Dark Incursion is a side scrolling “Metroidvania” style game with a vivid steam punk art style using eye-popping pixel art combined with the stereoscopic 3D that will literally make the action jump off the screen. It takes place in an alternate reality in the late 1800′s, amidst an industrial revolution and a world war. Play as Anya, one of the few who knows about a secret bunker where scientists have been attempting to bio-engineer their own soldiers, hoping to turn the tide in war.

In Dark Incursion, players have a multitude of bio-engineered weapons at their disposal with which to eradicate the abominations from the city. Weapon and ability upgrades will get more powerful the deeper players get and the more advanced the monsters become.

Can Anya complete her mission before the allied forces enter the city and mistakenly allow these creatures to escape?

Forerunner is a fast-paced platform game for the iPhone, and is available as of today on the iTunes store for 99 cents. The player must guide a lone runner across five diverse environments, running, jumping, and sliding past the many obstacles that lie in the path. The character is always moving forward. It’s up to the player’s quick reflexes to survive each level.The game comes with 6 levels and an endless “run-forever” mode for free.

It is the end of an age, and the world is in decline. Only the revitalizing power of the phoenix can make it new again. A lone runner is sent on a holy mission; to light the fires of 25 sacred shrines littered across the five lands. Only when all the fires are lit can the phoenix be summoned and the world remade.

“It’s like Aladdin meets the Olympics,” said one playtester.

Features:

• Five Unique, Colorful Environments
• 25 Challenging Levels
• Endless Run-Forever Mode
• 5 Original Songs
• Story
• Pick-up-and-Play game that is easy to learn, but difficult to master

Controls:

• Jump – Tap
• Long Jump – Hold
• Air Jump – Tap while in the air
• Slide – Swipe
• Air Dive – Swipe while in the air

In conjunction with the launch of Sideway on Steam, Fuel has partnered with Skullcandy, leading manufacturer of core audio products, for the “Get Your Tag in the Game” contest. To participate, Skullcandy is asking aspiring street artists to create an original piece of artwork and submit via the Skullcandy Facebook page. It will be judged by the artists who created the game, with the grand prize winner getting their Tag immortalized in the PC version of Sideway.

“After the successful launch on PSN, we wanted to bring the exciting gameplay and visual style of Sideway to PC gamers,” said Mike Burns, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Fuel. “There’s been a huge resurgence in independent games on the PC, largely due to the ease of digital distribution, thanks to services like Valve’s Steam, so we partnered with Playbrains to develop an optimized version of Sideway to let PC gamers enjoy its addicting puzzle-platforming gameplay.”

Sideway tells the tale of Nox, a street-smart graffiti artist who treats the walls of New York City as his canvas. When Nox goes to see who tagged over one of his pieces, he finds himself getting sucked into the art, landing in the world of Sideway. In the strange new world Nox finds that the evil dark artist Spray has imprisoned him as a 2D image in Sideway while Spray attempts to conquer our world. Players must help the 2D Nox escape by guiding him through a 3D maze – one plane at a time – fighting Spray and his army of bosses and minions along the way.

In Sideway, players have 15 levels to explore New York’s five boroughs, while discovering unlockable abilities for Nox to soar, slide, jump and blast his way back to escape Spray’s evil clutches and prevent the dark artist’s takeover of the third dimension. The PC-optimized version of Sideway will feature multiplayer co-op and support for both keyboard and gamepad input, in addition to the unique art style and visual flair for which Fuel is renowned.

“The irony of making a game that mocks downloadable content and releasing it in downloadable form is not lost on me,” says Ben Kane, the lone developer of Going Loud Studios. “Heck, if all goes well, I’ll jump the shark and make some DLC for DLC Quest.”

Features:

- Platforming action! Coins to collect, a princess to save, a bad guy to defeat. You like that stuff, right?
- 16 different DLC packs, each providing quiet introspection on the state of the gaming industry
- 10 awards to earn and make you feel reasonably satisfied with yourself

You can try the free trial before buying the full game, but reports from the experts on Twitter say that DLC Quest is well worth the 80 MS Point price.

In the lead-up to the season two premiere of Canadian original scripted series,  Corvid Pictures, Aircraft Pictures and Frantic Films are taking Todd & The Book of Pure Evil online.

Descent into Crowley Heights is a web-based, side-scrolling game that sees players taking on the role of the series’ gang members, who make their way through the familiar world of Todd while battling the enemies and monsters familiar to viewers, all to capture the Book of Pure Evil.

Several mini-game challenges are also available on Facebook, along with an exclusive unlockable character, available for players who track down a special  code.

Crowley Heights is produced by Corvid Pictures, Aircraft Pictures and Frantic Films, with service production and project management by lunch with executive producer Amy Miranda and producer Lily-Ann Lee. Relish Interactive was on board for game development with game design by Scott Hiers, along with game programming by Pixelpusher! and 3D animation by Alchemy.

Crowley Heights is produced with the participation of Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund and the Canada Media Fund.

To play the game, head over to http://www.toddandthebookofpureevil.com/game-of-pure-evil/

Developed in conjunction with Paramount Digital Entertainment, The War of the Worlds is a dark and breathtaking new vision inspired by the classic H.G. Wells novel, retold as a single player, 2D action-adventure and narrated by the acclaimed and distinguished actor Sir Patrick Stewart. Set in London, the gameplay narrative parallels the timeline and events from the 1953 movie adaptation, but introduces a new story arc, characters, locations, and sub-plots. With gameplay paying homage to classic cinematic platformers such as Flashback, Out of This World and Prince of Persia, the game follows the exploits of an unknown everyman struggling to escape the Martian invasion of London and rescue his family. Forced to think through insurmountable odds, players will outsmart an army of alien tripods, spiders and drones as they make their way through a landscape of total devastation.

The War of the Worlds video game has been rated E10 by the ESRB.

Gravinaytor is an old-school platform game with a new twist gravity control. Your objective is to run away from a lab that deals with a new experimental gravity controlling system.  With inverted gravity, falling up is no longer impossible; walk on walls and ceilings to reach your objective.  With 40 challenging levels that gradually become harder as you go.

Gravinaytor is priced at $0.99 USD and is rated 9+ for the use of infrequent/mild cartoon or fantasy violence. The game is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices running iOS 3.0 or later.

Icarus is a game with a quest, the outcome being decided by player choices, not a dialogue tree. Icarus features unique game mechanics, engaging atmosphere, and a living world. Each playthrough takes about half an hour and will result in one of several endings. Complete with retro-styled arcade music by Br1ght Pr1mate, Icarus will send you on a treasure quest as you encounter enemies, obstacles and unarmed villagers.

Icarus is available for purchase on Justin’s web site, following the “pay what you feel it’s worth” model. There is a downloadable demo version to try before you buy.

When asked what separated their game from other games such as Angry Birds or Crush the Castle, Gupta replied “Players not only have to be strategic, but have to have good aim and be able to solve physics puzzles. Also, players have to get a sense of which weapon has what effect on the structures and act accordingly using a strong sense of strategy,” added Gupta.

The game received approval from Apple and is available in the app store. “We are excited to see how our audience will react to this game. We believe that when players pick up Troll Blaster, they won’t be able to put it down. If the feedback from our beta testers response is any indication, players are going to love this game,” said Gupta.

Priced at 99 cents (USD), Troll Blaster is rated 9+ for Infrequent/Mild Horror/Fear Themes and Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence, and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices running iOS 3.0 or later.

I also found out that Other Ocean has created a Sour Patch Kids game title for iOS devices. It has been in the iTunes App Store since September 20th. Sour Fling is a free download that invites gamers to help the Sour Patch Kids collect and find their missing friends by flinging, sticking and floating around the candy factory. In this mobile title, you will get the chance to help the Sour Patch Kids get to the factory exits while collecting their friends. Make sure to avoid the dreaded Gum Monster, the Light Bulb of death, the scary moving electrical platform, and even the infamous juicy lake of doom.

Sour Fling is rated 12+ for Frequent/Intense Profanity or Crude Humor and Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence. If you own an iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4, iPod touch (3rd or 4th generation) or iPad device running iOS 3.1 or later you can play Sour Fling. My iPod Touch is 2nd generation, so sadly,  I am not able to play it.

Try out some special moves and collect Puffle O’s as you unlock Time Trial, Turbo and Slo-Mo Modes.  and earn tons of virtual coins to transfer them to your account on Club Penguin. Priced at 99 cents USD, Puffle Launch is rated 4+ and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 4.0 or later

KULA BLOX is a fast-paced casual arcade game that delivers engaging, bite-sized entertainment through its exciting gameplay and beautifully illustrated cast of animal-themed characters. Players must maneuver their character as it falls through the sky, collecting or “eating” other creatures in order to gain points and grow bigger to ultimately find their way to the top of the scoreboard.

Your animal – there are three unlockable characters per map section to choose from – starts the level quite small, and must snack on the smaller animals in order to move up the food chain, growing bigger and stronger and thus able to devour the larger creatures. You only have three health points per level, and if you lose those, you lose the level and must start over. There are no health point boosts to snag on the way down. Just remember to watch out for the sneaky poacher. He’s not very nice and his sole mission in life is to knock your little animal senseless.

Thankfully there are a myriad of temporary special powers and pick-ups that will help players navigate their way through the Jungle, Savannah and Forest levels. TransGaming will be releasing new levels in the future, as evidenced by the “Coming Soon” placeholder where the fourth map collection should be. Some powers, such as the Cobra perk, slow down your animal’s descent, making it easier to capture all of the creatures on the way down. Other powers will make it seem like your animal has overdosed on steroids and make him bigger and stronger than the other predators, turning them into a nice, light snack. Each animal has a special power unique to his character, and players can equip one additional power, providing they have been unlocked. With a little practice, you can also use the game’s intermittent obstacles of branches and rock outcrops to your advantage. You can use them to grab a buffet of animals providing you time the moment of impact correctly, or you can use the arrow markers to bypass the obstacle completely and escape a predator or that blasted poacher.

The equippable powers are single-use, but you can build up their numbers by falling on the crates marked with a “?” in the piles of crates and chests at ground level. Hint: the bigger your animal is when you hit ground-level, the more crates you will break open. You can also gain coins from the crates, and these coins can be used to upgrade your pick-up powers, which to date include a Shellmet, a handy pick-up for fending off predators, a parachute which is very useful in capturing lots of prey, a magnet that increases your animalistic powers of attraction, and a score multiplier to get you to the top of the leaderboards on Game Centre.

Of course with all of these pick-up and power-up goodies must come a few challenges, and here I offer a few words of caution. Don’t break the lab beaker – it carries a nasty rabies plague that will turn all of the prey red and make them un-appetizing for a few seconds (which may seem like forever when you’re trying to complete your last goal for 100% on a level). Something to watch out for – seeing as you are out in the wilderness – are piles of poop. Yes, you read that correctly. Apparently the fall from the airplane has had an adverse effect on some of the animals, and one of them – probably Kula Bear – left these treasures behind. Don’t touch them, because your cute little animal will smell awful and thus the other animals will try to avoid him. You’ll be treated to a very appropriate sound effect should you be unlucky enough to …fall in it.

Each level also has three goals for the player to attain by consuming the other creatures. Some are much easier than others to achieve, and may require several play-throughs to win. Thankfully, the designers were kind in that the game remembers which goals you have achieved so that you can concentrate on completing the other goals in the level without having to complete all three in one run.

“KULA BLOX represents a new standard for TransGaming Studios in that it aligns incredible creative endeavors with the innovative features that new and dynamic platforms bring, such as an interactive gameplay model and micro-transaction capabilities” commented Wojtek Kawczynski, Managing Director of TransGaming’s Studio Division. “The game is extremely fun and engaging for all ages. We’re excited to launch this cornerstone as the first in a long-line of titles within the KULA BLOX franchise.”

KULA BLOX is at the top of my “must-have” games list for casual play – as I would expect from TransGaming’s Studio team, every component of the game is top-notch, just as it was with their previous title, Garage Inc. The artwork is colourful and expressive, the game’s animations are subtle but amusing – except for that poacher guy – and the music is catchy and memorable. The sound-effects will make you laugh, as will the expressions on the characters’ faces. You can pick up and play KULA BLOX for just one level or until you manage to kill your device’s battery. The game’s memory system will remember which level you’re on and what powers you have unlocked. Once you’ve unlocked all of the levels and equippable powers, you can jump around as much as you want. KULA BLOX is highly-replayable and is suitable for any age.

The War of the Worlds takes a unique spin on the classic science fiction tale, putting players in control of Arthur Clarke, a man trapped in the midst of an alien invasion in 1950’s London. As Arthur, you’ll make your way through the assault by passing through a variety of London landmarks, avoiding alien drones and fighting for your very survival. Featuring the voice of Patrick Stewart as the narrator, The War of the Worlds is an exciting and atmospheric survival-adventure game that you will not want to miss.

The War of the Worlds, which will be published by Paramount Digital Entertainment will be available on Xbox LIVE®Arcade and PlayStation®Network as a Digital Download title later this year.

“The control systems available on the PlayStation®Vita have allowed us to experiment with all kinds of new gameplay possibilities.  We’re finding that touch controls in particular can be used to complement traditional thumb-stick puzzle-platforming very well”, said DrinkBox Designer Chris McQuinn.  He added: “We learned a lot developing our first game – we want to use that experience to deliver the best game we can in Mutant Blobs Attack.”

DrinkBox will be showing an early development build of the game this weekend at PAX Prime 2011 in Seattle.

Already enjoyed by millions of players around the globe, games in the Nintendo Selects collection offer boundless fun at an enticing price for Wii users of any experience level, whether they want to expand their own game libraries or find affordable, fun-packed gifts for loved ones. The Wii console, which comes bundled with the Mario Kart™ Wii game and the Wii Wheel™ accessory, delivers extraordinary entertainment value for families and is available for a suggested retail price of $149.99.

Three of the four new additions to the Nintendo Selects collection invite players to interact with Nintendo’s iconic Mario™ character in imaginative and entertaining ways: Super Mario Galaxy is an out-of-this-world adventure in which Mario must travel through outer space to rescue Princess Peach™ from the devious Bowser™; Super Paper Mario offers classic Mario RPG action that can be switched from flat 2D worlds to a full open-world perspective; and Mario Strikers Charged finds the Mushroom Kingdom crew storming the soccer field for fast-paced athletic kicks. Also, the fan-favorite Punch-Out!! game delivers motion-controlled boxing thrills with a host of memorable characters. All four games feature multiplayer modes that let friends and family members have fun together.

Previously announced games in the Nintendo Selects collection include The Legend of Zelda™: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing™: City Folk, Mario™ Super Sluggers and Wii Sports™.

Features:

- Simple intuitive controls with an original gameplay experience
- Using your spider tongue, tap to stick and swing your way through the challenges
- 51 Platform puzzle levels to overcome
- 5 Beautifully illustrated worlds to explore
- Many out of this world princesses to save within each level
- Collect roses and earn gold trophies
- Many obstacles such as fireballs, moving walls, switches and more
- Available on iPhone, iPod and iPad and requires iOS 4.2 or higher

Featuring a distinct visual style that blends pixel art with paper and ink textures, They Bleed Pixels is a singular mix of intense platforming and fierce beat-em-up action.  It tells the story of a young girl haunted by a mysterious book and her violent Lovecraftian nightmares.

They Bleed Pixels uses a simple one-button combat scheme with surprising depth at its core. Button mashing is discouraged while kicking shadowy monsters into saws, pits and spikes is rewarded thanks to a unique checkpoint earning system: instead of being evenly distributed at set locations, players must earn and place checkpoints through stylish kills.  The more and better you kill, the faster you fill your checkpoint meter. Avoid combat or button mash mindlessly and you’ll find checkpoints uncomfortably far apart.

“We’re crafting They Bleed Pixels with a healthy respect for the player’s abilities and the belief that action games should offer a genuine challenge,” says Miguel Sternberg, Creative Director at Spooky Squid Games. “We wanted to create a game that demands that players excel at both combat and platforming. Want a checkpoint before you take on that series of spike-lined pits? Then dash into the nearest enemy launch him in the air and juggle him into that nearby skill saw.”

Sticky is a purple frog prince who was living happily with his princess until one day chaos erupted when a jealous lonely castle abducted her, along with all of the other princesses in the world! Injured by the evil castle, Sticky is forced to use his Big Sticky tongue to stick and swing in search of his beloved princess.

With simple intuitive controls combined with an original gameplay experience, players help Sticky conquer the evil castle, moving him through the levels with his sticky frog tongue. By simply tapping the screen, players will use a stick and swing action to get Sticky to the castle door, where he then must save the princess hidden within each level. With a total of 51 platform-styled puzzle levels, there are always new obstacles and challenges to overcome.

Join Sticky in this wild sticky adventure as you swing over snow, lava, enchanted platforms, moving walls and more. Everyone needs a little purple hero and there’s never a dull moment in this fairy O’ tale.

Big Sticky Features:

• Original gameplay with simple intuitive controls
• Using the tongue, tap to stick and swing away
• 51 platformer puzzle levels to overcome
• 5 beautifully illustrated worlds to explore
• Many out of this world princesses to save
• Collect roses and earn gold trophies
• Obstacles such as fireballs, moving walls, switches and more
• Available on iPhone, iPod and iPad

Known to millions for his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the popular TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation, as well as his performance as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film franchise, Stewart has enjoyed tremendous success over his decades-long film career including several Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.  However, providing narration for The War of the Worlds is an experience that hearkens back to Stewart’s childhood.

“As a young boy, I remember watching the The War of the Worlds so many times I was quoting the lines,” said Stewart. “The alien invasion both terrified and fascinated me and the movie has stuck with me since then. Now, being part of this project will provide a new way for gamers around the world to experience a fresh new take on a classic.”

The War of the Worlds is a dark and breathtaking new vision inspired by the classic H.G. Wells novel, retold as a single player, 2D action-adventure. The gameplay narrative parallels the timeline and events from the 1953 movie adaptation, but introduces a new story arc, characters, locations, and sub-plots.  With gameplay paying homage to classic cinematic platformers such as Flashback and Out of This World, players follow the exploits of an unknown everyman struggling to escape the Martian invasion of London and rescue his family. Forced to think through insurmountable odds, players will outsmart an army of alien tripods, spiders and drones as they make their way through a landscape of total devastation.

The game is presented in a slick 16:9 widescreen format with unique and stylish vector artwork. 24 levels are split amongst 6 different environments on 3 different planets. The player can control a spaceship to deploy BEEP-Bots to the individual levels on the planets. Each level contains anti-matter fuel which, when collected, opens-up new locales.

Try before you buy, download the BEEP demo now. BEEP is also available on BeamDog and Impulse and appears like it could be rated E for Everyone.

It’s about a gigantic blue worm that lands on a nasty planet and it’s up to you to control a team of 50 little “Swarmites” at once through 11 levels, collecting points and DNA to help grow “Momma”, get her a new hat and leave the planet. There is one catch though; this path is full of things that burn, trap, electrify and decapitate your swarm at every point and you get glorious points added to your score for it. All you have to do is make it through the level with at least one Swarmite in order  to return to Momma. Momma has lots of  Swarmites spawn points throughout the levels so if they die, Momma spawns more. This can be helpful because there are points in the game that require you to have a certain number in order for the higher point value orbs to appear.

You are rewarded in this game for the collection of things that look like nucleus and DNA. The more you collect in a row helps fill a multiplier which can greatly add to your score, but in a cruel twist, deaths of your Swarmites also add to it. So if your multiplier looks like it’s running out you can just kill off some of your swarm to keep it up. This is the game’s primary mechanic, as you find that most obstacles you encounter or crates to open just happen to kill off some of your happy blue buddies. At the end of the level your amount of Swarmite deaths are calculated up and put towards progressive death medals and the worldwide death total. Deaths in the level also have death medals but are only rewarded when the last 10 of your Swarm encounter the same deadly fate.

The game gets progressively harder and (easier if you replay earlier levels) as you get better at controlling your swarm and there are even two boss battles that are unlocked by collecting enough DNA.

