killing force the universe has ever seen. What could be better? How about getting to do all of the above for a measly two bucks! Frima Studio is pleased to unveil the brand new, never-before-seen trailer for its latest release, A Space Shooter for Two Bucks! As a PlayStation Mini title, A Space Shooter for Two Bucks! will be playable on both the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and will be blasting off Tuesday, December 21 for the insanely low price of – yep, you guessed it – $1.99.

Since time immemorial, through eons of time and dozens of game consoles, one thing has remained true: humans love hopping into a spaceship to shoot up hordes of alien invaders! In A Space Shooter for Two Bucks! (a game with perhaps the most straight-forward title in history) you get to do just that. Take control of Commander P. Jefferson and go on an intergalactic shooting spree, hopping from galaxy to galaxy in your attempts to wipe out hordes of swarming alien baddies. With over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek humor from the game’s wide cast of colorful characters (all of which are fully voiced-over) and loads of bodacious power-ups to ensure your ship has a fighting chance against the sea of enemy ships and bullets, A Space Shooter for Two Bucks! gives gamers everything they could ask for in a space shooter! A Space Shooter for Two Bucks! is rated T for Teen for mild fantasy violence, mild language, suggestive themes and use of tobacco.

Need for Speed World brings together best in class action racing with an unparalleled social experience for the PC. Players can compete against their friends and family or pick from thousands of top ranked players to challenge in intense online battles and police pursuits. Gamers race the way they want in an ever expanding world that continues to grow with a constant stream of new content, cars, and features.

In addition to English and German, Need for Speed World has now been localized for France, Russia, Spain and Poland markets. Players worldwide can feel the rush of illicit street racing as they speed their way through a white-knuckle socially-connected Need for Speed experience. They will also be able to purchase SpeedBoost which they can use to acquire in-game items such as Booster Packs, Power-ups, XP accelerators and even exclusive exotic cars via the in-game store using a variety of local payment options including credit cards and SMS billing.

The EA PWNED_ team stopped in at the EA Sports campus in Burnaby during their recent globetrotting visits to various EA studios around the world. Watch Matt Cuttle and Sian Welby as they join World Heavyweight Champion David Haye as his famous ‘Hayemaker’ and a range of other equally devastating blows are captured for Fight Night Champion. Appearing in the game and on the box the champ is heavily involved in EA Canada’s latest game but who would he like to play as in Fight Night Champion? Tune in to find out.

In other developments, EA sent out a press release announcing an “Epic Promotion” for the upcoming Bulletstorm, developed by Epic’s People Can Fly studio over in Poland. Normally I wouldn’t carry the news about this promotion because the games involved are not developed in Canada. That said, the fine print at the end of the press release somewhat irked me. Maybe it’s because my morning caffeine level has not yet reached a safe level, maybe because it looks like EA is leaving an out for itself while sucking gamers into pre-ordering Bulletstorm on the promise of getting in on a beta for Gears of War 3, a title that has been delayed at least a couple of times now – and was supposed to be a part of the recent Spike Video Game Awards but was a no-show (just like the awards show itself, in terms of quality). This has not pleased the hardcore Marcus Fenix fans, and perhaps Epic and EA are teaming up to try to appease them, dangling the slim promise of a beta play in front of them.

Why do I think this promotion sounds somewhat hinky? Well, the press release started off great – then I noticed the * in a sentence: Players that purchase the Epic Edition are guaranteed early access to the Gears of War 3 beta*. Pre-order now to reserve a copy of the Epic Edition which will be available on Feb. 22, 2011 for MSRP $59.99 ($69.99 in Canada, which doesn’t make sense given the strength of our dollar), only for the Xbox 360® while supplies last.

So…having a rabid Gears of War fan living in the cave upstairs, I checked the disclaimer indicated by the * before telling him of this “Epic Promotion” …and the * indicates that Conditions and restrictions apply. See back of pack for details if and when available. Okay, so this is normal, conditions often apply when EA sends out a press release, but it’s usually the requirement of an EA Account and an internet connection, and this is where the promotion doesn’t sit quite right with me. EA and Epic want gamers to pre-order one game, for the promise of getting in on the beta for the game that they really want, but there are conditions that you, the gamer, won’t know about until you get your hands on Bulletstorm. Now, the “if and when available” part is not very clear – what is EA defining as “if and when available” – Bulletstorm or the beta – and if they know these conditions are going to apply, why aren’t they releasing the details now?

I can pretty well guarantee that if I walk into the EB Games we normally shop at later today, they will not have this Epic Promotion pre-order in their system, and probably won’t for at least a week – unless it’s automatically included in a regular pre-order. It took almost a month for Dragon Age 2 to show up for pre-order, and Guild Wars 2 CE only became available a few weeks ago. Now, does this “limited quantity” mean that because EB Games Canada – or GameStop if you prefer – is slow to add titles and offers to their system, the Cavechild could miss out on his chance to get in the Gears of War 3 beta or will our store be allotted a set number of Epic Promotion pre-orders? I just checked the EA Store, and they don’t have the “Epic Promotion” advertised yet either, so perhaps a phone call will be in order once the stores open.

I just hope that EA and Epic aren’t using the promise of Gears of War 3 to artificially attract gamers to Bulletstorm with a thin promise that will then get yanked out from under them due to something like “time constraints to meet deadlines” or some other lame excuse, and then appease the gamers by tossing extra special DLC items at them.

Game Description:

While on a routine mission to test a number of prototype fighters destined to replace the Earth Colonial Fleet’s aging Starhawk, the ECS Red Nova, your carrier, comes across an unknown alien fleet preparing to stage a sneak attack on the human colonies!

In order to give the Red Nova a chance to escape and warn the rest of the fleet you have volunteered to attack the aliens head-on. With a choice of any of the fighters on deck, you have to use your wits, your guns, and your ample supply of homing missiles to survive for as long as you can!

Game Features

* Universal app for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad
* Game Center leaderboards
* Retina Display graphics
* 3 scaling difficulty levels
* 3 playable ships
* 4 power-ups
* 7 different enemies
* Dynamic camera zooms in when things get intense
* iOS Controller: use an iPhone or iPod Touch to control Red Nova on an iPad wirelessly
* Dynamic touch controls for faster reaction times; no more hunting for fixed virtual buttons when it counts

Future episodes of Red Nova will be released as free updates, adding different game modes and missions to the game.

Drum Studio: Platinum Edition from Vancouver developer All Seeing Eye Games is now available on  Xbox Live Indie Games for 80 MS Points. This follow-up to the award-winning Drum Studio allows players to record, layer, & edit their own drum songs on virtual drums customizable from a collection of over 320 drum sounds.

Drum Studio: Platinum Edition is a virtual drum recording tool that gives players the ability to build their own drum beats using their Xbox 360 drum kits or controllers.  Players can then go online to share their songs with friends, listen to each other play, and even jam together in real-time.

Lead Programmer Darren Joe says, “Music has always been about sharing. Drum Studio put music creation in the player’s hands. Now, Drum Studio: Platinum Edition allows players to share their music with each other and the world.”

It is no secret that the music game genre is in steep decline. Whereas the big names have rehashed the same gameplay mechanics a dozen times over and then some, Drum Studio: Platinum Edition pushes the genre forward with a music creation & sharing experience unlike anything any other title has to offer.

In addition to its extensive online features, Drum Studio: Platinum Edition also expands upon the award-winning original with all new art by graphic artist Terry Wong (Cirque Du Soleil, National Geographic, Electronic Gaming Monthly) and full Xbox 360 Avatar support, allowing players to turn their Xbox 360 Avatars into full-fledged animated virtual drummers.

Maid Marian Entertainment Inc. and Gene Endrody, sole creator of the indie hit MMORPG, Sherwood Dungeon has announced the arrival of, two new allies just in time for the holidays – the Shadowfey Knight and Priestess.

The Shadowfey are lost descendants of the Picts, an ancient Celtic tribe. Possessing ominous white skin and a dark mysterious gaze, this race of warriors will battle alongside players as they crawl through Sherwood’s perilous dungeons.

An additional feature for those who purchase pets in Sherwood is the ability for players to transform their characters into the form of their pets. Explore the world and fight monsters while transformed into a Dragon, Unicorn, Spider, Shadowfey, and more. If that wasn’t enough, the Wolf and Lion pets can now be ridden as mounts. Along with the Horse and Unicorn mounts, players now have plenty of options for striking fear into Sherwood’s minions while leading the charge mounted on these ferocious beasts.

You are cordially invited to check out the new allies and features, or just play in the snow at the holiday themed Sherwood Castle, head over to – no sign-up or download is required. With the addition of the new Zong SMS Mobile Phone Payment system, players all over the world can easily purchase premium companions for their enjoyment, without the need of Paypal or a credit card.

Cookie Jar Entertainment has announced long-term deals with Netflix, allowing consumers in the U.S. and Canada to instantly enjoy selected titles from Cookie Jar’s extensive library of animated and live-action programming. Terms of the agreements are confidential.

In the U.S., Netflix members now have instant access to four of Cookie Jar Entertainment’s most recognizable television series – Busytown, Johnny Test, Metajets and Strawberry Shortcake – for a total of almost 200 half-hours of children’s entertainment.

In Canada, the agreement covers nine classic titles for a total of more than 500 half-hours and includes Bunch of Munsch, Caillou, Country Mouse City Mouse, Heathcliff, Horseland, Inspector Gadget, Paddington, Wimzie’s House and Zoboomafoo.

“Internet streaming offers tremendous opportunities for leveraging our catalogue of nearly 6,000 half-hour episodes of television series, the second largest kid’s library in the world. With these ground-breaking agreements in hand, we are actively pursuing additional digital distribution deals worldwide,” said Michael Hirsh, CEO of Cookie Jar.

Those of you who own Joyride for Kinect will be able to download a Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette and Cruze for free on January 4, 2011. You can choose a color for your new cars or paint them using the Kinect sensor and then take them for a spin in any of “Kinect Joy Ride’s” six game modes. You can also use the cars in online races over Xbox LIVE. To unlock the new Chevrolet cars for Kinect Joy Ride simply select the Chevrolet ad in the Xbox LIVE Marketplace – keep your eye out for it – or you can unlock the Chevrolet cars by visiting Xbox.com.

This video has absolutely nothing to do with gaming whatsoever, but it is a timely bit of cheer from interior designers Colin & Justin. The dynamic duo have put out three Christmas songs on iTunes, with all proceeds going to support Cash for Kids. While we do have a Cash For Kids charity here in Canada, I do believe that these songs are to benefit the UK Cash for Kids organization. Either way, enjoy the video, buy the songs (I did, and I’m not even a huge fan of the Christmas season), but most importantly, support the kids – and please remember your local toy, clothing and food drives, too.

Scott’s interest at the Annex Pro event was tweaked both by the keynote delivered by Technicolor Creative Services’ Tom Burns and by the offerings from Atempo, Aspera, Blue Arc, G-Tech, AJA and HP because he likes to geek out over the technical side of things, which are completely out of my realm. As long as our networks connect and the computers and server are working, I’m happy – although I do want the fancy computers & screens they have on CSI and Bones, just because they look cool.

I have always liked the software tools developed by Autodesk, who was also present at the expo, but as I can’t draw and haven’t even mastered Bryce 5, Maya and Max are far beyond my capabilities – I have a healthy respect for anyone who creates product with that software. Craft Animations was also displaying their wares, and I actually have one of their products, which I won at a previous Annex Pro event. Not a clue what to do with that, either. Perhaps we should come up with a contest and offer it as a prize; I’m sure there are some indie devs out there who would benefit greatly from having it.

Transgaming Studios has released the pre-game cinematic for their upcoming title Garage Inc on the game’s Facebook page. The cinematic introduces the player to the characters and sets the mood for this 1920′s Prohibition-era game. Watch as lead character Angelo talks with his cousin Sal during a family Christmas gathering about the garage he dreams of opening.

There are two new indie titles available today – Xona Games is burning up the dev pipe, releasing their second new title this week. Score Rush has passed Peer Review and is now out on Xbox Live Indie Games for 80 MS Points. Built on the Duality ZF engine, this 4-player shoot ’em up features overwhelming firepower, trailing options, full screen bombs, tons of enemies, an intimidating final boss and hundreds of crazy bullet patterns to survive. The 60 fps adrenaline-rush experience is complemented by a hard-rocking Dragon Music soundtrack.

Also out today is RatRod Studio’s Drift Mania Canadian Championship is now available in the Android Marketplace for 99 cents. Previously released in the iTunes App Store, Android users can now get in on the racing action. Drift Mania Canadian Championships features Online Global Leaderboards with live events, variable throttle system and hydraulic handbrake with adjustable steering sensitivity, 7 uniquely spec’d vehicles, 5 different tracks, 2 acceleration modes and 3 levels of difficulty with 3 camera configurations. If you want to relive the moment, there is a highlights replay system, and you can also listen to either the included soundtrack or your own music as you tear up the track.

A post made earlier today by Frima Studios‘ Executive Producer Martin Brouard on the official PlayStation blog announced that there will be a new title released by the studio on December 21st. A Space Shooter for Two Bucks will be available for free to all PlayStation Plus subscribers, and $1.99 for everyone else. According to the blog, A Space Shooter is of the classic arcade space shooting genre (in case you couldn’t guess that from the title), and “swarms of enemies filling the screens with hazardous bullets and missiles, heaps of upgrades for your ship and its arsenal, high-paced and constant action requiring deft reflexes, and hordes of alien baddies just waiting to be blown up by your superior space-faring skills.” Plus, to add to your gaming experience, there will be a myriad of interesting characters to encounter and in some cases control.

Kitchener-Waterloo developer Footloose Games has announced that they will be releasing a beta version of their Munchies’ Lunch title on December 27th. Munchies’ Lunch is a fun adventure-puzzle PC-based game for the whole family. Simply download the game from the Footloose website to embark on an epic journey with the Munchie family as they say goodbye to their homeland and travel the world to find a peaceful place where they can settle down. Mr. & Mrs. Munchie will travel along with their children through far-away jungles, over steep mountains, and across the hot deserts in their journey. Along the way they’ll meet the ravenous Hungries, crafty bird-snakes and perhaps even a tribal tiki or two.

Vancouver developer LoudCrow has released its latest iPad book. Available now, this pop-out version of The Night Before Christmas joins LoudCrow’s previous title, Pop-out Tales of Peter Rabbit in the iTunes store. In this new release, you can see William Denslow’s masterful illustrations brought to life with innovative pull-tabs, spin-wheels, and elements that bounce and spring with the touch a finger. Listen to “O Christmas Tree” beautifully performed on piano while you read and interact with each page of the book. Explore every scene and discover the many delightful life-like interactions at your fingertips.

Bioware has released the first in a series of “Making of” videos for Dragon Age 2. Here is Part One:

Kobo has launched Reading Life, an industry first social eReading experience. Readers can now track their personal reading history, check-in with characters and places inside books and earn achievements and awards for simply reading. Readers can also choose to share books, favourite passages, awards and more with their friends on Facebook. Kobo Reading Life is initially available on iPad, as a part of the latest iPad update in the iTunes store now.

Kobo Reading Life for iPad provides an unparalleled experience that enables users to engage in eReading in new ways, connect with friends, and earn awards just for reading:

Sharing Books and Passages: Users can tell their friends what they are reading or highlight favourite passages in books they are reading. This is a great way to get a book club started, or update your bookclub friends as you read.

Statistics: Users can track their reading life with interesting statistics, including how many books they’ve read, pages turned, how fast they read, and times of day they read. Statistics help users track their progress, earn awards, as well as discover and learn about their own reading styles and preferences.

Activity: An activity panel shows the timeline of a user’s reading life, highlighting important events and milestones. Users have an at-a-glance view of their reading life, including new books opened, read and finished, passages shared, awards earned and more.

Check-Ins: Another ground-breaking feature called Check-Ins, enables readers to check-in with characters and locations inside books, enabling them to mark important milestones and win awards. For example, readers reading Alice in Wonderland can check in with or meet Alice for the first time, or check-in to the Rabbit Hole and tell their friends on Facebook.

Awards and Rewards: Readers can unlock fun and surprising awards that celebrate achievements in their reading life. Awards like ‘The Papillion’ which is earned by the power social sharers, ‘The Twain’ earned by those that read daily, and ‘The Witching Hour’ for readers who read into the wee hours of the night – once an achievement has been earned the reader can than publish and share with friends on Facebook. Award winners can also be rewarded with special offers from Kobo or its partners, just by reading!

Personal Book Cover: As your personal Reading Life evolves Kobo creates and automatically updates your own personal book cover – a mosaic of your reading life that you can easily share with your friends on Facebook.

Mega Bloks Need for Speed construction toy sets will combine the engaging and immersive content of this award-winning franchise with the core play pattern of building vehicles. Launching Summer 2011, the Mega Bloks Need for Speed construction toy line will appeal to building fans and collectors alike with authentic vehicles and playsets that offer endless possibilities to build, race, customize and display.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with EA to create the first construction toy line based on the Need for Speed franchise,” said Vic Bertrand, Chief Innovation Officer of MEGA Brands. “Whether it’s realistic driving games or over-the-top car pursuits, Need for Speed has attracted millions of followers worldwide. We look forward to bringing this world to life through Mega Bloks by offering fans an action-packed building experience.”

“For over 16 years, Need for Speed has been at the forefront of contemporary automotive culture. We are committed to delivering unique and fun experiences to our fans whether it’s feeling the rush of a cop pursuit at 200 mph or custom building your own race machine,” said Keith Munro, Vice President of Marketing, Need for Speed. “Now, through our partnership with Mega Bloks, everyone will be able to create their own customizable Need for Speed experience.”

Need for Speed is a global brand and with 17 titles and more than 110 million copies sold worldwide is the dominant racing video game franchise. Need for Speed is known for delivering unparalleled white-knuckle racing, creative customization and street style. The Need for Speed series has generated nearly $3B in life-to-date sales and has become a powerful pop culture phenomenon.

MEGA Brands will also be holding an Open House for designers this Thursday, December 2nd.  As one of the largest design centres in Quebec, MEGA Brands is always searching for new talent to design and conceptualize new construction toys and activities for their leading brands. MEGA Brands is presently seeking applicants who are creative, passionate and innovative for the following positions: Graphic Designers, Web Designers, Industrial Designers, Model Designers, and 3D Artists.

Designers will have an opportunity to learn more about this Montreal-based toy company and the exciting job opportunities they have to offer.

Date: Thursday, December 2
Time: 4 PM to 8 PM
Location: 4505 Hickmore, Montreal, QC H4T 1K4

All three games feature thrilling, deep narratives, acerbic and witty dialogue, a cast of superbly voiced characters, a fleet of vehicles, and hours of music through in-game radio stations ranging from reggae, 80s pop, disco and hip-hop.

“The Grand Theft Auto series has been one of the most highly demanded titles by the Mac community. The availability of this incredible franchise on the Mac underscores TransGaming’s role in transforming the overall Mac gaming market,” commented Vikas Gupta, President & CEO of TransGaming. “These games will be broadly available and will be a great catalyst to the increasing popularity of gaming on the Mac.”

The unique prologue experience gives gamers a glimpse of what’s to come in Dead Rising 2 as it includes new combo weapons; your first look at survivors and a psycho; an introduction to new protagonist, Chuck Greene and his daughter Katey and a system that allows you to carry your character attributes collected in Dead Rising 2: Case Zero into the main game.
Dead Rising 2: Case Zero is now available exclusively to download on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Dead Rising 2 will launch on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on September 28, 2010.

EA Black Box has announced that Need for Speed™ World, the massively multiplayer online action racing game, has surpassed one million registered users. In the coming weeks and months, Need for Speed World will be adding new features and game-expanding content including more cars, deep performance customization, a new world region and a co-op pursuit mode.

Starting today, all players will have full access to Need for Speed World for free (see site for details). Racers can play the entire game at no cost or can purchase SpeedBoost items to accelerate their career progression including items like power-ups, double XP periods and even rental cars. Every player can now feel the rush of illicit street racing as they speed their way through an immersive, socially-connected Need for Speed experience.

“Need for Speed fans have played a critical role in making Need for Speed World a success. Fan feedback has helped shape every aspect of the experience – whether it’s the creation of a new feature or improving polish and progression,” said John Doyle, Senior Producer, Need for Speed World. “We’re excited to open the gates so that every Need for Speed World player now has free access to all current and future content including new modes, cars, features and more.”

Need for Speed World brings together best in class action racing with an unparalleled social experience for the PC. Players can compete against their friends, family or pick from thousands of top ranked players to challenge in intense online battles and police pursuits. Gamers race the way they want in an ever expanding world that continues to grow with a constant stream of new content, cars, and features.

“Dolby Axon helps ensure that communication among team members happens clearly and quickly when racing at over 100 miles an hour in Need for Speed World,” said Matt Tullis, Marketing Director, Games, Dolby Laboratories. “We’re really excited to be working closely with EA in bringing a new level of voice chat to their game.”

By integrating Dolby Axon into online game titles, game developers can provide players with a new level of realism in online gaming:

* Improved audio chain processing (noise suppression, echo suppression) for clear voice communication
* Surround sound voice chat over stereo headsets, stereo speakers, and 5.1 playback systems delivering realistic and exciting in-game communication with teammates
* Compatibility with any stereo headset, enabling gamers to experience clear, crisp voice quality without specialized equipment

Hothead Games is also down at PAX, featuring their two latest video games at the Penny Arcade Expo. You will find them giving hourly live game play demos of Swarm and DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue at their Sky 1 booth on the sky bridge. Hothead’s PAX booth will also contain kiosks where show attendees can play the newest DeathSpank adventure and enter to win a number of prizes including limited edition Hothead merchandise.

“We’re really excited to be at PAX to show off Swarm and DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue,” said Ian Wilkinson, President of Hothead. “PAX has always been a show for gamers and we appreciate the opportunity to connect directly with fans.”

DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue is Hothead’s all new rapid-fire action-RPG game and is the perfect companion to Hothead’s original hit game DeathSpank that launched in July 2010. In the continuing story of venerable hero DeathSpank, players must recover six mystical thongs and bring balance and harmony to the universe. Thongs of Virtue launches on September 21 on PlayStation Network and September 22 on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

Swarm is an action platformer like no other. Players control a herd of fifty daft, pudgy and utterly fearless Swarmites, driving them through an intense and often suicidal gauntlet of death and destruction. The game features innovative mass character control, fast-paced action and comic mayhem, offering players a unique experience that will keep them playing again and again.

Featuring Dhaila, a young fairy whose powers are bound to nature, the game will rely on gameplay taking place in an open world where the player will update the origins of Dhaila and help fulfill her destiny. In addition to the main quest, Dhaila could fill hundreds of side quests depending on the choices and actions proposed. Puzzles and large dungeons filled with traps and monsters will be part of her adventure to enhance the gameplay. Furthermore, Dhaila will be accompanied with a friend that can be controlled by another player to help Dhaila during certain puzzles through teamwork.

Orphaned in the fantasy world of Martania, Dhaila possesses unknown extraordinary powers. She has special skills, including one which can absorb the energy of nature directly through its DNA. She can also absorb the DNA of other creatures, making the heroine able to acquire their shape at any time. Living in one of these valleys, the village seems protected by an unknown magical force, more powerful than in other villages. Dhaila will leave to research her origins, while trying to release Martania of the influence of Dysan, a tyrant who has subjugated the people, forcing them to labour under the threat of the dragons he also holds sway over.

Selected as one of the glorious PAX 10, Retro City Rampage from VBlank Entertainment will be showcased at PAX Prime this weekend at booth 3017, where visitors can meet the dev team, play the game and get some fantastic swag.

This unbelievable FREE swag includes:

* Retro cartridge labels (stick ‘em on NES carts)!
* Retro game boxes* (stick your cart in it)!
* Retro plastic case inserts (with BLURST processing)!
*Retro game rental case inserts (“INDESTRUCTIONS”)!

As an added Bonus, the team will also be having a daily draw to win a Retro City Rampage cartridge case in the box! The team does caution, however, that due to the indie budget and a recent price increase on Ramen Noodles, the “box” is a cleverly designed and exciting arts and crafts project. Simply cut out and fold it yourself for some analog fun Alternatively, you could frame it and stick it on the wall of your local museum.

Capcom will be taking up residence at PAX in Booth 652, where you can drop by and try out their upcoming lineup of titles including Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Okamiden and Blue Castle Games‘ Dead Rising 2 – shipping on September 28.

Ubisoft will have three booths at the show. You will find them in spaces 632, 622 and 712. Each booth will feature a variety of Ubisoft’s upcoming releases and lots of fun prizes for booth visitors.

For the first time in the U.S., PAX attendees will get to try out various titles from Ubisoft exclusively for Kinect™ for Xbox 360®, including Your Shape™: Fitness Evolved and MotionSports™, in addition to seeing the first public demo of Child of Eden™. Consumers will also get an opportunity to play H.A.W.X® 2 multiplayer, and see a sneak peak of Outland™, one of Ubisoft’s digital games for PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. In addition, Just Dance® 2 will be available to play onsite at the show.

PAX attendees will have a chance to play Assassin’s Creed® Brotherhood, which will be playable on Xbox 360 and the PlayStation®3 at the Ubisoft booth before its November release. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood fans who pre-order the game onsite at PAX will receive an exclusive Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood T-shirt, and there are also opportunities for consumers who fan the Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Facebook page to win Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood posters. Other giveaways include a Just Dance–themed t-shirt for anyone who pre-orders the October release of Just Dance 2 at PAX.

Those who cannot attend PAX in person can check out Ubisoft’s Twitter account for exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes photos and video from PAX throughout the duration of the event. PAX prize packs will also be given out each day of the show via Twitter for those consumers that are unable to attend PAX. To contribute to Ubisoft’s PAX coverage on Twitter, please use the official hash tag “#UbiPax”.

The Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX) is pleased to announce this year’s program, featuring an action-packed day of live presentations from Canada’s Hottest Innovative Companies, insightful sessions and facilitated meeting exchanges.

Unique to CIX, this fast-paced, expertly-curated series of presentations offers an up-to-the-minute snapshot of the most advanced technologies and companies at the forefront of the Information and Communication Technology, Digital Media and Clean Technology sectors. Only at CIX will you have the opportunity to engage in a one-day overview of the newest advances in these three important industries as presented by the companies’ CEOs themselves.

CIX features inspiring keynotes and meeting exchanges that offer you the chance to connect directly with the key players bringing exciting new products and initiatives to the marketplace. This year, CIX will include even more platforms for both structured and informal networking among participants, allowing you to develop the real contacts and relationships that lead to partnerships, investments and other opportunities for growth.

Rob Chaplinsky – Managing Director and Co-Founder, Bridgescale Partners
Paul Cummings – Principal, Honda Strategic Venturing
Mike Lee – Vice President, Venture Investments, Rogers Communications
Trond Unneland – VP Managing Executive, Chevron Technology Ventures
Steve Woods – Engineering Director, Google

Benefit from the experience and insight of industry experts with incisive sessions and panel discussions focused on the most pressing questions for today’s innovation economy. Faced with a dynamic and rapidly-changing marketplace, our speakers will provide invaluable tactics and strategies for navigating the new landscape of Canadian industry. Sessions include:

The Rise of Corporate Venture
Trials and Tribulations for Innovative Companies in Raising Private and Public Money in Canada
Canada – The World’s CleanTech Leader?