Some of the awesome things you can get your swarm to do include moves such as jump, dash, huddle together and stack on each other as well as pick up and throw explosives. Sometimes your Swarmites will pick each other up when picking up explosives, leading to some hilarious deaths.

The game’s length is 6-8 hours but with the leaderboards, achievements and the constant questioning of Momma asking “Why can’t you be more like (Insert friend’s gamer tag here)”  the replay value is high. Here’s hoping there is more Swarm content coming.

Hothead Games has taken an old convention that games punish you if you die, turning it around so that death is rewarding. Congratulations to Hothead for taking an original idea and making it shine. If you’re looking for a fun, original type of game don’t let this one pass you by cause you wouldn’t want to disappoint Momma – plus it would make a great gift for any video game loving mom (Mother’s Day is coming up) and you know that would score some serious points.

Swarm is on  XBLA (Xbox Live Arcade) for 1200 MS Points and PSN (Playstation Network store) for $14.99 Released on March 22nd 2011 by Hothead Games, Swarm is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.

Review by: Twisted Majic

New from Behaviour Interactive, Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime is now available on Xbox LIVE^® Arcade and Windows PC Download at Steam and Atari.com. Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime will be released on PlayStation®Network on March 30^th. The new four player, ghost busting adventure that will take players on a brand new paranormal experience. Players will suit up with their proton packs and assume the role of a rookie hired by the Ghostbusters to save New York City from a disaster of ghoulish proportions in either single player, or cooperative (online or local).

Play progresses as gamers explore a series of haunted environments that must be cleared of any ectoplasmic threats. The gripping adventure rages on as players encounter gigantic bosses that require a concentrated effort to defeat using a medley of highly destructive weapons including the Proton Stream, Plasma Inductor, and the Fermion Shock. The rookie Ghostbusters will face the dangers of the eerie world alone or with a ghost busting team of friends both locally or online through the game’s multiplayer capability.

Those lovably squishy and doggedly determined little blue Swarmite creatures have invaded the tubes at Xbox Live Arcade, and for only 1200 MS points you can welcome them into your home where you can dismember, squash and push them over the edge in the privacy of your living room. Yes, the long-anticipated new release from Hothead Games has been released to the masses. Get it now while the little blue guys are still breathing. You PlayStation 3 owners can also pick up Swarm for $14.99. If you want to know how many Swarmites have been sacrificed for the greater good, check out the Swarm Global Death Counter – at press time it was closing in on 2.4 million. Poor little guys!

Also available now on Steam is Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood for PC. The regular digital version is priced at $49.99USD while the Digital Deluxe version is priced at $59.99USD. The Digital Deluxe version includes all of the basics plus:

* Map of Rome
* 1 Ezio Skin – Helmschmied Drachen Armour
* 2 Exclusive Single-Player Maps: The Trajan Market & The Aqueduct
* 2 Multiplayer Characters, The Officer and The Harlequin
* The Original Codex Written by Altaïr: The history of the Assassins and art of Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
* Multiplayer Characters Collectible Trading Cards
* Assassin’s Creed Lineage – The Complete Movie
* Making-Of Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood – Behind the Brotherhood
* Game Soundtrack: 22 songs from the original game soundtrack by Jesper Kyd

Digital Premium Edition content is only available via download, and both Steam versions also include the Animus Project 1.0, 2.0 and the Da Vinci Disappearance DLC add-ons.

Incubator Games has launched its newest kids’ title. This follow-up to Kelvin’s Space Ranch is called The CO₂ Connection, which was built for Science Alberta as an educational game whose main premise is to teach kids about the extraction, compression, transportation and storage of CO₂ while decreasing Alberta’s carbon footprint. You can read the development post-mortem on the Incubator Games site and learn about the background and challenges for this game. The CO2 Connection is also available as a free download in the iTunes App Store and is compatible with the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

IBM and Nova Scotia’s MediaSpark Inc. have won a national tender to provide 900 Ontario schools with educational games and simulation software designed to sharpen their business and financial skills as they prepare to meet the growing demands of the 21^st Century. MediaSpark worked with IBM Canada to win the tender issued by the Ministry of Education through the Ontario Software Acquisition Program Advisory Committee.

Four of MediaSpark’s GoVenture educational games and simulation software solutions will provide students from grades seven to 12 with highly realistic simulations emphasizing Entrepreneurship, Accounting, Financial Literacy, and Personal Finance skills.

“Games and simulations are revolutionizing education,” says Mathew Georghiou, CEO of MediaSpark Inc. “We are encouraged to see Ontario take a leadership role in adopting new methods of learning. Not only will these simulations help Ontario students, but we believe they have the potential to play an important role in enhancing the grassroots entrepreneurial culture in Ontario, resulting in future prosperity.”

Learners gain experience by being immersed in simulated worlds created with advanced experiential learning and gaming techniques.  For example, in the Entrepreneurship module, students learn how to run a clothing or sporting goods store by testing their abilities with scenarios that map to real challenges faced by new entrepreneurs. They conduct business, get advice, attend training seminars or sell their companies. In the Personal Finance module, students live up to 50 years of their financial futures, virtually, making decisions about money and credit.

“Today’s students are demanding more digital applications and support for alternative learning methods,” said Ralph Chapman, Vice-President, Public Sector, IBM Canada.  ”Our ability to deliver this type of advanced learning to Ontario schools provides students with the modern tools they need to better prepare themselves for the new demands of the work world.”

Historically, simulation gaming has been used extensively in the military, by athletes and by scientists to discover effective new strategies and techniques and develop the skills needed to implement them. Businesses have realized the value of this technique and are deploying their own games to create life-like simulations of real markets, customers and business situations that they deal with every day. Gaming technology is also increasingly being used in higher education institutions to complement and extend traditional teaching methods. Currently, more than 1,000 colleges and universities use IBM games in their curricula.

Two Alberta students and one from Ontario who participated last fall in a contest organized by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) that encouraged enrolment in The City, have won laptop computers.  The City is an online interactive resource that teaches basic financial skills. Students learn from eight “life stage characters” who face various financial circumstances that young people can relate to. The City is a free, Web-based learning program developed by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) and the British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC). In order to qualify to win the laptops, the students had to complete four modules and score 100% on a follow-up quiz.  The three winners were then chosen randomly from a draw of all qualified entrants. A school in Toronto has a SMART Board™ thanks to the efforts of teacher Clarence Sze-chun Yeung, a math teacher at SATEC@W.A. Porter Collegiate Institute who enrolled his class in The City.

Another contest is now underway for students and teachers who enrol in The City in the second term. To be eligible, students and teachers in any Canadian province or territory must register and participate in The City before March 31, 2011. The contest rules are available on FCAC’s website

SIGGRAPH 2011 Tickets Now Available For Purchase. Early Bird pricing is in effect until June 17th. Member, non-member and student prices are available for all categories: full conference, full conference single day, basic conference, basic conference single day, computer animation festival. Please see the ticket information page for full details on categories and pricing.

SIGGRAPH 2011 in Vancouver – Make It Home

Congratulations to onX Enterprise Solutions, who has received two Cisco Partner Summit regional awards for Canadian Managed Cloud Partner of the Year and Canadian Borderless Network Partner of the Year.

Don’t forget that nominations are open for the 2011 VIATeC Awards. A little saddened that VIATeC is using the current tide of attention being paid to that recently fired TV personality as part of their promotional efforts, but here are the categories open to Vancouver Island technology companies:

• Technology Company of the Year
• Emerging Technology Company of the Year
• Employer of the Year – can only be nominated by staff
• Online Strategy of the Year
• Environmental Excellence
• Executive of the Year
• Employee/Team of the Year
• Innovative Excellence
• Product of the Year
• Member’s Choice for Service Provider of the Year – can only be nominated by a technology company.

The Awards ceremony will take place in Carson Hall at the Victoria Conference Centre on June 2nd. Tickets are $150.00 for VIATeC members and $200.00 for non-members.

Here is the launch trailer for Hothead Games‘ latest entry into the digital download realm. Swarm is scheduled for release on PSN March 22nd (March 30th in Europe) and XBLA worldwide on March 23rd. This is definitely one game I’m looking forward to getting my hands on – I’ve been hoarding most of the MS Points I was given for Christmas just so I can see how many ways there are to squish and dismember these little blue guys.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will already know that Swarm is an action-platformer that allows you 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.

Atari has released the second developer diary from its upcoming XBLA, PSN and PC download top-down arcade shooter Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime, which was developed at Behaviour Interactive. Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime is out on XBLA and PC download on March 23rd and will launch on PSN on March 30th (even though the dev diary says it’s available now).

Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime is a four player, ghost-busting adventure that will take players on a brand new paranormal experience. Players will suit up with their proton packs and assume the role of a rookie hired by the Ghostbusters to save New York City from a disaster of ghoulish proportions.

The action-packed gameplay progresses as players complete jobs as fearless rookies who explore a series of haunted environments that must be cleared of any ectoplasmic threats. The gripping adventure rages on as players encounter gigantic bosses that require a concentrated effort to defeat using a medley of highly destructive weapons including the Proton Stream, Plasma Inductor, and the Fermion Shock. Rookie Ghostbusters will face the dangers of the eerie world alone or with a ghostbusting team of friends both locally or online through the game’s multiplayer capability.

Big Blue Bubble’s Burn The Rope is bigger and better than ever with a version for the iPad launching today! Now is the time to join in the flame-lighting fun with bigger graphics, brighter fire, and Wickman as you’ve never seen him before! Burn the Rope HD also features an innovative new touch control scheme exclusive to the iPad that lets players rotate the puzzle onscreen.

Burn the Rope is a casual puzzle title that was originally released on the iPhone in December 2010. The goal of the game is to burn as much rope as possible on each level – which is not as easy as it may sound. 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, hard to master puzzle designs for each level and some insects that add to the gameplay in unique and interesting ways, Burn the Rope been one of the hottest apps in the App Store for the past several months.

With 116 exciting levels (and more on the way), Burn the Rope is incredibly fun and addictive, and the new features in Burn the Rope HD for iPad let players experience the game in a whole new way

Additional HD Features Include:

• Apple Game Center support with 30 achievements and iTunes library support
• All-new Bug-Blasting Bonus Rounds!
• Lights Out! Mode – light the way as you burn!

BioWare will be releasing Mass Effect: Arrival, the thrilling final mission for Mass Effect 2 on March 29th. This conclusion to Mass Effect 2 and preamble to Mass Effect 3, Arrival will also include three new achievements (or trophies) for the Xbox 360®, PC and PlayStation®3. The PDLC pack will be available for 560 MS Points on Xbox 360, $6.99USD on PlayStation Network and also available for PC for 560 BioWare Points.

In Mass Effect: Arrival, Commander Shepard is sent to the edge of the galaxy to rescue an undercover operative who may have evidence of an imminent Reaper invasion that has been looming since the very beginning of the series. Returning and playing a prominent role in Mass Effect: Arrival is fan favorite Admiral Hackett, who is voiced by legendary science-fiction actor Lance Henriksen (Alien, Terminator).

“All year, we have been extremely honored and humbled by the reception we have received for Mass Effect 2 from players around the world, including our post release DLC”, said Casey Hudson, Executive Producer, Mass Effect series. “Mass Effect: Arrival is an exciting extension to Mass Effect 2 and will show players just how close the Reapers are to returning and completing their deadly harvest.”

Only two weeks after launching, TVO’s new applications for BlackBerry® smartphones for early learners and school aged-kids, have been downloaded from BlackBerry App World™ over 250,000 times.

Flower Frenzy and Polka Dot Shorts support learning objectives from the Ontario school curriculum and are teacher and classroom tested. Both are designed for BlackBerry smartphones running OS 5.0 and higher. Polka Dot Shorts is a sequence matching game for kids aged 2-5 that supports the early-learning and kindergarten math curriculum. Flower Frenzy is an entertaining and educational game with three levels of progressive difficulty that uses pictures of flowers to help kids ages 6-11 learn to create sequences.

Both apps teach kids pre-cursors to patterning skills which help build the foundational knowledge required for mathematics in later years.  Each app also has a safety feature to prevent young users from making phone calls or sending emails.

“We’re really excited that so many kids are embracing TVO’s latest digital media offerings,” says CEO Lisa de Wilde. “There is a real need for digital content that will engage kids in learning that complements what happens in the classroom environment. We’re happy to help fill the gap.”

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today simplified the process for Canadians who want to change providers for their television, home telephone, wireless or Internet services. Consumers will now be able to switch service providers with only one phone call. Once it has obtained the proper consent, the new provider will make all the arrangements on behalf of consumers to have the services transferred over. The CRTC requires that customer transfers be completed within two business days, except for wireless service where transfers must be completed within 2.5 hours.

“In a competitive marketplace, consumers are always encouraged to explore different options for their broadcasting and telecommunications services,” said Konrad von Finckenstein, Q.C., Chairman of the CRTC. “The new rules will make the transfer process a seamless and convenient experience, while enabling Canadians to benefit from receiving retention offers from their current providers.”

If they prefer, consumers can also cancel their services by contacting their service provider directly, which can make them offers to retain their business. The CRTC reminds consumers that, when switching to a new service provider, they are still responsible for any termination penalties or other terms associated with their existing contract. Additionally, the CRTC has established safeguards to prevent service providers from sharing confidential customer information with their internal sales and marketing groups during the transfer process.

Following today’s decision, the CRTC has also launched a new proceeding seeking views on whether these safeguards are still in the best interests of consumers and whether they limit a consumer’s ability to receive offers from a service provider. Interested parties may submit their comments by April 18, 2011. They may do so by completing the online form, by writing to the Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2, or by fax at 819-994-0218.

Nominations are now open for the Sara Kirke Award for Woman Entrepreneurship, which is presented to the woman who has shown the most outstanding technological innovation and corporate leadership — leadership that has significantly expanded the frontiers of Canada’s advanced technology industry. The purpose of the Award is to celebrate innovation, entrepreneurship and create positive role models for women. The Sara Kirke Award for outstanding woman in technology innovation and corporate leadership for 2010 was awarded to Carol Leaman, CEO of PostRank Inc.

Sara Kirke is considered by many to be North America’s first entrepreneur. She arrived in Newfoundland in 1638 with her husband David Kirke, who was soon recalled to England. Sara, however, continued to reside in Avalon, and conducted business as usual from the Pool Plantation. Lady Kirke was a remarkable individual as she managed affairs at the Pool Plantation and became one of the most successful merchants on the English Shore — and was almost certainly North America’s first and foremost woman entrepreneur.

Submissions for the 2011 Sara Kirke Awards must be received at the CanWIT office by April 15, 2011, and all nominees must be a member of CanWIT, which is itself a Division of CATAAlliance. The 2011 winner will be announced at the 26th Annual Canadian Innovation and Leadership Awards Gala on May 18th, which are being held at the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa.

The BCIC-New Ventures Competition: 2011 is now open for applications until April 18 at midnight, with the first seminar in the new nine seminar series taking place on April 4th. The competition dates and seminar schedule have been officially set and now it’s up to the competitors to invest $200 in their technology business idea and learn how to develop it into a profitable company.

As one of North America’s largest technology business idea competitions, BCIC-New Ventures attracts applicants from a wide range of industries including cleantech, media, Internet, information technology and life sciences. BCIC and the New Ventures BC Society invite BC entrepreneurs to submit their ideas to the 11th annual BCIC-New Ventures Competition offering the chance to win a share of the more than $360,000 in prizes.

Added to the mix of prizes to be won this year are the $15,000 Vancity Social Venture Prize and two prizes for Agricultural technologies, valued at $30,000 and $20,000. The competition has also launched a separate stream for Agritech competitors, with events starting March 30.

The competition is open to any BC person, resident or business with a technology-focused idea that has not yet secured significant financing from external investors (i.e. investors other than friends, family and company founders).

The series of nine business education seminars, open to both the public and competition applicants, will take place in Vancouver at the SFU Beedie School of Business beginning April 4, 2011. Students with valid ID can register to attend these seminars at no cost.

Register today to:

• Learn from some of BC’s top business experts at our business-education seminars
• Network with top professionals in business, law, finance, government and academia
• Improve your business and strategies during each round of competition
• Receive advice and insight from mentors In Round 3
• Present your condensed business plan to a panel of ‘angel’ investors, venture capitalists and industry experts in Round 4

Now in its eleventh year, the main BCIC-New Ventures Competition attracts applicants from a wide range of industries. This year we’re launching a new stream of the competition focused on Agritech ventures in the categories of: primary production, food, and bioenergy/bioproducts (for or from agriculture).

This new program is funded through Growing Forward, a federal/provincial agreement between the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, to support agri-food technology innovation and commercialization.

There will be two specific prizes – a $30,000 first prize and $20,000 second prize for Innovation in Agricultural Technology – plus specific events for Agritech competitors who proceed through the four rounds of the business competition. Applicants who register will also be placed into the larger competition with the chance to compete for more than $300,000 in additional prizes.

AOL Canada is proud to sponsor the Interactive Category of the 2011 National Advertising Awards (NAA) that celebrates and rewards outstanding Canadian advertising creativity, delivering fresh new ideas to Canada’s leading brands. In addition to the recognition they receive with the award, category winners will attend the 58th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival June 19 to 25, 2011 in France.

“Sponsoring the interactive competition aligns with our commitment to high-value, premium quality and creativity online,” says Graham Moysey, AOL Canada General Manager, “At AOL, it’s all about creating a vastly improved online consumer experience – what better way than to get Canada’s best and brightest creatives engaged?”

AOL is also working with agencies that are submitting entries to consider using AOL’s award-winning HD content delivery platform, Pictela, now available in Canada. Pictela provides agencies with a broad and highly unique canvas for demonstrating their creativity.

In the Interactive Category, participants are challenged with a brief from Biotherm to recruit new users to their BioLab Skin Solutions. All category briefs were made available on March 2 and the deadline for creative submissions is March 31. Winners will be announced at the National Advertising Awards Gala on May 5 in Toronto.

“Participating in the National Advertising Awards Interactive Category is a fantastic opportunity to submit the challenge of taking our BioLab recruitment animation to the next level to the best Canadian creative minds,” said Bradley Smith, Biotherm Marketing Director. “I can’t wait to see how they’ll translate Biotherm’s biological expertise and its strong Canadian heritage into a complete interactive brand experience that will attract new consumers to the brand.”

“The National Advertising Awards are unique because they are North America’s only major brief-based competition,” says Cam Gardner, President, Adcam Media Group, Owner of The National Advertising Awards. “It’s always a thrill to see the results of unleashed creative thinking against the needs of major Canadian brands. We’re grateful for the support of sponsors like AOL Canada who help make the awards possible.”

The third Game Prototype Challenge ended earlier this week with a total of ten game submissions centering around the theme of Loneliness and Dimensions. There are some very cool ideas in this last round, and considering that they were all done as side projects between February 14th and February 21st just makes them even better. The Challenge just keeps growing with every iteration, and I am looking forward to seeing comes out in the next one in March.

The final installment of the Ask Dr. Mike video series has been released by Hothead Games. Check out the in-studio rivalry between Producer Joel DeYoung and Lead Designer Pete Low as Joel tries to trump Pete’s new high score in the upcoming platformer Swarm.

Watch the gameplay carefully and listen closely to the commentary for some inside secrets on game-play and high scoring tactics. See how the sacrificing of squishy blue guys will lead you to multiplier supremacy and achievement completion.

Post-secondary students these days have so many cool new specialty areas to study, sometimes I wish I could go back to school full-time. Yes, I liked school. Except for Math. And Science. History, Law and English – those were my favourites. There weren’t really any courses leading towards any specific type of creative career when I was in high school, not counting the classes for performing arts or traditional trades like welding and wood-working.