Fresh TV’s unique programming was recognized yesterday by the 25th annual Gemini Awards with two nominations for television series Stoked and associated website Stoked Interactive along with one nomination for their television series Total Drama Action – both series are TELETOON original productions. The Canadian television awards celebrate the year’s outstanding achievements in English language television.

“All of us here at Fresh TV are stoked to be nominated for this year’s Gemini Awards”, said Tom McGillis, President, Fresh TV Inc. “We’ve assembled a world class team of artists and writers to provide cutting-edge programming for youth worldwide and these nominations are a testament to that.”

Stoked director Faruk Cemalovic earned a nomination for Best Direction in an Animated Program or Series. Fresh TV was also acclaimed for its interactive work with a nomination in the Best Cross-Platform Project, Children’s and Youth category for Stoked Interactive. The project is a collaboration with marblemedia.

Total Drama Action, the second installment in the internationally acclaimed Total Drama franchise, earned one nomination for Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program or Series.

Total Drama Action currently airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT and Stoked airs on Thursdays at 7 p.m. ET/PT on TELETOON. The latest series from the Total Drama franchise, Total Drama World Tour will premiere on TELETOON on Thursday, September 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

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.

2010 has been a strong year for the Xbox 360, and the holiday season is sure to deliver a grand finale. There are comebacks for many of the console’s best-love franchises, and the debut of the much-talked about Kinect. Canadian offerings for the fall and winter land in both camps-with EA and Ubisoft both making particularly strong showings, and Big Park providing the Kinect with a joyous launch product, great games will arrive this winter from both sides of the border.

The doors opened at ten that morning; when I arrived at 10:04, the line still went out the door. The transformation to the club’s interior completely justified the mayhem. EA’s aisle was justifiably packed from sunup to sundown—with three instalments of powerful franchises on display, I was lucky to have the company of both Guillaume Voghel and Dana Sissons, who were eager to share their inside scoops on EA’s releases.

Guillaume Voghel is obviously proud of Dead Space 2 — with good reason. Dead Space 2 looks to deliver more in every imaginable way. The borders of the USG Ishimura have fallen away into the Sprawl, a fantastical space city on Titan that stretches into every plane of the screen. Changes have also been made to Mr. Clarke himself.

“Isaac’s got a face! We have given him a voice, he is no more the silent and vigilant guy. He’s more talkative, and more interested in taking strong action.”

Perhaps the most deliberate change in the Dead Space series is its passion for balance. The Dead Space 2 team has managed to both heighten the tension and pick up the pace by developing horrific new foes—the Puker stands out in this regard—and allowing Isaac to be ambushed by more than one foe at a time. The environment on display was the interior of a Church of Unitology; to have the Necromorphs descend from the aisles while a Tripod roars made my heart race. To compensate for the higher amount of enemies, Dead Space 2 allows the player to use the fragments of their corpses as weapons against them. In relation to this sped-up combat, Dead Space 2 also offers opportunities to indulge in a little classic puzzle-solving. The key puzzle on display was a challenge to use stasis and kinesis in turn to bring a gyroscope to a halt.

“It’s about taking what’s good in the first game and building on those basics. It’s really about revisiting a very rich story, a very deep environment, and having a really tight, horrific, gory experience. And being intense. And stressful in a good way.”

If any negative stress will come out of this game, it’ll only be from the tortuous wait. Thankfully, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit will be there to allow EA’s fans to blow off steam. Dana Sissons walked me through it.

“If you look at Need for Speed, there’s a couple different periods in its life. Before ‘Underground’, it was exotic cars and running away from the cops. With this, we’re trying to give it an homage. ‘Hot Pursuit’ is the first game ever that allows you a full career as a cop. You’re generating Bounty whatever you do, so whether you’re playing single player, multiplayer, online, you’re always levelling up. Criterion, with the Burnout series, they’re all about fun. They wanted to create that sort of competition, but they’ve pushed it a lot further than anything that existed up to this point. We created AutoLog, which made sure that you’re connected to your friends at all times. I don’t want to care if I’m better than someone who’s three thousand miles away. So AutoLog creates game play recommendations based on your friends’ game times. You can have a very dynamic game play experience.”

The game is beautiful—set in the fictional location of Seacrest County with four distinct regions, the inspiration is clearly the Pacific Coast Highway in all of its glory. The cops are suitably aggressive—with helicopters, spike belts, and supercars, this career path has notable allure. More than anything, this game is fun; whether driving well or driving poorly, the high-octane mayhem delights. This is going to be a competitive holiday season, with established names in most corners. But EA’s confidence is unshakeable.

“Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit offers hot racing action and this year’s most connected game. Some of them may have great multiplayer offerings, but our game is built around connectivity. To your friends, the world, the entire time in the game play section. It’s being published that way. You’ve got postings, comments—there is no more connected game than Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit.”

Unfortunately, there was no one at X10 explicitly for NHL ’11; thankfully, the enthusiastic reactions of the demo’s players spoke highly on EA’s behalf. During my visit, Joseph Cariati held onto the controller with utter delight.

“It’s a lot more authentic, I think that’s what EA meant to do, and they created a whole new physics card. I think the fact that the sticks break is such a nice touch. It’s a great hockey game. I’ve always been an NHL fan, and it’s amazing that each year, you think, what can they do to make the game better? And they always do.”

However wonderful EA’s products, there was still plenty more to see. Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood has got to be one of the most quickly made games for the seventh generation; its launch date will be a year less

a day from the release date of Assassin’s Creed 2. In no way is this a slapdash production; the much ballyhooed multiplayer may not have been on display on Wednesday, but the featured footage was nevertheless fantastic. Christophe Grandjean was on hand to discuss the evolution of the series, and the singular delights of axe-throwing.

The demo featured the first playable sequence of the game, in which Ezio loses his villa and uncle to an attack from the Borgia family. The physicality of Ezio is still as fluid as ever; something that’s sure to delight fans of derring-do is the promise that Ezio’s steed will play a larger role in his adventures, due to the expansion of Rome itself-four times bigger than any city featured in the series so far.

Ezio has never been a more delightful assassin to play; Ubisoft listened to the grousing on AC2′s combat system, and has changed it up to allow for a much more aggressive style of play. During the fall of the villa, both the beautiful graphics and Ezio’s newfound bloodlust were demonstrated beautifully. The siege and bespoiling of the town are sights never before seen in a videogame, and if melee combat is nothing new, then perhaps its singular delight comes from the novelty of Ezio throwing an axe into an armoured guard.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood had a strong showing at E3 this year, with its introduction of the titular brotherhood—but the sisters, as ever, are still doing it for themselves. The Courtesan that made such a stir

back in June, was notably absent—but if Wednesday’s demos are anything to go by, every member of the fellowship will demonstrate equal power. The footage of the assassins released this time was sparse—but the specially-crafted demonstration of their power was just enough to satisfy. While it disappoints that one won’t be able to use your assassins to hail a storm of black bolts into Renaissance cardinals, only for you to pull off a coup inside the Pantheon, Ubisoft’s vision of their customer’s wants is spot-on. The brotherhood is certainly what the crew desires the most excitement for.
It’s a game they can be excited to release—the public, if the constant crowd of their aisle is anything to go by, is excited to play.

While the majority of the demos filled the main hall, the upper level of Fifth Social buzzed with energy as gamers got acquainted with the offerings for Kinect. While no representative of BigPark was personally available, the company’s personality filled the void at the Kinect Joy Ride booth. While the thrusting motions necessary to propel the vehicle took some getting used to, the exuberance of tricking the cars harkened back to SSX Tricky in the best possible way. Canadian content was ubiquitous upstairs; Canadian ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ veteran Blake McGrath was on hand to demonstrate Dance Central, and Ubisoft’s entry into the Kinect playing field, Kinect Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, was in frequent use.

While there were some difficulties with reception of my cross-kick in a skirt, the combination of minimalist aesthetics and maximized fluidity was effortless to use–no matter how vigorous the exercise, their patience will go untried. On hand was Nicola Godin to share the excitement. While many would be happy to simply

enjoy the innovation for its own sake, Godin’s focus is in parallel with the game’s.

“In terms of fitness, it’s so easily to do things improperly and get injured. But because of the tracking capabilities, we’re able to know where your body is. And we’ll be able to give feedback if it’s right or wrong. We’re just pushing the limits of fitness games, in ways that other titles weren’t able to do. We’ll do the same thing, and push it higher.”

“Now that we know what designs are working, we can help that game to evolve…If it’s going to exist, we have ideas. The DLC will serve at first, but we need to put all ideas on paper, and push the limits.”

Microsoft X10 demonstrated far more than the games. While Canadian titles were set to best advantage, American productions are only growing greater by the year. Halo Reach has clearly built on the decade of experience that the franchise has behind it; critics of the series’ realism will be delighted to discover how much more substantial the weapons feel, and those who enjoy a more fanciful future will find joy in the inclusion of the jetpack. The Halo property has always been about amazing multiplayer, and true to form, its benches were never empty.

Equally popular was the Fable III station. While demos by their very nature are small, Josh Atkins himself spoke proudly of the scope of the game.

“We’ve never been a big stats based game, but I think the combination of hardcore action, really fun accessible, good story–but then we have really good co-op gameplay that I don’t think anyone else has ever done. You can partner with another hero, and both get abilities. You could have a business relationship with another hero, you can get married to another hero–you can have a co-op experience unlike any other. There’s also a lot of Sims stuff, and there’s nothing like Fable. We’ve carved out our niche, and we’ve packed it with action….We’re proud of what we’ve made.”

All of this would be enough to win over a reluctant customer–but when pressed as to the main reason to nab a shy buyer, the answer was surprising.

“There are awesome games coming out, but the thing that has centered us this time is that it’s funny. It’s a funny world, even with a complex drama side, and it works. Fable III is a game that will make you laugh.”

The event remained thriving well through the night. Toronto can be proud to have put this on, and every developer can be proud of what they had to share.

According to the Entertainment Software Association, female gamers are one of the industry’s fastest growing demographics, with women currently accounting for 40% of the overall gaming audience. Silicon Sisters plans to capture and grow this rapidly expanding market by tailoring games to these players’ daily lives and personal interests. Their target customers — women of all ages, from tweens and teens to hard-working women worldwide — comprise an audience that the company’s all-female design staff inherently understands.

“We’re not interested in ‘pinkifying’ games, which is how girl games are typically designed,” says Brenda Bailey Gershkovitch, Silicon Sisters’ CEO. “It’s no coincidence that the games I and many other female gamers are most drawn to have had women involved in their development. Girls and women game differently than boys and men. Silicon Sisters has studied these differences so we can make games that truly appeal to and resonate with the female audience.”

It’s an objective perfectly suited to the founders’ backgrounds. During their combined 18 years in the industry, both have been vocal champions of female representation among video game developers and audiences. The former COO of Deep Fried Entertainment, Bailey Gershkovitch chairs the Vancouver chapter of Women in Games International (WIGeh) and sits on GDC Canada’s Advisory Board. Forbes, previously an Executive Producer at Radical Entertainment, has delivered eleven top-selling games and is a veteran industry advocate for girl gaming preferences.

“The video game industry is experiencing a rebirth of sorts,” says Kirsten Forbes, Silicon Sisters’ COO. “PC online gaming is up, social networking has become pervasive, and mobile platforms are ubiquitous. Women are adopting games on these platforms in droves. It’s time to get serious about delivering quality games into this burgeoning market.”

Silicon Sisters’ predominantly female team, which includes noted designer Brenda Brathwaite as a consultant, is working on two projects for PC and mobile platforms. This summer, company representatives will attend Casual Connect, GDC Europe, and GamesCom to pursue publishing opportunities for their own properties, as well as potential work-for-hire projects that correspond to Silicon Sisters’ corporate vision.

TransGaming, Inc. is crossing the Atlantic and entering the European market after securing its first in a number of active agreements to deploy GameTreeTV in the European market before the end of 2010. The first deployment will be with a European Managed Service Operator (MSO) who will begin releasing the new generation of set-top boxes to their subscriber base of multi-millions of households. Financial terms were not disclosed due to confidentiality reasons. TransGaming will be working closely with this MSO over the next few months to prepare for the commercial launch of GameTreeTV, which is currently slated for late 2010.

“This agreement is a major milestone and demonstration of TransGaming’s leading role in revolutionizing the delivery of high-end interactive content in the digital home,” said Vikas Gupta, President and CEO of TransGaming. “We are excited that European consumers will be the first to enjoy the ability to play great games directly through their set-top box and conveniently will be able to transact their games through a variety of consumer friendly business models.”

The GameTreeTV Gaming Platform is an on-demand video games service that gives consumers access to high quality games directly from the comfort of their living rooms through any Intel CE Media Processor based device. Consumers will be able to access a broad assortment of well-known, popular arcade, puzzle, family and adventure style games from the growing library at GameTreeTV. TransGaming first unveiled its GameTreeTV platform at the Intel Developer Forum in September last year while announcing a strategic collaboration agreement with Intel Corporation and an investment by Intel Capital.

Developers are invited to sign up for TransGaming’s Content Developer Program in order to gain access to their SDK game emulation tools, documentation, and hardware requirements to bring your games direct to consumers through the GameTreeTV Games Platform.

Big Blue Bubble Inc. announced today that Home Sweet Home Online, the next evolution in the Home Sweet Home series is released on Facebook.

Do you think you have what it takes to be a home decorator? Now you can with Home Sweet Home Online! Build your dream home and show it off to your friends and the rest of the Home Sweet Home users.

Home Sweet Home Online gives the player complete freedom when it comes to designing rooms, kitchens and bathrooms. They can paint objects different colors and they are not restricted to a grid when placing items. This freedom combined with thousands of furniture pieces allows the player to create a virtually infinite amount of different rooms!

Travel to your friend’s homes to see what ideas they come up with. You can even travel to their friend’s homes and check out what they’ve done. Meet new and interesting people and become an active part of the Home Sweet Home community!

The player can also play mini games to earn coins, unlock new furniture by gaining experience, and visit virtually everyone else’s home to rate their rooms get decoration ideas. With weekly updates of new content and features, players will continually try to outdo each other and win the Room of the Week prizes.

Features:

* Beautiful graphics and a vast variety of items at the players disposal
* Rate each other’s rooms for prizes
* Exciting mini-games help earn coins
* Unique furniture unlocking system
* Travel from neighborhood to neighborhood to find the latest trends
* Complete freedom when create rooms
* Buy new rooms, kitchens and bathrooms to create an even larger home!

The REAL Hockey Experience on Wii™, the unprecedented NHL® 2K11 cross-country tour is bringing the excitement to the Vancouver area on Thursday, July 22 and Friday, July 23.

Phoenix Coyotes center, Kyle Turris, will return to his hometown of New Westminster on Thursday, July 22 to face-off with fans as they get exclusive hands-on play with NHL 2K11 months before it launches exclusively for the Nintendo Wii system.

Traveling throughout the northern United States and Canada, The REAL Hockey Experience on Wii™ brings the excitement of NHL hockey to fans in a custom-designed NHL 2K11 recreation vehicle rigged with portable video game gear created especially for fans and gamers. The trail of pucks, prizes and playable demos will also feature appearances by NHL stars throughout the tour, including Vancouver Canucks® forward and NHL 2K11 cover athlete Ryan Kesler, Los Angeles Kings® defenseman Jack Johnson, New Jersey Devils® forward Travis Zajac and more.

Lower Mainland enthusiasts can meet up with the NHL 2K11 tour bus at the New Westminster Best Buy store at 805 Boyd Street on July 22 from 1 – 4pm, or at the Richmond Best Buy store (5300 No. 3 Road) on July 23rd, again from 1 – 4pm.

An Alien invasion, a clumsy janitor, a vat of rubber and a burst of radiation lay the groundwork for the latest release of “Elasticr, the Stretchiest Superhero” game for the Apple iPhone.

The games hero Elasticr could very well be the distant cousin of Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four or Helen Parr, aka Elastigirl with his powers of super body elongation, allowing him to fling himself acrobatically around a room to avoid evil aliens, devious traps and sharp spikes as he struggles to save the human race.

In the latest version of Elasticr, Montreal’s Dlux Studios has added twenty additional levels along with a level chooser, full OpenFeint integration, and significantly more hair gel to manage Elasticr’s super sized pompadour. The Elasticr app’s physics engine creates realistic flying, bouncing and stretching effects unparalleled in the app store.

Fun for kids from five to one hundred, Elasticr’s is rated 4+ and is both suitable and enjoyable for children. Higher levels will test the skills of gamers of all ages as Elasticr encounters increasingly difficult obstacles such as disappearing hand holds, spinning blades and numerous chances for electrocution. Please ignore the smell of burning rubber…

To experience the most fun with rubber since the first rubber band was shot across a room at a co-worker, find the Elasticr arcade game in the iTunes app store for only $0.99. Elasticr is compatible with all iPhone’s and iPod Touch devices running iOS 3.0 or higher. Go ahead and run it on your iPad too… Elasticr is more than happy to stretch onto the bigger screen for you.

As the iOS game market continues to expand, game developers are looking for ways to further promote their most popular games via a variety of methods, including mobile advertising, cross promotion in newer games, and pricing changes. With proper promotional support, changing an app’s price to free for a limited time can greatly build a game’s audience and improve its chances to grow revenue virally following the sale.

Get Set Games, creator of the successful Addicus game, recently faced this scenario with its Mega Jump title. Mega Jump was performing well in the charts, regularly pulling in over 2,500 downloads a day. However, the game struggled to break through the barrier and gain viral success, facing the same problem that every other app in the iOS ecosystem faces – getting discovered by players. Their solution was to temporarily make Mega Jump free and promote it on OpenFeint’s Free Game of the Day.

Downloads of the game jumped dramatically during the promotion, from 2,500 a day to over 1 million downloads while free for 3 days. The game went to #1 on the charts in over 25 countries. And the momentum continued once the game changed back to paid – with revenue growing 170% for the 3 weeks following the promotion.

“We wanted to feature Mega Jump on OpenFeint because we thought the network had truly viral promotion capability. We knew we’d get a bump in sales, but wanted to test this theory,” said Derek van Vliet, Co-Founder of Get Set Games. “The promotion was an amazing success. It’s been a great ride for our studio and has dramatically increased our revenue stream.”

“Free Game of the Day was a great experience for Get Set Games,” said van Vliet. “OpenFeint has created a very easy to use program that really helps drive game downloads.”

Free Game of the Day consistently drives games to the top of the charts. Of the 30 games featured in May, 13 reached in the top 25 and 9 more reached the top 50 in the U.S. app store. Developers interested in being considered for Free Game of the Day can visit the Free Game of The Day site to find out more.

Rusty Axe Games is proud to announce the availability of Dungeon Demon, a map design and editing tool for tabletop RPG, wargame and computer game map development. Early adopter pricing at $19.99 is available until Aug. 30, 2010 when Dungeon Demon will return to its normal purchase price of $29.99.

Dungeon Demon features:

* Free upgrades forever
* An easy to use editor that blends rapid tiling with object placement. The tiling tool allows users to rapidly drag out ground, floor and wall layers before using the stamper to drop down individual objects.
* Dungeon Demon ships with roughly 200 pieces of professional, royalty free artwork that you can use in your own map designs, and additional art packs are available. Royalty free licensing for commercial computer game development is available and include source art files in 32-bit alpha file formats for inclusion in game engines.
* Up to 9 user definable layers with no map dimension size restrictions!
* Dungeon Demon blends tiling and simple object placement to give you the best of both worlds in a fast and easy to use object oriented map editor. The grid system enables rapid tiling of wall and floor sections and graphic objects can be placed at any position in the map.
* Export maps as bitmaps or in XML format for use in computer games. Print maps directly from dungeon Demon or import bitmaps directly into your favorite paint program for further touch up.
* Use the legend tool to annotate your maps. Easy to use XML template system allows computer game designers to add additional map data with the legend tool.

EA Black Box has announced that Need for Speed™ World, the massively multiplayer online action racing game, will be available for digital download on July 27 for the PC. Need for Speed World combines the rush of illicit street racing, deep RPG style progression and vehicle customization into an immersive, socially-connected Need for Speed experience. Players can compete against any one of their friends, family or pick from thousands of top ranked players to challenge in intense online battles and police pursuits across 150 miles of sprawling open world.

Players can pre-order the Need for Speed World Starter Pack (Conditions & restrictions apply to this preorder offer. See the EA Store for details) today to gain early access to the game on July 20. Gamers will also unlock exclusive cars, earn double XP, reserve their driver names and have VIP status permanently displayed in their driver profile before the game officially launches.

On July 20, the Need for Speed World Starter Pack will be available for $20. The Starter Pack includes a credit for $20 worth of SpeedBoost (the in-game currency), full access up to level 50 and a bundled assortment of power-ups including Nitrous and Traffic Magnet to help players get started. Players can also purchase additional items like power-ups, double XP periods and even rental cars starting at just a few cents. (Conditions & restrictions apply. See details at point of purchase.) A free client download of Need for Speed World will also be available to give gamers a sample of the intense street-racing action with access to all races, pursuits and career progression up to level 10.

NBA Jam Session, an interactive basketball festival will travel across Canada this summer and bring free basketball activities to fans of all ages and skill levels. From August 21 to October 10, NBA Jam Session will make weekend stops in Halifax, Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto. Check out the tour’s Facebook page for regular tour updates.

“Basketball is more popular than ever in Canada following the record-breaking TV viewership of Game 7 of the NBA Finals,” says General Manager of NBA Canada Dan MacKenzie. “NBA Jam Session will allow fans in Canada to experience the NBA like never before through a great mix of basketball and entertainment.”

Free Saturday activities for fans at each NBA Jam Session visit will include:

- Appearances by NBA players, legends, mascots and dancers
– Performance by a world famous Harlem Globetrotter
– A free photo for each fan with The Larry O’Brien Trophy
– An NBA Fit clinic to teach attendees how to get in shape
– Dancing instruction from NBA dancers
– Measure up stations that give fans a chance to compare height, hand and shoe size with NBA players

Sunday activities at each NBA Jam Session visit will include:

- A full day 3-on-3 tournament. There is a $60 entry fee per team and registration is required.
– There will be four age divisions: Under 12 will be co-ed as well as separate male and female divisions for players ages 13-15, 16-18 and 19+
– The winners of the 19 and over tournament will win a trip to Toronto for the National Finals at Air Canada Centre during a pre-season Toronto Raptors game
– Registration will be on a first come, first served basis and will open July 23 at 10:00 a.m. EDT

The NBA Jam Session Tour Schedule:

Halifax (Waterfront) August 21-22
Montreal (Crescent St.) September 11-12
Winnipeg (The Forks) September 18-19
Calgary (Olympic Plaza) September 25-26
Vancouver (Granville Sq.) October 2-3
Toronto (Yonge-Dundas Sq.) October 9-10

NBA Jam Session partners include: American Airlines, Colgate-Palmolive, EA Sports, Family Channel, Gatorade, HP, Life Science Nutritionals, Parmalat Canada Inc., Rogers Communications and Spalding.

Toronto-based international eCommerce solution provider PayPro Global has announced that it has secured $1.7 million USD in funding. The new funds will be used to further develop the PayPro EasyCommerce platform, through technology and infrastructure advancements, support marketing efforts, and drive sales.

Enabling PayPro Global to make a huge investment in eCommerce technologies development has the potential to dramatically improve the way modern online software sales are managed, providing vendors with a safer, more efficient alternative. Well known as an innovative eCommerce provider, PayPro uses cutting edge technologies to deliver the best tools and services for selling software online.

PayPro’s EasyCommerce platform was designed to help sellers grow their business in global markets. PayPro services reduce the possible risks of online transactions, and ensure high sales conversion rates and customer satisfaction rates, using techniques available only through PayPro.

“The success of PayPro Global is directly related to the success of our client’s online software businesses, and this drives our continued development and expansion of the PayPro EasyCommerce platform,” said Matthew Silverman, CEO of PayPro Global. “This is an unprecedented opportunity for us to go far beyond building the most reliable, safe, advanced, and easy-to-use system for selling software online.”

Since its foundation, PayPro Global has put great effort into constructing a powerful end-to-end eCommerce solution with flexible architecture to meet the demands of companies of all sizes worldwide. The EasyCommerce platform includes comprehensive sales data reporting functionality that lets clients build custom reports and easily identify methods for improving sales. In addition, PayPro is known for providing personal attention to its clients and advising clients on effective ways to increase revenue.

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).

The TRON universe is coming to additional platforms than previous transmissions revealed. Disney Interactive Studios today announced the development of TRON video games for Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system. These games complete the TRON video game portfolio this year from Disney Interactive Studios, joining the previously announced TRON: Evolution for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.

Set during the era between the two TRON films, TRON: Evolution conveys a story of significant events within the TRON mythology. The game features an epic adventure across the massive digital TRON world filled with high-mobility disc-based combat and light cycle action. The TRON: Evolution games will be released in Holiday 2010 before the “TRON: Legacy” film hits theaters on December 17 in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D.

TRON Evolution – Battle Grids (Wii), TRON: Evolution (DS) and TRON: Evolution PSP are action packed games set within the combat arenas and mysterious cities of the TRON world. All game versions give fans a unique way to battle and explore the TRON universe alone or with friends and family.

“These games offer unique experiences within the TRON universe that are ideal for their individual platforms,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “TRON is an exciting, dynamic property that appeals to interactive entertainment fans of all ages.”

The TRON games for Nintendo platforms (TRON: Evolution – Battle Grids for Wii and TRON: Evolution for DS), include games and art styles appropriate for a wide audience, including families and kids. While Propaganda is the primary developer, the studio has partnered with n-Space Inc. and SuperVillain Studios, both located in the USA, to deliver this wide range of games for the new generation of TRON titles.

Propaganda’s other new title, Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned (2011) is an epic action-role playing game that lets players decide what type of pirate legend they want to become. Will they become Legendary, or Dreaded? Set before the blockbuster films, the game is a deep action-RPG that lets players carve out their own story in the Pirates of the Caribbean universe. In development for the PS3, Xbox 360 and the PC, Armada of the Damned casts players off on a journey where they will encounter numerous memorable characters, both original and familiar.

Transgaming has just announced that new titles for the Mac are now available at GameTree – Disney fans can now pick up Toy Story 3 and Disney Princess Enchanted Journey at GameTree Online for $29.99 and $21.99 respectively.

Here is a look at the E3 2010 trailer for Warhammer 40K: Space Marine, coming to the 360 from Relic Entertainment.

A new 3D version of Assassin’s Creed will be released by Ubisoft for the just-announced Nintendo 3DS. Ubisoft has also announced that the following titles will be available when the new handheld units go on sale: Hollywood 61; Battle of Giants™: Dinosaur Strike; Driver® Renegade; Assassin’s Creed™ Lost Legacy; Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Chaos Theory™ and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon™.

As one of the top independent publishers on the Nintendo DS™ and Wii™, Ubisoft is also one of the first major publishers to invest hieavily in development for 3D. “Nintendo has created a new portable console that will allow easy and affordable access to 3D technology,” said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer at Ubisoft. “The portability and freedom from glasses of the Nintendo 3DS™ allows our creative teams to craft unique new and immersive games for all types of gamers.”

Ubisoft’s Nintendo 3DS line-up spans different genres of video games, allowing early adopters of the new console to find the style of games that they most enjoy:

* Hollywood 61 (code name): Live the thrill of mastering tailor-made mind games and become the obsession of a criminal mastermind in the first interactive 3D movie. Solve the deadly mystery with 150 classic and 3D puzzles.
* Battle of Giants™: Dinosaur Strike: 150 million years ago, Nature’s fury was unleashed, forcing Dinosaurs to fight for their survival. Dive into spectacular battles and deal powerful blows to your worst enemies. Master your fierce dinosaur and rule the cataclysmic Jurassic world!
* Driver® Renegade: The first and exclusive action driving game on Nintendo 3DS that lets you experience the intensity of urban car chases. As former cop John Tanner, you work outside the law to fight crime in the gritty streets of New York and defeat the 5 crime lords who own the city.
* Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Chaos Theory™: Sam Fisher, the renowned secret agent is back in this redesigned version of Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. Experience one of the most acclaimed games in the Splinter Cell franchise for the first time in 3D.
* Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon™: Lead the Ghosts, the most elite special forces unit in the US Army, across multiple tactical missions to prevent a war from breaking out.
* Assassin’s Creed™ Lost Legacy: Driven by curiosity and a desire to understand the origins of his Order, Ezio Auditore travels East in search of the lost castle at Masyaf, the ancient seat of the Assassins.

Ubisoft has also released more information about Shaun White Skateboarding, which will bring skateboarding to a wider audience, allowing players to transform a dull, lifeless city into their own extraordinary skating playground.

“When we started making the game, we knew we wanted to give players a sense of how skaters see the world – everything is an opportunity,” said Nick Harper, Creative Director. “What looks like a handrail to us is really a grind. A park bench is a place to trick, an alley is a quarter pipe, etc. We’ve taken that idea and expanded it. We wanted to put our own twist on the genre and craft the type of game that allows players to be creative and still have a lot of fun.”

Players begin their journey in a dull and gray city that’s stretched over massive districts. As players skate and complete challenges, the city comes to life – new areas are revealed, better skate lines are created and buildings are transformed. Players can stretch and twist handrails to dizzying heights, empty fountains to create bowls, morph streets into ramps and much more. Creativity is rewarded with points, skateboarding gear and fresh, new skating opportunities. With 80+ skate tricks hand-picked by Shaun (including a Shaun creation called the “Armadillo”), players can pull off authentic skate moves from the get-go and jump online to challenge friends in co-operative or adversarial modes.

Meanwhile, over at the Banff World TV Festival, marblemedia has announced it will produce Splatalot, a hilarious medieval-themed physical game show geared to the 8-12 year-old audience, for YTV in Canada, BBC in the U.K. and ABC in Australia. The 26-episode series features Canada’s largest extreme obstacle course with more wipe outs and spills ever imaginable. It will be shot north of Toronto this summer, and delivered spring 2011.

“We’re very excited to be working with our long-time partner, Corus Entertainment, as well as with our new partners at the BBC and ABC, on this first-time multi-broadcaster collaboration,” said Matt Hornburg, the series Co-Creator and Partner, marblemedia. “Splatalot is all about the hilarity of watching contestants get splattered, with the best spills instantly replayed in slow motion. With oversized props, cool special effects and lively characters, it’s sure to be a highly-entertaining adventure.”

Three versions of the series will be shot and customized for each of the participating countries, with two hosts selected from Canada, the U.K. and Australia respectively. Each episode will feature a different group of 12 thrill-seeking teen contestants, dubbed Attackers, competing in three cringe-inducing rounds: Cross the Moat, Storm the Castle, and Steal the Crown. The Defenders of Splatalot, an international squad of six medieval-themed gladiators, will do their best to protect the castle from the Attackers – only leaving one to be crowned Prince or Princess of Splatalot.

“Kids and their families will be in for a real treat with this new side-splitting series, and with over 300 contestants in the first 26 episodes, Splatalot gives our viewers a real chance to participate,” said Jocelyn Hamilton, Vice President, Programming and Production, Corus Kids. “We look forward to working with marblemedia and partnering with two other like-minded countries, the U.K. and Australia, on this fun show.”

Controller CBBC Damian Kavanagh said: “This should be a fantastic show with lots of humour and physical comedy, and should prove a big hit with our audience. It’s been fascinating to collaborate and share ideas with producers in other markets.”

Head of Commissioning and Development, ABC Children’s Television, Carla de Jong said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering on a series of this scale with other like-minded broadcasters. Splatalot, which will feature Australian hosts and teens, is sure to make a splash with our ABC3 audience, who we know love comedy and spectacular physical challenges.”

marblemedia is developing an interactive online environment, where the splat-stick comedy will continue with a series of flash games, taking the Splatalot experience to the next level. The website will offer games such as Master Splatter, a strategy game where players create their own sludge-filled obstacle course for an army of invaders; Splatapus, a highly addictive game with puzzle-like levels where players take on the role of Defender and wipe out the Attackers in the most splat-tastic ways possible. International distribution of Splatalot will be handled by Distribution360.

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) today released highlights from the Canadian Television Fund (CTF)’s final program year, which ended on March 31, 2010.

“The board, staff, and stakeholders spent the past year working together towards a successful transition to the Canada Media Fund,” said Valerie Creighton, President and CEO of the Canada Media Fund. “While ensuring the CTF’s programs successfully delivered almost $328 million in funds to Canadian productions, we also engaged our stakeholders across the country to participate in an extensive consultation process which informed the creation of the policies and programs of the new Canada Media Fund. We would like to sincerely thank everyone who contributed their time and ideas to this process.”

The following are highlights of the CTF’s funding results from 2009-2010:

* Revenues for 2009-2010 were $325 million, with a 6% increase in the contribution from cable and satellite service distributors and a stable contribution from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
* Administrative expenses were limited to 4.2% of revenues, including costs incurred by both the CTF and the Television Business Unit at Telefilm Canada, which administers the CTF’s programs.
* Total CTF funding for all streams was 14% higher than in 2008-2009 and 23% higher than the average of the four previous years.
*Production funding was $307 million, representing an increase of 21% over the average of the four previous years.
* 476 production and 352 development television projects were funded, with total budgets of over $1 billion and $22 million, respectively; this resulted in the creation of over 2,400 hours of new Canadian programming. The ratio of CTF funding to total television budgets continues to be approximately 1:3.
* In the English market, six of the top ten programs posted average minute audiences of more than one million viewers; in the French market, the top ten programs posted average minute audiences of more than 1.1 million viewers.
* The CTF disbursed 69% of its production funding through licence fee top-ups and 31% through equity investments.
* The $10 million Digital Media Program supported 43 English and 34 French digital media projects related to CTF-funded television shows.
* The $10 million Production Incentive supported English production in Atlantic Canada (4 projects) and British Columbia and the Yukon and Northwest Territories (35 projects), where volumes had dropped significantly below their historic averages.

Stéphane Cardin, VP of Industry and Public Affairs, announced the creation of a new publication that reports on audiences to each individual show supported by the funding agency. The CMF Audience Reports launched today present data on average minute audiences to individual programs funded by the CTF that aired during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 broadcast years. These reports are available as an interactive web interface and downloadable PDFs from the CMF web site.

The CTF 2009-2010 Annual Report will be available in fall 2010. The CMF 2009-2010 Audience Report will be published in spring 2011. Ms. Creighton also mentioned that the CMF will soon announce plans for the next phase of its ongoing consultation with the industry. Details will be provided as soon as they are available.

While the Canadian entertainment and media (E&M) market declined by 2.7% in 2009, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) expects a rebound in 2010 and beyond, with growth averaging 5% compounded annually through 2014, according to the PwC report Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2010-2014, which provides forecasts and analysis on 13 major E&M industry segments in 48 countries. The global E&M industry will also grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5% over the forecast period to 2014, reaching US$1.7 trillion, up from US$1.3 trillion in 2009. However, Canada will grow faster than the US with a 5% CAGR, compared with a 3.8% CAGR in the US.

- In Canada, Internet access spending at a 12% CAGR (compared to 8.8% in the US and 9% globally) and Internet advertising at a 11.7% CAGR (compared to 7.7% in the US and 11.4% globally) will be major drivers for the industry.
– TV subscriptions will grow at a 6.8% CAGR (6.5% in the US and 6.8% globally), and consumer spending on video games will increase by a 6.6% CAGR (6.4% in the US and 10.6% globally).
– Overall consumer end-user spending on media, excluding internet access spending, will increase in Canada at a rate of 4.3% CAGR (3.7% in the US and 4.1% globally), while advertising will rise at a 3.1% CAGR (2.6% in the US and 4.2% globally).

“The next five years will see digital technologies increase their dominance across all segments of entertainment and media as digital transformation accelerates says Jerry Brown, an associate partner in the Canadian Entertainment & Media (E&M) practice for PwC. “While the industry has a long history of experimenting and adding formats which have offered consumers new choices, the current advances in technologies and consumer behaviour are unprecedented in both their speed and their simultaneous impact across all segments.”

The fastest growing region throughout the forecast period is Latin America growing at a 8.8% CAGR during the next 5 years to US$77 billion in 2014. Asia Pacific is next at a 6.4% CAGR through to 2014 to US$475 billion. Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) will grow at a 4.6% CAGR to US$581 billion in 2014.

Overall, global advertising will increase at a 4.2% CAGR from US$406 billion in 2009 to US$498 billion in 2014. Internet advertising will join television advertising in 2014 as the only media with spending in excess of US$100 billion.

The Canadian advertising market will continue to recover. While PwC sees growth in digital platforms, traditional media, including television and publishing continues to attract the majority of advertising spending. Indeed, TV advertising in Canada will increase at average annual growth of 3.8% to US$3.4 billion in 2014. The demise of the conventional television advertising market appears to have been exaggerated with US$2.1 billion of expected advertising revenue in 2014, increasing at a CAGR of 2.4%. Speciality television growth will be slightly stronger at a CAGR of 4.8%

“The big story in 2009 was the recession’s impact, which led to a broad pull back in advertising spending. The exception was internet advertising, which grew at a double digit pace,” says Michael Paterson, partner and Canadian co-editor of the Global Entertainment and Media Outlook at PwC. “As Canada’s economy is recovering ahead of the US economy, we expect that the Canadian advertising market will rebound more quickly. Increased demand and opportunities for Internet and mobile advertising along with sustained spending on traditional advertising platforms will drive growth.”

Global consumer/end-user spending fell by 0.5% 2009 as declines in recorded music, consumer magazines, newspapers, consumer and educational books, and business-to-business publishing offset the gains in TV subscriptions and license fees, filmed entertainment, and video games.

In Canada, consumer spending on digital media will grow quickly, complimenting spend on traditional forms of media. However, in the music, newspaper and magazine publishing industries, digital media is presenting new business challenges as overall traditional revenues are slowly declining. However, Canadian consumers will still spend over US$3.3 billion on these segments which is a substantial part of the total spend.

TV subscriptions – Subscription fees in Canada will increase at a CAGR of 6.8% to US$9.1 billion by 2014, driven by the expansion of digital cable, Video on Demand (VOD) offerings and Internet Protocol TV (IPTV).

Film – Canadian box office spending will continue to grow at a CAGR of 5.3%. Higher growth will occur in paid online rentals and digital downloads to own, which will contribute to a US$4.1 billion Canadian film entertainment market in 2014.

Video Games – After a decline in 2009, video game spending by Canadian consumers will grow at a CAGR of 6% to US$1.7 billion in 2014. The strongest growth will in online and wireless games where convenience and interactivity enhance the consumer experience.

Mobile Internet access will expand dramatically in Canada and spending will grow at a CAGR of 45% from US$238 million to over US$1.55 billion in 5 years, driven by a 48% annual increase in mobile Internet subscribers as the number of smartphones increases.

In 2014, as the proliferation of smartphones and other connected devices continues, 10 million Canadians will have access to the Internet via their mobile devices including readers such as the iPad. This will put continued pressure on providers to support all of these new data demands.

“Using the Internet is now one of the great unifying experiences of the current era for consumers everywhere-and their expectation of Internet-style interactivity and access to content will continue to expand, especially mobile content,” says Brown.

Brown concludes, “Creativity and innovation have always been associated with entertainment and media and now is the time for the industry to embrace new and emerging opportunities. However companies develop their future visions they will need to deliver an ever expanding customer experience and be flexible to capture revenues across all platforms. Those who do will be the leaders in this exciting but challenging industry.”

Calgary’s MoboVivo has partnered with San Francisco developer AppOxy to launch the first TV Everywhere app for phones and devices running Google’s Android operating system. The apps will be available from Google’s Android Market for all compatible Android mobile phones. The apps provide access to MoboVivo’s myScreens, which features a digital locker allowing users to shift screens from their mobile phone to computers, iPhones and televisions.

The TV Everywhere app is the latest addition to MoboVivo’s portfolio of TV apps available for Android, iPhone, iPad and other mobile platforms. These apps include new and innovate features which allow users to view TV shows, connect with their friends on Facebook, and obtain more information about other programs.

“The apps MoboVivo builds for broadcasters, producers and DVD distributors are paying for themselves within 4 months,” says Trevor Doerksen, the company’s CEO. “The path to revenue with our TV shows apps is obvious, and we expect others like the newly released Android TV Everywhere app and emerging opportunities on new app platforms to deliver similar return on investment for our customers.”

On the heels of its YellowPages.ca™ mobile app reaching a milestone one million downloads, Yellow Pages Group (YPG) announced today that the free app is now available for download in the iTunes App Store for the recently launched Apple iPad. YPG is the first Canadian local commercial search provider to build and customize an application for the iPad.

“Yellow Pages Group continues to provide consumers with interactive ways to shop for and find local goods and services across a number of mobile platforms,” said Stéphane Marceau, Chief Marketing Officer at Yellow Pages Group. “The iPad’s tablet format represents a new way for Yellow Pages Group to provide Canadians with access to local business information to help them with their purchase decisions.”

Tales from Space: About a Blob is a game about an innocent little creature that grows and grows until it eats the whole world. In development since January of 2009, the game features a monster movie setting and theme, a retro-inspired art style and puzzle-focused platforming gameplay.

“Players will interact with the game environment using unique growth and absorption control mechanics, experiencing the world at vastly different scales as they progress. Both single-player and co-op play will be supported.” said Ryan MacLean, CEO of DrinkBox Studios. He continued: “We’re extremely excited to be releasing the game on the PlayStation®3 system.”

49 Pixels has announced plans for an open forum which will allow for the gathering of people and facilitate an open conversation in regards to Canada’s digital economy. Please see the the Pixel to Product blog for complete conversation details. The first online conversation is scheduled for Friday June 18th at 4pm ET.

Grammy Award winning recording artist, producer and musician Pharrell Williams brings his unique blend of pop, hip hop and soul to headline the soundtrack for United Front Games‘ True Crime: Hong Kong, the company’s forthcoming open-world/action game. Also on the soundtrack is up and coming R&B, pop and jazz singer Rhea who frequently collaborates with Williams and has performed with N.E.R.D. With orders to “do whatever it takes to become one of them,” players assume the role of undercover detective Wei Shen as he engages in visceral, fast paced martial arts combat, explosive gunfights, high-octane action driving and acrobatic free-running chase sequences in order to infiltrate and bring down one of Hong Kong’s most notorious Triad organizations. In order to survive, Wei must think like them, fight like them, and even kill like them.

The Mass Effect™ 2 phenomenon rages on! BioWare™has launched a demo for Mass Effect 2 on Xbox Live® and PC. Designed to help introduce the rich Mass Effect fiction to all-new players, the demo features the first two missions of the game as well as one bonus mission, totaling over 90 minutes of the action-packed game play and rich storytelling that have made Mass Effect 2 one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time. BioWare is releasing the demo with a “Story-so-far” video, narrated by actor Martin Sheen, that provides a recap of past events and plot twists in the Mass Effect universe.

In the demo, players step into the role of Commander Shepard and must escape from a Cerberus space station under siege. Players can jump ahead to a later mission where they must rescue Subject Zero, a hardened, dangerous criminal from a heavily guarded prison ship. Once they play the demo, players will be able to create a save and carry over their character along with the experience points, story decisions, achievements and weapons earned into the full version of the game – picking up right where they left off, on both PC and Xbox 360.

BioWare also announced today that the new DLC chapter “Overlord”, which will add five new areas and two new achievements will be available on June 15th for 560 Microsoft points and on PC for 560 BioWare points. Also on June 15, BioWare is releasing a new premium theme based on Omega and new avatar items for Xbox Live will follow on June 17.

“Mass Effect 2 is one of our greatest achievements to date at BioWare,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Co-Founder and Group General Manager of the BioWare Group, and Senior Vice President of Electronic Arts. “The Mass Effect team continues to deliver on our promise to add exciting new content to the universe for our loyal fans, and we’re also excited to be able to give all gamers a chance to experience this amazing game through a free demo!”

Down at E3, Target and Ubisoft have teamed up for an exclusive preview of four upcoming family fun games. Target’s Bullseye Lounge will feature two upcoming video game adaptations of the hit television game shows, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?™ and Hollywood Squares™. Playable on Wii™, these demos will offer Expo attendees a chance to engage in competitive gameplay. The new Who Wants To Be A Millionaire video game is created by Ludia and is based on the Disney-ABC Domestic Television hit game show, which will premiere its ninth season in syndication this fall. The Millionaire video game, on display in the Bullseye Lounge at E3, will put the brains of expo attendees to work as they compete against one another to answer increasingly difficult trivia questions. Visitors to the Bullseye Lounge will be able to experience the drama and intensity of the pop culture game show sensation first-hand, as they test their trivia knowledge and give their “final answers.”

Hollywood Squares, also created by Ludia and licensed by CBS Consumer Products, brings the laughter and entertainment of the classic comedy game show to the Wii. Participants can go head-to-head in a unique rendition of the show that combines tic-tac-toe, virtual celebrities (including Brad Garrett, Kathy Griffin, Martin Mull, Jeffrey Tambor and host Tom Bergeron) and ultimate bluffing to provide hours of humor for all ages.

Speaking of E3 – where I obviously am not, because if I was, I’d be getting the newly announced Xbox 360 (insert sigh here) – Big Park’s Charmie Kim gave a great demonstration of the upcoming Vancouver-made title Joy Ride during this morning’s Xbox press conference – and while I’m still not totally convinced that Kinect is something that will be a hit in the Village Gamer house, Charmie certainly looked like she was having fun.

Also unveiled during this morning’s Microsoft XBox presentation was  EA Sports Active™ 2 for Kinect™, which has an MRSP of $99.95. Currently in development at EA Sports in Burnaby, it will be available in North America on November 16th along with the previously announced PlayStation®3, Wii™, iPhone® and iPod touch® platforms. The EA Sports Active 2 console-based fitness programs will deliver true fitness results with an innovative heart rate monitor, wireless tracking, as well as a new online hub to track and share workout data. EA Sports Active 2 will deliver a fitness experience that achieves authentic, measurable results, wherever you are.

“Delivering EA Sports Active 2 on Kinect for Xbox 360 is a natural fit for fitness and the ability to track full body movement will create a fluid workout experience that delivers real results,” says Andrew Wilson, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Development, EA SPORTS. “It is the perfect complement to our EA Sports Active suite of fitness products and is indicative of our commitment to deliver new experiences for new audiences. We’re excited to expand on the top rated fitness franchise on the market.”

Kinect for Xbox 360 tracks full body movement with true 1:1 motion that will register exercises never before possible and create seamless workout experiences, without ever having to use a controller. Users will have complete freedom of motion for a deeper, more effective workout, similar to the experience of the EA Sports Active 2 Total Body Tracking system on the PlayStation 3 and Wii that uses wireless motion sensors in leg and arm straps. Unique to Kinect for Xbox 360, users will have the ability to navigate workouts with voice and gesture recognition, which allows for a seamless, fluid workout experience. Included in the packaging is the innovative EA Sports Active heart rate monitor that provides constant on-screen monitoring, allowing users to capture intensity and optimize performance over time. Additionally, along with the PlayStation 3, users will also have the ability to download new workouts and exercises to their Xbox 360 console through Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network to keep their workouts fresh and maintain motivation*.

EA Sports Active 2 products will offer the same, high-quality exercise experience which users found with EA Sports Active, and will experience over 70 new exercises and fitness activities including exercises not possible before the Total Body Tracking wireless control system. EA Sports Active 2 provides total body conditioning using progressive exercise in new programs. A 9-week program provides a fitness roadmap to help keep users motivated and on track of their fitness goals. Additional mini-programs will also be available to add on, keeping workouts fresh and inspiring. The EA Sports Active built-in personal trainer will walk users through their workout and provide continued encouragement with feedback to ensure an optimal workout experience.

Also from E3, here is the newly unveiled trailer for Klei Entertainment’s Shank:

I will be posting more news about E3 Announcements over the next little bit, as I sort out the Canadian press releases that are coming in with all of the other releases.

In the meantime, Ayogo Games has released a new Facebook title – check out Healthseeker, which was developed for the Diabetes Hands Foundation, and several Canadian games have made it through round one of the voting for the Golden Joystick Awards. The following titles have made the short list:

Strategy: Dawn of War 2: Chaos Rising
Action: Assassin’s Creed 2 and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction
Downloadable: Assassin’s Creed 2: Bonfire of the Vanities
Fighting: Fight Night Round 4 and Punch Out!!
One To Watch: Mafia 2 (contains Canadian-made components)
Online: Need For Speed World
Portable: Assassin’s Creed 2: Bloodlines and Assassin’s Creed 2: Discovery
Racing: ModNation Racers, Need For Speed: Shift and Need for Speed: Nitro
RPG: Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins, Awakening and Mass Effect 2
Shooter: Bioshock 2 (contains Canadian-made components)
Sports: FIFA 10, Skate 3 and FIFA 10 World Cup South Africa
Soundtrack: Mass Effect 2 and Assassin’s Creed 2

I am actually shocked that Dragon Age: Origins, with its incredible soundtrack, did not make it through to the second round of voting; then again, I’m also surprised that out of the huge number of Canadian games originally nominated, there aren’t more that made it through to this round.

Gamers and soccer fans from around the World joined forces to set a Guinness World Record for the most players to compete in a football video game. 82 players took turns on the controller as England and the USA drew 2-2 in a game of EA SPORTS 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa in front of hundreds of soccer fans who had gathered in Trafalgar Square to watch the opening ceremony and first match between the host nation and Mexico. With the World Cup trophy under wraps until Sunday July 11th, it was left to Guinness adjudicator, Gaz Deaves, to present both teams with the World Record Certificate. 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is out now on PS3, PSP, X360 & Wii.

Astral’s Family Channel and Playhouse Disney Canada today announced the commissioning of new episodes for two Canadian Original Productions. Family Channel has ordered a second season of live-action comedy, Wingin’ It, from Temple Street Productions while Playhouse Disney Canada has commissioned, from Radical Sheep Productions, new episodes of the animated series Stella and Sam, for both the English language network and the newly-launched Playhouse Disney Télé. Slated for broadcast in 2011 both series will begin production on new episodes in Toronto later this summer.

“For Family and Playhouse Disney we are dedicated to finding shows that resonate with our key audiences and engage with them in ways that are consistent with our brand. For Family that means using humour and interesting characters to offer kids the ‘never a dull moment’ experience; for Playhouse Disney that means leveraging characters and concepts that infuse our programs with learning while being fun and highly entertaining,” said Michael Goldsmith, Director, Original Programming. “Wingin’ It has already struck a real chord with Family viewers and is performing extremely well, while Stella and Sam, with its stunning visual style and beloved source material, is sure to be a perfect fit for our Playhouse Disney viewers across Canada.”

Hard-hit by the economic downturn, Canada’s computer and electronic product manufacturing industry is on a slow path back to its pre-recession performance, according to The Conference Board of Canada’s Spring 2010 outlook on the industry.

“Last year, the industry experienced its first decline in profit levels since the tech bust at the beginning of the 21st century,” said Maxim Armstrong, Economist. “Profits are expected to dip again this year, before a more sustained recovery takes hold beginning in 2011.”

Tumbling demand in foreign markets – particularly the United States – reduced industry exports by 16 per cent in 2009. Combined with a dropoff in domestic sales, industry revenues fell by more than 10 per cent last year. Manufacturers cut costs in response – notably by eliminating 20,000 jobs in the 12 months between the fourth quarter of 2008 and the third quarter of 2009. Profits fell to $1.7 billion in 2009, a 17 per cent drop from 2008 levels.

In 2010, production is expected to rebound modestly as demand improves and excess inventory is moved. However, costs are forecast to grow faster than revenues, leading to a further reduction in profits, to $1.4 billion. In 2011, healthier corporate profitability and consumer confidence are expected to lead to a strong rebound in production and a return to profit growth.

Fair Copyright for Canada (administered by Michael Geist) also has an active Facebook group which carries updates and opinions relevant to Bill C-32. One point which seems to be an area of contention is the Digital Lock, and CBC News has written a very comprehensive look at what it could entail. I freely admit that I have not had time to read and process all of the information about C-32, and while I will endeavour to do so, I would like to invite someone more expert in the ramifications of C-32 to write a guest editorial explaining the good and the bad of our copyright bill. While many of what we could deem as special interest groups are voicing their opinions about Bill C-32, the most relevant to both us and our readers is what those in interactive media are saying. All of the sites and Twitter accounts above contain links to opinions and press releases from groups such as ACTRA, AFM and the Documentary Organization of Canada, and I invite you to check them out. Here is what ESAC has to say about the reforms:

The Entertainment Software Association of Canada has released a statement about Bill C-32, congratulating the Government of Canada on its introduction of copyright reform legislation which will help protect Canadian content creators and digital media companies. ESAC believes that protecting the intellectual property of industries that contribute to Canada’s prosperity is not only good public policy, but is essential as our economy transitions to more knowledge-based jobs.

“We applaud the government for showing leadership on this complex issue and we look forward to studying the bill more closely,” said Danielle Parr, Executive Director of ESAC. “Without strong protection for our intellectual property, we’re basically operating in a digital Wild West. Promoting piracy under the guise of ‘user rights’ does nothing to defend the livelihood of thousands of Canadians who rely on turning great ideas into world class entertainment,” she added.

“Piracy fundamentally undermines the integrity of the marketplace. It forces creators to compete against black market versions of their own products, affecting their ability to recover the considerable investments associated with digital media production. A strong bill – one which prohibits hacking of digital works, trafficking in hacking tools and that makes those who facilitate digital piracy clearly liable for their activities – is critical to the success of Canada’s digital economy,” says Parr.

In the industry’s view, a bill with clear protection for intellectual property will enable creators to decide how and at what cost their products can be accessed and in turn allow consumers to decide which products succeed and fail by voting with their pocketbook. Further, by supporting a diverse range of business models, strong copyright will facilitate increased competition, which ultimately leads to greater consumer choice and lower prices.

In related news, the Pew Internet and American Life Project has released a report about The State of Online Video. While this study was conducted in the USA, the information can be useful to those Canadian companies and individuals who produce web-distributed products. The study is available as a downloadable PDF, or it can be read online.

And now back to our regularly scheduled Canadian game industry news and updates:

THQ has confirmed in an official press release that Relic Entertainment’s Company of Heroes Online will indeed be released to the North American market this fall. Building on the frenetic Real-Time-Strategy action of the original Company of Heroes, Company of Heroes Online is free to play and offers army specialization, commander customization, and persistent progression, allowing players to strategize on and off the battlefield. Players will also have the opportunity to earn or purchase special units and upgrades and improve their army with each and every multiplayer victory.