A new graduate studies programme has been introduced at Waterloo University’s Stratford Campus. The Master of Digital Innovation (MDI) is a one year project-based interdisciplinary degree programme. Students will work through the programme as they would if they were working for an employer, in teams, working on core projects. Throughout the process of completing these projects, students will consult with faculty and industry partners, gaining hands-on experience in many areas, including Team Building, Design Thinking and Business Modelling as well as Marketing Strategy and Critical Cultural Analysis. That last one sounds like it involves Math.

This new full-time program, which will be offered for the first time in Fall 2011 pending final Ontario Council on Graduate Studies approval, will take place over three consecutive terms: Fall, Winter and Spring.

The Fall Session will focus on Working in Teams, Principles of Marketing in a Globalized World, Digital Media Solutions Design and New Perspectives on Media History and Analysis.  During the Winter Session, students will continue Working in Teams as they look at Digital Media Solutions: Project Management, Media Innovation and Impact as well as Understanding the Consumer Universe. The Spring session focuses entirely on Projects.

Longbow Games has launched the latest game in their Hegemony series of historical RTS wargames. Hegemony Gold: Wars of Ancient Greece expands upon last year’s PAX 10 finalist Hegemony: Philip of Macedon, adding two new campaigns and an all new diplomacy system plus an open sandbox mode with 26 playable factions and significant gameplay upgrades and refinements. The game is available online from Longbow, priced at $29.99 for the complete version or $9.99 as an upgrade from the original game.

“After spending the last year building a community and talking to fans about what they liked best in the first Hegemony, we’re really excited to show off all that we’ve added for Hegemony Gold,” said Jim McNally, President and Lead Designer of Longbow Games. “Not only do the new features significantly expand the range and depth of the tactics in Hegemony but the new campaigns and sandbox mode exponentially increase the amount of gameplay available.”

Conquer the ancient Greek world in Hegemony Gold: Wars of Ancient Greece, a real-time strategy wargame that expands and refines the award-winning Hegemony: Philip of Macedon with brand new content and features. Experience the full range of warfare from reconnaissance and raids to field battles and mountain blockades as you campaign across a continuous satellite-accurate map of ancient Greece. Siege and starve your enemy by cutting their supply lines or burning their crops, all the while building and protecting your own supply network to support your growing kingdom. Play as Macedonia, Athens, or Sparta in the three historical campaigns, or choose one of the 26 factions in the epic sandbox mode and forge your own empire. With a dynamic new diplomacy system and greatly expanded tactics, Hegemony Gold sets the new standard for ancient warfare.

IUGO Mobile Entertainment has released a trailer for its latest announced title, Pricklees, which has been submitted to Apple for approval. Jump, duck and roll to the beat with the Pricklees in this new music game that features 3 adorable characters you wish you could cuddle, if they weren’t covered in prickles.

There are 3 levels of difficulty in the game: easy, medium and hard for tons of replayability, with more unlockable content through IAP. Dead easy controls and intuitive UI in dynamic 2D/3D environments allow for unique rhythm-based gameplay with 7 Fresh Electronic tracks and more songs coming in future updates.

TVO is pleased to announce the launch of its new digital Public Archive, a free online resource that unlocks four decades of made-at-TVO educational programming that stands the test of time. The centerpiece of TVO’s 40th anniversary celebrations, TVO’s Public Archive is full of rare moments in television history including:

* popular Saturday Night at the Movies host Elwy Yost’s conversations with film legends of the 70s and 80s;
* insights from some of the greatest minds in science and technology like Richard Dawkins, John Polanyi, Carl Sagan and Steve Wozniak;
* interviews with political leaders including every Ontario Premier since John Robarts;
* rare moments with Canadian icons like Mordecai Richler, Leonard Cohen, Margaret Atwood, Margaret Laurence and John Candy;
* and Canadian heroes like Jane Jacobs, June Callwood and Roberta Bondar.

TVO’s Public Archive is a valuable resource for researchers, filmmakers, writers, bloggers and anyone who wants to learn more about the cultural history that has made Ontario what it is today, and features beloved TVO programs that have defined TVO over the years. It launches with over 375 programs and segments that would take more than five days to watch.

The site includes episodes of Polka Dot Door, Today’s Special, Prisoners of Gravity, Imprint, Realities, Studio 2, the interviews portion of Saturday Night at the Movies, The Education of Mike McManus, Between the Lines and more. It also includes the new “Think Again” podcast series where programs are re-cut and re-mixed, examining important issues and placing them in context of the world today. New content that can be searched by program title, year, guest, subject or playlist will be added to the Public Archive regularly.

The Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) today launched a major international TV, print and online campaign to showcase Ontario’s thriving cultural media sector. The campaign encourages consumers and investors to “be part of it” by buying Ontario’s award-winning cultural media products and investing in the province’s dynamic companies.

The six-week television campaign, showcasing more than 80 Ontario companies and world-renowned cultural exports, features a soundtrack by indie band Metric, which won the 2010 Juno Award for Best Alternative Album. The campaign was created by Toronto ad agency Brandworks International Inc. and will be supported by print and online ads in a variety of Canadian, U.S. and U.K. publications, along with an interactive website.

Ontario’s entire creative cluster includes: book and magazine publishing, film and television, interactive digital media, music, performing arts, radio, advertising, architecture and design. Together, they contribute more than $ 12.2 billion to the provincial GDP and employ more than 300,000 people.

Ubisoft is going on tour with its Kinect titles, but it seems BC is not on the list, at least not yet. One would think that BC would be on the list considering that Ubisoft has a development studio in Vancouver. The only confirmed locations thus far are for Halifax, when they will be visiting the Halifax Discovery Centre on February 25th and 26th before moving on to the Wal-Mart at Halifax Shopping Centre on February 27th. All other provinces are listed as “Coming Soon” with BC and all three territories not appearing on the schedule at all.

Frima Studio has earned two of the five nominations given out for the Best PS3/PSP Mini Game by Sony Computer Entertainment of America for its 2011 PlayStation®Network Gamers’ Choice Awards. Frima’s latest effort, the aptly named A Space Shooter for Two Bucks!, has recently crossed the 100,000 downloads mark, and Young Thor is one of the most critically-acclaimed Minis in history.

Voting will be open for one week until Tuesday, March 1st, with PSN users across North America choosing their favorite game in each of the four categories by downloading a free XMB theme corresponding to that game, voting for one game in each category. When the voting is over, the winning game from each of the four categories will go on sale for 30% off at the PlayStation Store and 50% off to PlayStation Plus subscribers.

Nexon America has kicked off the second round of the Nexon iNitiative, a million dollar program designed with the intent to seek out the most promising independent video game projects and provide funding to support the next generation of game developers from around the world. Open for submissions until April 30th, the Nexon iNitiative will award game developers a share of $1 million in development funds for projects that align with Nexon’s focus on community building and long-term user engagement.

The first Nexon iNitiative was launched in March 2010, which saw Canadian developer Antic Entertainment and Polish developer one2tribe chosen from a pool of more than 100 candidates in 2010. Each of the studios earned a share of more than $1 million in development funding. Both companies are currently creating online game projects that will be co-developed and published through Nexon’s global distribution network, which currently services 30 games in more than 71 countries.

Through the Nexon iNitiative, Nexon is looking for potential games that have wide-ranging audience appeal and which encourage community and social interaction. Flash, client-based games or ports from other platforms are all welcome submissions. Games with strong online and multi platform elements will get serious consideration, as will game concepts that align with Nexon’s goals.

Rogers Media (RMI) today announced the appointment of Jason Tafler to the newly created position, Chief Digital Officer.  A veteran of the U.S. and Canadian digital sector, Tafler comes to Rogers from PointRoll, a leading provider of innovative digital marketing solutions and technology based in Pennsylvania.

Tafler will be responsible for strategic and operational leadership for the Digital division of Rogers Media with accountability for financial and operational targets.  Rogers Digital Media is responsible for over 250 Rogers Digital products including brand websites, mobile products and client microsites as well as pure digital plays such as Sweetspot.ca,  BRANCHEZ -VOUS!, PoolExpert and Canadian Parents.  The range of partnerships and acquisitions brings Rogers Digital Media over 16 million unique viewers per month and reaches 65% of Canadians online.  As well, Rogers Digital Media provides ad solutions and content for Rogers Communications and ad representation for foreign clients.

Tafler grew up in Toronto and has spent most of the past decade of his career in the U.S. building, advising and investing in entrepreneurial growth-oriented companies in the media, advertising and technology industries.  He joined PointRoll in 2005 and became CEO in 2008.  Prior to PointRoll, he worked in a boutique investment bank in New York and with Zoomer Media and First Marathon Securities in Canada.

DrinkBox CEO Ryan MacLean had this to say about the company’s release plans: “We’re very excited that the game is finally coming out! The release is definitely a big milestone for our studio. After two-plus years of development we’re ready to sit back and watch OTHER people have fun with the game!”

Tales from Space: About a Blob is a side-scrolling action-platformer about alien Blobs that land on an Earth-like planet and begin eating everything around them. The game features local co-op play, puzzles, special Blob powers and a healthy dose of humour.

Rusty Axe Games is proud to announce the first playable demo of Dungeon Brawl, a free, retro arcade-style RPG. This demo features the first 5 of 9 game levels, with the other levels are expected to be released in early March. Travel back in time with the studio’s free 80′s style arcade RPG dungeon romp, a browser based ode to the great games of our youth. No download is required, you can just click and play.

Wild Games Studio, creators of Dhaila’s Adventure, has released a trailer for its upcoming game Qwon Tribe, which is expected to be launched for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad in March. This energetic game is addictive and will come loaded full of surprises for players. The ultimate goal in latest mobile title is to survive through forty levels of high resolution game play to save the tribe Qwon.

Just in time for all of the political fun going on in BC, D2D Campaign Solutions would like you to know about their online, mobile, volunteer management solution that provides election campaign managers unprecedented power in mobilizing door-to-door campaign volunteers, identifying vote-swinging issues, and growing candidate support at the grass roots level like never before.

Use D2D Campaign Solutions to unlock new voter power, make use of the latest mobile technology, and win your election. Central to differentiating the product are engaging more volunteers into the campaign and enabling real-time geographic and trend analysis allowing you to respond quickly with precision. D2D was founded by Julian Haigh and Andrei Iancu, is based in Vancouver and will soon be launching an app called Canvass2Go.

RTS game Battlegoat Studios has released a ten page PDF version of their comments and thoughts in regards to the Canadian copyright reform progress. The report looks at what the government has said, as well as what is right and what is wrong with the future of Canadian copyright initiatives.

New Vancouver studio Single Digit Labs has released Dog Booth, an iPhone app that puts dog faces on people’s bodies. Some dogs are funny, some are cute and some look mean. You can say endless things with this app.

According to the app’s description, it only takes seconds to take a picture, have the app find all the faces for you and put 3D dog heads on them. Editing an image is simple and fun, sharing it with everyone you know is extremely fast. Amaze your friends, show them what they don’t expect and make them laugh out loud.

Toronto’s DreamCatcher Games and parent company JoWooD Entertainment have officially announced the launch of ‘Painkiller – Redemption’, the newest addition to the Painkiller Universe. The player will continue the story of Daniel and Belial as they join forces for the first time to end the bloody conflict between heaven and hell. You will discover all new maps, fight off literally thousands of demonic fiends, and lose yourself in the intense gameplay rounded off with an absorbing heavy metal soundtrack.

Reinhard Pollice, Producer at JoWooD is looking forward to the release:”The newest addon brings the Painkiller franchise back to its roots. Breathtaking action, thousands of monsters and exotic weapons are a solid foundation for a Painkiller game! With Painkiller: Redemption we deliver 6 new, thrilling levels for an unbeatable price!”

The game also features a tactical component! While reaching your objectives in each level, you unlock Tarot Cards, which will soon prove to be very helpful! In additional to that, collecting souls of fallen enemies will temporarily transform you into a mighty demon!

Features:

· 7 to 10 hours of playtime
· Collect souls to transform into a demon
· Better graphics with detailed ambience
· Over 6000 enemies, more than any previous PK game!
· Equip yourself with powerful tarot cards which can be found in secret rooms
· Up to 1000 monsters per map to ensure an intense battle with the army of hell
· Two heroes – play as the characters Belial and Daniel
· Better AI – there is nowhere to hide! Enemies will get you

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.

There are lots of holiday sales from our Canadian developers to take advantage of this season, either as gifts for those who are looking for something new to play:

Frima’s 2D point-and-click adventure game for puzzle lovers, Big Brain Wolf is part of the 5 game Indie Brain Pack available on Steam until January 3rd 2011 for only $4.99 USD. This crime story takes place in a fairy tale kingdom inhabited by a vegetarian, asthmatic wolf, a bipolar Genie, a chubby Red Riding Hood, a long-nosed lawyer, and a slew of hilarious characters. To clear his mother of the murder charges brought upon her, our lupine friend will have to train his brain through 60 puzzles and riddles.

IUGO Mobile has also gotten into the spirit of the season, putting all of their great titles on sale for 99 cents USD each until early January. Now’s the time to grab these IUGO hits:

Toy Bot Diaries 1,2,3, the Toy Bot Compilation, Spy Bot Chronicles and the Toy Bot Mini Missions
Zombie Attack! and Zombie Attack! Second Wave XL
Shaky Summit
Freeballin’
Star Hogs
A.D.D.
Implode! XL
Cliffed XL
ESCAPE: Norm’s World
Daisy Mae’s Alien Buffet

Celsius Games’ new title Red Nova, which has rocketed up the iTunes game chart is still available for its special introductory price of 99 cents USD for both the iPhone and iPad versions. This price won’t last forever, so you’d best grab your spaceship now and make your file screen even more festive because Red Nova is red, which puts you 50% closer to decorating everything you own in Christmas colours.

Speaking of holiday colours, you really should pick up Kung Fu Santa by Big Bad Brush and help save Christmas. This highly colourful and simply fun to play title is also available for the low, low price of 99 cents in the App Store.

EA Mobile’s massive library of iOS titles is also on sale for just 99 cents USD per title – this means some huge discounts on some games, so whether you need some last minute gifts or just want them for yourself, now would be the time to be proactive and scoop them up before the sale ends.

Deathspank really wants to move in to his own little home on your PC’s hard drive this Christmas, can you spare him a little change? This amusingly inept super hero game from Hothead Games is currently on sale on Steam for 50% off its regular price. If you haven’t tried it out yet, you really should – and then you can continue helping the downtrodden in Deathspank: Thongs of Virtue, which is also currently on sale.

Coincidentally, Klei Entertainment’s vigilante platformer Shank is also on sale, available for the low price of $10.04 USD, so if you feel the urge to help Shank deal with his anger issues by slaughtering the underworld’s deadliest assassins, you should take advantage of this holiday sale.

Feel the need to eradicate zombies? Good news for you! Dead Rising 2 for the PC from Blue Castle Games (or Capcom Studios Vancouver, if you prefer) is also on sale at Steam for 50% off the published price. Head to Fortune City and try your luck – don’t forget your Zombrex!

If you’ve been living off-planet this year and haven’t yet gotten Bioware’s Mass Effect 2 for your PC, you’re in luck – Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 2 Digital Deluxe Edition are all on sale at Steam as well. Not to be outdone by its studio mate, Dragon Age and all of its ilk are also on sale in the Steam store.

Loud Crow Interactive is giving away promo codes for their interactive iPad books The Tale of Peter Rabbit and The Night Before Christmas. Head on over to their Facebook page for details on how to grab a code while they’re still available.

If you’re looking for other great holiday treats to share with youngsters, may I suggest Dora’s Christmas Carol from Budge Studios. It’s not on sale, but you can get it for your iPhone for $2.99 USD or your iPad for $4.99 USD. Guaranteed to be a hit with any Dora fans living in your house.

I could probably spend all day looking for Canadian-made games on sale, but I do have to go to work. I also apparently have to go Christmas shopping, because my daughter is horrified that I haven’t done so yet. A few other great deals currently lurking around on Steam are all of the Company of Heroes and Dawn of War II titles from THQ and Relic Entertainment, plus there’s 150+ indie titles also on sale. If you see a Canadian title on sale somewhere, send me a message on Twitter, and if I have time I will try to get another posting of sale prices and links done before Christmas.

Toronto game publisher Wicked Interactive has launched AI Mode, the newest and most challenging level that brings robots and other surprises to the free-to-play shooter Mission Against Terror.

“This is our holiday gift to the massive and awesome M.A.T. community,” said Sam Ho, Director, Wicked Interactive. “They have been so supportive since the early days of Closed Beta, we felt this update is the least we could do.”

What’s New in AI Mode:

· 8 players vs. slew of AI-controlled robots in a war for survival
· 2 new stages (of four) available now
· 4 new difficulty settings
· 4 new scenarios
· Weapon Reward System for completing stages at current difficulty levels
· Weapon Casting Machine, allowing gamers to create weapons from the parts of destroyed robots
· The chance to do battle with the Robot Captain

The National Post has launched its free National Post Reader App, available now on the App Store for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Simple and sophisticated, the National Post Reader App provides a customizable news feed that brings users straight to the day’s breaking news as well as the latest opinion pieces from Canada’s favourite writers and commentators. As with all National Post products, the app features coverage from across the country and around the world, delivered with a distinctly Canadian voice.

“Our readers like to stay up to date on important news, analysis and commentary wherever they are,” said National Post Publisher Douglas Kelly. “The National Post Reader App delivers this to them in a very personal and convenient way on iPad, iPhone or iPod touch.”

Features of the National Post Reader App include:

* Delivery of Top Story content as soon as news breaks
* Quick and easy navigation tools
* The ability to save stories to read later, including when offline
* Social media sharing via Facebook, Twitter, Instapaper, email, and more

Pinewood Toronto Studios, Canada’s largest purpose-built film and TV studio complex, will use a $34.5-million financing arrangement to secure the studio’s long-term growth and enhance the City of Toronto’s ability to attract big-budget films and TV projects, as well as help strengthen Toronto’s role as one of the world’s great production centres.

This investment in vital, long-term Ontario film and television infrastructure will support Pinewood Toronto Studios, Ontario’s premier studio complex, in attracting large-scale production work that would not otherwise be drawn to Toronto.

Pinewood Toronto Studios Chairman Paul Bronfman says, “Toronto is one of a handful of truly exceptional production capitals. This repayable loan will benefit every Ontarian, as well as the film and TV industry throughout the city and province. The ripple effect to the broader Ontario economy will be enormous.”

The financing will permit improvements to Pinewood Toronto Studios facilities, strengthening and propelling its ability to attract bigger and more specialized film and television projects. Among the films and TV series shot at Pinewood Toronto Studios over the last two years are: Battle of the Blades, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, The Thing, Devil, Dream House and Chloe. The loan, provided by Infrastructure Ontario and facilitated by Build Toronto, was secured by the Pinewood Toronto Studios Board of Directors and received unanimous approval earlier this month.

GPCv2 Entries:

Snowball Jones and the Last Crusade by Rocket5Studios
Ice Skating Vampires by Kyle Rodgers
Lifetrek by Jason P. Kaplan
Immo and Thic! by Kyle Dwyer
Snowboggan by Chris Kaitila
Phoenix Rising by Regan Chan
Shatterfist by Jon Remedios
Made of Mirrors by Damian Sommer
Main by Vytenis Krukonis
Titan Miners by Dale Wick

I found out today about another Canadian-made free-to-play MMO game titled Greenwood Faire, which is currently in a publicly-playable alpha release stage. The game is being developed by Toronto-based Gnometech Inc.

According to the game’s site, Greenwood Faire is a massive multiplayer social game experience set in and around the small town of Greenwood. Chat with your friends or make new ones. Listen to music in the tavern and play a board game. Play an instrument yourself, or get a medieval band together and put on a show. Learn to create fireworks and wait until nightfall to set them off. All of this and more is possible within the 3D environment of Greenwood Faire. If you would like to read more about the game’s development, check out the feature on Torque Powered.

Ubisoft has released a patch for Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood that solves both the Animus Bug as well as restoring Trophy functionality for PlayStation players. While we do not yet have a final ETA for this patch, we can assure you that it will be coming very soon… all you have to do is apply the patch once it is released (your console should automatically prompt you to do so).