Vice President of Global Brand Management Travis Plane commented that, “We are delighted to bring this award-winning franchise to gamers in a whole new way with the online version of the Company of Heroes experience. Players will benefit from the persistent upgrades and the ability to tailor their armies to really suit their play style making this a unique experience for everyone.”

Capcom® Mobile and Classic Media, whose portfolio includes of some of the world’s leading kids, family and pop-culture brands such as Where’s Waldo?®, Casper the Friendly Ghost® and Lassie®, have announced the release of Where’s Waldo?® In Hollywood, the sequel to last year’s top-selling mobile phone game.

“The first Where’s Waldo? game was a run-away mobile hit with its addictive mini games and classic search and find puzzles,” said Midori Yuasa, President, Capcom Interactive, Inc. “For the sequel we’ve built on the winning mix with a whole new crop of puzzles, achievements and even more Waldo fun.”

“Capcom Mobile has done a terrific job translating the search and find experience of Where’s Waldo? for mobile and we are excited to partner with their team on the second game,” said Nicole Blake, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Consumer Products, Classic Media. “With its crowds of celebrities and celebrity-spotters, Hollywood is an exciting place for fans to take up their search for Waldo.”

Based on the international publishing phenomenon, Where’s Waldo? in Hollywood, developed by Capcom Interactive Canada, chronicles the world-famous traveler through a series of tinsel-town themed adventures. Players can join the search with multiple search and find games that are based on classic scenes from the book series, as well as five mini games, including Tic-Whack-Wizard, Odd One Out, and Slide Puzzles. As players progress, they will be able to unlock bonus content and earn in-game achievements. Where’s Waldo? In Hollywood is currently available for download on most North American carriers.

EA has released a new Dev Diary for the upcoming Need For Speed World. Check out what they have to say about the game in this new video.

Meanwhile, over at EA Sports, it seems that the developers have gone out on a limb and predicted that Spain will take home the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. Using the market-leading EA Sports™ football engine that drives 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ on the PS3 iand Xbox 360, EA Sports was able to simulate the 2010 FIFA World Cup and test all 32 teams under the same conditions they will face in the weeks ahead. It was determined that Spain will defeat Brazil 3-1 at Soccer City on July 11 to win its first World Cup. The testers holding the controllers – and thus the “players” free will, determined the following from their simulation:

* World Champion: Spain
* World Cup Final: Spain 3 Brazil 1
* 1st team to be eliminated: South Africa
* Golden Boot winner: David Villa (Spain), 7 goals
* Golden Ball winner: Kaka (Brazil)

EA Sports is also predicting that soccer fans around the globe will compare these astonishing results to the real-world tournament as it unfolds beginning June 11. The Final itself was an epic battle as Brazil put on a dazzling display of free-flowing samba style football early on against the Spaniards, taking a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute with a Felipe Melo strike from just inside the box. It didn’t take long for Spain to level the score after a goalie error that left striker David Villa in the clear. He tapped in his 6th goal of the tournament in the 42nd minute. The second half saw fortunes turn in favour of Spain, as their disciplined build up play and domination of possession paid off with a goal in the 61st minute when Villa connected for his second goal of the match, off of Andres Iniesta’s driven cross. Brazil had several efforts on goal in the final third of the match but couldn’t capitalize on its chances as they pushed all players forward in an attempt to draw even, eventually conceding a splendid counter attack goal in the 88th minute from Cesc Fabregas, which delivered Spain the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Spain’s path to FIFA World Cup glory included a quarterfinal 5-4 penalty shootout victory over Italy after an absorbing 1-1 draw, and a 2-1 win over Argentina in the semi final. Brazil’s journey to the Final included a 3-2 win over the Netherlands in the quarter final and a 5-4 shootout victory over England after the two teams played out a 2-2 draw in the semi.

Music makers who play games will soon be able to play, record, edit, save and playback their own song creations on their Xbox 360 drum kit peripherals in the form of Vancouver’s All Seeing Eye Games‘ debut title Drum Studio. Drum Studio utilizes the full potential of the drum kit to put the power of music creation in the players’ hands.

No longer will players merely play along to pre-determined drum lines. Instead, they will create their own jams on drums they’ve customized from a library of over 320 sounds. A simple & elegant recording interface allows players to layer in multiple tracks and hone their songs to perfection before they save the song, kick back, and watch an animated drummer play back their creation.

The past few years have seen the music game genre explode into a cultural phenomenon only to fizzle out in its own stagnation & over saturation. Drum Studio aims to push the genre forward in meaningful ways with its robust customization & creation tools and re-ignite some of the passion players felt that first time they sat down at a plastic instrument peripheral.

Drum Studio is the inaugural product of All Seeing Eye Games, a Vancouver-based independent game development studio founded in November 2009. It is dedicated to making accessible games that push the boundaries of innovation. Drum Studio is releasing in June 2010 exclusively on the Xbox LIVE Indie Games channel of Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 80 Microsoft Points.

Twenty-five Boys and Girls Clubs youth from across Canada will get the opportunity to pursue their careers and life goals through higher education as recipients of a $4,000 Future Shop Future Leaders Scholarship.

“I am extremely honoured to be selected as a recipient of the 2010 Future Leaders Scholarship,” said Scott McKinnon, a longtime member of Boys and Girls Club of Saint John. “Without this award, I may not have been financially able to attend university next year and continue towards the completion of my degree. This scholarship will allow me to better focus on the requirements of my courses without worrying about the stress incurred by having to find a way to cover the costs associated with a year at university. I am very thankful that Future Shop has partnered with Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada to provide this opportunity.”

Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, through the generous support of Future Shop, has been supporting the education dreams of youth for ten years through the Future Shop Future Leaders Scholarships program. The program provides vital financial support at a time when tuition costs continue to rise. Since the program was created, more than 550 young people have received scholarships totaling more than $1.5 million. Each student receives a $3,500 or $3,000 cash award along with a $500 or $1,000 Future Shop gift card to provide needed technology and school equipment.

“I am the first person in my family to go to university. My parents couldn’t afford to go and I feel really blessed to have come to Canada and been given all these opportunities,” said Majda Miljkovic, a past Future Shop Future Leader Scholarship recipient who is currently studying Education at the University of Manitoba. “The Future Leaders Scholarship has helped me keep up with paying for school on my own, stay out of debt in doing so, and also look around me and realize just how lucky I am to be here today.”

Building on the ten year success of the Future Shop Future Leaders Scholarships, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada and Future Shop have developed a new program, Future Generation, which will launch later in 2010. An evolution of the Future Shop Future Leaders Scholarships, Future Generation will aim to provide young people in Grade 10 with the financial resources to achieve their long term education goals and the skills and technology needed to be truly successful.

“Future Shop is committed to investing in creating positive opportunities for young people and together with Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada we have helped hundreds of young people over the past ten years realize their dream of post-secondary education,” said Cheryl Grant, Community Relations Manager, Future Shop. “Through the Future Shop Future Leaders Scholarships we have improved the lives of youth and families across the country, and we will continue to make a difference through the upcoming Future Generation program.”

Recipients of the Future Shop Future Leaders Scholarships are selected based on their outstanding contribution to their Boys and Girls Club and local community, good academic standing and financial need.

2010 Future Shop Future Leaders Scholarship Recipients

Alberta

Amaira Hanson, Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary
Erin Hutchinson, Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary
Tammy Morgan, Stettler and District Boys and Girls Club
Courtney Johnson, Boys and Girls Club of Brooks and District

British Columbia

Reid Neilson, Boys and Girls Club Community Services of Delta/Richmond
Janette Wheeler, Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs
Eileen Zheng, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Vancouver

Manitoba

Sabreen Shahin, Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg
Hope Akello, Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg

New Brunswick

Sarah Stewart, Miramichi Boys and Girls Club
Scott McKinnon, Boys and Girls Club of Saint John

Newfoundland and Labrador

Alexandria Hemeon, Botwood Boys and Girls Club Inc.

Nova Scotia

Carlos Beals, Boys and Girls Club of Dartmouth

Ontario

Kaitland Thompson, Toronto Kiwanis Boys and Girls Clubs
Mike Ali, Boys and Girls Clubs of Peel
Osman Omar, Boys and Girls Club of London
Mahdi Hussein, Eastview (Toronto) Boys and Girls Club
Meagan La Plante, Boys and Girls Clubs of Kawartha Lakes
Prince Sunama, Boys and Girls Club of Kingston and Area Inc.
David Francis, Boys and Girls Club of East Scarborough
Ismail Abdulle, Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa
Richard Lorde, Braeburn Boys and Girls Club

Prince Edward Island

Donald Gallant, Wellington and Area Boys and Girls Club

Quebec

Lois Boateng, Boys and Girls Club of LaSalle / Club Garcons et Filles de LaSalle

Saskatchewan

Kayla Krawetz, Battlefords Boys and Girls Club

1. Connect With Players
2. Leverage Technology
3. Connect With Customers on their Terms
4. Word of Mouth/Viral Marketing
5. Connect with Investors and Strategic Partners
6. Lead the industry forward
7. Encourage Positive Change

Ubisoft Canada has announced that several of its upcoming titles will be featured at E3, along with several yet-to-be-announced titles from across the Ubisoft network. Games exhibited at the Ubisoft booth will include the highly anticipated Assassin’s Creed™ Brotherhood, Shaun White Skateboarding, Tom Clancy™ ’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier™, the next iteration of the blockbuster franchise Driver®, and many other titles that are yet to be announced. Ubisoft’s website will host select information sent directly from Ubisoft’s booth at E3 as well as the press conference, giving fans access to exclusive interviews and trailers of Ubisoft games.

To kick-off its E3 activities, Ubisoft will host a press conference at the Los Angeles Theatre on Monday, June 14, 2010 at 5 pm (doors open at 3.30 pm). Ubisoft is thrilled to announce that Joel McHale, star of NBC’s “Community” and E!’s “The Soup.” will return as the host of its E3 press conference. The press conference is by invitation only to Ubisoft partners, investors, retailers and select media. Attendees will be treated to live demonstrations of Ubisoft’s upcoming releases and special guests in this not-to-be-missed event that will set the tone for one of Ubisoft’s most impressive line-ups to date.

Toon Boom Animation has put many of their creative software titles on sale – check out their limited time specials – they will be ending soon. Also available today is a very cool “how-to” article on rotoscoping for beginners – a process that could even help me make an animation, and I definitely can’t draw.

Electronic Arts Inc. and Black Box Studios have announced that Need for Speed™ World, the massively multiplayer online action racing game, will go live on July 20, 2010. Need for Speed World thrusts gamers into an enormous, socially-connected white-knuckle Need for Speed experience featuring an all-new power-up system and deep RPG style progression.

Beginning July 20th, Need for Speed World will be available as a free client download, which will give gamers a taste of the action with access to all races, pursuits and career progression up to level 10.

Players looking for the ultimate experience can purchase the Need for Speed World Starter Pack which includes a credit for $20 worth of SpeedBoost, full access up to level 50, a bundle assortment of power-ups like Nitrous and Traffic Magnet to help you get started, and an exclusive limited edition vehicle – all for MSRP $20.00 (*Conditions and restrictions apply. See details at point of purchase). Owners of the Starter Pack also get the added benefit of being able to purchase items like power-ups, double XP periods and even rental cars starting at just a few cents.

Players who pre-order Need for Speed World will have a one-week headstart to the game on July 13th, with increased Rep (XP) gain for the duration of the headstart event and guaranteed access to all upcoming Need for Speed World beta events. Finally, players will also be able to reserve their driver names in advance of the game going live and have VIP status permanently displayed in their driver profile. Pre-orders are available now at EA’s Online Store or at participating digital retailers nationwide.

Need for Speed World brings together best in class action racing with an unparalleled social experience. Players can compete against any one of their friends, family or pick from thousands of top ranked players to challenge in intense online battles and police pursuits across 150 miles of sprawling open world. Need for Speed World combines new content with the most popular cities from Need for Speed Most Wanted and Need for Speed Carbon to create the biggest, most exciting race world ever released in the Need for Speed universe.

Los Angeles-based Riot Games have announced that they are working with TransGaming, Inc. to expand their debut title, League of Legends™, and releasing a version for the Mac that will be available for download this summer. The new Mac version of the session-based online multiplayer strategy game, powered by TransGaming’s Cider™ Portability Engine, will bring millions of Mac owners the same fast-paced gaming action that more than one million PC gamers have enjoyed since the game launched in October, 2009.

“Millions of gamers across the world are accessing their gaming content on Macs but until now they have not been able to play League of Legends,” said Brandon Beck, co-founder and CEO of Riot Games. “The first competitive phase of the game will be kicking off this summer, and we’re excited that Mac gamers will also be able to participate and have a chance to vie for top prizes.”

“League of Legends is an outstanding game and one that will be thoroughly enjoyed by Mac gamers everywhere who have been waiting for a premium free-to-play release,” commented Vikas Gupta, CEO & President of TransGaming Inc. “League of Legends represents TransGaming’s commitment to bring a breadth of exceptional video gaming entertainment to the Mac community.”

With TransGaming’s Cider Engine, the Mac version of League of Legends will have all the same game features as its award-winning PC counterpart. Players can download the game for free and after a short installation process begin playing instantly. Artwork, graphics, in-game items and controls will remain the same in the Mac version, giving both PC and Mac gamers equal opportunity to compete in the game at high levels for free.

Building on the success of their sold-out inaugural Cross Media NYC, Jumpwire Media is launching Cross Media Toronto on July 21, 2010. Partnering with the Mars Centre and the Canadian Film Centre’s (CFC) Media Lab, Cross Media Toronto will feature heavyweight media industry executives discussing perspectives on how transmedia content will be produced, distributed and consumed in a cross media environment, specifically looking at ways to incorporate cross media into business models with real tangibles on how to monetize cross media opportunities in the various sectors.

Founder of Cross Media Toronto Gavin McGarry said: “We are excited about bringing the event to Toronto. The city has a vibrant start up community and Canada is one of the world leaders in cross media content creation.”

Scheduled events at Cross Media Toronto include a super panel of key cross media personalities, 3 demonstrations of emerging cross media technologies, two industry focused case studies and a debate on a pressing cross media issue of the day, all designed to give attendees a more direct and personal understanding of how cross media can be implemented successfully.

After two days of meetings at World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) 2010 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, today promoted Canada to key representatives of the world’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector as an ideal business and investment environment and invited them to attend Montréal for WCIT 2012.

“WCIT has provided a valuable opportunity to highlight the important investments our government has made in ICT and the digital economy to strengthen the global economic recovery,” said Minister Clement. “I look forward to welcoming delegates to WCIT 2012 in Montréal and showcasing Canada’s strong ICT industries and our digital economy strategy.”

WCIT, an international conference held every two years, has a significant influence on ICTs and their impact on global competitiveness and society in general. It brings together politicians, senior business leaders, high-level officials, academics and opinion leaders from around the world.

As head of the Canadian delegation to WCIT 2010, Minister Clement held a series of meetings. In a speech to Dutch business leaders, he spoke about Canada–Netherlands business partnerships and our countries’ shared objectives in strengthening the digital economy industry.

In his closing address, the Minister acknowledged the work being done in Europe on developing a digital strategy and highlighted Canada’s current consultations on a digital economy strategy. WCIT ended with a handover ceremony as Canada prepares to host WCIT 2012.

Multimedia Nova Corporation and its partners are pleased to announce the launch of The Canadian Experience, a 52 week series of articles by Canada’s foremost historians that tell the story of why our country is the way it is, how it works and what makes Canadians the people we are. The series is written in an engaging and straightforward manner that makes Canada’s story accessible to all readers. More importantly, the content is being translated and published in 22 different languages to ensure no resident of our country is left behind.

“We felt we had a civic duty to help educate all Canadians about the place we call home,” said Lori Abittan, President and CEO of Multimedia Nova. “Newcomers to Canada want to learn about this country, but often have a hard time finding the civic literacy resources they need. By working with their newspapers we can not only give them the information they crave in their own language, but deliver it through by a trusted source of news and information.”

The columns aren’t just dry, factual retellings of past events. They have a character that as unique as the country itself, as series General Editor Jack Granatstein points out in the opening chapter.

“The columns will be polite — we’re Canadian, after all!” writes Granatstein. “But they’ll be blunt and point to shortcomings as often as they sing Canada’s praises. Self-criticism is another Canadian habit. What the columns will always be is interesting and informative, a good guide for Canadians old and new.”

The Canadian Experience is being published in over 50 print and online publications across the country, and is augmented by a Facebook presence, a partnership with the employment and community portal TalentOyster and a robust website with additional information about the topics covered, author bios and a special quiz feature with questions based on the material in the series.

“Readers love our quizzes,” said Abittan. “People from all walks of life, from new Canadians to those who have been here for generations, have all told me they not only found our quiz fun and challenging, but it encouraged them to learn more about Canada.”

While the first installments of The Canadian Experience have already been published, Multimedia Nova is continuing to look for new partners who can help bring this unique series to their communities, be they geographic or cultural.

“We are committed to bringing The Canadian Experience to as many people as possible,” said Abittan. “As an immigrant myself I know firsthand how important it is to learn the stories we need to tell. We want The Canadian Experience to make a major contribution to the understanding of our country by all those who live here.”

Friends of Veterans Canada and the Highway of Heroes Salute Ride is pleased to coordinate The Memorial Drive and Rally occurring on May 29, 2010 in support of our Canadian troops and veterans. This Memorial Drive and Rally is about Canadians saying “Thank You” to the men and women who serve this country in pursuit of peace throughout the world. It’s also about honour and respect, especially to those who have lost their life and the sacrifices of their families. We are going to retrace the path a fallen member of the military takes when they come home from battle, to honour the sacrifice that that person has made and to mourn their passing. It is also a time to say “Thank You” to our veterans for their past service. This Memorial Drive and Rally serves as another opportunity to think about our veterans more than just one day a year.

Registration starts at 10:00 a.m. Rally leaves 12 Noon sharp at CFB Trenton ON. 8th Wing Trenton. Departing from the parade square, the procession will travel to Toronto on the Highway of Heroes to Downsview Park and the “Wings and Wheels Festival” for our closing ceremony at Downsview between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m.

This Repatriation Memorial Drive and Rally is dedicated to Cpl. Darren James Fitzpatrick 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, CFB Edmonton who did not get a Repatriation Service as he returned home to Edmonton Hospital, where he failed to recover from the injuries he sustained from a road side bomb detonation on March 6 2010 in Afghanistan. Please attend all bridges and the rallies for the family so they may experience the gratefulness of Canadians for the service and sacrifice of the Fitzpatrick family.

We are asking rally goers to fill out a pledge sheet for the rally to help get the families to the event. There will be a $5 donation to get into the Wings and Wheels Festival, and all funds raised will help get the word out to every teacher and student in Canada about the “National Video-A-Veteran Contest“. Our goal remains to video tape every living Canadian veteran that is willing to tell their story.

Integration New Media, Inc. (INM), a leader in creating rich user experiences, announced today its new Reach Family of ePublishing products, a series of web applications that content publishers can use to create pixel perfect online versions of their print magazines, newspapers, brochures and catalogs. The product family initially consists of two products, Reach Docs, for bringing individual publications online, and Reach eLibrary that helps publishers offer large volumes of fully-indexed content that is viewable on-screen.

“The technology behind these solutions has been part of our offerings for custom applications for some time,” said Jason MacDonald, product manager for INM’s Reach ePublishing Solutions. “We’ve now packaged them up into affordable, full-featured products that publishers can easily access, license and get started with immediately.”

Reach Docs enables publishers to upload print-quality PDF files and present them online to readers without the installation of any specialized software or plug-ins. Its rich interface with interactive page-flipping effects helps readers engage with content online as they would on paper. Reach Docs’ self-service model and low monthly fee makes it easy, quick and affordable for content publishers to create and share digital versions of magazines, newspapers, brochures, newsletters, catalogs, reports, tourist materials and more, in a matter of minutes.

“We’ve been using the Reach Docs technology for the past several years to deliver our bi-weekly homes guide to thousands of readers,” says Lorey Stejskal, production supervisor for Central Illinois Homes Guide Publications. “Our readers enjoy being able to access the print publication online and immediately click through to a property they are interested in.”

Reach eLibrary is designed to help publishers create rich libraries of digital documents. The application’s customizable cross-document search functionality allows readers to easily search for content and view results immediately on-screen. An embedded document viewer, based on Reach Docs technology, makes reading content online simple and intuitive. A robust back-end control center provides publishers with full control over their content, and provides details about library access and document views. Reach eLibrary is perfect for magazine and journal back-issues, corporate eLibraries, newspaper archives, historical document collections, and more.

Reach Docs and Reach eLibrary are both available immediately. Reach Docs is licensed on a monthly basis at a rate of $15 per month, or a promotional rate of $150 per year. Reach eLibrary is licensed on an annual basis for $1,800 per year. Both products can also be customized to meet an organization’s unique requirements.

Organizers of this October’s GDC Online conference (formerly known as GDC Austin) have announced that they will host the first annual Game Developers Choice Online Awards, to recognize the rich history, technical excellence, and continued innovation in the arena of online games.

The new awards ceremony will honor the accomplishments of the sometimes overlooked creators and operators of persistent online video games – from large-scale MMOs through free-to-play titles to social network games. The awards span excellence in live services, technology, game updates, online game design, and more. There will also be two special awards which will honor outstanding individuals and games in the space, with the Online Game Legend Award being given to a person who has changed the world of online games forever, and one particular all-time classic online game will be inducted into the GDC Online Awards’ Hall Of Fame.

After award finalists are announced, the worldwide community of online game players will also have the opportunity to designate their favorite online game in the Audience Award category. Nominations are open until June 30th 2010, and game professionals with free Gamasutra.com user accounts can put forward their favorite online games for the awards. The GDC Online Awards are a sister event to the Game Developers Choice Awards which take place at GDC San Francisco every year.

The award categories and this year’s Special Award winners will be determined by the GDC Online Advisory Board. This group includes notables like BioWare Austin’s Gordon Walton, Metaplace’s Raph Koster, Playfish’s Sebastien De Halleux, and Nexon’s Min Kim.

Winners for the Game Developers Choice Online Awards will be selected by a specially selected subset of the International Choice Awards Network (ICAN). This is the same group of over 500 handpicked leading industry creators that pick the Game Developers Choice Awards winners at GDC in San Francisco every year.

The Best Online Game Design Award honors the overall excellence of design in an online game that launched in public beta or full version in the year to May 2010. This category recognizes the best social-specific gameplay mechanics, quest design, and other major game design elements.

The Audience Award honors the favorite game of the worldwide online game community. After initial developer-specific nominations, members of the public will be able to vote on their favorite currently operating online game, with options from the Game Developers Choice Online finalists and beyond.

The Best Online Visual Arts Award recognizes the overall excellence of visual art in online games that launched in the 12 months to May 2010 – including, but not limited to, character and animation design, interface design, and 2D or 3D art creation and direction of all kinds.

The Best Community Relations Award honors the currently operating online game that provides the highest quality community feedback and experience, including customer support, forum moderation and leadership, weblog and information updates, real-life events, and other community outreach.

The Best Online Technical Award recognizes the overall excellence of technology in an online game that launched in the 12 months to May 2010. This includes excellence in complexity of network infrastructure, persistent world coding, graphics technology, artificial intelligence, or any other elements.

The Best Social Network Game Award recognizes the best game that launched on a social network such as Facebook or MySpace in open beta or full version in the year to May 2010, honoring the most outstanding title in terms of overall depth, execution and quality in the space.

The Best Audio for an Online Game Award recognizes the overall excellence of audio in an online game that launched in the 12 months to May 2010 – including sound effects, musical composition, and overall sound design for an online title.

The Best New Online Game Award recognizes excellence in any online-specific game, including MMOs, free to play titles and social network games that launched to the public in open beta or full versions in the twelve months ending May 2010.

The Best Live Game Award recognizes the best currently-operating online game – distinguishing itself by that exceptional new content through expansion packs, patches, or other updates in the last 12 months, as well as a vibrant player community, high-quality community management and network operation during that period.

Special Awards

The Online Game Legend Award recognizes the career and achievements of one particular creator who has made an indelible impact on the craft of online game development.

The GDC Online Awards Hall of Fame recognizes a specific online game that has resulted in the long-term advancement of the medium, pioneering major shifts in online game development and games as a whole.

The next Innovation Camp will be held on May 29th and 30th at Bootup Labs. Get your tickets now for a great workshop that will challenge assumptions, connect ideas, embrace failure and see problems as opportunities for creative solutions in order to take your entrepreneurial venture to the next step. Tickets for Innovation Camp are $119.00 and can be purchased online.

Tickets are also still available for the Vancouver SIGGRAPH presentation of Alice in Wonderland: Creating Underland. Taking place on May 25th at the Empire Theatre Granville, this session features two presentations, the first with animation director David Schaub (Sony Pictures Imageworks), who will give you a look behind the talent and tools that were used to create Alice In Wonderland. Mr. Schaub will focus primarily on the standard creative elements of the show, but he will also provide insight into the surprising challenges and innovative technical solutions that were used to breathe digital life into over 30 inhabitants of Underland including the Mad Hatter, the Red Queen and the Cheshire Cat.

The second Creating Underland session will be presented by freelance Visual Effects Supervisor Carey Villegas, who will focus on the process of photographing the “live-action” component of the film, as well as the many challenges that he and Senior Visual Effects Supervisor, Ken Ralston faced in post production while creating the visual and stereo 3D effects. A screening of Alice in Wonderland will follow the technical presentations. Tickets for this event are $20.00 for non-members and $15.00 for members. Please note that online ticket sales for the seminar are now closed, but you can still get tickets at the door.

Our friends over at AnnexPro have just told us about two upcoming seminars for Final Cut Pro editors. Presented by the International Colorist Academy, these two courses will be taking place in Vancouver beginning on June 7th. The first course, Apple Colour, will be held on June 7 & 8th, while the Colourist Strategies session will be held June 9th through 11th.

Interactive entertainment company Ludia and FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) today announced the American Idol Star Experience game will be available as a free download on May 26th to coincide with the Season 9 finale of the smash hit American Idol™ TV show. The game enables fans to continue their Idol obsession as they unleash their creativity by producing jaw-dropping online performances for family, friends and the whole Facebook community to rate and compare against other players.

Idol enthusiasts simply use their existing Facebook login to create a game account to access the free Performance Creator download for PC. The Performance Creator enables players to design their own unique stage performance, including building a custom avatar from head to toe, choosing a song to sing from dozens of hits, choreographing dance moves, and directing a multitude of staging elements like camera angles and special effects. The player can then post the performance to Facebook with one click, to be rated to see how they compare to other performers in singing, styling and staging categories.

Members of the Facebook community can also enjoy the American Idol Star Experience game in a highly social context as members of the “audience” view and rate performances, choose favorites, leave comments for performers and discuss the best (and worst) of the performances- all within the Facebook environment.

“We are excited to release a unique game experience based on American Idol, one of the most important entertainment franchises in the world,” said Alex Thabet, Founder and CEO of Ludia Inc. “American Idol Star Experience reinforces our existing multiplatform game strategy, now seamlessly integrated with robust social features.”

American Idol Star Experience features:

* A free downloadable Performance Creator, available via players’ existing Facebook account.

* Personal avatars that players build head to toe, including body type, face, eyes, hair and more.

* Dozens of hit songs available in a wide variety of genres to suit all musical tastes including rock, punk, pop, hip hop, disco, R&B and country.

Players can achieve further customization of all elements of a performance via a simple “drag and drop” interface, including:

* Recorded singing- Players can select pre-recorded voice tracks, or use their own voice to sing karaoke-style.

* Personal styling- Hundreds of hair styles, wardrobe items and accessories to choose from.

* Unique staging- Stages modeled after the famous American Idol stage, with special effects, lighting, camera angles, dance moves and props that players can craft to create a one-of-a-kind performance.

* Social interaction within the Facebook community as members of Facebook can visit the game’s page to view and rate performances based on singing, styling and staging criteria. Players have also the ability to invite select Facebook friends to a private viewing of their performance.

“After more than eight top-rated seasons on television, the Emmy-award winning American Idol is one of the most successful properties on TV,” said Olivier Delfosse, Director, Interactive, FremantleMedia Enterprises, licensor for the program. “We are pleased to extend American Idol to both the existing fan base and new audiences alike with a highly immersive game experience that further deepens consumer engagement with the franchise.”

Ubisoft Montreal has released the North American trailer for Shaun White Skateboarding, which is scheduled for release this fall.

In other Ubisoft Canada news, and as many of you already know, the team at Ubisoft’s newest studio, Ubisoft Toronto, will lead development of the next installment of Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell®, one of Ubisoft’s most successful franchises with over 19 million units sold worldwide.

“Building our studio around both AAA brands and original IP has allowed us to attract an all-star team to Ubisoft Toronto. We’re really happy to be able to tell the world that the Toronto studio’s first big franchise title is the next Splinter Cell game. Splinter Cell has become synonymous with innovative gameplay, great design, and one of the most beloved characters in games,” said Jade Raymond, managing director of Ubisoft Toronto.

Jade Raymond started the new studio with the core team of Alexandre Parizeau and Maxime Béland, producer and creative director on Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell® Conviction, and producer Lesley Phord-Toy and Rima Brek, head of technology in Toronto. They have been the foundation for a development team that has grown to over 40 very experienced and creative professionals today. And given the roster of ambitious AAA titles that Ubisoft Toronto has on deck, the new studio will continue to accelerate that pace, and keep hiring the best in the industry.

Stir Fry Games has released more information about their upcoming Xbox Live Indie Games title SFG Beach Volleyball, which was submitted to Microsoft last week.

In Beach Volleyball, you’ll be able to play online with your friends or join a single-player blitz-style tournament with up to 16 other players. Other game features will include 30 different tournaments around the world on 3 different tours in the multi-season career mode. The World Tour will feature realistic tournaments with up to 68 teams, double-elimination draws, pool play and qualifying rounds. With the RPG-style improvement system, you’ll be able to improve your skills as well as those of your partner, because you’ll be able to customize your AI partner’s blocking and digging strategies.

This is a reminder that Autodesk is looking for computer-generated animations to be included on its 2010 SIGGRAPH reel. Submit your latest short animation game cinematic, film, feature film, commercial, broadcast, music video and episodic projects created using Autodesk software, such as Autodesk® Maya®, Autodesk® 3ds Max®, Autodesk® Softimage®, Autodesk® MotionBuilder®, and Autodesk® Mudbox™ software. This is an opportunity to share your work with industry peers and potential clients at July’s SIGGRAPH event in Los Angeles. The reel will also be streamed live on the AREA, promoted on the Autodesk website and YouTube Channel, and played during industry events throughout the year. Autodesk is also looking for high-resolution images for inclusion in general marketing materials throughout the year. The deadline for video submissions is 31 May 31 2010 and for imagery 4 June.

Machinima.com has released the first episode for their latest series – Dragon Age: Warden’s Fall. The series picks up where Bioware’s Dragon Age: Origins ends, and you can watch as the Darkspawn are pursued in their retreat.

Also in major news from Bioware is the official announcement of the long-rumoured Mass Effect movie. Stories about interest for a Mass Effect movie began circulating earlier this year, when project director Casey Hudson told MTV that “we (Bioware) have a tremendous amount of interest from people in Hollywood to make a major motion picture about ‘Mass Effect. The most important thing for us is, we don’t just want to see a movie get made. We want to see a great movie get made, if it’s going to get done at all.”

The deal for a Mass Effect has apparently been cinched, as told yesterday in The Hollywood Reporter, who confirmed reports that the film rights have been picked up by Legendary Pictures (the studio behind 300, The Watchmen, The Dark Knight and the still-in-development Gears of War). BioWare’s Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk and Casey Hudson will reportedly be brought on as executive producers. Mark Protosevich, the writer behind I Am Legend and the upcoming Thor, is in talks to pen the adaptation. Bioware has opened a discussion area on their Social Bioware Community for fans to talk about their hopes and thoughts about the Mass Effect movie project.

British Columbia’s film industry will receive a major boost thanks to funding from the Government of Canada. In an announcement released late last week, an investment of $530,000 towards the Emily Carr University of Art and Design (ECU) will help purchase equipment and develop the first western Stereoscopic 3D (S3D) Centre of Excellence in digital media and film technologies.

“British Columbia has a vibrant film making industry and today’s investment will provide the necessary resources so this industry can remain competitive in the West,” said the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification.

The S3D centre will be housed in Emily Carr’s Intersections Digital Studios, based in Vancouver. This new initiative will strengthen Emily Carr’s applied research and collaboration with industry and will result in the only western Canadian S3D film-making technology research and training program.

S3D technology is coming of age and is expected to be adopted by significant segments of the movie industry over the next five years. Although 3D projection is not new, recent advances in computer technology allow a much improved viewing experience, and therefore there is an expectation of significant adoption within many segments of the industry.

Today’s investment by the Government of Canada will give the BC film industry a leading position through training and applied research in production and post-production for S3D technology which is being adopted by the industry.

“We are grateful to the Government of Canada for recognizing the need for this type of investment,” said Dr. Ron Burnett, Emily Carr President & Vice-Chancellor. “This funding will allow us to grow the capabilities of the Centre and lead the country in ground-breaking S3D technology research, education and training.”

The Creators Project, a creative initiative designed to connect global youth through creativity and technology, has launched its website and interactive portal where original videos, featured works and interviews with some 80 international artists, musicians and media creators are available.

The site will stream live content, including interviews, performances, exhibits and panel discussions from the Creators Conferences, allowing viewers around the world to participate virtually in advance of live events being planned in several international locations.

The Creators Project was conceived out of VICE, a small print ‘zine based in Montreal that launched in 1994. Today, as a global media company, it has several international offices, and it has branched into other digital media platforms, including digital filmmaking and online distribution, with the establishment of VBS.TV, an online broadcast network that streams original content 24 hours a day. VICE has also established a solid working relationship with tech giant Intel, tapping into advanced technologies and innovation through that partnership, as seen in the current initiative.

“The Creators Project is built on supporting leading musicians, artists and designers from every corner of the globe,” creator Mark Ronson described in a release. “All too often our most talented artists struggle to showcase their work. This project is designed to empower this next generation of artists by leveling the playing field. The fact that The Creators Project is driven by collaborations between artists across the spectrum of creativity is amazing. I came from being a DJ first, which is kind of the role of master curator, so I’m driven on watching people work together. The Creators Project is something that makes me think — because it’s VICE and because it’s Intel — this really could be the first special community of its kind.”

“At Intel, as the makers of the brains inside some of the world’s most cutting-edge tech tools, we’re lucky to have a backstage pass to the most exciting uses of technology and the artists that inspire us by how they harness technology’s power and potential to explore,” added Deborah Conrad, Intel’s chief marketing officer. “Thankfully, VICE wanted to give everyone a front row seat to all of these incredible artists, and they had the guts and talent to do just that. And so, our partnership and The Creators Project came to life.

“Now more than any other time in history, we’re watching a new generation of creative geniuses come into their own — artists who use technology tools as their paintbrushes, musical instruments, sculpting knives and sketchbooks. For them, computers are as pervasive as pencils. The Creators Project is where these worlds of art and technology collide. It is a powerful vehicle to tell amazing stories of the artists, celebrate their innovation and provide a place — literally and virtually — for them to collaborate.”

The project is highlighted by The Creators Conference series, and organizers are hoping for thousands of people to attend the live concerts, art exhibits, film screenings and panel discussions. New York City hosts the first Creators Conference with an all-day extravaganza at Milk Studios. The eight-floor art gallery and performance space will host exhibits by Takeshi Murata, Karl Sadler, Mark Essen and Radical Friend, and performances by Mark Ronson, Interpol, Gang Gang Dance, N.A.S.A, Sleigh Bells and Salem. The series will then move to London, Sao Paulo, Seoul, and concludes in Beijing with a three-day finale where participating artists and exhibits will be flown in from the across the globe.

Disney Interactive Studios invites kids and families to beat the heat on the snow-covered virtual island of Club Penguin this summer with Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force: Herbert’s Revenge for Nintendo DS™, now available in retail stores nationwide.

“The first Club Penguin DS game was a huge hit with fans, and we’re excited to offer even more handheld fun for Club Penguin fans everywhere,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “With Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force: Herbert’s Revenge, fans will enjoy more compelling missions with new and returning characters, engaging mini-games and unique ways to connect with the online world.”

Fans of Club Penguin will once again be able to join the Elite Penguin Force secret agency and work to unravel the mischievous plans of Herbert P. Bear, the island’s one true villain. Players will experience all-new mini games, secret agent tests, new gadgets and mysterious missions.

Returning characters from the first game include Gary the Gadget Guy, Dot the Disguise Gal, Jet Pack Guy and Rookie. Also back by popular demand are the furry Elite Puffles who each possess a unique skill. Pop (Purple Puffle) makes bubbles, Flare (Black Puffle) creates blowtorches and Chill (White Puffle) produces frost breath.

Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force: Herbert’s Revenge is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB and includes many features that link the game back to the original Club Penguin virtual world. Players now have the unique opportunity to synchronize exclusive items such as secret agent bow ties, sunglasses and crab costumes collected in the video game with their Club Penguin online account. Players can also earn coins that can be seamlessly uploaded to their online accounts or used to purchase virtual items in game. This compatibility has been one of the most popular features since the launch of Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force in 2008, with close to one billion coins being transferred to more than 275,000 online accounts by kids around the world.

“Increasing the connectivity between the creativity and imagination kids love so much in the online world of Club Penguin and the experience of playing the DS game was really important to us, and we’re really excited to launch the first mission that will take the storyline and adventure across both platforms,” says Lane Merrifield, co-founder of Club Penguin and executive vice president of Disney Online Studios.

Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force: Herbert’s Revenge, while not developed in Canada, is at heart a Canadian creation, with Penguin Central still based in Kelowna BC. The game also features “Veggie Villain,” a new mission which launched simultaneously on ClubPenguin.com for players of both platforms to enjoy. Here, Herbert tries to expose the secret Elite Penguin Force agency and destroy the headquarters with a secret gadget.

TRZZonline.com, a Ph03nix New Media company, will be launching their new social game Fame & Fortune on May 31st, fusing time management/social gaming with the entertainment industry. TRZZonline’s Fame & Fortune will be featured and exclusively played on Facebook®, creating its own user fan base and joining the upper ranks of its predecessors.

Fame & Fortune is a social game about acquiring super-stardom, with a tongue-in-cheek twist on the entertainment industry. Players will assume the role of the ‘starving artist’ as they move to Hollywood to build a career in the music and film industries. From living in their car to waiting tables in restaurants to ultimately owning a private island, it’s all part of Fame and Fortune.

This fun journey provides your ‘pretentious-self’ with a false sense of security as you climb the ladder of success. It also gives you a few ‘reality checks’ along the way when your friends from your Facebook friends list join in on the fun and compete with you. Challenging your friends to see who is the most popular, or who has the largest entourage, or who owns the largest mansion is what will keep you coming back for more, (not to mention, an in-game music player that contains a great play-list of Top 40 music and indie artists’ songs that make you want to just leave the browser open all day). Special rewards and perks are unlocked as you become more and more successful, although, if you become too successful, your friends are able to execute antics like creating “Bad PR” to knock you down a few notches.

This game taps into the budding star within us all. You can acquire fame and fortune the old fashioned way by performing gigs that allow you to level-up and make money, or you can get on the fast track with in-game “ICE” purchases that allow you to quickly upgrade your lifestyle with items that include fancy cars, clothes, beach houses, airplanes, skateboard ramps, pets, paparazzi, security guards, and anything else you can think of that a famous socialite can’t live without.

While other social game developers are performing the old “copy/paste” cloning method of games that are already popular on Facebook, TRZZonline is creating something completely new by essentially turning their real-world experience in the music entertainment industry into a game that crosses all demographics.

The Fame & Fortune Facebook Game has teamed up with Hip Hop Weekly Magazine in an effort to show how merging ‘real world’ products with gaming concepts can maximize company exposure through in-game involvement. Hip Hop Weekly Magazine is well known throughout the world for covering “all things happening in urban entertainment”. Inside of TRZZonline’s Fame & Fortune Facebook Game, Hip Hop Weekly Magazine plays the role of the official news reporter, documenting your success as your popularity grows.

“We didn’t want to build another time management game just for the sake of building it. Our team is great at creating games with stellar graphics and amazing game play, but we wanted to do something different, something innovative. We wanted to be one of the first developers to successfully merge online gaming with offline rewards,” said Jon Lam, founder and CEO of TRZZonline/Ph03nix New Media. “Imagine an online game that gives you a chance to meet one of your favorite rock stars, or attend one of their private events. As users level-up, TRZZonline’s Fame & Fortune rewards them with a variety of real-world elements provided by our friends in the entertainment industry.”

BigStack Studios invites you to enter the world of Sigma – the most unique, challenging and defiant Match 3 game to surface in ages, and coming soon to your iPhone/iTouch. Using multi-touch, you will be able to independently spin two columns of blocks on either side of the screen. Tapping either side of the screen sends blocks back and forth across the screen. Once a match has been created, you’ll have a couple of seconds to tag additional blocks on to the cluster before the whole thing goes BOOM! Whether you’re a beginner creating simple horizontal or vertical match threes or an expert strategically setting up massive block clusters, it’s an experience like none other.

Sigma Features:

· A Truly Unique Twist on Match 3 – Harness the power of multi-touch to independently spin two columns of blocks. Tap to shoot blocks from side to side creating matches then quickly tag on additional blocks before the match detonates.
· Build Massive Combos – Clear huge block clusters to earn big points and big power ups. Match the same color consecutively to create an escalating point multiplier.
· Three Game Modes – Progress through the three difficulties of Sector Mode to unlock themes. Compete for a high score in one of the three times in Time Attack Mode. Go head to head with a friend over WiFi or Bluetooth in Versus Mode.
· Unlockable Themes – Unlock ten graphical themes each with its own music track.
· Showcase Your Awards & High Scores – Sigma features Plus+ Awards and Leader boards.

Meanwhile, Terrace-based Rusty Axe Games is excited to announce that applications are being accepted for closed beta testers for its forthcoming dungeon editing system. Geared towards pencil and paper and computer adventure game developers alike, Dungeon Demon is an easy to use map editor that comes with enough great looking artwork that novice and pro adventure designers will be designing gorgeous maps in minutes. The closed beta test will begin on June 1st, 2010.

Dungeon Demon is a top down, graphical object oriented editor that mixes tiling and simple graphical object editing to produce a fast and easy to use dungeon editor. Users can specify up to nine named graphics layers, each with an optional grid system. Legend items can be dropped into any layer and can be used for traditional text markup or for more technical purposes if being used for computer game map editing. Maps can be printed, exported as bitmaps or saved in a flexible XML format for use by other programs.

Rogers Media today announced that it is releasing unique video content through “Shorts in the City,” a Citytv.com programming initiative in partnership with Nissan Canada and OMD Media.

“Shorts in the City” will offer Canadians the largest selection of serialized online video content available in the country and will feature over 17 shows, 500 episodes and 35 hours of drama, comedy, sci-fi, thriller, horror and animation. The content is supplied by Vuguru, Michael Eisner’s new media studio in which Rogers is an investor, and international distributor Fireworks.

“Shorts in the City is a first in Canada for serialized content, a wide multi-screen and multi-platform release,” commented Claude Galipeau, SVP & GM Digital Media, Rogers Media. “We plan to release the video first on the web and mobile, and then migrate some titles to TV and the Rogers On Demand VOD platform. The content will be available on a range of Rogers brands including Citytv.com, Sportsnet.ca, RogersonDemand.com, Flare.com, Macleans.ca, and Louloumagazine.com. An iPhone application, launching today, is available exclusively to Rogers and Fido customers. The programming will also be available on a new iPad application when it is launched in Canada.”

Nissan Canada partnered with Rogers Media on this initiative and will integrate their ads within the programming. “Nissan Canada is proud to partner with Rogers to present “Shorts in the City”. Our mission at Nissan Canada is to fuse the most advanced technology and design to make great cars,” said Mark McDade, Director, Marketing, Nissan Canada. “At the heart of the “Shorts in the City” program is a unique entertainment experience that puts viewers in the driver’s seat as to when and where they enjoy this content.”

A national advertising campaign promoting “Shorts in the City” starts Tuesday, May 25th. Over the course of the summer, “Shorts in the City” will be announcing the release of new and exclusive shows coming to this multi-screen schedule, including “Prom Queen 3: The Homecoming” and “The Booth”.

Game Nation™ is going to be the world’s first Experiential Video Game Theme Park and Resort – as soon as it finds a hometown. Over the next 12 months, Game Nation will be deciding on the best location for it theme park, and you are invited to participate.

“I remember when I was younger and I played video games. When I finished the game I wished that world was real and I could be part of it.” said Ruke, Creator of Game Nation. “It’s fantastic that people will get to actually realize everything they’ve seen in a video game come to life”.

When visitors come to Game Nation, they will become players as they step into a realistic re-creation of a world filled with myths, legends and arenas all crying out for their champion. As you pass through the gates, you’ll leave behind all worldly stereotypes. You’re now one of millions, all equal, separated only by your skill, wit, and achievements, which will be proven. Your experience points and score are recognized by the guardians of this domain. As players walk by, recruits are saluted and veterans are bowed down to. You are guided to the armory where you must select your weapon. You choose from majestic relics, whimsical hardware or advanced gear. Here your dreams and fantasies will come to life in adventures yet to be told. You will become anything you like and live out the character you create. But this is no game. It’s real and will all happen at Game Nation.

Kitchener-Waterloo based Desire2Learn Incorporated and its subsidiary, D2L Ltd. (Desire2Learn), leading providers of mission-critical enterprise eLearning solutions have announced that Portland State University (PSU), known nation-wide for its innovative approach to education, has converted to Desire2Learn® Learning Environment.

Portland State University conducted an in-depth evaluation process of several learning management systems (LMSs) earlier this year. The process, which involved the entire university community, also included open demonstrations for faculty and students as well as sandboxes in which end users could actively engage with the prospective platforms.

Desire2Learn Learning Environment was selected based on its ability to meet the PSU technical and functional requirements, a learning repository that is tightly integrated with the Learning Environment and built on the same platform, while also being the preferred platform of faculty and staff participating in the evaluation process.

“We are very excited to enter into a partnership with a company so committed to research and development,” says Sharon Blanton, Chief Information Officer, Portland State University. “The new tools in Desire2Learn Learning Suite, including Course Builder and Instructional Design Wizard, will save valuable time, enable broader adoption of the platform and increase the quality of our online course experience for our students.”

Desire2Learn is working in close partnership with PSU to facilitate a rapid conversion of their 800 courses for the more than 15,000 students who use the LMS.

“Our partnership with Portland State University will provide the University with the necessary technology and services to supply both a reliable system that meets all of their functional requirements, as well as one that will enhance student educational experiences and help transform teaching and learning,” states John Baker, President of D2L Ltd. “We are thrilled to be assisting them as they continue on their innovation path for their students and programs.”

Toronto’s Geneva Film Co. founder, producer and director James Stewart, known as the ‘Ambassador of 3D’, will deliver an exclusive presentation at Dimension 3, being held this June in France. Stewart is the only Canadian representative invited to attend the event, joining industry experts in 3D from around the world to discuss such topics as 3D as a new film paradigm, as an emerging medium for film, spots entertainment and advertising, new filming techniques and the future of 3D in the home.

Stewart will appear as part of a panel discussion on the growing role for 3D in communications and advertising. Stewart will lead the panel through a lively discussion on the opportunity for marketers to exploit this highly immersive communications method to broadly reach consumer audiences and achieve wide marketplace reach through cross-medium campaigns showcasing 3D content in cinemas, on the web, via 3D-enabled mobile devices, and soon, television in the home. The panel will also debate and discuss the need for new thinking and strategies in the advertising industry, as well as writing and production methods that will enable marketers and advertisers to fully leverage 3D as a communications medium. Finally, Stewart will screen his most recent work on behalf of the Tema Conter Memorial Trust — the world’s first 3D commercial produced for charity.

“It is time for the advertising community to seize the opportunity and capitalize on 3D,” he says. “This is a medium that has the potential to transform the advertising world, and fundamentally change the way marketing messages reach and affect audiences. We are on the edge of the wave, carried forward by the popularity of 3D films such as Coraline, Monsters vs. Aliens, and now, Disney·Pixar’s celebrated Up, the first animated opening film in Cannes history. Several years from now, we’ll look back on this tipping point to remember a time when commercials were still shot and produced in 2D.”

James Stewart will also be joining an illustrious speaking roster representing creative leaders from around the globe including industry heavy-weights: Jon Landau, producer of Avatar, Director Ridley Scott, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, director Spike Jonze, and Richard Pinder, COO of Publicis Worldwide, and Goodby Silverstein founder, Jeff Goodby at the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival. Stewart is one of a select group of industry leaders invited by Cannes Lions to deliver an in-depth keynote on 3D and its breakaway success as an entertainment and commercial medium.

On Monday, June 21, 2010, Stewart will speak about 3D on behalf of the Screen Advertisers World Association (SAWA) in the Seminar entitled “The Cinematic Medium – Connecting Technology, the Audience and the Advertiser.” He will then deliver a two-hour intensive workshop on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 entitled “Are You Ready for the 3D Revolution?.” The presentation offers a journey into the next dimension- From the history of the medium to today’s 3D production methods, and the future impact of 3D on the modern creative process.

Stewart began working in 3D back in 2005, and is one of a select group of film directors actively shooting commercials in Live-Action Digital 3D. An active and passionate ambassador for 3D in Canada, Stewart is recognized around the world for his 3D work and evangelism on the 3D topic, speaking alongside such celebrated 3D authorities as Jeffrey Katzenberg and James Cameron at such events as LA’s 3D Entertainment Summit, and 3DX, a 3D Film and Entertainment conference held in 2008 in Singapore.

On the dark side of the ‘net, from the OPP: The Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (ROPE) Squad is requesting the public’s assistance in locating Roger TOURIGNY, a Federal Offender wanted on a Canada Wide Warrant as a result of his breach of Parole. Roger TOURIGNY is serving a sentence for possess child pornography.

Roger TOURIGNY is described as male, white, 5’8″, 180lbs, brown eyes, grey hair, balding and wears glasses. He has a scar on this left knee, abdomen and left leg. He also has a tattoo on his left arm. He is 71 years old. He is believed to be in the downtown Toronto area.

Anyone having contact with Roger TOURIGNY should use caution. Anyone with information with regards to the whereabouts of Roger TOURIGNY is asked to contact the Provincial ROPE Squad at 416-808-5900 or toll free at 1-800-870-ROPE (7673) or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or call 9-1-1.

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The Montreal International Game Summit has unveiled its web site for 2010. Although much of the content is still focused on last year’s conference, more information will be available soon for the November 8 & 9th event.

Since the launch of Implode XL’s latest update which brought the level editor to the iPhone on May 11, 2010 (a little over a week ago), new levels have exploded into the game. IUGO is happy to share some exciting stats about the accumulating user-generated content:

There is now over 10x the amount of content for users to play. IUGO has done updates providing users with 170 levels to play, and there are now over 550 levels are being downloaded and played every day. In total over 100,000 levels have been downloaded and played to-date and over 2,300 levels have been rated by players.

“We are beyond pleased with the reception and engagement that our users have had with the newly launched level editor for Implode XL,” beams Sarah Thomson, IUGO’s Director of BD. “There are some incredibly challenging and creative levels being built and we’re excited that Implode XL fans now have fresh puzzles to solve all the time. We will continue to create games with compelling features that encourage user interactivity and a meaningful social layer. We’re just getting started!”

Implode XL featuring the new level editor for all iDevices is available on the App Store for $2.99 US.

Eidos Montreal is recruiting playtesters for its new PlayTest facility. If you live in or near Montreal, this could be a great opportunity for you to put all those hours of gameplay experience to good use. For those looking for other employment in the game development industry, Eidos Montreal also has a number of career positions open.

This morning on Twitter, Team Need For Speed announced a new build project with Vaughn Gittin Jr. This project involves a 1969 Mustang which Vaughn has been working on since December 2009. Team NFS unveiled a first look at the classic muscle car, which will be unveiled at SEMA 2010 as well as making an appearance in a future Need For Speed title. Check out the details and picture on the Team NFS blog.

MaRS, a Toronto-based not-for-profit innovation centre, is the newest addition to the Canadian Digital Media Network (CDMN). The collaboration will enhance levels of technology commercialization and help develop successful companies in the digital media sector. The announcement follows on the Canada 3.0 2010 digital media forum in Stratford held May 10-11 where Industry Minister Tony Clement emphasized the importance of digital media to Canada’s economy.

“Bringing together MaRS and the collaboration network of the CDMN will enable powerful progress for digital media in Canada,” said Kevin Tuer, Managing Director of the CDMN. “Helping more start-up digital companies bring products to market and creating opportunities for growth in the Information and Communications Technology field is critical both for Ontario and all of Canada.”

MaRS advisors have been helping tech companies with advice, education, market insight and access to capital since 2006.

“At MaRS we are dedicated to furthering growth in the ICT sector by enabling the success of emerging technology companies,” said advisor Krista Jones, ICT Practice Lead. “We’re located in the heart of Toronto and have worked with hundreds of early-stage companies across Ontario to help them build their ventures into global successes.”

Together MaRS and the CDMN, which is headquartered in Waterloo Region and now connects nodes throughout Canada, will share and develop knowledge through surveys, data-mining and reports; develop programs to enhance entrepreneurial skills; promote the capabilities of digital media industries in Canada; and more. The CDMN was the organizer, with the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus, of the Canada 3.0 2010 forum.

Wavefront and SFU Present Developing Apps for Symbian. This seminar is targeted at developers who would like to learn the basics about developing apps on the Symbian platform. According to ABI Research, more than 330 million cell phones run Symbian OS with a 48% global market share for smartphones. Developers will learn how to leverage the Symbian Horizon Program, an application-publishing platform that allows developers to write an application once and publish it in dozens of Symbian app stores worldwide, and how to port apps from other platforms to Symbian. This seminar will take place on the morning of May 28th at Discovery Parks in Vancouver. Attendance is free, but registration is required.

Curious about how to use Facebook, Twitter, and other social media to enhance your business? Wondering what your competitors, customers, and prospects are talking about? Or unsure of how to tell what’s working and what isn’t? Join the Social Media Club Vancouver at Social Media 101 where the answers to all of these questions will be explored.