Fixes (MP)

* Sometimes players may remain stuck during matchmaking (game never starts)
* In extremely rare occasions, a crash may occur if another player of the same session quits while another player is loading the map at the exact same time
* When joining a session In Manhunt, in the chased team, you may have a sound present during the entire session

Fixes (Singleplayer)

* The player may remain stuck in the present optional (2012), in a spawning loop in Monterigioni, while interacting with the Animus (Animus Bug)
* Using fast travel towards Northern Campagna may result in Ezio getting continuously desynchronized
* Sometimes a bug can occur that prevents the player from unlocking any additional Trophies (Trophy Bug)
* On rare occasion, if the player changes their outfit at the completion of a mission, they will respawn in the same world, being stuck, without any possibility of returning to Rome

A sneak preview for Moderation Town episode three is now out and about; let’s see how our favourite moderators and dealing with real life and the internet

In celebration of Black History Month and presented by TD, the Canadian Film Centre and Clement Virgo are pleased to host a special evening at the Cineplex Odeon Varsity Theatre 8 in conversation with acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee to discuss the role of music in his films. A notable writer, director, producer, actor and author who revolutionized both the landscape of independent cinema and the role of black talent in film, Spike Lee is widely regarded as a premiere filmmaker and a forerunner in the ‘do it yourself’ school of filmmaking. His films are often provocative socio-political critiques that challenge cultural assumptions, not only about race, but class and gender identity as well while incorporating a distinctive and powerful use of music. The evening (Tuesday, January 25th 2011,7 – 8:30 p.m.) will combine conversation and film clips to examine the use of music in Lee’s films – from his musical collaborations with his father, Bill Lee, a jazz bassist, to Prince, Stevie Wonder and composer Terence Blanchard. Tickets are $20.00 (all proceeds will go towards the CFC Diversity Scholarship). Tickets can be purchased at www.totix.ca or at the venue on the night of the event.

Some lucky Canadians will be revelling in a sparkling new smart phone this holiday season, and others will amuse themselves by downloading games and other online applications. But while mobile technologies can be useful and fun, it’s important to recognize their impact on your personal information, Canada’s Privacy Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, says.

“A fully-loaded smart phone is like carrying around a tiny little communications satellite, bristling with sensors and antennas,” the Commissioner explains. “It’s constantly sending and receiving data about your activities and your whereabouts. But where is the data going? What is it saying about you? And what is the effect on your privacy?”

In the third quarter of 2010 alone, more than 400 million mobile phones were purchased worldwide, and smart phones accounted for about one-fifth of that market. But, relative to regular cellphones, smart phones are exploding in popularity. While sales of all mobile phones increased by a third from the year before, smart phone sales actually doubled. In fact, industry observers predict that smart phones will comprise the largest share of the mobile phone market by the end of next year.

As these devices gain in popularity and sophistication, more and more applications (or apps) are being developed to run on them. These range from quirky quizzes to handy mapping and navigational programs, diet-tracking tools and social networking sites.

Increasingly, apps are also capitalizing on the capacity of smart phones to reveal their owner’s location. One widely used app, for instance, automatically transmits coupons and other bonuses to the user’s mobile device every time the user patronizes certain establishments.

But just as apps vary in type and quality, so do their privacy policies and practices. From a technical standpoint, there’s little to stop developers from programming apps in a way that enables them to collect, use or share the personal information of users – and often that of their contacts or networks.

Users may never even know this is happening, and might not approve of the practice if they did. Indeed, the inappropriate collection, use or disclosure of personal information could expose people to surreptitious surveillance, or unwanted targeting by unscrupulous marketers or swindlers.

“Smart phones can do a lot of great things for you,” says Commissioner Stoddart. “But when it comes to protecting your personal information, it’s up to you to make the first call.”

Here are some tips for smarter smart phone use this holiday season:

Do your due diligence – Before you download a dazzling new app, check it out. Does it tell you what personal information it collects, and how it will use it? If not, do your own research. Many online forums discuss apps and provide authoritative reviews about important matters, including privacy.

Think it through – Downloading an app may be a snap, but take your time and do a cost-benefit analysis first. Your personal information has real value, which is why app developers, marketers and many others want to get their hands on it. But don’t give it away. Trade it for something worthwhile, including a solid assurance that it will be treated with care.

Keep it safe – If you lose your smart phone, a lot of your personal information can fall into the wrong hands. Make sure you always use a strong password to protect your data. If you give, trade or throw away your smart phone, be sure you first follow the manufacturer’s directions for thoroughly deleting all the data that was on it.

For those who just haven’t spent enough money this holiday season, Amazon.ca has announced that beginning December 25th and running through January 2nd, customers can take advantage of amazing Boxing Week promotions on everything from electronics and books to home and garden products and men’s watches. Beginning on Christmas Day, customers can explore The Deals Store to find the full list of Boxing Week special promotions. Customers are encouraged to shop early as these offers are only available while supplies last.

“Christmas week is a time that people want to be with family and friends, but still be able to take advantage of post-holiday deals and promotions,” said John Nemeth, director of Amazon.ca. “With incredible savings, thousands of products and free shipping on eligible products, customers can enjoy the best of both worlds by shopping on Amazon.ca from the comfort of their home.”

Customers will find great discounts on a variety of well-known and trusted brands, including Panasonic, Canon, KitchenAid and Garmin. In addition, Amazon.ca offers customers FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders of eligible products of $25 and over.

Please note that product prices and availability of products and deals are subject to change. Prices and availability were accurate at the time this release was sent. However, they may differ from those you see when you visit Amazon.ca.

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.

Spy Alliance incorporates eight mini-games that feature “platform-style” action such as running, jumping and shooting. One of the first ways players can earn “Intel” – the key metric of Spy Alliance – is by playing the mini-games. As they progressively acquire more “Intel” points, players can build and customize their own spy agencies or infiltrate other agencies. The mini-games include classic arcade and paintball games, a parkour-style slider game, and “camera-click” shooter-style games.

In a novel twist, the game also allows players to interact with the characters and world of “Connor Undercover” a tween TV series, which features Max Morrow as spy buff ‘Connor Heath’. “Connor Undercover” is currently airing on The Family Channel (Canada), ABC3 (Australia), Boomerang (Latin America and U.S.) and Nickelodeon (Germany). It is distributed worldwide by Shaftesbury Kids.

Asynchronous game play allows multiplayer gaming to fit the schedule of regular kids with busy lives. As long a player can find 15 minutes per day to check the game, they can play with a very large group of friends. Many of the popular social games found on platforms such as Facebook are asynchronous games.

Spy Alliance was produced by Karen Lee Hall with interactive design by Scott Nihill, Karen Lee Hall and Daniel Loach; and game design by Daniel Loach, Josh Yaw, Danny Zabbal. Lead artist on the game was Danny Zabbal.

Funding for Spy Alliance came from the Ontario Media Development Corporation, Canadian Media Fund and Family Channel. Development funding was also provided by Bell New Media Fund and Heroic Film Company, producer of the companion series “Connor Undercover”

In Above and Below, the player controls a tiny person who can jump up to the harrowing heights and fall down into the deadly depths of the game world, collecting valuable treasures, avoiding mindless minions, and defeating terrible guardians. A casual platformer, the full experience can be had in under thirty minutes and is available completely free from the developer’s website.

The game’s features include:

Ascension and Descent

* End the game in the highest heights or the deepest depths of the game world.
* The world below is a different challenge from the one above.
* Experience dynamically changing visual and audio elements depending on the chosen path.

Simple Platforming Pleasures

* Fluid jumping and movement controls.
* A variety of enemies and obstacles that will challenge the player’s reflexes and timing.

Battle Persistent Adversaries

* Not all challenges are environmental. Creatures will try to thwart the player’s progress.

Try Again

* Players may choose the expanded win conditions with a time attack or high score challenge.

Above and Below is the result of eight weeks of intensive full-time work. It is delivered via the Unity 3D game engine to browsers, and represents the first in a series of free-to-play efforts from Jack’s Dark Acre.

Another Vancouver indie dev house, Big Sandwich Games, has confirmed that a major update for their critically-acclaimed downloadable dragon game HOARD™ is now live on the PlayStation®Network in North America. The v1.01 update includes new content as well as improvements to several key areas of the game.

“This update is the first step in the long-term support plan for HOARD™,” says Big Sandwich Games’ Design Director Tyler Sigman. “We’re excited that the game has been very well-received by critics and fans, but there are a few items that have been consistently flagged as in need of a bit more polish. We’ve listened to this feedback and the result is an even better game! If you haven’t checked HOARD™ out yet, now is the perfect time to do so.”

The update includes a brand new “HOARD mode” level called “Deathspin”, which allows players to try their survival skills on a spiral map filled with wizard towers and knights.

Major improvements include increasing the text size for on-screen dialogues in HD, enabling friend list leaderboard sorting, and the addition of a new persistent multiplayer lobby which allows gamers to stay grouped up after finishing a game. “The lobby improvements make keeping a good multiplayer group together five million times easier,” quips Sigman.

Other update items include the addition of a restart option within single player levels (for aid in your score-attack attempts) and the appearance of purple princesses, which appear instead of pink any time a maiden is worth 3,000 or more gold. This dress color helps a treasure-hungry dragon tell at a glance which princesses are worth prioritizing.

An innovative innovative strategy arcade game where up to four players compete as dragons, burning medieval villages, kidnapping princesses, roasting thieves, and otherwise trying to collect as much gold as possible, HOARD™ is currently available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system in North America. Upcoming releases in Europe, on the PSP® system, and on Steam will include all update items in their initial release. Local and online multiplayer play are supported for the PlayStation®3 system version, as are leaderboards and other PlayStation®Network community features.

HOARD™ is Big Sandwich Games’ innovative strategy arcade game where up to four players compete as dragons, burning medieval villages, kidnapping princesses, roasting thieves, and otherwise trying to collect as much gold as possible for their hoards. Local and online multiplayer play are supported for the PlayStation®3 system version, as are leaderboards and other PlayStation®Network community features. According to their site, Big Sandwich Games currently has two career positions open.

Big Bad Brush Inc. is pleased to announce that in collaboration with Appvent 2010, their mobile title Big Bad Flower is available for free today, December 7th. Big Bad Flower is rated Rated 9+ for Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence.

Big Bad Flower Game Features:

*Unique Game Play
- draw circles around enemies to trap them in bubbles
- swipe flower’s face or petals to create petal spinning action to blow bubbled enemies away
- poke to trap weapons and specialized evolved enemies

*Wacky Creatures
- 15 intense chapters with lots of new creatures to battle
- 3 Different levels from the minuscule backyard to the grand scale of space itself
- 3 Bonus levels of sheer Mayhem madness

*Addictive
- Watch your flower grow and progress through each level of earthly chapters
- beautiful and colorful characters, backgrounds and illustrations

Montreal’s Savant Inc., developer and publisher of iPhone games and entertainment applications, has announced the worldwide release of “The Balls!”, their debut title for iPhone and iPod touch for the introductory price of $0.99 USD.

Hardcore sports Coach Timmins wants you to juggle as many sports balls as possible to prove your worth. Bounce different balls (soccer, basketball, bowling, and more!) a number of times until they burst! Be careful not to let them drop, or Coach Timmins will give you a verbal whipping!

The balls are physics enabled and can bounce against each other for a bigger challenge. Tap the balls to bounce them up, or flick them in a direction for more precise control. Bounce them as late as possible for a higher score and crits! And watch out, sometimes the coach will lob a grenade at you to make sure you are paying attention!

Game Features:

* Simple to pick up and play
* 2 game modes: Classic and Balls mode (no time limit, score as high as you can)
* 5 different types of balls (and more to come in future updates)
* Juggle different types of sports balls to get the highest score
* Flick them up for more control
* Open Feint Leaderboards (compete with your friends)
* Open Feint Achievements
* Game Center enabled with Achievements and Leaderboards – Seamless integration with Open Feint

The Balls is rated Rated 9+ for Infrequent/Mild Profanity or Crude Humour

In Space Ace you play the heroic Ace who must stop the evil Commander Borf from taking over the Earth! Borf plans to reduce all of humankind to infants and take over the planet. Only two people have the courage and strength to stop Borf and save Earth: the beautiful Kimberly and the heroic Ace. But as they approach Borf’s stronghold, Ace is hit by the Infanto Ray, changing him into a child, and Kimberly is kidnapped by the evil madman! The fate of Earth is in your hands!

Source Studio has released a demo for their space shooter game, ProtoGalaxy, on Steam for the PC ($9.99 USD). ProtoGalaxy is a multi-genre, independent game that features arcade action, smart puzzles and space exploration with a built-in level editor.

Up to four players can team up, configure their ship and upgrade their weapons in order to defend earth from powerful alien invaders. Throughout the game, players brave fierce battles, solve challenging puzzles, and explore the far reaches of the galaxy in order to end the attacks and rebuild a home for the survivors.

“ProtoGalaxy is an action game, but it has growing appeal with arcade and shooter fans,” said Alex Brown, CEO and founder of Source Studio. “The game includes a built-in editor which allows players to easily create entirely new levels. Players can share their creations online and download other people’s levels for endless game play,” Brown added.

ProtoGalaxy Game Features:

· Level editor to create new galaxies
· Single and multi-player mode (up to 4 players)
· Array of weapon choice
· Ship customization with large selection of parts
· Use physics to solve problems
· Save progress online and play from anywhere

From somewhere in Canada, Going Loud Studios is proud to announce that its debut action side-scroller game “Zombie Accountant” is now available on the Xbox Live Indie Games marketplace. Download it today for just 80 Microsoft Points. also available on WP7.

In 2010, a terrifying zombie outbreak threatens to consume humanity and you fall victim to the undead curse, doomed to hunger for human flesh. In a startling turn of events, the army actually manages to contain and eliminate the threat. Life quickly returns to normal.

Except you’re still a zombie. And it’s tax season. Complete tax returns as fast as possible without eating your coworkers! With any luck, you can still make it to zombie partner.

Zombie Accountant Features:

* Run to the right! With increasing speed!
* Dodge your coworkers and collect tax returns to increase your multiplier and achieve a high score
* Rise through 8 ranks on your way to becoming zombie Partner
* Wonder if a zombie working for a corporation is symbolic

Celsius Game Studios has released a new trailer for its upcoming epic inertial space shooter Red Nova, which I first told you about last week. Episode 1, First Contact, opens with the player taking on a routine mission to test a number prototype fighters destined to replace the Earth Colonial Fleet’s aging Starhawk. While on this mission, your carrier, the ECF Red Nova, 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.

Take a peek at the video – this game is scheduled for release on iOS this month:

Style Studio, a fashion design app from XMG Studio now has a Lite version of the only App that lets you create, customize, and share your own fashions. Tops, jackets, dresses, skirts and pants with an endless array of material and accessories. Now with both male & female models and fashions. Personalize designs with your own graphics and even use photos right from your device. The full version of Style Studio is also available on iTunes for $2.99 USD.

Style Studio: Fashion Designer has been featured by Apple as “New & Noteworthy” and a week later made the “What’s Hot!” Also featured as part of Apple’s “Fashion — Apps for the Clothes Minded” feature alongside Top Designer’s such as Chanel, D&G, Gucci, Dior, Fendi and Hugo Boss.

Have you dreamed of designing your own fashions and seeing them on a magazine cover? With Style Studio you can create your own line of custom designs from casual chic to haute couture. Dress one of the models with your designs, add some props, and lay out your very own magazine cover. Show off your talent by sending your fashions and layouts to friends on Facebook, Twitter or email.

This App Features:

* Lots of clothing items to choose from including dresses, tops, skirts and pants
* Personalize your fashions with a huge variety of materials and prints which can be customized
* Add buttons, belts, bows, pockets and more.
* Import photos and images to make one-of-a-kind designs!
* Try your design on the male and female models or dress up a photo of your friends
* Lay out your own magazine ads and covers using fashions and dressed up models
* Promote your very own fashion label by sharing your designs on Facebook, Twitter, and Email

Also related to fashion, Toronto’s ModiFace has announced the availability of “MakeUp Live” — a new iPhone application that is the world’s first Augmented Reality (AR) virtual makeover tool. MakeUp Live ($0.99 USD) creates a true virtual makeup mirror by using the iPhone camera to apply cosmetics in real time directly onto the user’s own face. The application also gives step by step instructions on how to achieve one of eight trendy beauty looks, including smoky eyes, down to the brush type and shade brand and name.

“MakeUp Live is the next best thing to having your own personal makeup artist in the room with you,” said Nikkie Gatto, mobile project manager and resident beauty expert at ModiFace. “Many magazines offer ‘how to’ guides from beauty experts around the globe, and many virtual makeover tools allow women to see different products on their own photo. However, MakeUp Live takes the beauty guide and makeover tools to an entirely different level by enabling women to work alongside the tool to get it exactly right.”

“Our goal is to consistently push the boundary of what is possible when you apply state-of-the-art computer vision technology to beauty and fashion applications. MakeUp live is a perfect example of advanced technology applied to make a virtual mirror possible right on your iPhone,” said Dr. Parham Aarabi, president and founder of ModiFace.

MakeUp Live is based on ModiFace’s patent pending facial recognition technology that powers the number one virtual makeup application on the iPhone, “MakeUp.” Originally launched in November of 2009, MakeUp is a free beauty tool that allows users to virtually try on different types of makeup, including mascara, foundation, blush and eye shadow, in hundreds of shades from leading brand names like Revlon, Cover Girl, Lancôme and Clinique. On the newest version of MakeUp, users can now use their own Facebook, iPhone album, or iPhone camera photo to test out the most popular cosmetic looks on themselves.

The Citytv video iPad app which launched earlier this fall, has released another Citytv daytime favourite LIVE on the free iPad application. As of this morning, fans of CityLine hosted by Tracy Moore, can watch CityLine LIVE on their iPad between 9am-10am ET Monday thru Friday. This new addition on the iPad is yet another first, making CityLine the only Canadian daytime talk show available LIVE on iPad. Full episodes of new and past CityLine programs will also be available on the iPad, in addition to Citytv.com. The Citytv app also includes a number of convenient features, such as a TV schedule and a notification service that allows users to be reminded when their favourite shows are available on the app and on TV. Other features include the ability to share video links on Facebook, Twitter and via email. The app also saves your viewing history and favourites.

“Giving fans of CityLine the ability to watch Tracy and her team of experts every day, LIVE while commuting or at the gym is just another way Rogers is engaging audiences on multiple screens,” says Claude Galipeau, SVP & GM, Digital Media, Rogers Media Inc. “Fans no longer have to miss their favourite morning show once they leave the house — they can take CityLine with them.”

CityLine is the longest running and most successful daytime show for women in Canadian history. Host Tracy Moore brings her energy and enthusiasm along with her charismatic personality and flare for style – making her a perfect fit for Canada’s top source for the latest in home decor, food, fashion, health and beauty. CityLine engages, entertains and informs viewers across Canada with its unique live format and daily themed approach. As familiar and trusted guest experts visit the set, viewers are treated to professional tips covering such topics as décor, entertaining, fashion, beauty, home and gardening.

Decimation X3 has been selected as part of the Indie Games Winter Uprising, a week-long celebration of the best that Xbox LIVE Indie Games have to offer. Orchestrated by a group of fellow developers longing to promote the higher-quality games that can be found on the platform, the Indie Winter Games Uprising takes place the first week of December and features 12 top-tier games that they hope will elevate the impression of the Indie Games channel.

Decimation X3 is the thrilling sequel to one of the most popular 2D-retro shooters on Xbox LIVE Indie Games, Decimation X, which is one of the top-rated Indie Games in Japan (currently #2 out of approximately 1,500). Get ready for intense, never-ending waves of enemies and a continual rain of power-ups to significantly improve your offensive and defensive capabilities. Featuring decidedly retro pixel art graphics, an overload of explosion particle effects, 60 frames per second and a hypnotic trance beat soundtrack from Imphenzia, Decimation X3 is everything an arcade junkie could wish for and will put your reflexes to the ultimate test.