With three light-speed presentations: 20 minutes for lecture, 10 minutes for Q&A, join Guacira Naves, Kemp Edmonds, and Tris Hussey, the clutter will be cleared and you will gain the critical information you need to advance your social media plans.

1. Social Media Strategy: integrating social media into your existing online outreach (Guacira Naves)
2. Twitter for business intelligence: how to use Twitter for your business while ignoring Britney Spears and her ilk. (Tris Hussey)
3. Mad for metrics: Tricks and tips to track everything (Kemp Edmonds)

Social Media 101 will be held on May 27th at The Coworking Gallery at Building Opportunities with Business, 163 East Pender Street in Vancouver. Tickets are $15.00 each, which will cover food, beverages, and venue.

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) announced today in Cannes the winner of the 6th NFB Online Short Film Contest: Crash! Bang! Wallow? by Jon Dunleavy and Keith Wilson-Singer of the United Kingdom. The award ceremony was held this afternoon at the Short Film Corner in the presence of Claude Joli-Cœur, Assistant Commissioner of the NFB.

This year, the 10 shortlisted films generated more than 2 million views in 14 days – an increase of over 1000 percent compared to last year – on the NFB’s English and French YouTube channels. This sixth edition was organized by the NFB in collaboration with the Short Film Corner, the meeting place in Cannes for short filmmakers from around the world, and in association with YouTube, the world’s most popular video sharing site. In partnering the contest, the NFB continues to encourage the creators of bold and innovative shorts.

The public had 14 days to vote online for their favourite short film on the YouTube site, which recorded more than 20,000 votes from all over the globe. The contest attracted the attention of a large number of subscribers to the NFB Twitter accounts, reaching close to 16,000 short film lovers. Numerous blogs aired the videos on their sites.

The winning short, Crash! Bang! Wallow?, is an animated film that tells the tale of ex-Hollywood stuntman Larry LeTan and his fight to find a place in the modern world. Filmmakers Jon Dunleavy and Keith Wilson-Singer will receive a digital camera/HD video camera and a laptop computer from the NFB. The winning film can be viewed until June 20, 2010, at or . The short films that came in second, third and fourth place are Love and Theft by Andreas Hykade (Germany), The Technician by Simon-Olivier Fecteau (Canada) and The Story of My Life by Pierre Ferrière (France). The ten short films of this 2010 edition were selected by Danny Lennon from the many entries submitted to the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner by filmmakers from around the world.

The other finalists were Mother of Many by Emma Lazenby (United Kingdom), Forbidden Tree by Banafsheh Modaressi (Iran), Annie Goes Boating by Noel Paul (United States), Awake by Thaid Dhi (Czech Republic), The Last Passenger by Mounes Khammar (Algeria) and The Report Card by Alessandro Celli (Italy).

Congratulations are also due to the digital media award winners at the recent Rosie Awards, hosted by the Alberta Motion Picture Industries Association.  The award for Best Digital Program or Project went to Playing It Safe, a video project for the Web created by at-risk youth.

Since March 2008, the North West Centre has been working with at-risk youth who have been creating and telling episodic stories (webisodes) about staying healthy and alive. The community partners in the project include the youth-serving agencies YouthCo Aids Society in Vancouver and iHuman and the Youth Restorative Action Program (YRAP) in Edmonton. These agencies recruited and supported the youth who participated in training sessions to learn the basic crafts of camera, storytelling, and editing. Filmmaking teams, made up of an at-risk youth filmmaker and a peer filmmaker, worked closely with director Terri Wynnyk to write, shoot, and edit the short episodic stories on this website. All the videos went through a small post production process: in Vancouver with filmmaker Lisa Nielsen and in Edmonton with Terri and editor, Brenda Terning.

The AMPIA Award for Best Animator(s) or Motion Picture Graphic Artist(s) went to Robb Thompson, Steve Seeley, Calvin Sun and Shelley Cornies of Studio Dialog for their work on the Shaw Digital Phone “Cool” piece. Studio Dialog also won the Best Visual Effects Award for their work on Freevi. Taking home the Rosie for best Digital Cross-Platform Project was Shaw Snailskis – Find Seth -
John Cameron & John Lawson, Producers, White Iron Digital.

IGLOO Software has added integrated Group Space functionality for team collaboration. Group Spaces allow employees to instantly self-organize around specific projects, teams and even departments within their online business community. With the addition of Group Spaces, community members can now seamlessly move between group and corporate driven conversations, content and collaborations – quickly and easily.

“It’s an accepted maxim that working in teams makes us more creative and productive – that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” said Dan Latendre, CEO of IGLOO Software. “Our new Group Space functionality gives our community members the ability to quickly form groups and begin sharing experiences, resources and intelligence almost automatically.”

“The value of self-organizing into Group Spaces increases as the community grows,” remarked Stephanie Sawyer, Product Manager for IGLOO Software. “Now, users can better manage the information flow and increase the relevancy of activity streams by easily creating a secure, dedicated team space.”

The new release enables the creation of sub-communities within a community by introducing these team collaboration features:

* Customization: configure and brand the space to align with the purpose and function of the team (ex. boardroom, department or project space).
* Applications: enable only the social applications that are needed – blogs, calendars, documents & folders, forum discussions, galleries and wiki pages.
* Permissions: create public or private Group Spaces, as well as control which members have access to the space, following the same permission model as the rest of the community.
* Activity Streams: set up a group space pulse or daily digest which keeps members up to date on the most recent contributions (ex. blog articles, document uploads or online discussions).
* Navigation: customize each Group Spaces’ navigation depending on which applications are most important to the members.

The winners of the 2010 CATAAlliance Innovation Awards were announced Wednesday night at a sold out Gala Dinner, emceed by CTV Ottawa TechNow Host Paul Brent. For more than two decades, the CATAAlliance Innovation Awards Gala Dinner has been celebrating the best in Canadian advanced technology. Awards were presented in the following areas:

* Community Leadership Award: Dean Micheal Kelly, Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa
* Telfer School of Management Private Sector Leadership Award: David Ross, CEO, Ross Video
* CATAAlliance Public Sector Innovation and/or Leadership Award: Tony Rahilly, Director General, NRC-IRAP
* The Peter Brojde Award for Next Generation Executive Leadership: Jason Flick, Co-founder and President, YOU iLabs
* ICTC Information Technology Strategic HR Leadership Award: Human Resource Systems Group (HRSG)
* KPMG CIO Leadership Award: John Hill, SaskTel
* Gowlings Outstanding Product Achievement in Clean Technology Award: NIMTech
* Celestica Award for Technology Commercialization: Cavet Technologies
* Ericsson Award for Outstanding Product Achievement in the Content and Application Mobility Industry (MoCo): Clevest Solutions Inc.
* TSX Emerging Technology Award: Platform Computing Corp
* CAMSC Innovation Through Diversity Award: Pascale Legros, HP
* Wellington West Capital Award: Spartan Bioscience Inc.
* High Road Communications Award for Science and Technology Reporting: Tyler Hamilton, Toronto Star
* Quebec Media Award – Prix de l’innovation pour l’Excellence dans le journalisme scientifique et technique medias du Quebec: Alain McKenna, Les Affaires
* Sara Kirke Award for Canada’s Leading Woman High Tech Entrepreneur: sponsored by Carleton University: Carol Leaman, CEO, PostRank Inc.
* QNX Mobile Platform Award: Alcatel-Lucent
* KINSA Innovation Award: Dave Templeton, Quiettouch Inc.

The Canadian information technology industry met recently in Toronto for the IT360° Conference & Expo, where business and technology professionals converge to stay ahead of the technology curve, gain insight and better adapt to a constantly changing industry. Attendees experienced a 360 view of information through the multi-sectored forum which focused on Unified Communications, Security, Data Centres, VoIP, Cloud Computing, IT Business and Asterisk.

Keynote speaker Gary Warner filled the room past capacity and captivated the audience. Warner’s experience with the U.S. Homeland Security, the FBI and conducting work with large corporations like Walmart, provided ample discussion on his topic Universal Threat Awareness.

IT360°, a unique event in Canada, expanded its reach by hosting two concurrent conferences within the event. The Cloud Computing Conference: An IT Paradigm Shift, which opened the evening before with CloudCamp Toronto, focused on the increasing importance of the cloud. The Asterisk & Open Telephony Conference, sponsored by Digium Inc. and the Toronto Asterisk User Group (TAUG), brought together Asterisk and VoIP professionals. Both conferences ran throughout the day and incorporating these additional agendas provided members of the IT community with a unique in-depth event. There were over 1000 delegates at IT360° 2010.

Education continued to be top-priority at IT360° through the 30-session conference. Bruce Cole, president of Plum Communications Inc. and producer of IT360°, says, “We continue to deliver an excellent one day conference and trade show. This format was well received by both delegates and exhibitors. Our live face-to-face event allowed for personal networking and closer relationships to take place. We look forward to April 5, 2011.”

The trade show was a highly charged hands-on environment that featured high profile experts from leading vendor companies providing timely facts, future developments and live demonstrations.

Tricon Films & Television, one of North America’s fastest growing production and distribution companies, has announced exclusive long-term agreements with two production companies for their programming. These agreements include lifestyle-based brands from Peace Point Entertainment Group and five new sport adventure series from Water Productions.

With today’s announcement, Tricon has added 10 new series to their existing catalogue, solidifying the company’s commitment to offering programming that is internationally relevant and commercially accessible.

“We are looking forward to representing both of these producers who have the track record of consistently delivering fresh and internationally exploitable product,” said Andrea Gorfolova, President, Tricon Films & Television.

Peace Point Entertainment Group’s catalogue of lifestyle-based programming acquired by Tricon, includes:

Tanlines – 39 x 30 PLUS 4 x 60 – White sand. Huge waves. Hot sun. Beautiful people. Escape from the ordinary and explore the ‘hotter and wetter’ side of our planet as Tanlines takes you to the best surf, sand and sun locations the globe has to offer. Paradise has never been so accessible!

Urban Nites – 13 x 30 – Hustlers. Street Performers. Vampires. Follow this racy docu-series as it reveals the nocturnal characters that populate the great urban outdoors and are out on the prowl way past our bedtimes.

The Outhouse – 6 x 60 – This series takes a decidedly comical point-of-view to the ‘seriousness’ of home renovation. Through self-deprecating revelations and hysterical situations, two teams must somehow work toward big changes with a small budget.

Camp’N Out – 13 x 30 – Outdoor enthusiasts, unite! CAMP’N OUT takes viewers on an exploration of the world of camping. The series covers all facets of the camping lifestyle as we visit campsites and parks in some of the most beautiful locations in the country, showcasing the latest in innovative camping gear and products, providing important first aid and survival advice, as well as helpful cookout recipes and exciting activities to keep your mind and body working in the depths of nature.

Fanatical – 26 x 30 – Fanatical is a television series that explores the minds of the most devoted television show fans. They keep tabs on actors, characters, story plots and conspiracy theories, visit filming locations, collect memorabilia, create and wear costumes, connect with other like-minded fans and attend festivals and conferences.

Water Production’s five new sport and adventure series’ acquired by Tricon, include:

GRRtv – 44 x 30 – The world of motor-sports isn’t just for adults anymore. GRRtv is the world’s first motor-sports show aimed at kids between 4-16 years old who are willing and able to race anything that utilizes a helmet and a motor.

The Motorhead Traveler – 26 x 30 – This series will open your eyes to an entire new concept in motorsport adventure travel. Follow Motorhead Traveler Kevin Cullen as he takes you on a motorized journey around the globe exposing you to magnificent viewpoints, local culture, geology, history, local art and outdoor cooking.

PWCtv – 130 x 30 – PWCtv is one part travel show, one part action/sports show, all combining together to create the world’s foremost authority on personal watercraft use and adventure. From Germany to Alaska to Spain – the series travels the globe to showcase how other countries utilize their personal watercrafts for every day and recreational use. PWCtv is your best source for everything related to the personal watercraft lifestyle!

Sledsense – 34 x 30 – The ultimate winter motorsport adventure travel show! At the heart of every episode is an absolute love of snowmobiling and a total thirst for great adventures. Follow Kevin Cullen and co-host Brian Koster on their quest to find the best in snowmobile sport adventure and travel to the best snowmobiling destinations on the planet. From the Rocky Mountains to the great riding trails in Iceland – SLEDSENSE examines safety tips, provides expert advice and showcases some of the more picturesque trails the world has to offer!

MXCulture – 13 x 30 – The exploding sport of Motocross is blown up on MXCulture, and we are going behind the scenes with the biggest names in the sport to see how they live, train and practice.

Lotusland Studios has released an update to Truck Modz on Apple iPhone™ and Apple iPod touch®. In case you didn’t know, Truck Modz is an interactive 3D truck-building game for kids of all ages. The premise is simple: build, paint and hit the road with your very own truck! This game goes beyond any other mix-and-match title by allowing you to build your ideal vehicle from a huge collection of fronts, backs, and wheels, and then being able to interact with your creation: from snow plows to squeaky toys, everything is animated. Everything is triggered by a touch or a swipe, simple enough for everyone to get addicted!

In this updated version, audiences of all ages will enjoy even more mix-and-match fun with the introduction of a new cab to the collection, as well as an animated Easter-themed surprise.
Truck Modz is essentially an entire pocketful of toy trucks: creative, non-aggressive play is the emphasis of the game, and the user interface is wordless and simple enough for a child of 18 months to understand, while adults will enjoy the CB banter, cool sirens and endless combination of trucks.

Truck Modz Update Highlights:

* Totally intuitive, easy enough for a toddler to enjoy
* Mix and match parts at any time, the combos are endless!
* Cruise down the highway through an endless ever-changing landscape
* Listen to hilarious trucker banter on the CB radio!
* Shake device to check out your ride from 4 different camera angles
* Rocking soundtrack by Billy Joe Huel

Now in its fourth successful year, the Toronto Pinball and Gameroom Show remains the only show of its kind in Canada. Aimed at both enthusiasts and the general public, the show features pinball machines, classic arcade video games, console game systems, home theatre, jukeboxes, slot machines, soda machines, billiard tables, shuffleboards, Pachinko games, vintage 1950′s diner memorabilia and other coin operated and home Gameroom equipment and antiques.

Machines, games and accessories will be available for sale to collectors, hobbyists, restorers and gamers looking for that certain cool piece of gear for their gameroom. The show also offers free play on over 100 pinball, classic arcade and other games. Even if buying a game is not in the cards, guests can still get the best deal in town playing all day or all weekend for one low entry fee.

Although pinball machines aren’t easy to find these days, they continue to hold their iconic status in pop culture and have maintained popularity with game fans both young and old. “There’s no way to truly simulate the analog experience of flipping a ball on a computer or video game” says Nick Angel, organizer of the event. “Pinball has always been the anchor attraction of the show and this year’s venue will be jam packed with more games from the past and present than all of our previous shows combined”.

An exciting addition to this year’s lineup is the brand new IRON MAN™ pinball machine from Stern Pinball based on the just-released Hollywood blockbuster movie, on display and available for play at the show.

The show will also feature the Toronto Pinball Championship tournament with over $2000 in prizes, an arcade game auction on Sunday that will offer the best bargains of the weekend, and door prizes and raffles for gameroom gear. In addition, the show will feature educational seminars with topics on repairing your first pinball machine, pinball & arcade game history, and restoration techniques.

Admission at the door is $15.00 for adults and $5.00 for children under 12 per day. Under 3 is free. Special weekend pass $20. Show hours are Saturday 10am to 10pm, Sunday 10am – 6pm. Parking at the International Centre is free.

Despite almost two years of intense economic downturn, findings from a cross-country survey reveal a strong entrepreneurial spirit among Canadians ready to venture out on their own. The survey, conducted for Intuit Inc., maker of QuickBooks, showed one-in-three Canadians is interested in starting their own business in the next two years – and 35 per cent of this group said they are likely to follow through on their plans. Further, almost one-quarter (22 per cent) of those planning to start a small business said the recession had not deflated their plans and may have actually emboldened them to forge ahead.

What’s driving these Canadians? Mainly, it comes down to control and independence. When asked about the greatest drivers, Canadians who were interested in “going it alone” said having control over their own destiny (52 per cent) is the top motivator. These Canadians are also motivated by not having to work for someone else (41 per cent), and 37 per cent believe when it comes to cash, starting a small business is the key to making more of it.

“Much of Canada’s economic might comes from its small business backbone and, despite a market characterized by uncertainty, it’s encouraging to see such gritty, entrepreneurial determination among the Canadian population,” said Gene Lewis, country manager for Intuit Canada. “The road to economic recovery is expected to be long and hard, and this study shows that Canadian tenacity will be a key motivating factor in the turnaround.”

Being the boss requires well-rounded business know-how, and the Intuit study showed Canadians believe they have what it takes. Nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of those likely to start a business believe it’s easy to come up with a successful business idea and more than half (55 per cent) are confident they can market it.

Respondents were also confident in their ability to take on almost all aspects of day-to-day activities themselves, including:

- Hiring the right staff – 94 per cent
– Client service – 85 per cent
– Finding investors – 68 per cent
– Promoting the business – 56 per cent

Entrepreneurial confidence apparently ends when it comes to managing business finances. Seven-in-ten Canadians who are likely to start a small business believe sorting through taxes and financing requirements would be a difficult part of running a business. And 58 per cent would rather have someone else handle important accounting tasks, such as payroll, invoicing, and taxes.

“Canadians clearly believe they have the chops to build a successful business and the hesitation around accounting is nothing new,” said Lewis. “Whether you’re an entrepreneurial novice or consider yourself a seasoned small business pro, your finances are the lifeblood of your business. Understanding how everything works is crucial. Having the right financial tools can dramatically simplify this important piece of the puzzle and put the control back in the hands of the small business owner.”

While entrepreneurism among Canadians is healthy, the Intuit study simultaneously revealed why some won’t take the plunge into small business. Reasons for holding back included:

- Lack of money – 46 per cent
– Too difficult to obtain a loan – 68 per cent
– Lack of support network – 58 per cent

“Having a network of trusted advisors is critical to small business success,” said Lewis. “This is the main motivation for Intuit’s creation of online communities where entrepreneurs interact with and get valuable support from others.”

Canadians have clearly expressed disdain for bookkeeping and taxes and the introduction of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) on July 1, 2010 isn’t likely to make things any easier in Ontario and British Columbia.

The majority of Ontario and BC residents believe the HST will hinder small business, as more than three-quarters (81 per cent) of respondents said the new tax will make consumers more price conscious, and three-in-four (75 per cent) believe that will lead to spending cutbacks. An additional 68 per cent say more information is needed to assess its full impact, which suggests that, as the deadline looms, many Canadians are in the dark on this significant change to how businesses operate.

“Residents of Ontario and British Columbia have stated that HST is a problem for them, and for anyone considering a new venture, now is the time to act,” added Lewis. “Financial management shouldn’t scare away budding entrepreneurs,” said Lewis. “Software such as QuickBooks can help them manage money. And for those who are still concerned, we recommend they talk to an accountant. Simply put, running a small business is often the realization of a dream and taxes should never slow anyone down.”

The Canadian eLearning Enterprise Alliance (CeLEA) completed their Annual General Meeting on March 26th, 2010 with a renewed focus and a new leadership face to drive initiatives for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

After six years of leading CeLEA to new organizational benchmarks, Barry Nicolle decided to step down as chairman to focus his energy on specific industry initiatives. He will continue to serve on the board as the Secretary-Treasurer for the coming year. The board and voting members enthusiastically supported the nomination of industry stalwart Claude Martel as the organization’s new Chairman.

As Barry Nicolle reaffirmed “Claude is one of the founders of CeLEA and has always been a strong advocate for the Canadian eLearning industry. I am extremely pleased that he will be leading CeLEA in the coming year and I look forward to working with all of the board members to make 2010 a landmark year for CeLEA”. Claude Martel has held several senior management positions in learning and brings over 25 years of industry experience in the domains of education, training, and eLearning. Moreover, he has been an active member of CeLEA for all eight years of the organization’s existence.

Claude Martel graciously accepted the support of the board and the membership to take over the CeLEA reins during such an exciting time in the industry. “It is with pleasure that I accept to become the Chairman of CeLEA. It is a wonderful time to make the promotion of online technologies in education and training as we are at a crossroad in its development and implementation. CeLEA plays a key role to support the industry and the community of course designers, so they can have a better understanding of the benefits and application of these educational technologies during this time of rapid commercial innovation.”

In addition to the new chairman elect, Robert Martellaci was elected as the new Vice-Chairman. He and the other board members are in the process of completing the planning phase of a series of exciting new initiatives that will be launched in mid-May 2010. More information on these initiatives can be found on the CeLEA website in the upcoming weeks.

Also in Vancouver is “Seize the Opportunity” which is a free event being presented by AnnexPro. This is your chance to check out the new Autodesk® 2011 Digital Entertainment Creation (DEC) software — and discover how upgrading to DEC can open up new opportunities for creativity in game development, film production and television entertainment creation.

Register now for the Canada Media Fund outreach seminars which will be taking place in several Canadian cities over the coming weeks. The first events take place in Victoria and Vancouver on April 12th, and then bounce around the country. Don’t miss this opportunity to get more in-depth information about how the CMF can help with your production costs and grow your projects.

Wired Woman is holding an educational session on April 27th at the YWCA Hotel in Vancouver. This seminar, which is titled “Don’t Go Home From Work Exhausted” features speaker Karen McMullan, an expert on dealing with professional burn out. Tickets for this seminar are $25.00 for members, $30.00 for non-members. (Note: membership in Wired Woman is free.)

The Early Bird rate for Interactive Ontario’s upcoming INplay 2010 has been extended until April 8th, so if you haven’t yet registered for tickets, now is the time. The conference takes place in Toronto on May 18th and 19th and features three tracks: Insights, Inspiration and Investment. Early Bird tickets are $489.00 for IO members and $699.00 for non-members.

Don’t forget to get your ticket for GDC Canada, which is taking place in Vancouver on May 6th and 7th. This is your chance to investigate new business opportunities available in today’s digital media world with sessions addressing Digital Distribution, Social Games, and iPhone Games alongside tracks on Game Design, Business/Production, and Programming.

Taking place the night prior to GDC Canada is the first annual Canadian Video Game and Digital Arts Awards. The nominations are in, so all that’s left is for you to get your show ticket. The evening will feature a performance by Video Games Live along with a fun-filled evening honouring the best in Canadian interactive media.

Speaking of Video Games Live – don’t miss their public performance on May 6th over at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. This is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy decades of the video game music we’ve come to know well – and a great way to introduce the younger generation to the world of symphonic music in a way that is very family-friendly.

The BCTIA Technology Impact Awards will be held on June 8th at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Hosted by the BCTIA, the Technology Impact Awards celebrates the achievements of BC’s technology industry in a gala event.

We’re only a month away from the second Canada 3.0 Forum, which is slated for May 10-11 in Toronto. This conference will set an ambitious target for Canada’s digital media industry – that of making it possible for “anyone to do anything on-line in Canada – by 2017?. The second annual forum will bring together the people who can make that happen from industry, government and academia for a two-day event intended to boost Canada’s ability to lead in the digital economy.

Also, a reminder that the Montreal International Game Summit is looking for speakers. The seventh annual summit will take place November 8th and 9th at the Hilton Bonaventure Hotel. Don’t miss this opportunity to share your knowledge and experience with your fellow developers.

Looking for a reason to visit the Rockies? The Banff World Television Festival takes place in Banff this June 13th – 16th. BWTF is much more than “just a TV Fest” – check out the incredible schedule of events and then register today for a great experience in a very scenic city. Early Bird pricing is in effect until April 20th.

Burnaby – Black Box has announced that the demo for the highly-anticipated SKATE™ 3 will be available on Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Network this April 15th. The demo will give players a taste of the University District in the all-new skater’s paradise of Port Carverton. Players will shred through a series of single and multiplayer challenges including Domination, Own the Lot, and the bone-crushing Hall of Meat.

In addition to the modes and challenges, players can learn the ropes or perfect their skills in the all-new Skate.School featuring Coach Frank. Gamers can also sample the all-new object dropper by using 24 different items to tweak and alter the University District to create a personalized demo experience. Once players have that perfect trick nailed, they can capture the moment with the in-game Replay Editor and upload footage of themselves with the Skate series’ immensely popular Skate.Reel.

SKATE 3 is the definitive co-op skateboarding experience as players build the ultimate team to take on unique team challenges, compete against rival crews online and shred the streets. In the end, SKATE 3 takes skateboarding to a new level with more tricks, improved off board actions, and gnarly Hall of Meat carnage.

SKATE 3 hits retailers in North America on May 11th, 2010 and worldwide on May 14th, 2010 and is available on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. The game is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB.

Burnaby – From the hit videogame to the street, Need for Speed™ is the nerve center of gaming car culture. Electronic Arts Inc. has revealed details of an entertainment program that brings together the top street, drift, GT racing, time attack cars and drivers. Dubbed ‘Team Need for Speed’, these individuals embody the spirit of the Need for Speed franchise – the adrenaline and rebelliousness of driving the world’s coolest cars. Together, this collective of racing influencers will carry the Need for Speed brand into a variety of events, films, competitions and more.

Team Need for Speed consists of an all-star roster of drivers renowned for their skill on the track and passion for the automotive lifestyle including Vaughn Gittin Jr. (Drift/USA), Matt Powers (Drift/USA), Edward Sandström (GT Racing/Europe), Patrick Söderlund (GT Racing/Europe) and Mad Mike Whiddett (Drift/USA, New Zealand, Japan). Additional drivers will be announced in the future. The season kicks off this week as three of the Team Need for Speed drivers hit the track. On April 9, Mad Mike Whiddett and Matt Powers compete in the ‘Streets of Long Beach’ Formula D event and on April 10, Patrick Söderlund and teammate Edward Sandström will compete in the VLN Series’ Stunden-Rennen race at the Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germany.

“Driving for Team Need for Speed is a great honor,” said Mad Mike Whiddett, Team Need for Speed driver and champion drifter. “I love the pure creativity and insane competition of drifting and partnering with Need for Speed is perfectly aligned with my personal and professional passions.”

The Team Need for Speed program also features a 12-part film series about the Team Need for Speed drivers and their cars directed by renowned automotive filmmaker, Will Roegge. Need for Speed is also expanding its Formula D sponsorship with the Need for Speed Lounge where attendees can meet the drivers, Mad Mike Whiddett and Matt Powers, and play the latest Need for Speed games.

Keith Munro, VP of Marketing for EA said, “Team Need for Speed launches an aggressive initiative designed to bring the core brand values of Need for Speed into the real world. By partnering with these tastemakers and by creating these specific programs, Need for Speed goes beyond the game into the real world of automotive lifestyle culture.”

With over 100M units sold, Need for Speed is the best-selling racing game franchise in the world and is known for delivering unparalleled white-knuckle racing, creative customization and street style. Last fall EA published Need for Speed SHIFT, the highest rated Need for Speed game in years, featuring an intense first-person crash dynamic and a signature cockpit view that delivers a true driver’s experience. Need for Speed World is a massively multiplayer online action racing game that is currently in the beta process and will be available this summer on the PC.

Quebec City – Tom Salta, one of the most decorated and prolific music composers for multimedia, has produced an original music score for Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands™ for the Nintendo Wii™ system. Salta is renowned for crafting memorable, emotionally engaging scores for the medium and delivers a melodic and deeply immersive soundtrack that is essential to the rich gaming experience of Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands™. Developed by Ubisoft®’s Production Studio in Quebec City and built entirely from the ground up, Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands™ for the Nintendo Wii™ is a new chapter in the critically acclaimed Prince of Persia® The Sands of Time series, which introduces players to a brand new storyline complete with new characters, and powers that transcend both nature and time. Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands™ is scheduled to be commercially released on May 18, 2010.

“An outstanding composer, Tom Salta is extremely passionate and truly committed to our project,” said Aurelien Baguerre, audio director for Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands™ on the Nintendo Wii™. “The action and gameplay are remarkably enhanced by Tom’s beautiful orchestrations which unmistakably evoke Persian colors, providing a grandiose and emotional dimension to our game.”

To fully immerse players in the Prince’s new adventure, Salta composed and produced an intensely atmospheric and intricately woven original music score that captures the essence and spirit of the original Prince of Persia® The Sands of Time and supports the new story and gameplay of Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands™ with a contemporary world music aesthetic. The score features performances recorded with globally revered percussionist Bashiri Johnson, dark hypnotic vocals by world music singer Azam Ali and ethereal vocals by international recording artist Judith Bérard, as well as world music and middle-eastern instrumentation such as doubek, kora, khangira, bowhammer cymbalom, lakota slide, walimba, ney, duduk and custom made instruments.

Toronto – Prodigy Pictures, in association with Canwest Broadcasting, announced today that principal photography is underway for 13 one-hour episodes of the new original Canadian fantasy-noir series, Lost Girl. Filming will take place at a West Toronto sound stage and on location in the vicinities of Toronto and Hamilton until June 25, 2010. The series is set to air on Showcase in the fall.

Anna Silk

Lost Girl follows supernatural seductress Bo (Anna Silk: Being Erica; Billable Hours), a Succubus who feeds on the sexual energy of mortals. Growing up with human parents, Bo had no reason to believe she was anything other than the girl next door – until she drained her boyfriend to death in their first sexual encounter. Now she has hit the road alone and afraid. She discovers she is one of the Fae, creatures of legend and folklore, who pass as humans while feeding off them in secret, as they have for millennia. Relieved yet horrified to find out that she is not alone, Bo decides to take the middle path between the humans and the Fae while embarking on a personal mission to unlock the secrets of her origin.

Bo’s succubus nature tangles her in a sexy, romantic love-triangle with Dyson (Kris Holden-Reid: Ben Hur, The Bridge; The Tudors), a shape-shifting Fae and homicide detective, and Lauren (Zoie Palmer: The Guard; Instant Star), a human doctor who has found a way through science to help give Bo the sexual self-control she’s been aching for. Navigating this complicated life with Bo is her human confidante and street-smart survivor, Kenzi (Ksenia Solo: Life Unexpected; Renegadepress.com).

Slated to direct the series are Genie Award winner Érik Canuel (Hemingway: A Portrait); Steve DiMarco (Republic of Doyle, Heartland, Da Vinci’s Inquest); Gemini Award winner John Fawcett (The Bridge, Da Vinci’s Inquest) and Rob Lieberman (Republic of Doyle, Dexter). Writers include Michelle Lovretta (Sorority Wars, Mutant X); Peter Mohan (The Bridge, Mutant X); Jeremy Boxen (The Listener, Kenny vs. Spenny); Emily Andras (Degrassi: The Next Generation, Total Drama Island); and Pamela Pinch (Robson Arms). Cinematographer David Greene was recently awarded the CSC Award for Best Drama Series based on the pilot he shot for Lost Girl last year.

Lost Girl was developed by Prodigy Pictures, in association with Canwest Broadcasting and Showcase. Executive Producers are Jay Firestone, Michelle Lovretta, Peter Mohan, Plato Fountidakis, and Paul Rapovski; Associate Producer, Vanessa Piazza. Producer is Wanda Chaffey. Lost Girl is produced with the participation of the Canadian Television Fund created by the Government of Canada and the Canadian cable industry, and with the assistance of the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit Program. A companion website for the series is being produced concurrently and will launch with the show to give viewers an unprecedented, interactive experience.

In other news, Shaw has integrated into the Automatic Friend Finder on Facebook – you can now use the contacts in your @shaw.ca email accounts to find friends on Facebook.

“As one of the leading publishers on the App Store, EA is delivering five games today that take advantage of the unique capabilities of iPad for a broad range of gamers, from the casual to the hardcore, and today’s product slate is just the beginning,” said Travis Boatman, Vice President of Worldwide Studios, EA Mobile. “For example, with SCRABBLE, we have modernized this family favorite game by developing a fun, interactive ‘Party Play’ mode. For our more hardcore fans, Need for Speed SHIFT becomes the ultimate immersive driving experience. We are thrilled to offer EA games with the launch of iPad — a device that is like no other.”

SCRABBLE for iPad spells F-U-N! EA Mobile has created fans’ favorite crossword game, with a fresh interface uniquely designed for iPad that lets players pass ‘n’ play or go solo, in portrait or landscape mode. Social and multiplayer capabilities also enable players to challenge friends on Facebook, or through a local Wi-Fi network. In the all new “Party Play” mode, up to four iPhone or iPod touch players can connect their devices to be used as private tile racks and seamlessly play their words onto the iPad “game board” with a simple flick. And for newcomers, the exclusive “Teacher Feature” shows players the best word choice for the previous play.

Celebrating 25 years and more than 100 million paid downloads, the world famous Tetris game launches on iPad with all-new, high resolution graphics and exclusive features including highly anticipated D-Pad controls which give players the option to play the way they want and stay in control of the game. The iPad version also introduces an all-new “Endless” mode for the ultimate extension in game play. Tetris is a must have for any iPad user.

Need for Speed SHIFT races to the App Store with exclusive features, multiplayer capability, 18 unique tracks and a variety of race modes. Players can feel the adrenaline rush of an immersive experience when they choose from 28 of the fastest, hottest cars and enjoy physics-based 3D graphics optimized for iPad. New driving controls include the addition of visual accelerator and brake pedals, manual shifting, and a rearview mirror to see who’s coming from behind. The most visceral, aggressive simulation racing game on iPad will make hearts pound!

Mirror’s Edge debuts on iPad with a graphically rich, addictive experience, and 14 nail-biting levels of unrivaled 3D action. Unique to iPad is a multiplayer feature which utilizes a split-screen interface, letting players battle against each other face to face in two thrilling modes. Exciting gameplay has players running on walls, sliding down ramps and leaping between rooftops as they out-maneuver enemies in pursuit of their mission.

With more than 30 million units sold across the Command & Conquer franchise, Command & Conquer Red Alert optimizes iPad’s Multi-Touch controls, large screen and high-fidelity graphics to create an expansive experience. Three-finger, Multi-Touch controls let players select and maneuver their armies, manage inventory and make maximum use of camera zooming to navigate battlefields with photorealistic visuals. Players command units across a wide variety of maps and levels with different environmental conditions which add more layers of strategic depth. Players can challenge friends in Head-to-Head multiplayer mode via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth between iPad and iPhone devices.

Montreal – Online scheduling company Tungle Corp., has announced a strategic partnership with leading enterprise cloud computing and Google Enterprise Partner LTech. Through the partnership, LTech will offer the Tungle.me online meeting scheduling application to its clients as an integral part of the LTech cloud migration services and tools.

LTech helps organizations successfully migrate, integrate and operate cloud computing programs as a means of achieving strategic business goals. It offers a range of services and tools to a growing and diverse set of clients – from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies – making LTech a trusted name in enterprise-class cloud computing solutions.

“This product partnership is a natural addition to LTech’s range of services and tools and will offer tremendous value to its clients,” said Marc Gingras, chief executive officer and founder of Tungle Corp. “We are excited to be working with a first-class company like LTech and believe the partnership will facilitate our growth into the enterprise cloud market segment.”

Tungle.me makes it easy for people to schedule meetings across organizations, calendar systems and time zones by eliminating costly double-bookings and the endless back-and-forth often associated with finding a mutually convenient time to meet. As a result, Tungle.me drastically improves productivity and efficiency.

“As a provider of enterprise cloud services and tools we are constantly on the lookout for complementary product partners that will help enhance the value we deliver to our clients,” said Ed Laczynski, founder and CTO of LTech. “The Tungle.me scheduling application is a practical and user-friendly addition to our existing range of tools and services.”

Gatineau – Billy Lavoie has released the sequel to the best selling puzzle game Tangled. Tangled 2 is available now in the iTunes App Store and includes a new Action mode, new graphics, music and brand new puzzles to solve. The Action mode is a nice fresh take on the classic Planarity puzzle that appeals to all gamers.

Tangled has been completely redesigned with new graphics, music, puzzles and new social networking features (Open Feint Achievements and Leaderboards support). Fans of the original will love the new redesigned interface, familiar game play and brand new puzzles to grind their way through.

It is recommend to try the new highly addictive Action mode. In this mode the player has to untangle the dots as fast as he can to make them disappear before there’s too many on the screen. Each dot untangled gives out points, the goal is to make it to the top of the leaderboard. Tangled 2 has taken the Planarity type puzzle to a whole new level that no other similar game on the AppStore can match!

Features:

- Action mode (100% original)
– Normal mode which includes 30 carefully designed puzzles
– Random mode (for unlimited fun with 10 difficulty levels)
– New Graphics by Joel Espaillat Rodriguez
– New Music by Kevin MacLeod
– Social Integration (Open Feint Achievements and Leaderboards support)

Toronto – Experts in both marketing and technology recognize the power of the iPhone, but until now, there has never been an app like iBride, which officially launched yesterday after an unprecedented response to its beta release. Developed by Toronto’s iBride, Inc., iBride is a powerful yet easy-to-use (and free) wedding application for iPhone and iPod touch – one that targets a specific market, and taps into the very demanding culture we live in: instant information, instant answers, instant response!

iBride users can:

- Review bridal products and services
– Make instant appointments
– Send an email to request more information
– Map the location of the business using GPS-assisted navigation
– Keep their notes in a planner
– Plan their guest list
– Have access to wedding checklist and more

iBride is available for 50 major cities in the U.S. and Canada, allowing both local and distance interactive planning. A person living in Vancouver can download the custom app for Seattle and plan their wedding in Washington State! To date, there are more than 20,000 registered local vendors in North America participating in the iBride app.

The modern North American bride typically has little time for sourcing products and services and traveling around. iBride makes the entire process simple: seamlessly integrating the use of today’s technologies with centuries of wedding traditions. Annually, there are an average of 2.4 million weddings in the U.S. and more than 150,000 in Canada. Personal connectivity is at an all-time high, and the iBride application meets the demand for instant connection to the marketplace.

Application Development Manager Dejan Lukac says, “We are the first in the bridal industry to move forward with something so interactive like iBride. Every industry tool grows and progresses to meet modern demands. iBride is our essential next step. Our ultimate goal is to create a wedding network across North America, with versions of iBride on a wide range of different SmartPhones and mobile devices. We’re working now on both Blackberry and Windows Mobile versions, and that already makes the iBride app one of a kind.”

Vancouver

“Social gamers are increasingly drawn to game experiences that offer greater depth of gameplay in easily accessible, social formats,” said Will O’Brien, vice president of Social Games at Big Fish Games. “My Tribe is precisely that. What’s cool about My Tribe is that when you’re actively playing, you govern your tribe, but while you are away, your tribespeople will take matters into their own hands. Your teenage tribespeople, for example, may choose to sleep or eat instead of chopping wood!”

Players begin by selecting an island from among billions of options. Each island is unique with varying levels of natural resources and mysterious objects that are revealed through gameplay. Ryan Clark, My Tribe executive producer, provided more detail about the game: “With a player’s guidance, tribespeople develop areas of specialty – for example, construction – to help them accomplish larger tasks like building a ship or a storehouse. They grow from child to youth to adult, learn new skills, have children of their own, and eventually become respected elders. And because gameplay is continuous – your tribe is living, learning, fishing, eating and surviving even when your computer is turned off – it’s especially important for players to check in regularly on the tribe’s progress.”

Through problem solving and caring for their tribes, players unlock knowledge that allows their tribespeople to do things like create customized clothing and accessories, build shelter, provide food, and make scientific discoveries. As players accomplish various feats, they level up and eventually unlock trophies and quests. Tribespeople can travel to islands within a player’s friend network to help accomplish those feats. My Tribe is free to play with the option to level up faster and enhance the gameplay experience by buying virtual goods.

Edmonton – The siege begins again! Bioware’s Dragon Age™: Origins – Awakening, the expansion pack to the globally acclaimed Dragon Age: Origins, is available now at retailers and via download on Xbox LIVE® and the PlayStation®Network (PSN) in North America. In Europe, the game will be available on Xbox and PC at retail and also via download from Xbox LIVE® and PlayStation®Network on March 19. Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening builds on the original Dragon Age: Origins masterpiece beginning where the first game ended.

“Dragon Age: Origins introduced us to a robust, mysterious, and tumultuous fantasy world,” said Aaryn Flynn, Studio General Manager of BioWare in Edmonton. “Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening brings players deeper into the folds to face even more complex moral decisions as the leader of the Grey Wardens and the results of those responsibilities and actions.”

In Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening players assume the role of a Grey Warden Commander entrusted with rebuilding the order of Grey Wardens and uncovering the mystery of how the darkspawn survive after the slaying of the Archdemon. In this chapter of the epic RPG saga, players make difficult moral choices about how to rebuild their order, resolve the conflict with the mysterious “Architect,” and determine the fate of the darkspawn. Each choice impacts the shape of each player’s heroic journey. Players will be able to import their character from Dragon Age: Origins or start out as a new Grey Warden from the neighboring land of Orlais.

Designed and written by the same team that created Dragon Age: Origins, the Awakening expansion pack introduces a brand new area of the world to explore known as Amaranthine. In this dark and dangerous world, players set out to unravel the secrets of the darkspawn and learn their true motivations. Players will face a range of horrific and terrifying creatures including an evolved, intelligent breed of darkspawn and other menacing creatures such as the Inferno Golem and a spectral dragon. Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening provides new customization tools for players to tailor their heroes and party and re-spec their character attributes, allowing for even greater replayability. Featuring an increased level cap, new spells, abilities, specializations and items, plus five all-new party members, players can further advance their adventures from Dragon Age: Origins.

Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening is available for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and PC. The game is rated “M” for mature by the ESRB 18 and has an MSRP of $39.99 in North America. Dragon Age: Origins is required to play Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening for original campaign, full features, and downloadable content.

Also, don’t forget that Dragon Age: Origins is available for Mac users as well. Check out the full information over at GameTreeOnline’s website and order your copy today.

Vancouver - Vancouver Film School (VFS), Canada’s premier entertainment arts institution and one of the most distinguished worldwide, will be welcoming emerging artists from all over the world starting this July for a series of week-long Summer Intensive Programs in Vancouver, BC.

As Vancouver enjoys the spotlight on the global stage in 2010, the Summer Intensives promise to be a truly international meeting of creative minds. Last summer, nearly 200 talented students from 4 continents and 18 different countries – including Canada, the U.S., Israel, Portugal, Singapore, and Trinidad and Tobago – attended the inaugural programs at VFS.

Students described their week at VFS as the “experience of a lifetime”, and that’s exactly what VFS will bring to a new group of aspiring artists, animators, designers, writers, actors, and filmmakers in 2010. The Summer Intensive Programs give students who are thinking about joining VFS full-time the chance to try its world-renowned entertainment arts programs for themselves, learn from top VFS faculty, and come away with industry knowledge, hands-on experience, and meaningful insight into what a one-year full-time program at VFS can offer them and their career.

2010 VFS Summer Intensive Programs include:

Acting for Film & Television: July 12-16
Digital Design: July 12-16
Entertainment Business Management: July 12-16
Sound Design for Visual Media: July 12-16
Writing for Film & Television: July 12-16
Animation & Visual Effects: July 19-23
Film Production: July 19-23
Game Design: July 19-23
Makeup Design for Film & Television: July 19-23
Foundation Visual Art & Design: July 26-30

After completing a VFS Summer Intensive program, students enrolling in full-time studies at VFS will have the cost of their Intensive applied to their tuition.

Summer Intensive Programs are open to anyone 17 years of age or older. Space is limited and several programs sold out in 2009, with this year’s sessions expected to do the same. For full details and to register, visit the programme information page.

In May, students will have an additional chance to find out more about VFS and the secrets to its alumni successes at one of several Roadshow events in major cities across Canada. The information sessions will provide an overview of VFS’s 13 programs, showcase award-winning student work, and give attendees a chance to meet VFS’s Director of Admissions, Benjamin Colling. Roadshow details and dates will be announced next week.

Burnaby – EA Black Box has started the closed beta for its massively multiplayer online action racing game Need for Speed™ World. Over the course of the next few months, thousands of players worldwide will have the opportunity to claim one of the limited slots in the PC beta test by enlisting online. Need for Speed World testers will be the first in the world to get an insider’s look at this hotly anticipated racing MMO, and their constructive feedback will go straight back to the development team to help add polish, finesse and tuning to the final product.

“Need for Speed World is the world’s first MMO racer – a completely new entertainment experience for speed junkies all over the world,” said John Doyle, Need for Speed World Senior Producer. “We have expanded Need for Speed’s classic adrenaline fueled racing with an all-new power up system and deep RPG style progression to create a truly massive, socially-connected white-knuckle Need for Speed experience.”

Available this summer for PC, Need for Speed World brings together best in class action racing with an unparalleled social experience. For the first time in a racing game, players will be able to compete against any one of their friends, family or pick from thousands of top ranked players to challenge in intense online battles and police pursuits across 150 miles of sprawling open world. Need for Speed World takes the well known and popular cities from Need for Speed Most Wanted and Need for Speed Carbon to create the biggest, most exciting race world ever released in the Need for Speed universe.

Montreal – The National Film Board of Canada has partnered with YouTube to premiere the feature-length documentary film, The “Socalled” Movie in the US, starting March 16 during the South By Southwest festival. Canadian musician Socalled, whose debut music video garnered over 2M views on YouTube, is the subject of the film and will also be performing at the festival. The “Socalled” Movie directed by Gary Beitel is a co-production between reFrame Films and the NFB and will be available for rent at youtube.com/socalledmovie. The film will be in Canadian theatres this spring.

“This latest development in our partnership with YouTube represents an exciting new distribution opportunity for the National Film Board of Canada,” said Tom Perlmutter, Government Film Commissioner and NFB Chairperson. “At the NFB, we’re leading the way in using online and mobile technology to bring Canadian talent and creativity to the world and opening the door for Canadian innovation in the audio-visual industry. YouTube is the perfect platform for Socalled and The “Socalled” Movie, and the ideal channel to serve our growing U.S. online audience.”

Entertainment Marketing and Strategy Manager at YouTube, Sara Pollack states, “Socalled has been a celebrated figure on YouTube ever since his music video ‘You Are Never Alone’ debuted on the site almost two years ago. We’re thrilled to be able to give our users a chance to learn more about this talented artist by premiering The “Socalled” Movie on our platform.”

The NFB already programs its own YouTube channel and features some of its award-winning animation on YouTube’s online screening room. Canada’s public film producer and distributor, the NFB also collaborates with YouTube on online short film competition at the Cannes Film Festival.

Longueuil – D-BOX Technologies Inc. has announced another agreement with Galaxy Theatres to equip two additional theatres, both in the State of Washington, with groundbreaking D-BOX MFX Seats.

Galaxy Theatre Uptown in Gig Harbor and Galaxy Monroe, in Monroe, Washington, will both have 22 D-BOX MFX seats installed. This announcement brings the total number of Galaxy Theatres offering the D-BOX experience to four. Existing Galaxy Theatres offering the motion-enhanced seating technology include one of the first theatres, the Galaxy Highland in Austin, Texas, and Galaxy at the Cannery in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The newest theatres in Washington are scheduled to debut on April 2, with Warner Bros. movie Clash of the Titans.

“Last year we were just introducing our technology in commercial theatres and Galaxy Theatres was one of the first to come on board. We are very proud to continue that relationship by adding two more theatres and anticipate outfitting more Galaxy Theatres with our technology,” said President and CEO, Claude Mc Master. “As of today, more than 20 theatres have been or are scheduled to be installed representing a commitment for close to five hundred MFX seats since we first introduced the technology in commercial theatres.”

“Having been involved with D-BOX in the initial phase of that technology’s rollout, we know the public definitely enjoys the D-Box experience and we look forward to partnering with them to bring the fun to more of our customers.”, added Rafe Cohen, President of Galaxy Theatres.

Montreal – With thousands of Internet sites, blogs, forums and social media sites available to consumers, it can be difficult for local businesses to keep on top of all the public comments about them – and to ensure continued vigilance regarding their online reputation, or “e-reputation.” With this in mind, weblocal.ca offers local businesses Canada’s first Internet reputation management system. This system enables them to examine, gather and analyze important online information related to their organizations. You can view a PDF data sheet about the programme online at weblocal.ca.

“The new weblocal.ca Canadian Internet Reputation Management System offers local businesses a complete, easy-to-use and flexible solution that supports their marketing strategies to enhance their reputation among Internet consumers,” explains Andrei Uglar, General Manager, weblocal.ca”

For example, following an analysis, a business could take a number of actions to adjust its business strategy:

- Improve the impact of its marketing activities
– Enhance brand awareness on the Internet
– Establish and maintain dialogue with customers
– Ensure the accuracy of its coordinates on the Web

Web 2.0 has changed the way consumers make their purchase decisions -they consult other Internet users’ comments and accounts of their experiences before buying. According to a Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey, 90 per cent of consumers rely on comments posted by their relatives, and 70 per cent rely on comments posted by their peers.

“In the Web 2.0 era, Web users are not only potential customers, but also potentially important influencers in their virtual environments,” specifies Mr. Uglar. “In very little time, a comment can find its way to a forum, get tweeted a number of times, and become the subject of a new Facebook page: there are thousands of Web users who are informed in real time.”

Up until just recently, the concept of reputation has been primarily associated with word-of-mouth communication. With Web 2.0, this has transformed into “e-reputation” and spreads quickly, given the large number of Internet users. As a result, businesses need to implement strategies to follow these trends and commentaries, and to act accordingly so that they can meet customer expectations.

Reputation management is important. According to some experts, reputation represents 70 per cent of the total value of a business. An Opus Research study of more than 2,000 businesses shows that close to 44 per cent of these monitor their business names through search engines, and a little over 15 per cent use alerts on an informal basis. However, this approach requires a significant – and often underestimated – investment of time and effort.

“Our system’s intelligent dashboard facilitates analysis of information gathered, and enables a business to quickly identify which elements have generated customer reaction,” explains Mr. Uglar. “Thanks to an interactive timeline, the system can also target precise periods where lower or higher levels of activity have been found. Then, the owner can adjust and adapt his business strategy in real time, without the need for significant manpower or time investments.”

The system provides electronic as well as printed reports, if required. Email or SMS (Short Message Service) alerts keep the user informed about the latest posted comments, enabling them to react quickly when required. Additionally, the system also detects every Internet site where an organization’s coordinates (for example, telephone number, postal and Internet addresses) appear. It enables business owners to see and take control of their online presence, saving them time, effort and frustration of finding and correcting every incorrect business listing on the Internet. “A business without its own virtual portal relies on its presence in Internet listings so that its clients can locate it and contact it,” explains Mr. Uglar. “The publication of inaccurate contact information can translate into customer attrition and lower revenues, and we are delighted to be able to help increase local businesses’ visibility and presence on the Internet, thanks to this innovative service which responds to a real need.”

Vancouver

In Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising you will take command of the Blood Ravens and defend the sector against the Chaos Space Marines of the Black Legion. Purge the chaos filth and hold the chapter together as traitorous forces work from within to try bring down the Blood Ravens.

* New Single Player Missions – Continue your fight against the enemies of the Emperor and use your squads’ wargear, abilities, and experience to battle Chaos in 15 new missions
* New environment and Multiplayer Maps – New ice planet graphics set will increase the visual diversity and adds 7 new PVP maps
* Aspire to Glory – Build your existing squads up to level 30 and unlock even more devastating abilities
* Chaos Corruption Mechanic – New single player mechanic allows you to equip incredibly powerful equipment that corrupts your squad and will guide the story towards or away from the corrupting influence of Chaos
* New Multiplayer Race – Swear loyalty to the Chaos Gods and play as the bloodthirsty Chaos Space Marines in multiplayer battles against both Chaos Rising and Dawn of War II owners
* New Units – New units for the Space Marines, Ork, Eldar, and Tyranid armies in multiplayer.
* 2 New Last Stand Heroes – Face off against the relentless horde as either the Chaos Sorceror or Tyranid Hive Tyrant

Victoria – Nominations are now open for the 2010 VIATec Awards. Nominations close at 4:30pm on Friday March 19th. Recognizing technology companies in the Greater Victoria (BC) area, there are several award categories open:

* Technology Company of the Year
* Emerging Technology Company of the Year
* Product of the Year
* Innovative Excellence
* Online Strategy of the Year
* Executive of the Year
* Employee/Team of the Year
* The Colin Lennox Award for Technology Champion
* Environmental Excellence
* VIATeC Member of the Year
* Member’s Choice for Service Provider of the Year
* Employer of the Year Award

The VIATeC Awards Gala will be held on May 13th at the Victoria Conference Centre.

Montreal – Emmy® Award-winning Toon Boom Animation Inc. today announced the upcoming release of Toon Boom Animate 2, a new version that provides professional animators with more power and flexibility for creating traditional, digital, cut-out and Flash-style animation. Toon Boom has listened to the animation community and is now delivering a new Animate version that reflects its requests. Animate is totally dedicated to animators and takes care of their needs from start to finish of their animation projects.

New feature highlights include:

• Fast distribution of character parts to layers
• Easy adjustment of velocity on multiple character parts
• Efficient creation of richer-looking ambiance
• Full-fledged SWF export with effects
• Direct import of scanned drawings (TWAIN)
• Convenient text capability

Key benefits
Whether preferring traditional or digital methods, animators will greatly benefit from Animate 2‘s superior feature set throughout their entire production process.

All-in-one Animation Software
From start to finish, Toon Boom Animate enables you to draw or import scanned drawings, colour, animate, synchronize sound, set camera moves, apply effects and render your projects in the leading output formats. No need to jump between multiple applications to make revisions as with Animate, changes can be implemented in real-time at any time during the production process.

Smart Puppet
Toon Boom Animate brings together the most advanced Flash animation feature set available on the market, all embedded in a flexible environment; symbols, pegs, morphing, hierarchy-based rigging, forward and inverse kinematics as well as advanced lip-sync to name just a few. In addition to its Flash shortcut set, Animate fits so nicely into your friendly circle of Adobe® products and animation techniques that you will feel at home in minutes.

Colour Tune
Toon Boom Animate shines when it comes to colouring and creating animation with a unique look and feel. Animate’s smart Colour ID system, palette management, painting tools using vector, gradient and texture translate into significant time-savings. At any point, changing character colours and fine-tuning colour ambiance is faster than filling up your coffee cup!

True Space
Toon Boom Animate comes with a powerful camera tool that enables you to animate it over time and attach it to an object, creating an impressive depth effect. Flying through your scene adjusting speed in real-time makes you want to dive in your own animated world and enjoy the ride.