The spiritual prequel to Duality ZF and built upon the same engine that was a semi-finalist for technical excellence in the 3rd Independent Game Developer’s Competition, Score Rush is an intense 2D, four-player, dual-stick, bullet-hell, score-running shooter. It features unlockable difficulty modes, several mid-bosses and bosses, and tons of smaller enemies. It is visually intense with a hard rocking soundtrack created by Dragon Music Productions. Collect both types of power-ups – those that upgrade the main weapon and those that add deadly appendages to your ship – to rack up insane scores. The bigger the enemies are and the faster you kill them, the more points you get.

Just in time for the holiday season, Toronto developer Big Bad Brush Inc. has announced the launch of their much anticipated second game, Kung Fu Santa, which is available now for the iPhone, iPod and iPad.

Kung Fu Santa is a unique concept with a fun factor of 100! This arcade style game features game center and retina display capabilities. Playing as the kung fu master himself, the user will have to jump between moving candy cane poles and save all the presents, while avoiding dangers such as poison goo, bombs, and evil elves!

The evil elves have stolen all of Kung Fu Santa’s presents and plans to sell them all for money. Greedy little things aren’t they? But alas, Kung Fu Santa is here with his superior Kung Fu moves!

Game Features:

* Game Center: Master the boards
* Retina Display: High Resolution Sharpness so you can see Santa’s skills
* In-Game highscores
* Collect presents and gold
* Beautiful and colorful illustrations
* Tap on candy cane poles or swipe left and right to move
* Collect presents and fill up Christmas bag!
* Avoid dangers and stop Evil Elves!

EA Mobile™, Harmonix Music Systems Inc. and MTV Games have announced that Rock Band™ Reloaded is now available on the App Store. The iPad™-exclusive HD version and the version for iPhone® and iPod touch® offers players an initial powerhouse set list of songs from artists including Nirvana, Billy Idol, No Doubt, Nine Inch Nails and Vampire Weekend. More than 20 songs will be available today with new tracks launching throughout the holidays. Plus, for the first time, Rock Band Reloaded players now have a “5th Way to Play” by singing directly into their iPhone, iPod touch and iPad utilizing new vocal recognition features.

Rock Band Reloaded is the experience fans have been waiting for, innovating on the popular franchise and bringing the entire band onto the iPad and iPhone for the first time,” said Travis Boatman, Vice President of Worldwide Studios for EA Mobile. “These games bring a deep Rock Band experience to mobile players in very cool and creative new ways. Innovative vocal recognition features, social integration connecting players to their friends and challenging gameplay modes will drive forward the mobile music genre and provide the best music experience to players.”

New vocal recognition features introduce players to a unique way to play by singing directly into their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad to earn points. Players can showcase their inner rock star by picking from a setlist of songs that include “Hella Good” by No Doubt, “Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down, “Your Decision” by Alice in Chains, “White Wedding” by Billy Idol, “In Bloom” by Nirvana, “A-Punk” by Vampire Weekend and many more. In addition to the songs included with the initial purchase, free (internet connection required. Data rates may apply) tracks are available in the Music Store along with Premium Packs by The All American Rejects, Third Eye Blind, Blink-182 and other top-selling artists available through In App Purchase.

For the first time on iPad, Rock Band Reloaded packs delivers device-exclusive features including a Multiplayer mode where players can challenge friends live in a head-to-head split-screen environment. Flexible controls provide for ultimate customization of all play styles. The iPad game’s new “Big Drums” layout increases the interactivity of this fan-favorite instrument. Songs are now more accessible to players with custom playlists in Quick Play and quick replay using an “Encore” feature.

Other game features include a new Expert mode for experienced players along with a World Tour mode that enables players to rock six cities and 36 events earning up to 50 awards and achievements all while living the Rock N’ Roll dream. By logging into Facebook, players have access to the News Center where they can find out when new songs launch, follow friends’ exploits and directly challenge their friends’ accomplishments with a simple touch of the screen. And for those just looking to jam, get “the band” together via local WiFi and Bluetooth and play live on guitar, bass, drums, or vocals with up to three bandmates using their own iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. (Vocals/voice feature not available on the 1st generation iPod touch. Microphone required to play vocals/voice on the 2nd and 3rd generation iPod touch. Headset required to play vocals/voice on 1st generation iPhone)

PadWorx Digital Media, Inc. is pleased to announce that you can now come face to face with a revolutionary new vision of Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future in the most immersive edition ever of Charles Dickens’ timeless classic A Christmas Carol, available now in the iPad App Store for $4.99 USD – a portion of which will be donated to charity.

“We’ve taken Charles Dickens’ most famous story and infused it with unique steampunk illustrations and animations,” said Jeffery Alan Schechter, CEO of PadWorx Digital Media, Inc. “As a visual style, steampunk conjures up images more usually associated with H.G. Wells and Jules Verne. By bringing this incredible style to ‘A Christmas Carol for iPad’ we’re giving readers and families a brand new way to experience the joy and wonder of this inspiring classic.”

Through 130 pages of lovingly abridged text, readers will help power the story forward. Whether turning the key in Scrooge’s door and watching as the door knocker changes into the deceased Jacob Marley, powering up and manipulating an assortment of wonderful steam powered devices, or just marveling at each chapter’s ‘mechanical‘ page-turning contraptions, A Christmas Carol for iPad’s animations, illustrations, original score, and sound effects will draw you into the story’s unforgettable lessons of darkness, despair, joy and life. As with PadWorx’s debut title Dracula: The Official Stoker Family Edition, A Christmas Carol for iPad includes hidden Easter eggs of bonus content: the complete 1910 silent movie version of A Christmas Carol by Thomas Edison Studios as well as the full 1938 Orson Welles radio adaptation of the holiday tale – and is fully endorsed by the Dickens family.

Seek Your Own Proof: The Guardian’s Guild ($9.95USD) draws players into a chase through time and history against enemy agents plotting to rewrite the past, present and future. Players are led by field agents – Aidan (Agent Slingshot), Milanie (Agent Firefly), and Heiko (Agent Hardcover) Munro – three investigative siblings who discovered the secret underground agency.

They must locate the eospheres – energy orbs that power time travel – that have been entrusted to famous figures in history, before they fall into the hands of the evil Frostbite. Along the way, the Munro kids encounter a series of historical figures known as the Eosphere Guardians and find out more about their father Dr. Sebastian Munro, a famous scientist and co-founder of the C.I.E., who went missing years ago without a trace.

In the spirit of learning based adventure games like Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, Seek Your Own Proof: The Guardian’s Guild combines a cast of heroes and villains, historic settings like Renaissance Italy, Colonial America and Ancient Greece, and is seeded with over 50 brain teasing puzzles that players discover as they progress through the adventure. Players can also sign up for a free agent membership that provides access to bonus puzzles, missions and other extras.

VBlank Entertainment has announced the first of many Retro City Rampage fan art contests, and it’s open now for entries. Round One requires that entrants draw the Player carjacking a flaming DLX-88 sports car with a light gun. The developers are allowing the creation of said fan art to be done in any medium, including Digital Art, Pixel Art, Paintings, Claymation, Lego, Cake, Hamburgers, Tacos and Ground Beef.

All entries will be posted in the game’s brand new Fan Art Gallery, and the winner will receive a signed Retro City Rampage NES cartridge case. All entries must be submitted by December 6th, with the winner being announced on December 13th.

Also new on the Retro City Rampage site is the ability to download the RCR Soundtrack Mixtape, which is available as an mp3 and music video. You can also read about the three music artists responsible for the soundtrack – Freaky DNA, Virt and Norrin Rad. The developers have also let slip that there are clips of some debut game footage in the music video which reveal some upcoming additions to Retro City Rampage. The game is also has some hands-on details featured in this month’s Nintendo Power, GameFan and Edge magazines.

Spooky Squid Games has released an early game-play trailer on YoutTube for They Bleed Pixels, which according to the studio (and their design doc), is a fast paced, gothic, low-fi pixel art, platforming beat’em up. A collaboration project with musician Shaun Hatton (aka DJ Finish Him), the trailer was first viewed at the recent GamerCamp event in Toronto.

They Bleed Pixels is being developed for Xbox Live Indie Games, and according to Spooky Squid designer Miguel Sternberg, the game was “inspired by by games like Niddhogg. I wanted to experiment with a more abstract, simple style that would let me really focus on smooth and stylish animation. They Bleed Pixels is about game feel. The kinetic joy of moving and interacting with the game and creating beat’em up combat that isn’t button mashy or button heavy. We also wanted it to be a game that was radically different from our others so we could switch back and forth and keep our brains active.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Whether shoppers want to add a cool new look to their gaming setup or expand their supply of controllers with an exciting game, Nintendo offers a great value for the holidays,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “For anyone who is still on the fence about whether to join the world of video games, we’re offering many fun, easy, economical ways to get involved.”

Red Wii Bundle: This limited-edition Wii hardware comes in beautiful red to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros. game. The bundle includes New Super Mario Bros.™ Wii and a new red Wii Remote Plus controller, in addition to all the other included items, like Wii Sports™ and a red Nunchuk™ controller. It will be available while supplies last at a suggested retail price of just $209.99.

Red Nintendo DSi XL Bundle: This special-edition Nintendo DSi XL bundle is also red in honour of the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. and features three iconic Super Mario Bros.-themed graphics. The bundle comes with Mario Kart™ DS, which looks gorgeous on the extra-large screen. That’s in addition to the pre-loaded software of Brain Age™ Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math and Photo Clock. It will be available while supplies last at a suggested retail price of just $179.99.

Wii Remote Plus: This new controller combines the original, iconic Wii Remote™ controller with built-in Wii MotionPlus functionality. The compact Wii Remote Plus controller offers players precision motion controls all in one unit. It becomes the new standard Wii controller, and will be available from now on in all Wii hardware packages and bundles, as well as sold separately at a suggested retail price of $44.99.

FlingSmash™ Bundle: The new Wii game combines the hands-on fun of tennis with the nonstop action and instant gratification of pinball. It requires use of the Wii MotionPlus accessory, so it seemed natural to bundle it with the new Wii Remote Plus controller. For a suggested retail price of $49.95, shoppers get to enjoy both the game and the controller in one package.

Published by Majesco Entertainment, Flip’s Twisted World features an original score from video game legend, Tommy Tallarico and the voice talent of Anthony Stewart Head. Navigating Flip’s Twisted World is done with a simple flick of the wrist using the Wii Remote™. Players can rotate the environment 90 degrees in any direction, opening new paths and possibilities; an obstructing wall can turn into a path and a pit can turn into a corridor.

In their journey, players travel through six bizarre, puzzle worlds: a celestial backwater, a fractured castle, a dense jungle full of booby-trapped temples, a frozen arctic wasteland, a network of subterranean lava caves and an intricate clock tower in the sky. Along the way, Flip will encounter both friendly and menacing creatures as he collects magical items and powerful weapons like the Ice Spray, Zapper or Water Cannon. Players can also unlock goodies and alternate costumes and learn more about the secrets of the magic universe’s past by finding pieces of The Master’s lost journal.

Flip’s Twisted World for Wii is rated E and is now available for the suggested retail price of $29.99.

Developers looking to release a game through the Pub Fund initiative must be prepared to build it to completion and commit to a period of console platform exclusivity. In return, approved developers receive a development-budget-matching royalty guarantee from SCEA. A number of popular PlayStation®Network games, including Burn Zombie Burn by DoubleSix and Joe Danger by Hello Games, have already been released through the program.

DrinkBox CEO Ryan MacLean had this to say about the initiative: “Pub Fund has been a good fit for us. The royalty guarantee and other Pub Fund terms have allowed us to confidently focus on finishing our game while retaining ownership and artistic control over the project. Working with SCEA has been a great experience in general: The advice they have given us over the course of development has helped us build a better game. We’re excited to be working with them on this project!”

Moncton software developer DOVICO Software has announced DOVICO Planning & Timesheet, a new software product from the makers of the industry leading DOVICO Timesheet. Building upon DOVICO’s Time Tracking foundation and user experiences, this new product answers the need for customers who want quick answers to simple questions such as: ‘Who is available and who is not?’, ‘How long will this project REALLY take to complete?’, ‘How much will this project cost us?’.

“Our goal for DOVICO Planning & Timesheet was a simple and easy project planning tool that satisfies a manager’s need to have a good insight into employees’ current and future availability – while keeping our core time tracking features in place.” said Bob Gorham, Product Manager at DOVICO. “Equally important is the ability to uncover what is keeping everyone occupied and , more significantly, a method to try ‘what if scenarios’ when planning a project and seeing the impact of these before moving ahead.”

DOVICO Planning & Timesheet: It’s easy to try and the first 30 days are free.

Immediate Benefits

* Determine whether you should take on a project or not.
* Ensure that your proposed project plan is accurate and profitable.
* Know which of your employees are being under/over utilized.
* Easy transition from a spreadsheet template such as MS Excel, simply copy and paste!
* Affirm that your best talent is working on your mission critical projects.
* Save time and costs in the planning process with our innovative tool that unites project planning and resource utilization.
* Reduce project overruns with our project forecasting tools so you can fix any issues proactively.
* Shorten billing cycles and get paid sooner.
* Deliver projects on time and on budget.
* Easily shift project priorities with our resource reassignment tools.
* High employee adoption with our intuitive time tracking solution.

I just received information from DFAIT that due to its relationship with San Diego’s high tech industry organization CommNexus, Canadian companies are welcome to apply to participate at MarketLink, which takes place in San Diego this November 17th & 18th. The deadline for interested companies to apply is October 22nd 2010. In conjunction with this invitation to participate, Verizon Wireless is looking for companies who specialize in these areas:

Privacy/identity management
Collaboration tools
Personal health & wellness monitoring
Consumer Cloud-based services (content sharing, gaming, etc.)
Mobile security
Mobile Services and Applications marketing tools
Mobile Application Development enablers (API management, porting, voice APIs, context awareness, mash-ups, etc)
Customer Analytics
In-car mobile experience
Hardware innovation
Voice innovation

Mario is all but synonymous with Nintendo. It’s difficult to think of one without thinking of the other. Super Mario Bros. contains a magical blend of characters, graphics, challenges, music and action that still captivates players today. The original game sold 40.24 million units worldwide, and remains one of the best-known, best-loved video games in the world. It popularized the side-scrolling format and established elements of the Mushroom Kingdom that are still used in today’s Mario games. Super Mario Bros. frequently appears on lists of the best games of all time.

“Stimulated by advancements in technologies, we have always enjoyed developing the Super Mario Bros. series,” said Nintendo designer and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto. “The Super Mario Bros. series has always taken advantage of the latest technologies and is the fruit of the creativity of a number of my hard-working friends working as a team.”

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., fans can visit Mario’s birthday page to see a special video that shows game-play footage from Super Mario Bros. all the way through Super Mario Galaxy™ 2.

In Swarm,which will be available via digital download in 2011, players take control of 50 utterly fearless Swarmites and must drive them through an intense, entertaining and often suicidal battle for a greater good. 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. With a unique combination of mass character control and fast action, the resulting brutal aftermath will make players want to play Swarm over and over again.

Vancouver indie studio Ninja Robot Dinosaur has declared Ray Ardent: Science Ninja done. The product of indie developer & design veteran Shane Neville, Ray Ardent: Science Ninja is a high speed platformer where players assume the role of Ray Ardent, a retro pulp combination of Nicholas Tesla and Chuck Norris who saves the world with his unique combination of Science and Ninjutsu. Power-ups like Science Slide, Triple Jump and nine others let gamers customize Ray to play how they want him to. Ray Ardent features 15 levels and is currently up for licensing on Flash Game License. Ray Ardent was built using the Flixel game libraries created by Adam Saltzman of Canabalt fame, with John Tennant providing the audio work.

Big Blue Bubble Inc.’s newest iOS game, Fighting Fantasy: Creature of Havoc has been released to the iTunes Store. Fighting Fantasy: Creature of Havoc is the fourth release in the Fighting Fantasy series and includes iPhone/iPod Touch support, as well as our new iPad support.

You begin this adventure not knowing where you are or who you are. All you know is that you are some kind of creature of instinct, understanding little. During the course of the adventure, it may be possible for you to begin to control your bestial nature, to find out more about yourself, and even to learn your destiny. But even if you know all this, success is by no means certain, for the traps and terrors of Trolltooth Pass are many.

Now you can experience the books that have sold over 15 million copies worldwide, on your iPhone or iPad. Fighting Fantasy fans will love the classic story and original illustrations with a technological twist. No more dice, pencils, or bookmarks. All of the special features are built in:

* New! Player Achievements
* Universal app iPad support
* Scrolling image gallery of unlocked in-game art
* Tap the on screen buttons to flip pages (No papercuts!)
* Shake to roll the 3D dice using the accelerometer (or tap through with ease)
* Inventory items selectable via touch-screen
* Game-save feature allows you to retrace your steps
* Includes both original illustrations by Ian McCaig and digitally re-mastered versions
* Integrated iPod music library access

Bioware has just announced that the newest DLC for Mass Effect 2 for PC and Xbox 360 will be released on September 7th. Available for 800 Bioware/MS Points, players who purchase Lair of the Shadowbroker will  join Liara T’Soni on her mission to track down the mysterious Shadow Broker. She’ll do anything to recover the man the Broker kidnapped, and the Shadow Broker’s agents will do anything to stop her. Team up with Liara and chase down clues as you adventure from the luxurious heights of Illium to the Shadow Broker’s own secret lair. In this new DLC, players will gain access to the Shadow Broker intel center, new research, and five new achievements. Mass Effect 1 players who carried their characters over to ME2 will also have the chance to continue a relationship with Liara.

Electronic Arts Inc. and Hothead Games™ have also just announced that DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue, the follow-up to the delightfully twisted and fiendishly addictive action RPG, DeathSpank. Featuring the trademark humor found in the original, Thongs of Virtue centers on DeathSpank’s journey through a massive war-torn land; explore the North Pole and the high seas to locate six mystical thongs to bring peace and harmony to the universe. DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue (T.O.V.) will be available for download on PlayStation®Network on September 21, 2010 for $14.99 and Xbox LIVE® Arcade on September 22, 2010 for 1200 Microsoft Points.

“Bigger, longer, harder–these were the words that drove us while we created the follow up to our introduction to the DeathSpank universe,” said Vlad Ceraldi, Director of Game Development for Hothead Games. “In T.O.V., we’re taking action RPG fundamentals and adding loads of new creatures, environments, weapons and characters, while continuing to push the envelope with our signature humor.”

DeathSpank: T.O.V. puts players in the mighty boots of DeathSpank, the “Dispenser of Justice”, “Vanquisher of Evil” and “Hero to the Downtrodden.” As I found out at the end of my DeathSpank play-through, a long time ago, nine mystical thongs were planned to bring balance and harmony to the universe, but when marketing got in the way, only six thongs were produced, and the result was disastrous. Granting great power to those who wear them, the thongs corrupted all those they touched–except DeathSpank. DeathSpank must find all six thongs and destroy them once and for all. Thongs of Virtue includes local co-op mode, allowing a second player to choose one of two hilarious sidekicks to help save the world. Players will enjoy unleashing magical skills, playing as Sparkles the Wizard, or laugh at the ninjatastic Kung Fu moves of DeathSpank’s new partner in crime, Steve.

Okay, I can’t say that I didn’t see this one coming. Last week Future Shop released its iOS app, and today Best Buy Canada has announced the launch of its own app, which does basically the same thing as the app for its “sister store” – find the nearest stores with the geo-locator, surf the online catalogue, check sales, get product reviews, make purchases and share items on Twitter, Facebook or email.

AOL Inc. announced today that Graham Moysey will join the company as General Manager, AOL Canada. Moysey will work with the Global Senior Executives and the Canadian leadership team to oversee the development and execution of the business strategy around AOL’s core objectives of content, advertising and local. He will report to Jeff Levick, President of AOL Global Advertising and Strategy, and will be based in AOL’s Toronto office.

“I am excited to join AOL and lead AOL Canada in continuing to deliver on the company’s mission to provide original, quality content to consumers,” said Graham Moysey, General Manager of AOL Canada. “At this time of rapid growth in the online content industry, we want to make sure we align to the US strategy while focusing on the wants and needs of our local Canadian audience and advertisers alike. I look forward to executing on these goals and representing the hard-working AOL Canada team on the Global Management Council.”

As General Manager, Moysey will be responsible for promoting the AOL brand and conducting a strategic review of the divisions in order to maximize the growth of the business. He will be focused on ensuring that the AOL brand is represented appropriately within the region while realizing the importance of locality.

Before joining AOL, Moysey served as the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Digital Media at Canwest Global Communications, where he was responsible for all revenue, product and digital strategies.

Prior to Canwest, Moysey was appointed Vice President of Sales and Business Development at Bell Canada, where he played an instrumental role in building the Sympatico and MSN strategic alliance. Moysey currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada.

Five teams of entrepreneurs, business owners and students have been seeded with $500.00 and have until July 1, 2011 to turn it into $1 000 000.00 in a new online social reality show called The Race to a Million. This is a real money making contest that will benefit participants, charities and fans of the show alike. By following along with the show from anywhere in the world,fans can be entertained, educated on money making strategies and maybe make a million dollars themselves.

The Race to a Million is a contest which will show that anything can be done by harnessing the power of the human mind…but not just a single mind…a group of minds with a singular goal. In this case, the goal is to be the first team to reach the one million dollar mark using creative thinking and innovative strategies.

When deciding on rules of the contest, the organizers realized that they had a chance to really do something unique with the reality show genre. Most reality shows thrive on deceit and controversy, the participants in the Race to a Million are bound by rules to make sure that all strategies are socially responsible and environmentally conscious while also ensuring that investments will be sustainable and not have a negative effect on people or the planet.

This is a first ever concept that is specifically designed to encourage interaction between fans of the show and the contestants themselves. Fans of the show can follow along on the weekly blog and YouTube videos to learn about the specific strategies that the teams use and (if they choose to do so) can duplicate those strategies to make a million dollars for themselves. Fans can also interact with the teams by sharing money making ideas to win prizes, receive recognition and perhaps win one of two all expenses paid trips for two from anywhere in the world to beautiful British Columbia at the conclusion of the contest on July 1st 2011.

We are living in a knowledge based economy and the Race to a Million is a way to share that knowledge with anyone who is interested in gaining insights on how to accelerate profitability for themselves and their businesses. Imagine having access to free money making ideas from around the world that you can use yourself by simply following the contest. The organizers hope the show will help to kick start the economy by giving entrepreneurs and small business owners new tools, fresh ideas and the confidence to succeed.

Every team will receive a share of the money that they raise during the life of the contest and are representing a recognized charity which will also receive an equal share of the money.

Says organizer Peter Cameron-Inglis, “We are all capable of amazing things by ourselves, but the Race to a Million will show that we can all do and earn more in less time (and with less stress) by surrounding ourselves with a team of inspiring people that share a common goal. We’ve built a real win-win scenario for everybody.”

The Junior Chamber of Commerce of Montreal (JCCM) and Anges Québec are proud to launch the 2010 edition of the Angel Investors Challenge. The mission of the Angel Investors Challenge is to help Quebec’s young entrepreneurs, in the seed, start-up, or development stage, to create and develop their company by offering them the possibility to present their project to angel investors interested in investing their time and money to launch young companies to the next level.

“The new concept of the Angel Investors Challenge is designed to develop a new generation of entrepreneurs by offering selected candidates privileged access to a large network of private investors, a coaching program, media coverage, and networking opportunities. Through this initiative, the JCCM encourages and promotes audacious, innovative entrepreneurship that creates wealth in Québec” said Alexandre Doire, president of the JCCM.

“This association between a junior chamber of commerce and a group of angel investors in order to support the next generation of entrepreneurs is not only a first in Québec and in Canada, but also in North America” added François Gilbert, president and CEO of Anges Québec. “This is why we are very happy to present the Angel Investors Challenge in collaboration with the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Montreal”, he added.

The initiative aims to identify the most promising companies that will become the future engines of Quebec’s economy. Among the candidacies received, a dozen will be selected to constitute the 2010 cohort. Those companies will take part in a training program especially designed according to their needs and will get the incomparable opportunity to meet more than 50 investors during a private event.

Entrepreneurs wishing to participate to the 13th edition of the Angel Investors Challenge can immediately submit their application online.

THQ Inc. today announced that the Windows PC version of the hotly anticipated first-person-shooter Homefront™ from Kaos Studios, is being developed by a dedicated team at Digital Extremes and will be available early in 2011.

“Digital Extremes has a superb track record in PC development,” said David Votypka, General Manager at Kaos Studios, THQ. “While the team here at Kaos is completely focused on the core Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Homefront, our partnership with Digital Extremes means that PC gamers can look forward to a version of the game tailored to the demands of the discerning PC gamer.”

“We’re building on the great game that Kaos Studios is making and enhancing it with specific PC relevant features,” added Frank De Lise, Executive Producer, THQ. “PC players will be able to set up and host Homefront dedicated servers and enjoy additional community features including clan support. We believe the core PC first-person-shooter fan will really appreciate these features, which are becoming increasingly rare.”

THQ Inc. also announced that it will be launching a rewards program for Relic Entertainment’s upcoming 3rd Person Action/Shooter Warhammer® 40,000®: Space Marine® for the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 and Windows PC. The loyalty program, dubbed ‘Honor Guard’, will allow gamers to become part of an elite group of Space Marine fans who will be given the opportunity to become involved in the success of the game. Honor Guard members will get the latest news, exclusive access to first look assets and receive reward points for viral activity, which could result in rewards of exclusive Space Marine branded items.

Travis Plane, Vice President of Global Brand Management commented: “Rewarding community for their role as opinion formers is important to us so we are delighted to be able to unveil the Honor Guard program.”

To kick off the Honor Guard program THQ will be handing out an Ultramarine cloth patch at Gamescom with directions on how to register for a free “For the Emperor” ring tone. The patch will also be handed out at Games Workshop’s US Games Day event in Baltimore on August 21st, 2010, and the UK Games Day event at the Birmingham NEC on September 26th, 2010. This item is the first of five items that fans are encouraged to collect over the next few months at various shows around the globe. More details about these items will be released throughout the year.

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

Kelowna indie developer Cosmic Logic Inc. is proud to officially announce details on their upcoming XBLIG and PC title, Doc Logic, an arcade-style platformer with an emphasis on explosive action and survival. Doc blasts across the screen with upgradeable weapons and abilities through expanding levels of increased difficulty that will challenge and engage the true gamer in you. Unique level designs combined with increasing enemy difficulty makes “Doc Logic” an intense sci-fi adventure. Do what you can to keep the clock running as you collect points, destroy enemies, and collect time bonuses.

“Doc Logic” features a collaboration with indie music sensation “8 Bit Weapon” that heightens the gaming experience to new levels. “8 Bit Weapon” is Seth & Michelle. Inspired by classic video game soundtracks and electronic music from the arcade era, “8 Bit Weapon” delivers a sound that is as unique as it is original.

Capcom and Blue Castle Games have released a few tidbits for their unique and stand alone piece of content, Dead Rising 2: Case Zero. A pre-release expansion, Case Zero will introduce players to the main protagonist, Chuck Greene, and game play features of Dead Rising 2 ahead of its release. Available exclusively to Xbox 360 owners via Xbox Live, Dead Rising 2: Case Zero is set two years after the Willamette incident chronicled in the original Dead Rising and three years before the action of Dead Rising 2.

Chuck Greene’s idyllic life was shattered during the Las Vegas zombie outbreak. His wife was killed and his young daughter, Katey, was bitten and infected. Now he has fled Vegas with Katey and must find more doses of Zombrex for her to ensure the zombification process does not become complete. He must also avoid military check points or else, given the strict quarantine regulations in force, risk losing his daughter.

In need of fuel and looking to stock up on supplies, Chuck and Katey stop at the small desert town of Still Creek, where all initially seems as peaceful as its name suggests. But shortly after their arrival a containment zone is breached and the undead begin to shuffle into town. To make matters worse, someone steals Chuck’s truck so now they have no way to leave. With Katey needing a shot of Zombrex very soon, Chuck has no option but to search Still Creek’s zombie infested streets for the drug, and a way out of town.

In Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, just like the full game, Chuck will be able to use his handyman skills and a roll of duct tape to combine two items to create powerful combo weapons. Not only do these combo weapons make killing zombies easier and a often a lot more gruesome, they have the added benefit of earning Chuck additional Prestige Points which in turn result in quicker leveling up.

During his search for Zombrex and a new ride, Chuck will be able to explore the streets and stores of Still Creek, encountering Survivors, unbitten humans that Chuck can choose to save or leave as a zombie feast before taking on a Psycho, one of the signature bosses of the Dead Rising series.

Players purchasing Dead Rising 2: Case Zero will not just be rewarded with a piece of unique and compelling content that will deliver gripping gameplay and bridge the story between Dead Rising and Dead Rising 2, but those who then go on to buy Dead Rising 2 will be able to carry over character attributes earned such as Player Level, to a maximum of five, Prestige Points alongside skills, Combo Cards and a number of alternate outfits.

Following Case Zero, Dead Rising 2 will deliver more of the signature gameplay that the series is known for plus a number of new features.

Players who might need some help or simply want to share the zombie bashing fun with a friend will now be able to play in online 2-player co-op. Simply use the in-game transceiver to call for assistance at any time and once your partner has accepted, they will arrive by your side for double the action.

With hundreds of zombies on screen at any one time, the original Dead Rising forced gamers to take everyday objects they found in the Mall and use them as weapons. But now, in Dead Rising 2 with thousands of zombies filling every square inch of Fortune City, Chuck is going to need to be even more resourceful and inventive by combining weapons in order to save the day. Players will be able to take two objects, a roll of tape and with a little inventiveness create an advanced zombie-killing combo weapon – a piece of wood and a lawnmower become Portamower, the handheld mower that cuts zombies down to size in an instant, while a garden rake and car battery combine to create an electrified zombie prod. The more combo weapons a player uses, the more Prestige Points (PPs) they will gain along the way in order to level up Chuck.

Ubisoft Quebec has announced the launch of Combat of Giants Dinosaurs Strike for the Wii™ system from Nintendo. A new installment in the successful Combat of Giants franchise, the game will be available worldwide in November 2010. Designed exclusively for Wii by Ubisoft Quebec, the development studio behind the Nintendo DS™ versions in the franchise, Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs Strike is the new addition to the Combat of Giants franchise, which has already sold more than one million copies worldwide.

The Combat of Giants brand offers young players the thrill of controlling a giant creature and fighting against other creatures for survival. Combat of Giants Dinosaurs Strike will immerse young players in a cataclysmic Jurassic world. Players will be able to choose a dinosaur among 18 different breeds such as T-Rex, Stegosaurus, Velociraptor, Triceratops, Ankylosaurus or Baryonyx and customize their dinosaur with 12 color options and different stripe patterns, or even upgrade horns, bone plates, fins or feathers to create the strongest possible creature. Combat of Giants Dinosaurs Strike also offers the possibility to unlock six other dinosaurs in Domination mode, where the player fights against eight other giant creatures, one by one in a ladder mode, before attacking the boss. The dinosaurs unlocked after each ladder are then available in the multiplayer versus modes.

The core of Combat of Giants Dinosaurs Strike is its fast-paced, three-round combat system, in which the player has to use each dinosaur’s specific abilities and powers. Entirely based on real-time actions, players will need to act and react as quickly as possible, launching super attacks while protecting themselves from the natural casualties of the cataclysmic environment, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Combat of Giants Dinosaurs Strike takes full advantage of Wii capabilities. The Wii™ Remote and Nunchuk™ offer immediate and natural controls, while the polished graphics of the three different breathtaking environments (tropical forest, desert and mountain) bring additional immersion to the experience. It also allows fierce multiplayer battles (with up to four players at a time) as well as three different multiplayer modes: Versus, Tournament and Tag Team.

The Hot Wheels® Colour Shifters™ Road Trip arrives in Vancouver next week to give west-coasters a look at its life-size colour-shifting Mustang. The cool, state-of-the-art Ford Mustang and the Hot Wheels® Colour Shifters™ Trailer has been zooming across the country visiting festivals, camps and family events in various towns and cities. The Road Trip runs all summer long from July to September, giving Canadians of all ages a chance to experience help changing the colour of the car themselves. Kids who attend the event can help change the colour of the car, play with Hot Wheels® toys and will also receive a special Hot Wheels® collector booklet, T-shirt and more.

August 23: 9am – 4pm at Douglas Park Community Centre Summer Camps – 801 West 22nd Avenue
August 24: 1pm – 4pm at Dunbar Community Centre Day Camps – 4747 Dunbar Street
August 26: 9am – 11am at Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre – 181 Roundhouse Mews
August 26: 2pm – 4pm at West Point Grey Community Centre Day Camps – 4397 West 2nd Avenue
August 27: 1pm – 4pm at Sunset Community Centre – 6810 Main Street
August 29: Toys “R” Us (#3533) – 1110 Lougheed Highway Coquitlam, time to be decided

DiscoveryWorld HD has opened The Film Snacks Competition for submissions. Film Snacks is a platform for the best of tomorrow’s film-making talent, featuring compelling short-films that build on environmental themes. You could have your film screened on the BIG screen, TV, and online.

To enter, you must simply upload your short film (2 minutes or less) to the designated page. Your submission must be based on an environmental theme. Judges will be basing their decision on production quality (video and audio), creativity and entertainment value and choice of topic. The contest opens August 18, 2010, 12:01 a.m. ET and runs through to September 17, 2010, 4 p.m. ET.

The grand prize includes $2,000 cash, a trip for two to Toronto, two tickets to the Planet in Focus Gala Event in Toronto on October 15, 2010, and the rare opportunity to showcase your winning film at the Event. The winning film will also air on Discovery World HD, and will be featured on DiscoveryWorldHD.ca. In the meantime, get your director caps on, bookmark this page and check back frequently for updates.
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Interactive Ontario has released its new iLunch series schedule. This case study and panel discussion series examines successful business practices and strategies in the Interactive Digital Media industry, and the sessions will be held at Toronto’s Gladstone Hotel from 11:30am to 2pm on the following dates:

October 21: What I wish I knew years ago…
November 26: Public Works
January 21: Just Do It
February 25: Details of the Deal
March 18: Building Partnerships

Tickets for the iLunch series are $40.00 per session for IO members or $60.00 for non-members. IO members can save even more by purchasing an iLunch season’s pass for $160.00.

If you would like a chance to meet with Sony Computer Entertainment America business and technical professionals, be sure to attend the networking receptions being held in Toronto and Montreal on August 23rd and 25th respectively. Hosted by SCEA and Export Development Canada, these receptions are great opportunities to make new business contacts and find out what Sony is looking for from game developers. Pre-registration is required.

Edmonton’s Beamdog is happy to announce the availability of Prague’s 1C products on the Beamdog network. Nearly 40 great video games including Death to Spies: Moment of Truth, King’s Bounty: Armored Princess, and UFO: Aftershock.

“1C are always exploring innovative avenues to bring their titles to their consumers. We are excited by the opportunities Beamdog brings and looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship.”, says 1C’s Publishing Director Darryl Still.

“1C has an excellent library of quality products, making an excellent addition to the Beamdog network.”, says Beamdog’s Creative Director Trent Oster. “I personally lost quite a few hours with UFO: Afterlight and King’s Bounty.”

Ideavibes, a new social venture focused on providing flexible and affordable crowdsourcing solutions for corporations, non-profits, and governments, announced today that it has launched the Ideavibes crowdsourcing engine. This engine is designed to “harnesses the power and wisdom of crowds” to generate and rank ideas, solicit community input, and fund projects.

The company believes crowds of like-minded people have the greatest insight into the best ways for organizations to address challenges and decision-making. When given the opportunity and the right tool, the crowd can develop and fine-tune new products, solve the many challenges faced by communities, or fund projects for the not-for-profit sector.

Ideavibes’ crowdsourcing engine, currently under development, is a web application that allows organizations of all sizes to easily engage their communities online and then track and analyze the crowd’s ideas, preferences and trends.

An organization can easily customize, brand and implement the Ideavibes web application to enable its ’crowd’ to post, comment and vote on ideas, products or projects. The tally of votes and other data from these crowdsourcing campaigns make the decision-making process easier. For private businesses, this means that engaged customers can drive innovation and decisions. In government, this means citizens can influence municipal planning priorities such as cycle-friendly streets, mass transit, pesticide use, and so on. For not-for-profits, the ability to generate and gauge ideas or initiatives is enhanced.

“While solutions exist for large enterprises, our market research revealed that there is room for a focused, easy to deploy crowdsourcing solution that can be quickly and affordably set-up. Ideavibes is designed to fill this niche,” said Paul Dombowsky, CEO of Ideavibes. “What Ideavibes delivers is akin to an online focus group – to gain a better understanding of what is important to your market, stakeholders or staff with specific input that you can use to build a strategy or set direction – all in a cost-effective manner that is transparent to the crowd, building community and trust.”

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has permanently halted the operations of Canadian con artists who allegedly posed as domain name registrars and convinced thousands of U.S. consumers, small businesses and non-profit organizations to pay bogus bills by leading them to believe they would lose their Web site addresses unless they paid. Settlement and default judgment orders signed by the court will bar the deceptive practices in the future.

In June 2008, the FTC charged Toronto-based Internet Listing Service with sending fake invoices to small businesses and others, listing the existing domain name of the consumer’s Web site or a slight variation on the domain name, such as substituting “.org” for “.com.” The invoices appeared to come from the businesses’ existing domain name registrar and instructed them to pay for an annual “WEBSITE ADDRESS LISTING.” The invoices also claimed to include a search engine optimization service. Most consumers who received the “invoices” were led to believe that they had to pay them to maintain their registrations of domain names. Other consumers were induced to pay based on Internet Listing Service’s claims that its “Search Optimization” service would “direct mass traffic” to their sites and that their “proven search engine listing service” would result in “a substantial increase in traffic.”

The FTC’s complaint charged that most consumers who paid the defendants’ invoices did not receive any domain name registration services and that the “search optimization” service did not result in increased traffic to the consumers’ Web sites.

A federal district court judge in Chicago, Robert M. Dow, Jr., ordered a temporary halt to the deceptive claims and froze the defendants’ assets, pending trial. The settlement and default judgment orders announced today end that litigation.

The orders bar the defendants from misrepresenting: that they have a preexisting business relationship with consumers; that consumers owe them money; that they will provide domain name registration; and that they will provide “search optimization services” that will substantially increase traffic to consumers’ Web sites. The defendants are also required to disclose any material restrictions or aspects of any goods or services they provide.

The settlement order, entered against defendants Isaac Benlolo, Kirk Mulveney, Pearl Keslassy, and 1646153 Ontario Inc., includes a suspended judgment of $4,261,876, the total amount of consumer injury caused by the illegal activities. Based on the inability of the settling defendants to pay, they will turn over $10,000 to satisfy the judgment. The default judgment order was entered against defendant Steven E. Dale and includes a judgment in the amount of $4,261,876.

Charges against Ari Balabanian and Data Business Solutions were dismissed by the court at the FTC’s request. Stipulated orders are for settlement purposes only and do not necessarily constitute an admission by the defendants of a law violation. Stipulated orders have the full force of law when signed by the judge.

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).

“We’d like to invite all fans of history and strategy to come out to our booth at Origins and give Hegemony a try,” says Rob McConnell, lead programmer at Longbow Games. “We’re going to have multiple game stations available where guests can play the full game as well as free demo cds to take home and big discounts for those who purchase Hegemony at the show.”