Pricing and Availability
Buy Toon Boom Animate 2 now at the special pre-launch price of $549.99 US, valid until March 21, 2010. As of March 8, 2010, all new clients will receive a Toon Boom Animate 1 product code. Their Animate 2 product code will be automatically registered and emailed to them upon product release enabling them to download the software. All new clients will see their Animate 2 purchase listed on the “my products” page once the transaction is completed. All orders requiring shipping will be processed upon product release.

Vancouver – The Olympics are over. Countries are counting their gold, silver and bronze medals. One Olympian is even counting his self-awarded platinum. But the real winner? Technology. From mobile apps to summer tech camps, technology is changing the Vancouver landscape. iD Tech Camps, a Silcon Valley-based youth education company, is opening its doors at UBC this summer.

Smart phone equipped and very well-connected, this year’s Olympic viewer didn’t feel the need to be glued to the TV. Visitors to Vancouver could be seen physically attending the Super G with feet planted in the snow, while simultaneously watching curling from their mobile devices. Even Olympians participated in the social media phenomenon by Tweeting and posting timely updates to Facebook. The 2010 Olympic Games have been dubbed by many the “Social Games.” And for good reason. NBC recently released data showing there were 87 million total mobile page views (coming from NBC’s website and iTunes App) for the Vancouver Games, compared to 52 million views for the Beijing Games.

The propensity toward social media and technology blended with the excitement surrounding Shaun White’s Double McTwist and the stunning victory by the Canadian Hockey Team has caught the eye of people and business new to Vancouver.

“Our young students learn to make video games, they learn to program in C++ or Java, they learn to make iPhone Apps and websites,” said Pete Ingram-Cauchi, CEO of iD Tech Camps. “Vancouver is a great spot for our program. The buzz around the Olympics, the great university system, and the youthful, tech savvy population seem like a compelling match for us.”

“It’s no surprise that the more often kids use iPhone apps and other tech products, the more they think ‘This is pretty cool…how does this work?’,” said Mr. Ingram Cauchi. No stranger to kids and technology, the camp, whose presence is well known in the States, is offering tech courses at the University of British Columbia, and also hosts a Visual Arts Academy at McGill University in Montreal.

With the way things are trending, maybe the next hot new Olympic sport attracting the younger generation will blend both technology and sports. Speed texting, anyone? And now there’s even a summer camp for that.

Established in 1999 in Silicon Valley, iD Tech Camps is family-owned and operated, offering technology courses including Video Game Design, 3D Game Modding, Maya®, Game Development, Programming in C++ and Java, Programming iPhone® Apps, Robotics, Web Design, Flash® Animation, Graphic Arts, Digital Photography and Video Editing. The summer camps consist of week-long day camps and sleep away camps, and multi-week teen academies. Courses are appropriate for beginner to advanced learners. The company teaches the latest technologies from Apple®, Adobe®, Microsoft®, Autodesk®, Sony®, Valve® and more.

Toronto – Fresh TV Inc., the award-winning family entertainment company is excited to announce the simultaneous launch of their first interactive character twitter account – penned by Fin McCloud of the hit animated series Stoked – and their blog, Re:Fresh. In response to fan demand, Fresh TV will launch Fin’s twitter account on the heels of the March 4 Canadian premiere of new episodes of Stoked on TELETOON and will promote the second season premiere in September 2010. With an increasing worldwide audience for Stoked, the twitter account will give fans around the world the opportunity to interact with their favourite animated character.

Fresh TV’s Stoked follows six teens from across Canada who travel to Sunset Island, B.C. for a summer of sun, sea, sand and, most importantly, surf. Working at a luxury resort they find that their plans for an endless summer of surfing might not be all that they hoped when, instead of a surfer’s paradise, they find a tacky tourist resort with rude guests, a run-down staff house and itchy, hideous uniforms. The series airs on TELETOON on Thursdays at 7 pm ET/PT as part of TELETOON’s 3 Hours of Really, Really, Really Awesome.

“We are totally excited to start bringing our characters off the page and into the real world,” said Tom McGillis, Executive Producer, Fresh TV. “Fin has a strong voice and is wildly independent so we’re curious to see where she takes it. Fans, brace yourselves!”

In the coming weeks, Fresh TV will launch a second character Twitter account to continue building an online community. Fans can learn about Stoked and other Fresh TV programming by surfing Fresh TV’s blog, Re:Fresh. The multifaceted, interactive site will give fans the unique opportunity to engage with the creative minds behind such popular series as Stoked, 6teen and Total Drama and new shows coming from Fresh such as their first live action feature, My Babysitter’s a Vampire. From exclusive artwork to weekly entries from the executive producers, viewers will get the ultimate Fresh TV experience.

Vancouver – Lotusland Studios is pleased to announce the release of ‘Truck Modz Build And Drive‘, the interactive 3D truck-building game for kids of all ages!

The premise is simple: build, paint and hit the road with your very own trucks! Truck Modz goes beyond other mix-and-match apps by allowing you to build your ideal vehicle from a huge collection of fronts, backs, and wheels, and then being able to interact with your creation – drive it down the highway and play with your parts – from snow plows to squeaky toys, everything is animated. Everything is triggered by a touch or a swipe – simple enough for even the littlest drivers!

The iPhone and iPod touch are intuitive durable devices that will be many kids first computers. Truck Modz is a an entire pocketful of toy trucks for these computers. Creative, nonaggressive play is the emphasis of the game. The user interface is wordless and simple enough for a child of 18 months to learn. Adults may also enjoy the CB banter, cool sirens and endless combinations of Trucks.

Feature Highlights

· Totally intuitive – easy enough for a toddler to enjoy
· Mix and match parts at any time – the combos are endless!
· Cruise down the highway through an endless ever-changing landscape
· Listen to hilarious trucker banter on the CB radio!
· Shake device to check out your ride from 4 different camera angles
· Rocking soundtrack by Billy Joe Huel

Banff – Just a reminder that the Banff World Television Festival is approaching, and more than 1,500 delegates from 30 countries, the Banff World Television Festival is your chance to build partnerships with international development executives, co-producers, funders, TV and interactive producers, advertising agencies and brands.

Stay ahead of your competition and make global contacts with deal-makers who are actively commissioning new shows, supporting co-productions, and supporting game-changing properties with ad dollars. BANFF is your path to decision makers from nearly every key company in the industry.

Commissioning Editors are already confirmed from industry heavyweights such as Fox, Canwest, Disney, CTV, ABC, A&E, BBC, CBS, MTV and TBS, with many more to come.

Attending Ad Agencies include Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Proximity, Trapeze, Tribal DDB, Dashboard, PHD, 58Ninety and Starcom MediaVest Group, to name a few.

To get a sneak peek at the contacts and connections you will network with at the world’s leading event for Production and Development, check out the Look Who’s Coming section of their website.

Vancouver

It’s not generally our policy to cover the employment downside of game development, particularly with the way the economy has been over the past year or so and the adverse effect it has had on many Canadian studios. While we will always let you, our readers, know about new studio openings and career positions, we feel that other media outlets provide more than enough coverage about job losses and we don’t really need to add to the mix.

That said, I cannot let a recent development pass without comment. For those who have not yet heard, Kelly Zmak formally announced his departure from Radical Entertainment this past Friday. This truly saddens me, as Kelly has been (and will continue to be, I hope) an integral part of the Vancouver development community. A powerful and motivational speaker, Kelly has worked hard on various Advisory Boards and industry committees. He has many times played host and emcee, and he has given me more encouragement and inspiration than he is perhaps aware. I have the utmost respect for Kelly as a business person, teacher and perhaps most important of all, friend. Kelly leaves some big shoes (or should that be hat?) to fill for his successor at Radical, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish him well with his future projects.

Montreal - Logic Pretzel has released its first game title on the iTunes App Store. A new twist on the match three/tetris genre, Letter Drop requires the player to form words from the falling letter tiles. Naturally, the higher your score, the faster the tiles drop – and if you don’t use a tile, you lose a life. You can make more than one word from the tiles as they float down your touch screen, and challenge you to think very fast. According to the game’s site, Letter Drop contains over 30 000 words from abacus to zymurgy, all three to seven letters long. I haven’t purchased Letter Drop yet, which is available in the iTunes store for .99 cents – but I have a feeling that this game is going to be highly addicting and a huge impediment to my ever-growing tasks list.

Vancouver – Speaking of new titles, this is just a reminder that Scrap Metal will be available in the Xbox Live Arcade this week. Developed by Slick Entertainment, Scrap Metal is part of the Xbox Block Party promotion and will be downloadable for 1200 Microsoft Points.

In Scrap Metal, gamers can fight their way through explosive, action-packed missions and defeat cunning bosses in order to collect 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.

If you’re attending the Independent Games Summit at GDC in San Francisco, you can catch Slick Entertainment’s Nick Waanders and Kees Rijnen’s presentation, Scrap Metal: Pushing the Envelope with a Team of Two on the morning of March 9th. Nick and Kees will explain how “a lot of choices had to be made to get the biggest bang for the buck, while maintaining the high polish level we wanted” — discussing tools, the game’s deferred shading engine, design choices, and more.

Victoria/Toronto – The Centre for Digital Story Telling will be bringing its Digital Story Standard Workshop Series to Canada for three dates this spring and summer. Two of the Standard Workshops will be held at The Centre for Community Learning and Development, located at 269 Gerrard St. East in Toronto. These Workshops will be held on April 16 – 18 and July 16-18 and will be facilitated by Jennifer LaFontaine. The Victoria Workshop will take place March 26 – 28 at Royal Roads University and will be facilitated by Suzanne Ahearne and Surya Govender.

The Standard Workshop programme assists participants in designing and producing a three to five minute digital story. Participants craft and record first-person narratives, collect still images, video, and music with which to illustrate their pieces, and are guided through computer tutorials that enable them, with teacher support, to edit their own stories.

Workshops are held as contiguous, three-day intensives (9 am-5 pm each day), involving eight to 12 participants. Participants are given materials prior to the workshop to assist them in preparation, including suggestions about script writing, image selection, and use of video clips. Please see the Workshop Information page for registration information.

Toronto – In the era of exploding social and mobile networking, the future of traditional media is just too big an issue for a bunch of geeks to tackle on their own. Have no fear – at the third annual GeekFest being held on Wednesday March 10, they’ve called in social and technology commentators to debate the future of the media. Is print dead? Will we recognize journalism 10 years from now? Is there a viable business model for professional journalism in the digital world? Is new media filled with too much clutter and not enough substance?

On the panel will be one of the country’s leading columnists, award-winning Globe and Mail writer Margaret Wente; CBC.ca technology reporter Peter Nowak who recently published his first book about the origins of technology called Sex, Bombs and Burgers; and Mike Dover, a pop culture critic and co-author of Wikibrands: How to Build a Brand in a Customer-Controlled Marketplace. The panel will be moderated by techno thinker Krista Napier, a senior analyst with IDC Canada, a global leader in IT market intelligence.

“The Vancouver Olympics is the latest example of the changing role of media,” says T4G President Geoff Flood. “Millions of people in Canada were watching events live, getting scores, video clips and commentary on their wireless smart phones. It makes you wonder about the future role of newspapers, broadcasters, even cable TV delivery in the wireless world. This GeekFest panel is sure to give us lots to think about.”

GeekFest is sponsored by T4G Limited, a national project-based technology company. GeekFest is the annual showcase of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurialism. It is held at the Hot Zone of the Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills Road in Toronto, on March 10, 2010 beginning at 6 p.m.

Open to media, GeekFest begins with individual T4G employees and teams exhibiting some of their most creative ideas for using technology to make life and business better. After friends, customers and invited guests have informally met participants and seen their geeky ideas, the media panel discussion will take place under the Leading Thinkers banner.

Leading Thinkers is an ongoing T4G initiative about exchanging ideas aimed at making a difference in so many areas; from business organization, competitiveness, and research and development to sustainability and a greener environment.

The role media plays – and its future – is worthy of inclusion when it relates to the day-to-day lives of Canadians. Naively or not, the so-called geeks at T4G believe they can help foster changes to improve life in Canada, already the best place in the world to live.

“As they say, some people are born on third base and think they’ve hit a triple,” Mr. Flood says. “We know we’ve been fortunate in Canada, but we’ve got to keep scoring runs when it comes to leadership, sustainability, innovation, international competitiveness and social responsibility. And if you examine last week’s federal budget, you’ll see that Ottawa is getting the message with an emphasis on investing in innovation, which in turn creates high-value jobs for Canadians.”

After the media panel, the Top 3 geeks from the showcase portion of GeekFest will present to a jury of “Supreme Geeks” who, under a format similar to the CBC’s popular TV program Dragon’s Den, will evaluate each and award the title of Ultimate Geek 2010.

All awards are for work completed in Canada by December 31st 2009. This includes products that were certified gold during the 2009 calendar year. Please note: videogame upgrades, expansions and mission packs are not eligible.

Vancouver – We’d also like to remind  you that the Technology Impact Awards also has a nomination deadline of March 17th. The BCTIA Technology Impact Awards celebrate the successes of our industry and the companies, people and innovation that continue to put British Columbia on the map and who serve as role models for others in our province. The Technology Impact Awards will be presented at the BCTIA dinner on June 8th. The dinner will be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre beginning at 530pm.

Vancouver – Last evening we stopped in at the Masters of Digital Media portfolio presentations, as always we were very impressed with all of the projects going on. The instructors, mentors and administrators at the campus have much to be proud of, and we foresee a very bright future for all of the innovative students in the current class. We invite you to check out the industry projects which we got a look at last night. We were particularly impressed with the innovative eLearning application Wound Care as well as with the Rainforest Project and the Bateman Centre Visualization Project.

Vancouver – Following the portfolio presentation we went over to the Pacific Space Centre to attend the VANarts graduation ceremony. VANarts also has many students to be proud of, as witnessed in the many student reels which were presented for 2D and 3D animation, Visual Effects, Game Art and Design and Digital Photography. We wish the graduating class all the best as they venture out into the wonderful world of digital media.

British Columbia – Are you a BC innovator and/or entrepreneur? Don’t forget to register for New Ventures BC. If you wish to take part in the competition and vie for some pretty hefty prizing, the first deadline is April 19th. There is also a 10-week seminar & networking series which starts on April 6th. These business education seminars are open to anyone, with a registration fee of $20.00 per seminar.

Burnaby – EA has announced that there will be an English-language beta event this weekend for Need For Speed World. The dev team will be playing with their first group of play testers, looking for feedback on player experience as well as important information regarding stability and scalability. According to Senior Producer John Doyle, this beta weekend is the first of many planned events which will involve more teams of (invited) play testers as the dev team looks at more aspects, options and areas of NFS World.

In his community announcement, Doyle also stated that the NFS community is invited “to model a car for launch. We’ve seen some of the amazing work you’ve done with our PC games once they’ve shipped and we’d like to showcase some of that work in World. Our good friends at Porsche have agreed to give players the chance to model the 959 for inclusion in the game and get credit for their creation.” EA will be announcing further details about this model activity at a later date.

Calgary – Ph03nix New Media today announced the availability of a new developer video for their recent addition to the App Store, Hottie Hookups. This humorous, behind the scenes video features Big Stack Studio’s Daniel Kratt and Craig Rushforth, along with the rest of the team, giving insight on their latest project as well as exposing a few their own geeky tendencies.

Along with the developer interview comes gameplay footage of this comical and irreverent title. Viewer beware, there is no shortage of geezers, nerds, and cougars.

Xbox Live has made a change to its Terms of Use and Code of Conduct which effects GamerTag names. According to Marc Whitten, General Manager at Xbox LIVE, these changes “will allow our members to more freely express their race, nationality, religion and sexual orientation in Gamertags and profiles. Under our previous policy, some of these expressions of self-identification were not allowed in Gamertags or profiles to prevent the use of these terms as insults or slurs. However we have since heard feedback from our customers that while the spirit of this approach was genuine, it inadvertently excluded a part of our Xbox LIVE community. This update also comes hand-in-hand with increased stringency and enforcement to prevent the misuse of these terms.” While I personally feel that the gaming community is maturing somewhat in terms of behaviour, there will sadly be those who still feel the need to behave badly in mixed company, and while I feel that these changes are a positive move forward for the XBL community, I hope that those small-minded gamers find it within themselves to overcome their nastiness and evolve into a positive force in the Xbox community.

Quebec – Meridian4 has announce that they have signed a digital publishing agreement with Headup Games to publish their future titles for three years, starting with the turn-based strategy title Future Wars.

“Expanding our well-working and established partnership with Meridian4 to a full portfolio scenario is the next strategic and logical step towards our aim to reach gamers on a worldwide level throughout all retail and media channels. We started strong with the first two titles and are very much looking forward to bringing and creating new franchises together with their very experienced team” said Dieter Schoeller, Managing Director of Headup Games.

“Our initial agreement with them for Greed and Gear Grinder was very successful and we are delighted that we are able to continue to work with Headup Games. Their original and unique titles, such as Future Wars are a great match with our audience. We know that this title will do well and will have a wide appeal to all types of gamers.” said Andy Sher, CEO at Meridian4.

Similar to classic titles such as Advance Wars and Battle Isle, the game takes turn-based strategy gaming away from the micro-management overkill that it has become and using simple, proven rock-paper-scissors principles, reopens the genre to a wider audience.

With a modern 3D engine providing the graphics, a proven, easy to learn, but difficult to master set of rules surrounded by an engaging plot and challenging gameplay, the game will appeal to newcomers and hard-core gamers alike.

Also available is unlimited access and infinite possibilities to mod the game through open data structure, open scripts and an easy-to-use editor.

• Modern 3D graphics & proven gameplay embedded in an engaging and sometimes, humorous plot
• Infinite modding possibilities through open data structure, open scripts and editor
• Novel and unique game modes such as AI vs. AI or play-by-email
• Rock-paper-scissors principle makes Future Wars easy to learn but difficult to master
• In-game achievements encourages replay to acquire top honors

Global

* Thank You Gift: Xbox LIVE would like to say thank you for coming to our party! Buy all three House Party titles and download the free “Game Room” app and receive 400 Microsoft Points back to your account**! And for Xbox LIVE Gold members, the deal gets even sweeter, by purchasing all three House Party titles and downloading the “Game Room” app for free, you will not only be credited with 400 Microsoft Points, but you’ll also get an extra month of Gold membership absolutely free++!

* Extra Tickets: We don’t want anyone to miss out on the great multiplayer action House Party will bring you and your friends! From 12:00 EST March 26 – 12:00 EST March 29, House Party is making it easy for you to play together with a special Xbox LIVE House Party Multiplayer Unlock weekend! For this weekend only, we’re unlocking the online multiplayer features of all House Party titles for Xbox LIVE Silver Members to play for free.

* Attire for your Avatar: Starting on March 3rd, stop by Xbox LIVE Avatar Marketplace to ensure your avatar is decked out in the best House Party attire! From cola hat dispensers and plaid shorts, to plastic jelly shoes, your Avatar will party in style this March. You can even pick-up a BBQ grill so your Avatar won’t go hungry over the course of the month-long party.

* Guests of Honour: Most parties only have one star of the show, but Xbox LIVE Arcade House Party has four blockbuster guests we’re celebrating them in style!

Get the lowdown on the featured titles below:

Toy Soldiers
March 3 | 1200 Microsoft Points
Fight for survival in this intense, action-packed game on Xbox LIVE Arcade! Enjoy world-class visuals as you put your foot soldiers and fighter pilots to the test in vintage WWI dioramas. ESRB rating: Teen

Scrap Metal – Developed in BC by Slick Entertainment
March 10 | 1200 Microsoft Points
With guns blazing, drift around corners and take out legendary competitors in this fast-paced top-down racer. Customise your car to help you blast through enemies, or race against your friends to crush their cars in one of the many pulse-pounding online multiplayer matches. ESRB rating: Everyone 10+

Perfect Dark
March 17 | 800 Microsoft Points
The classic sci-fi shooter has made its way to Xbox LIVE Arcade and is ready for you to download and hit the ground running. Digitally remastered with better frame rates and updated graphics, now you and your friends can experience every twist and turn in this heroic story. ESRB rating: Mature

Game Room
March 24 | Free to Download
240 to 400 Microsoft Points for game downloads | 40 Microsoft Points for single gameplay
Xbox LIVE Arcade is kickin’ it back to the old school, with “Game Room.” Now you can relive the glory days of playing classic arcade games in their original forms. Download the free “Game Room” app for your Avatar and purchase and play some of your favourite retro games from Intellivision, Activision Inc., Konami Corp. and Atari Inc. with friends. ESRB rating: Everyone 10+

++FREE GIFT OFFER TERMS:
Purchase all 3 games: Toy Soldiers, Scrap Metal, Perfect Dark, & download the free Game Room app before March 31, 2010 11:59 EST, and receive 400 Microsoft® Points – FREE! As a bonus, all current Gold members as of April 30, 2010 that fulfil this offer will also receive 1 month of Gold for FREE! Limit one (1) of each gift per person. To qualify for your gift, you must purchase all three (3) games from Xbox LIVE Arcade and download the free Game Room app using your Xbox LIVE account, by March 31, 2010 11:59 EST. To qualify for the bonus month of Gold, you must have a current Gold account (sold separately) as of April 30,2010. The free Points and 1 month of Gold will automatically be deposited into your Xbox LIVE account after the end of the promotion period. Please allow 4 weeks for delivery – on or around April 30, 2010. Offer available only to legal residents, age 13 plus, of all countries that support Xbox LIVE, while supplies last, is non-transferable, not redeemable for cash, and cannot be combined with any other rebate or offer. Taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the recipient. Broadband internet required for Xbox LIVE; for terms of use and system requirements see XBOX LIVE.

Cerberus Assault Armor
Cerberus assault armor is designed for shock troops, who are expected to turn the tide of battle against creatures or forces that would decimate normal soldiers. The troops demanded three things in its design: shields, armor thick enough to last against a superior foe, and a rechargeable pack to extend a heavy weapon power cell. The only drawback of the armor is its weight, which the troops carry as a point of pride. They have a saying: “Out of shape going in, in shape coming out.”
Increases heavy weapon ammo capacity by +10%
Increases shields by +10%
Increases health by +10%

M-22a Eviscerator Shotgun
The M-22a Eviscerator Shotgun is a longer-range shotgun with armor-piercing loads. This design also violates several intergalactic weapons treaties, so the M-22a is not distributed to militaries.

EA has released their Key Titles Schedule for Fiscal Year 2011, and while this is only working schedule, there were some title announcements that mean our Canadian EA studios are going to be busy, busy, busy.

As expected, there will be new additions to the EA Sports franchises – FIFA 11, NHL 11, EA Sports Active, NBA 11, NBA Jam and of course Need For Speed – but what gave me the happy gamer warm fuzzies is the announcement that there will be a new Dragon Age chapter in Q4 2011. There will also be additions to the Monopoly family plus a few genre-only announcements, such as a news sports title.

The Vancouver Experience got into full swing at Robson Square yesterday, and you can check out the VX2010 blog to find out about all of the great things that are happening at the BC Digital Media Showcase. If you’re like me and avoiding downtown Vancouver during the Olympics, this is the next best way to keep up on what’s happening at the showcase.

Vancouver – Tiny Speck has officially announced their debut project, Glitch. A browser-based, free to play MMO game, Glitch, which according to its description, promises to be a rather original play experience. Apparently Glitch “involves very little war, moats, spaceships, wizards, mafiosos, or tapestries, but it has egg plants.” Tiny Speck and Glitch have been featured in today’s CNET news, and you can check out the articles here and here. Glitch will be entering private alpha soon; we’re looking forward to hearing – and seeing – more about Glitch in the near future.

Vancouver – Aftercad Software is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement with the Open Design Alliance (ODA) to license the Live Web platform technology that powers Renderjam.com to the Arizona-based ODA.

“We will be suspending the Renderjam 3D Collaboration service. We have reached an agreement with the Open Design Alliance whose members will be opening brand new CAD and 3D SaaS offerings incorporating our technology.” said Christopher Boothroyd, CEO of Aftercad Software “While we realize this is an inconvenience, this is about choice and everyone’s needs will be much better served by multiple vendors and SaaS offerings tuned for specific solutions. We would like to thank all of you for your feed back and time during the Beta and launch of Renderjam.”

Aftercad has notified Renderjam.com users to download critical files by Feb 28th. All subscribing users will be compensated in full for this month’s subscription fee. Renderjam.com will be retooled to host the Aftercad Live Web site, the cutting edge in next generation 3D cloud computing technology. “Aftercad will continue to focus on the development and licensing of its award winning Live Web platform. This is the kind of opportunity we have been hoping for and its great that we share the same vision of this with the Open Design Alliance”

Montreal

The Ferrari Racing pack is the latest downloadable content for Need for Speed SHIFT and will be available worldwide today exclusively on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system for $10.00 or 800 Microsoft Points (Need for Speed SHIFT and Xbox LIVE® account required).

In addition to 10 new cars, the Ferrari Racing Series will also extend SHIFT’s career mode with 46 new Ferrari specific challenges designed for the Ferrari cars to participate in including hot laps, eliminators, endurance races and a world tour. Completing the perfect Ferrari package are an additional 125 gamerpoints as a reward for undertaking various exciting challenges. All Ferrari cars can also be taken online where players can prove who has the skills to master these high-performance Italian racing machines.

The Ferraris available include:

1. 1996 Ferrari F50 GT
2. 2005 Ferrari F430 Spider
3. 2005 Ferrari FXX
4. 2005 Ferrari Superamerica
5. 2006 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
6. 2006 Ferrari F430 Challenge (Online/Quick event only)
7. 2006 Ferrari F430 GTC (Online/Quick event only)
8. 2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia
9. 2008 Ferrari California
10. 2008 Ferrari 16M Scuderia Spider

“Need for Speed is recognized globally for showcasing amazing cars, including some of the world’s most desirable high-performance vehicles,” said Keith Munro, vice president at EA. “We are thrilled to be partnering again with Ferrari.”

Need for Speed SHIFT features an intense first-person crash dynamic and a signature cockpit view that delivers a true driver’s experience. The game further personalizes the experience through the all-new driver profile — a unique persona based on the driving skill and style of each player. With a perfect ‘10’ score from GameSpy.com and G4TV.com, and 90+ scores from IGN.com, Official Xbox Magazine, PlayStation: The Official Magazine, Team Xbox.com, Game Daily.com, Gametrailers.com and more, Need for Speed SHIFT is the highest rated Need for Speed game in years.

Need for Speed SHIFT is now available on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360, PC, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, mobile and the iPhone™.

Vancouver

Truckmodz encourages cognitive development in younger children by strengthening motor skills and refining early learning exercises like sorting, matching and decision-making. The unstructured game play gives kids a feeling of control and independence, and parents can rest assured knowing that no points or time-limits make for a relaxed, no-pressure experience.

But let’s face it – driving a giant rubber ducky down the highway is just plain awesome. Players will be able to mod their little big rigs in their garage, where they do things like add a snow plow and a sweet new paint job. They can then kick back, crank up the tunes, and enjoy the scenery as their creations roll on down the highway.

Featuring:

* completely 3D environment and models
* vast amounts of colors and combinations
* tons of animated accessories including horns, sirens, headlights, exhaust pipes and much more
* ever-changing endless environment
* realistic sound effects
* CB radio
* drop down garage to customize and spray-paint your vehicles
* smoke and sparks
* four different camera angles – shake device to check out your ride from all sides
* awesome original soundtrack
* totally intuitive, fun for all ages

No launch date or expected price point information has been released, but we’ll be sure to let you know as soon as we know.