Hegemony: Philip of Macedon lets you conquer the ancient Greek world in this PC RTS war game that follows the rise of Philip of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great. Players campaign continuously, unfettered by load screens, across a satellite-accurate map of ancient Greece encountering the full range of warfare from reconnaissance to raids to field battles to mountain blockades. The game also features:

* Innovative supply system – Siege and starve the enemy by cutting their supply lines or burning their crops, all the while building and protecting your own supply network to support your growing empire.
* Steeped in history – In-game pedia and 100+ historical objectives recreate the rise of the Macedonian empire.
* Detailed and Stylized World and Map – Transition smoothly between the detailed 3D world and the stylized board-game map while maintaining complete control over your empire.
* Subjugate your enemy – Chase down and capture routed enemy units to create slave gangs to work your mines or build your forts. But don’t leave them unguarded or they could rebel and wreak havoc in your empire’s heartland!
* Conquer the seas – Build or capture a fleet of triremes to protect your coastlines, raid enemy merchants, or drop an army at your enemy’s backdoor.

After passionate campaigns across the country and more than one million votes from Monopoly fans from Kelowna to Kawartha Lakes, 22 of Canada’s favourite cities now have a home on the new Monopoly: Canada Edition game board. Chatham-Kent, Ontario now represents the coveted Boardwalk spot, with Saint-Jean-Sur Richelieu Quebec capturing Park Place to round out the prestigious dark blue property group in the popular game invented by Charles Darrow in 1935.

“We are thrilled to celebrate Canada Day with this new all-Canadian edition of the world’s favorite family game brand featuring cities voted by Canadians!” said Michelle Sinclair, Brand Manager of Games & Puzzles for toy and game-maker Hasbro Canada. “We hope that Canadian Monopoly fans will enjoy playing on a game board that includes an interesting mix of our cities featuring all of the dynamic cultures, sights and history of this country.”

Votes were cast during a six-week period in early 2010. The first four weeks of voting determined 20 of the 22 cities featured in the game, picked from 65 pre-selected cities based on the population size of the province in which they resided. The remaining two spots were reserved for a wildcard vote for any city across Canada. Ten cities with the most nominations for the wildcard faced off for two weeks in February 2010 and Beauceville, Quebec and Banff, Alberta earned the brown property spaces on the game board, traditionally occupied by Baltic Avenue and Mediterranean Avenue.

The following 22 cities earned spots on the Monopoly: Canada Edition game board, and are listed with the highest rent properties first:

- Dark Blue: Chatham-Kent, Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu
– Green: Calgary, Sarnia, Edmonton
– Yellow: Windsor, Quebec City, Trois-Rivieres
– Red: Medicine Hat, Gatineau, Shawinigan
– Orange: Kawartha Lakes, Chilliwack, Montreal
– Magenta: Kelowna, North Bay, St. John’s
– Light Blue: Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver
– Brown: Beauceville, Banff

Along with the 22 property spaces featuring great Canadian cities, the game will include updated Chance and Community Chest cards that highlight events and culturally relevant scenarios from Canada. Players may take flight at the International Balloon Festival in Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, skate along the Rideau Canal in Ottawa or win big at the casinos in Niagara Falls. The new Monopoly: Canada Edition also features an Electronic Banking unit with cards instead of cash. Players can collect rent and buy their favourite Canadian cities with the touch of a button!

Today, the Monopoly brand provides entertainment experiences for players around the world. Whether they play the board game, digital or online games, or participate in casino or lottery gaming, there is a Monopoly experience to fit every lifestyle. Stemming from the strategic alliance between Hasbro and Electronic Arts Inc., EA has created digital versions of Monopoly which are available for download for mobile phones or free online at Pogo. Monopoly is also available for console gaming systems, including the Nintendo Wii™, Xbox 360™, PlayStation®2 and PLAYSTATION®3. The new Monopoly: Canada Edition will be available in stores across the country, in both English and French on June 28th, 2010 for an approximate retail price of $39.99.

SEGA® of America’s Super Monkey Ball™ 2, which was developed by Other Ocean Interactive, has been updated with two brand new mini-games. The first mini-game, Monkey Target, is a high-flying experience that launches you into the atmosphere. From there, it’s up to you to guide your character back down to a safe landing while grabbing as many bananas as possible along the way. Monkey Golf lets you hit the links with your simian friends and play your way through a full 18-hole course. Remember to watch out for those sand traps!

Artificial Mind & Motion and 505 Games have released the official launch trailer for Naughty Bear, which comes out this coming Tuesday (June 29th) for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game features seven episodes, each with a set of four challenges, and as players make their way through the episodes, they will unlock special costumes that can later be used to their own advantage in multiplayer campaigns (see below). Competitive online play gives players the opportunity to experiment with new traps and power-ups. The Paint Trap covers opponents in fluorescent paint, preventing them from taking refuge from Naughty Bear by hiding in the woods. Power-ups like the Rage Capsule makes players stronger, while the Speed Capsule makes players run faster.

While killing bears is certainly extremely naughty, terrorizing foes through a wide variety of creative tactics helps players achieve the most Naughty Points possible in Naughty Bear. With over 250 ways to be naughty, gamers can quickly build up and maintain their points multiplier. Players can also amp up on Naughty Points by ensuring other bears witness naughty acts, or by leaving injured bears to wander and frighten others into a state of intense anxiety. Clever scares are awarded even more points, so cunning players will be rewarded for their efforts through the game’s complex AI and responsive game engine.

Weapon choices in Naughty Bear also give players extensive gameplay options. From baseball bats, bear traps and guns to frozen legs of meat and even heavy machinery, the bears provide Naughty with plenty of ways to achieve sweet justice.

Naughty finds himself facing a motley assortment of foes as the bears call for reinforcements in each episode. Through sabotage, Naughty Bear can also lure in new victims as they rush to the scene to correct his acts of vandalism. As Naughty’s rage progresses throughout the game, police officers and ninjas are only the first line of defense for the island’s inhabitants. Naughty will face foes from all corners of the world and beyond as they unite in their attempts to try to put a premature stop to his brutal vengeance.

Current mulitiplayer modes include:

Assault mode, which pits two teams of red versus blue bears against each other as one team attempts to destroy an iconic statue in the Island of Perfection while the other team tries to protect it. Each team rotates from either defending or attacking the statue in two-minute rounds. Teams can use any tactic, including the strategic use of traps, barricades or hiding in the woods, to prevent their opponents from destroying the statue.

Cake Walk, where players attempt to hold the Glorious Golden Cupcake for as long as possible. Holding the cupcake puts the player in a vulnerable position where he can’t attack or defend himself. A typical game starts with a mad dash to the prize and then, once someone has the Cupcake, it’s a battle to maintain possession as long as possible. The player that holds the Glorious Golden Cupcake for the longest period of time wins.

The Golden Oozi of Doomness is a gun with unlimited ammunition, and the only way to gain points in this mode is by using it to kill enemies. This unique scoring system makes players work as a team one moment to destroy the current wielder, and then backstab each other to steal the prized gun. The winner of this mode is the player that racks up the most kills using the Golden Oozi.

The Jelly Wars scenario features cooperative gameplay and intense strategy as there is no coming back from the dead in Jelly Wars mode! Three players take on the roles of Daddles, Cozy and Sunbeam and bring jelly desserts to a giant mixing machine in order to create the most awesome jelly of all time. Watch out though, as Naughty Bear will try anything to stop them! The bears will have to protect each other, transport delicate objects, call back up, repair objects and heal others while Naughty attacks them, disables their tools and hides their jellies. The winner decided when the bears collect five jellies if Naughty Bear annihilates them all first.

Another made-in-Canada humour-based game will also be hitting the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 soon. Hothead Games‘ highly-anticipated and long-awaited Ron Gilbert title DeathSpank is scheduled for release to PSN and XBL on July 14th. Anticipated cost for the downloadable Action/RPG game is $15.00 on PSN or 1200 MS Points on XBL. Upon completion of the “Confirm Your Download” Level, players will be launched into an epic story of puzzle-solving, justice-dealing and loot-collecting, whereby those handling the controller can vanquish evilness either alone or with the aide of sidekick Sparkles The Wizard. At least he’s not a vampire…named Sparkles…there’s already been enough of that in the current entertainment market.

With DeathSpank complete, Hothead Games can now turn its full attention on Swarm, which is the basis for a recently announced agreement between Hothead and Ignition Entertainment. Heading for a major cross-platform release in 2011, Swarm was conceived via The Great Canadian Game Competition, which was sponsored by Telefilm Canada, and has since Swarm has gone on to become “a unique comedy action game in which players control entire herds of strange, daft little characters as they clash in chaotic and hilarious situations.”

EA Sports announced today that Oklahoma City Thunder small forward, Kevin Durant, will be the cover athlete for NBA EliteE 11. A 2010 NBA All-Star, Durant became the youngest player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring this past season, and he helped lead the Thunder to an impressive 50 win season and an NBA Playoffs berth. NBA Elite 11 is currently in development under the EA Sports™ brand by EA Canada in Burnaby and will be available worldwide this October for the PLAYSTATION®3 and Xbox 360®.

NBA Elite 11 introduces significant gameplay changes that promise to revolutionize the basketball videogame experience. Hands-On Control is an innovative new control scheme that allows for one-to-one responsiveness of a player’s movement and actions on the court, as opposed to predetermined animations from the past that require users to wait while a scenario played out before making the next move. Hands-On Control is unique to NBA Elite 11 and it is used to manage everything within a player’s offensive and defensive arsenal, including: dribble moves, dunks, drives to the basket, fadeaways, mid-air adjustments, blocks, steals and more.

“I’ve always been a fan of EA Sports,” said Durant. “This has been an exciting year for me and the team, and capping it off with being on the cover of NBA Elite 11 is cool.”

“Durant is a game changer,” said Jordan Edelstein, VP Marketing, EA Sports. “There has never been a player his size with his skill set, and there has never before been a basketball videogame like NBA Elite. Just like we see Durant as the future of the NBA, NBA Elite 11 represents the future of basketball videogames by providing a gameplay experience you simply won’t find anywhere else on the market.”

Picked second overall in the 2007 NBA Entry Draft, Durant has accumulated an impressive list of accomplishments in his short professional career, including being named the 2008 T-Mobile NBA Rookie of the Year. Additionally, he will be representing the USA in the 2010 FIBA World Championships this summer in Turkey. Durant is only the third player in EA Sports history to be featured both on the pack of an NCAA and an NBA licensed product. Durant was featured on the cover of NCAA March Madness 08.

Victoria’s NetroMedia has added Apple iPad streaming to its suite of online broadcasting services. This new feature was launched as part of the company’s Multi-platform strategy, in order to maximize online streaming media coverage.

Released in early 2010, the iPad is Apple’s latest addition to the Tablet PC market, achieving an impressive one-million sales in its first month. It is considered by Apple to be a “magical and revolutionary” device designed for easy Internet surfing and media consumption.

Streaming to the iPad (Apple iOS) is done using H.264 video compression with AAC (Main Profile level 3.1) audio via RTSP/RTP. NetroMedia uses packetizing technology to prepare the stream for iPad viewing.

The encoding profile used to reach Apple’s iPad can also be used to serve the iPhone, PC and Mac computers. Both on-demand and live streaming are supported. 24/7 access to an online self-management streaming portal is included with NetroMedia’s services. This is where users manage and provision channels “in the cloud”, as well as analyze their project’s usage statistics.

Earlier this year NetroMedia announced the transition from bandwidth-based services to a pooled-bandwidth environment across channels. This move prepared the ground for a cost-effective Multi-platform streaming solution, in additional to increasing the distribution of unused bandwidth within accounts.

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.

Toronto-area Mario fans of all ages will be among the first Canadians to get hands-on play time with the sequel to the 2007 debut Super Mario Galaxy. A special guest will make a surprise landing during the event, where participants will be able to enjoy on-site entertainment, receive exciting Nintendo giveaways (while supplies last), and have the chance to win 1 of 50 copies of the new game. The Canadian launch party for Super Mario Galaxy™ 2 will take place at Yonge-Dundas Square on Sunday, May 23rd from 12 noon until 8pm.

For those who may not already know this, Reader’s Digest Online teamed up with Fit Brains to bring some of their popular word games to the internet, your PC and yes, your iPhone. Word scrambler Word Power: Brain Sparks is available in the iTunes store for $2.99, while Word Power: Recharged is playable on your PC at the Reader’s Digest site or at Fit Brains, and will be available through other game portals as well. A third game, Word Power: The Green Revolution is downloadable to your PC for only $19.99 from either site. All three games are linked to the Word Power Network, which allows players to see their placing on the leaderboards and share in-game awards.

Today is the last day that you can grab IUGO’s Daisy Mae’s Alien Buffet for the iPhone for free. You’d best hit the iTunes store now and grab this crazy earth-based alien-shoot-em-up while you can, because tomorrow you’ll have to pay for it. This offer is brought to you in part by OpenFeint’s Free Game of the Day programme. The aliens don’t stand a chance, because last Saturday, over 125 000 earth defenders joined Daisy Mae and her cause to rid the planet of hostile inter-planetary immigrants.

Bioware has announced new DLC for Mass Effect 2. Overlord will be available in June for 560 MS (or Bioware) points and will offer five new action packed levels and two new achievements. The action in this next DLC expansion will centre around an experimental and dangerous Virtual Intelligence creature that has been unleashed and is taking over any technology it finds to serve its purposes, including the Geth. Commander Shepard and his (or her) squad must infiltrate the VI’s heavily guarded fortress and shut it down before it can beam itself off planet, continuing its wave of havoc across the galaxy.

Dartmouth’s Innovacorp will be presenting a breakfast seminar on the morning of May 26th at the Innovation Boardroom, starting at 8:45am. The seminar’s topic is Building Effective Distribution Channels and will feature an expert panel who will discuss insights and advice on distributors and distributor agreements.

The panel will be moderated by Innovacorp’s interim president and CEO, Stephen Hartlen, and will feature Ian Lucas, executive vice president of innovation and strategy, Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd., Robert Nadeau, a partner at law firm Kerr & Nadeau, and Mike Flynn, director of business development at Tether.

After six weeks of heated debate from online discussions about Canada’s future in the digital economy, three winners emerged from the ‘crowdsourcing’ competition called Canada’s Digital Compass, hosted by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC). The dialogue was spread among contributors from all parts of Canada and included more than 1,200 site visitors and overall, 70 ideas were submitted for voting.

The categories were judged by a panel from a wide range of industry backgrounds as well as community participation. Each week, starting on March 16, a new subject competition was launched and the five topics were: technology, education, media production, connectivity and policy development.

The winners were:

- First place: Brady Gilchrist for his ideas on “World Leadership in Digital Health Care.” In his summary, Brady believes that digital health care is the merger of traditional healthcare with new ideas born of digital technology to aid in solving complex problems and infusing “net style innovation into solving complicated problems.”

- Second place: Russell Fordham for his thoughts on “Digital Literacy for All Canadians.” Russell suggests that for Canada to be a global leader in the digital economy, all our citizens need to have the basic abilities to function and thrive in this environment, supported with the partnership of government, educational institutions and businesses.

- Third place: Alan Sawyer for “Implementing Temporary Advertising Tax Credits to Stimulate Canadian-based, On-line Video Distribution.” Alan notes that implementing tax credits for allowable expenditures on advertising at Canadian-owned, new media content sites would stimulate the development of new Canadian sites and increase Canadian content available for Canadian-owned media distribution.

The winners all received tickets to the Canada 3.0 Conference in Stratford, Ontario which took place May 10-11. The event featured leaders from across the country who continued the conversation on the future of digital media in Canada. “We created Canada’s Digital Compass to encourage new discussions to a broad audience on this topic and our goal was certainly accomplished,” says Tracey Riley, partner and national leader of the Technology, Information, Communication and Entertainment (TICE) practice of PwC.

Riley was happy with the turnout of participants to the crowdsourcing event and the wide range of topics that were being debated. During the last day of the competition, voting became more frequent and the leader-board changed hands several times. “We had lots of submissions on mobile and wireless project ideas but we were a bit surprised there wasn’t more discussion on cloud computing and green tech which are very popular topics at the moment,” she said.

Some of the topic ideas that were debated included a copyright model for the digital age, a government department devoted to innovation, evolving liberal arts education into digital arts and why Canada needs fibre-to-the-home.

In the education category, one of the most discussed themes, ideas focused on the opportunity to develop new curricula or educational institutes to encourage, teach and inspire Canadian students to lead in the digital economy. Connectivity was one of the most controversial themes. The winner proposed putting a stake in the ground and pursuing one particular technology to build Canada’s broadband infrastructure. The debate continues on the best technology to solve Canada’s urban and rural divide that will recapture our global leadership in broadband.

Winnipeg’s Complex Games has released a new trailer for their original game Wee Curl, which is being developed under licence for the Nintendo Wii.

The Game Developers Conference™ Canada (GDC Canada), co-produced by UBM TechWeb Game Network and Reboot Communications, brought together more than 775 game industry professionals last week for two days of learning, networking and inspiration at the Vancouver Convention Centre (VCC). Comparable to last year’s attendance numbers, GDC Canada 2010 provided opportunities for sharing knowledge, making new connections and celebrating the passion and dedication of fellow Canadian game-makers. In May 2011, Reboot Communications will continue to serve the Canadian development community in Vancouver with a videogame conference that will feature a “Best of GDC” track, as part of Vancouver Interactive Digital Week 2011.

GDC Canada was designed with the core values and dedication to quality that is at the heart of all Game Developers Conferences®. With more than 35 lectures, panels, and sessions covering best-practices that studios should implement to develop successful franchises for consoles, iPhone games and digitally distributed titles, the conference was successful in inspiring Canadian developers to share experiences for fostering ingenuity and quality games. GDC Canada featured the Game Career Seminar, an expo area, business to business lounge and networking receptions where attendees met with representatives from Epic Games, Radical, Relic, Blue Castle, Hansoft and Sony Computer Entertainment, among others.

“It was our honor to host some of the most dedicated and talented developers at GDC Canada this year,” said Izora de Lillard, event director of GDC Canada. “The event was a great opportunity for the developer community to network with like minded professionals and learn best practices for developing big global titles and understanding emerging digital distribution models.”

Bill Mooney, a Vice President at Zynga Studios and General Manager of FarmVille, kicked-off GDC Canada with a keynote that provided a deeper dive into the evolving social gaming space and its future. The talk elaborated on the next business model of the internet using prominent Zynga titles as case studies, including FarmVille and Mafia Wars, whose soaring popularity has helped the Facebook-based games attain more than 85 million active users.

GDC Canada also hosted a Canadian version of GDC’s popular Game Career Seminar, which is designed for individuals looking to make a career move within the game industry. At the Game Career Seminar, videogame industry icon Tommy Tallarico brought his in-depth knowledge from years of experience to the mic with an intimate keynote interview with Victor Lucas, a Canadian television host of the Electric Playground and Reviews on the Run. Attendees learned how Tommy grew from humble beginning to his creation of Video Games Live and to having his own PBS special.

In May 2011, Reboot Communications will continue to serve the Canadian development community in Vancouver with a videogame conference as part of Vancouver Interactive Digital Week 2011. UBM TechWeb is pleased to continue to participate in the 2011 event in Vancouver, in the form of a specialized “Best of GDC” track. This partnership with Reboot will bring top GDC lectures from worldwide to the Canadian audience for the first time.

Electronic Arts Inc. and Klei Entertainment today announced that acclaimed writer Marianne Krawczyk will be writing the story for the striking 2D action brawler Shank™, which will be available for Xbox LIVE™ Arcade, PlayStation®Network and PC. Krawczyk is best known for her BAFTA award-winning work on the God of War® franchise and was named by Gamasutra as one of the top 20 game writers in the industry. Krawczyk is lending her expertise in crafting rich, well-developed characters for Shank’s tale of revenge.

“I’m very excited to be a part of Shank,” said Marianne Krawczyk. “I fell in love with the artwork, characters and world that Klei Entertainment created and together we are creating a story that will allow gamers to explore a world where values like integrity and loyalty take on their own twisted meanings.”

“When Shank was first conceived, we envisioned a fully realized world with provocative characters living out a mature, cinematic story,” said Jamie Cheng, CEO of Klei Entertainment. “Marianne has been able to flesh out our characters, and create a gritty, personal and unique story of full frontal revenge.”

Shank invites players to let loose with multiple weapons and rack up the kills with an exciting and free flowing combo system. Rip through the ranks of a legion of gang members to compete against friends on Shank’s online leaderboards. Featuring a captivating art style inspired by golden age comics and graphic novels, Shank’s blend of classic intense 2D action with a mature and gripping storyline makes it one of the most anticipated downloadable titles this year.

Bellevue, Washington’s Her Interactive, the leading mystery maker and publisher of 23 award-winning Nancy Drew games for the PC and game consoles, has announced that the highly anticipated Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister, will launch on June 29th 2010. For the millions of Nancy Drew fans who love their Apple computers, Her Interactive is also releasing the game on the Mac for the first time, enabled by Toronto-based TransGaming’s Cider Portability Engine. Her Interactive will publish the game in a dual format disc, playable on both Windows® PCs and Mac computers.

Nancy Drew goes undercover as a competitive storm chaser in this new mystery, set in Oklahoma during the tornado season. Teams are competing for a $100,000,000 prize for discovering a prediction formula for tornados, but something is not quite right… To solve the mystery of who is sabotaging the storm chasing team, Nancy is thrust into a world of wild weather, high technology, secret conversations, mysterious dealings, and ulterior motives. You are Nancy at her best as you learn about meteorology to help solve the mystery. Rich visuals, dangerous weather, new challenges, unique characters, and new puzzles all combine to make this Nancy’s stormiest adventure yet.

“Nancy Drew fans have been begging us to support Mac computers, and today, we’re thrilled to announce that Trail of the Twister is just the first of many games to support Mac,” says Megan Gaiser, president, Her Interactive. “Whether you play on a PC or Mac, you’ll find cracking the code in this mystery realistic and exciting with weather changes clouding the clues. And as in all great Nancy Drew mysteries, you have to interrogate friend and foe, because no one is above suspicion.”

“We are excited to partner with Her Interactive, using our Cider technology to enable the first ever simultaneous PC and Mac launch of the Nancy Drew franchise for consumers,” says Vikas Gupta, President and CEO, TransGaming, Inc. “Nancy Drew is such an iconic figure, we are certain the Mac community around the world will love playing these games.”

Her Interactive’s Nancy Drew games have sold more than 8 million units with each game surpassing sales of the prior. This success, in part, is buoyed by the ever-increasing numbers of girls and women becoming avid game players. Nancy Drew players now include moms who have introduced their daughters to the girl-detective, making her one of history’s longest-running iconic figures spanning generations.

Another new title from Transgaming, In The Mix Featuring Armin van Buuren, a DJ game exclusively for the Wii, has launched a new Facebook page. In The Mix will be published by Foreign Media Games in 2010.

Markham’s Game Bridger Entertainment announced today that the European open beta test for its highly-anticipated free-to-play MMORPG, Priston Tale 2: The Second Enigma, will begin on Friday, May 14th through its GamerKraft game portal. The open beta test will be marked by several significant updates and changes including, updated quests, an adjusted experience rate, and a new Europe-only server.

“We have collected invaluable feedback from thousands of players during the closed beta test,” said Matthew Denomme, Marketing Manager for Game Bridger Entertainment, “this feedback will inform improvements to the Priston Tale 2 gameplay experience in the upcoming open beta and beyond.”

Priston Tale 2: The Second Enigma is a free fantasy MMORPG for Windows PCs supporting Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Players venture across the vast and wondrous continent of Priston, currently under siege from the forces of the evil god Midranda, in a race to locate the only worldly power capable of ending his evil reign: the mythical Second Enigma. Priston Tale 2 features three unique races of playable characters, a combo-based active battle system, competitive player versus player combat, new skill and item systems, and extensive guild and party support. All this, in addition to slick, high-quality graphics made possible through the power of the Unreal Engine. Priston Tale 2: The Second Enigma is a part of the GamerKraft library of free games.

Longbow Games has released its flagship Real-time Strategy (RTS) game Hegemony: Philip of Macedon. Six years in the making, Hegemony: Philip of Macedon is a strategy game that will appeal to gamers and history fans as it follows the story and conquests of Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, downloadable now for $29.99.

“After six years we’ve finally released the game that we hoped it would be with the quality, gameplay and historical reverence that war gamers and RTS players demand,” said Jim McNally, CEO of Longbow Games. “Philip of Macedon was a great leader and in many ways paved the way for Alexander the Great to conquer the world. We know fans of the genre and those that have an interest in how Greece was conquered will enjoy the game.”

Players will be able to conquer the ancient Greek world as they campaign across a continuous satellite-accurate map of ancient Greece, encountering the full range of warfare from reconnaissance to raids to field battles to mountain blockades, all while managing these included features:

* Innovative supply system – Siege and starve the enemy by cutting their supply lines or burning their crops, all the while building and protecting your own supply network to support your growing empire.
* Steeped in history – In-game pedia and 100+ historical objectives recreate the rise of the Macedonian empire.
* Detailed and stylized world and map – Transition smoothly between the detailed 3D world and the stylized board-game map while maintaining complete control over your empire.
* Subjugate your enemy – Chase down and capture routed enemy units to create slave gangs to work your mines or build your forts. But don’t leave them unguarded or they could rebel and wreak havoc in your empire’s heartland!
* Conquer the seas – Build or capture a fleet of triremes to protect your coastlines, raid enemy merchants, or drop an army at your enemy’s backdoor.

On Tuesday May 18 at 8 pm ET, The Agenda with Steve Paikin (TVO) offers a revealing discussion with experts in the field of internet privacy during mesh, Canada’s Web Conference. Guests include Ann Cavoukian, Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner and one of the leading privacy experts in the world; Mathew Ingram, senior writer at GigaOm, one of the leading technology blog networks; and David Fewer, director of the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) based at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law.

The debate, hosted by Steve Paikin, will examine the way that internet companies change the visibility of our private information, and whether users are wrong to be sharing so much information or companies are wrong to be sharing information they don’t have the right to share. What happens when a company has control of our personal information, and that company is based in a country with different privacy laws? Once something is posted online, is it too late to start thinking about privacy?

Viewers may watch the broadcast on Tuesday May 18 at 8 pm ET or watch it in live streaming video at 1:20 pm ET.

The Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) and Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) today welcomed the US Federal Court ruling yesterday against US-based Limewire, an online file sharing service with extensive reach in Canada and around the world.

“This decision is a huge win for artists and everyone involved in music, across Canada and worldwide,” said CRIA President Graham Henderson. “The ruling kicks another leg out from under a major source of pirated music in Canada.”

Henderson added, “Limewire is one of the last hold-outs from the Napster era that is still widely used. It’s particularly popular with people who find technologies like BitTorrent and newer peer-to-peer services too complicated. This ruling could cause a big shift from illicit downloading on Limewire to legitimate paid downloads.”

Limewire is one of the most popular peer-to-peer file sharing services. According to Alexa statistics, about 4 percent of all Limewire users are Canadian.

The US Federal Court found Limewire and its operators to be liable for inducement of widespread copyright theft and accepted evidence that 93 percent of the files available through Limewire are protected or highly likely to be protected by copyright. The Court also found that Limewire had intentionally encouraged direct infringements by Limewire users.

“Canadian music companies have been very diligent in making their artists’ work available in multiple digital channels,” said Duncan McKie, President and CEO, CIMA. “Hopefully this decision will remove a significant impediment to further developing the digital marketplace and compensating our creative artists for their continuing hard work.”

Escape features endless levels and gameplay with 3 difficulty levels for replayability. An unlimited supply of easy puzzles are free, but a 99¢ upgrade will get you medium and hard levels, feeding the addiction you won’t even see coming. Escape also features simple controls for all ages with minimalist graphics, which give it a maximum appeal for all players. You can drive yourself crazy solving the puzzles with unique cerebral game play which is complimented by relaxing audio and visual effects.

ESCAPE XL designed exclusively for the iPad features:

· Versus mode: challenge a friend in a race to solve the puzzle (IAP)
· Co-op mode: Collaborate with a friend to solve the puzzle (IAP)
· 3D graphics!
· 2 camera angles to choose from (single player mode)
· 2 characters to choose from: play as Norm or Norma
· Enhanced UI for larger interface and multiplayer modes

ESCAPE: Norm’s World XL is FREE TO PLAY! Users may access unlimited puzzles with the Easy mode. For iPhone and iPad, Medium and Hard levels cost 99¢ as IAP. For the iPad, 2 player modes both Co-op and Versus can be purchased additionally for 99¢. ESCAPE: Norm’s World is IUGO’s 16th iPhone title and their 4th iPad title to launch on the App Store. ESCAPE is also available for BlackBerry devices!

Vancouver - Cosmos Interactive Inc. has released the long awaited game Babylonian Twins for the iPhone and iPad. The new game is based on the original never released Amiga version that was made in Iraq during the economic sanctions back in the early nineties. Since day one, the game hit the top-paid list in the puzzle category on the App Store and received five star ratings and reviews. The game is available now for download on iTunes

In 1993, Rabah Shihab, an engineering student at the university of Baghdad, and two of his colleagues defied the difficulties of the sanctions and built Babylonian Twins, a game with a unique theme inspired from authentic history books. Their goal was to promote a positive image about Iraq and its history. However, the game was never released due to the sanctions and demise of Commodore. In 2007, videos of Babylonian Twins were published for the first time on YouTube sparking huge positive reaction from the Amiga retro community. Since then Babylonian Twins received thousands of hits from over 85 countries.

That success prompted the original team to reunite from Canada, Australia and the US to bring this game to the mass. They worked for 8 months with an extended team and with the financial participation of Telefilm Canada to build one of the fastest, richest and most unique puzzle platformers on the App Store.

Babylonian Twins is about the two princes of Babylon, Nasir and Blasir, and their quest to defeat the evil magic of the great sorcerer of Babylon and bring peace to the city. The game features unique two-character tag-team type play, distinguished historic atmosphere, authentic Mesopotamian art and traditional music by a talented Iraqi artist. It has over a dozen large puzzling levels with 5 different worlds to explore: The Tower of Babylon, The Assyrian Palace, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Procession Street and The Old Dungeon.

Toronto - G4BOX Inc. has announced the addition of a brand-new character for its popular military shooter, Cross Fire. Maiden, the all-new character featured in Mutation Mode, will be available April 14th and will escalate the Mutant War to new heights. In honor of Maiden, two new maps will be introduced: the Excavation Map and the Complex Map. The Complex Map, available in Ghost Mode, will also play host to the finals of the March of Ghosts Clan Tournament taking place this month.

Two new contests will also begin in April. The Mutation Theme Screenshot Contest begins on April 16th and a Mutation Theme Video Contest starts on April 23rd. Additionally, six new weapons will be featured including a Micro Galil Scope, MSG90, M12s, Tar21, RPK Camo and M4A1 Silver.

“Cross Fire Players can expect to be fully immersed this month will all of these exciting updates and events,” said Howard He, Chief Executive Officer of G4BOX. “And all of the new weapons and the new character add that much more excitement and variety to an already addictive game.”

Maiden Story

After months of bloodshed and countless deaths, Mutants and Dreads had been successfully contained to Zone 13 in the U.S. and an international port in South Africa. Humanity was finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. That turned out to be nothing more than false hope. A bizarre amalgamation of the Mutant bio-weapon and Black List’s Ghost stealth technology was developed by an unidentified weapons manufacturer. Their intentions remain unknown, but it was only a matter of time before this new menace was unleashed.
First sightings were of medical staff, presumably lab assistants who became unwilling hosts of the modified Titan bio-weapon.

Cross Fire is a free online military first-person shooter for Windows PCs supporting Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Players assume the role of either a Black List or Global Risk operative and compete in various modes of play including Free-for-All, Team Death Match, the exclusive stealth-action Ghost Mode, and the brand new Mutation Mode. Cross Fire includes a military ranking system, in-game friends lists, an integrated clan system, and deep character customization options. Cross Fire is part of the Z8Games platform of free-to-play games.

Vancouver – HootSuite has released a whole new set of tools for agencies and groups. According to today’s announcement, these Team Collaboration tools are specifically designed for collective message publishing and conversation monitoring by groups. This will allow enterprises and agencies to coordinate their efforts with colleagues and clients without sacrificing control over valuable account info or compromising the timeliness of messaging.

Business and organizations can now assemble specific Teams to manage accounts, topics or projects. Plus, anyone can add their own social networking accounts without an administrator, adding even more flexibility. Users can also save keystrokes with the highly-requested “Reply to All” option, and can spread messages auto-magically with streamlined adding of RSS feeds to any social network. Please see the HootSuite blog for the full list of new features.

Waterloo – Some of Canada’s hottest tech companies will head to the nation’s capital to look for talent when Communitech, the organization representing 700 tech companies in Waterloo Region, holds a ‘Get a Life in Waterloo Region‘ recruitment effort there on April 21. Waterloo Region companies continue to hire at a rapid pace, and the recruitment event will profile some of the outstanding 2,000 current tech job openings available in the Region.

“Waterloo Region continues to be a hot-spot for tech and despite economic challenges in other sectors, there are still many opportunities for skilled tech talent,” said Iain Klugman, CEO of Communitech. “The range of opportunity covers most technology areas from software and hardware to wireless and digital media.”

Klugman said Ottawa is a prime recruiting site because of the established reputation of the Ottawa tech community and the concentration of talented scientists, engineers and computer science professionals. Like Ottawa, Waterloo Region offers the best of both worlds: the opportunity to work for world-class companies in a community that’s a great place to live and raise a family, he added.

Companies participating in the recruiting event include big names like Research In Motion and Christie Digital Systems Canada Inc., as well as exciting up-and-comers such as social media analytics company PostRank. It will also feature some leading medical imaging firms including Agfa HealthCare, which is breaking new ground for its new building and has announced plans to increase its Ontario workforce by 140 new employees.

“PostRank and Agfa HealthCare are representative of the companies in Waterloo Region — innovative, passionate and ahead of the curve, and looking for the best and brightest talent. Availability of knowledge workers continues to be a key factor in the growth and competitiveness of tech firms in Waterloo Region,” Klugman said.

Communitech and a sampling of the Region’s hottest technology companies will be at the Brookstreet Hotel, 525 Legget Drive, Ottawa on Wednesday, April 21 from 5-7:30 p.m. to meet with tech professionals one-on-one. The full roster of companies participating in ‘Get a Life in Waterloo Region’ includes: PostRank; Agfa HealthCare; Christie Digital Systems Canada, Inc.; Research In Motion; Covarity; Sandvine; DALSA; and Nuvation. Visit www.waterlootechjobs.com for further information or to register.

Toronto – Small businesses in Canada have received a big boost with the launch of SmallCanada.com, an online marketplace that allows small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) to market their products and services at zero costs, and source new sales leads in and around Canada.

SmallCanada.com offers distinct advantages for small businesses:

- Small businesses – or Small Canadians – can create their business profile and market their latest products and services in the free space provided by SmallCanada.com.

- Prospective customers can browse through the sales pitches and connect to Small Canadians. They can also rate and recommend the Small Canadians they have worked with.

- Small Canadians can swap/barter their products and services with other businesses.

- SmallCanada.com is in talks with a few Canadian financial institutions to bring their clients on the SmallCanada.com platform. The website aims to serve as a hunting ground for venture capitalists to find SMEs with promising products and services.

- News and interviews will also keep small businesses abreast of latest developments. Small Canada interviewed Catherine Swift, President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses as part of the website launch.

“SmallCanada.com is focused on generating untapped sales leads and showcasing the diverse range of small businesses in Canada,” says Yad Hussain, Managing Director of SmallCanada.com and a new immigrant to Canada. “There is tremendous innovation among Canadian SMEs, all they need is a vehicle to push their message out to the rest of Canada. SmallCanada.com can be that vehicle.”

Toronto – Canadian companies have the power to drive the world’s economic recovery by propelling women into leadership positions and investing in female entrepreneurs, according to Ernst & Young’s report, Scaling up: why women-owned businesses can recharge the global economy.

“Women own and operate up to one-third of all private companies around the world and are the fastest-growing segment of the small-business sector,” says Colleen McMorrow, National Director of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards. “This is strong evidence that women are becoming increasingly instrumental in creating new jobs and jump-starting the economy.”

Scaling up brings together compelling research suggesting that investing in women entrepreneurs can play a pivotal role in accelerating economic recovery:

- The number of self-employed women in Canada has surged 50% since the early 1990s – to about 800,000 currently.

- The number of women-owned businesses is growing 60% faster than those run by men, according to CIBC World Markets Inc.

- Women in Canada make up a larger share of the self-employed than in any other country, according to data from the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development.

- Women in Canada own and/or operate 30% of all firms, according to the Bank of Montreal’s Institute for Small Business.

McMorrow says that Canada has made significant progress in narrowing the gender gap and efforts continue in support of women’s in equality in education, wages, political empowerment and economic participation. As the journey towards equality continues, there are many immediate opportunities for women to be supported and recognized for their entrepreneurial efforts and economic contributions.

Nominate a deserving candidate for the 17th annual Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards, the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The firm is seeking nominations of driven, innovative candidates running successful businesses.

“Entrepreneurs set out to realize dreams and don’t stop until they reach their potential, or even beyond,” says McMorrow. “From being a beacon of hope during tough times, to guiding us on the road to prosperity, entrepreneurs make revolutionary and lasting changes in many aspects of our lives.”

There is no fee to nominate. Completed application forms must be received by April 30, 2010. To be eligible for consideration, the nominee must be an owner/manager of a private or public organization who is primarily responsible for the company’s recent performance and an active member of top management. The nominee’s organization must be at least three years old.

This year’s national program sponsors are Global Television Network, National Post, La Presse and RDI.

Ottawa - The fight against spam just got easier as Roaring Penguin Software Inc., makers of the acclaimed CanIt-PRO, CanIt-Domain-PRO and Hosted CanIt anti-spam solutions, announced the release of CanIt 7.0 with some major new features. If you are interested in trying out CanIt 7.0, there is a free evaluation copy available for download.

Major new features in CanIt 7.0:

1. Outbound Rate Limiting can automatically block senders who send too many messages per hour. This allows system administrators to protect the reputation of their networks from compromised computers spewing spam. When a sender’s outbound e-mail volume exceeds the hourly rate limit, the sender is stopped from sending any more e-mail and notifications are automatically sent to the email administrator.

2. CanIt-Reputation Block List collects IP reputation data from a worldwide network of sensors. Roaring Penguin aggregates this data into four DNS-based block lists:

Spam Source: A list of IP addresses that have sent mostly spam and very little non-spam.
Dictionary Attackers: A list of IP addresses that have sent to many nonexistent recipients and very few valid recipients.
Greylist Stumblers: A list of IP addresses that have been thwarted by greylisting. Such machines are typically compromised personal computers.
Good: A list of IP addresses that have passed greylisting, have sent to very few nonexistent recipients, and have sent mostly non-spam. These machines are very likely legitimate mail servers.

3. Multiple Hierarchical levels of Administrative Control permits arbitrary levels of administrative control. For example, an installation administrator has overall control. He or she can delegate control over sets of domains to a regional administrator, who in turn can delegate control over some domains to site administrators. Finally, site administrators can delegate control over individual quarantines and settings to end-users.

Vancouver via GDC

This video supports its showing at this year’s Game Developer Conference in San Francisco, Calif. March 11-13, 2010. As one of the 2010 Independent Game Festival (IGF) finalists (and recognized for its excellence in “Visual Art”), Shank will be on display at the IGF Pavilion during regular Expo Hall hours.

Montreal – Ubisoft has released a new game play trailer for Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands. In Forgotten Sands, the developers are using the setting to take the Prince back to the roots which were a big part of Sands of Time. Our hero will travel to his older brother Malik’s kingdom, which is under attack by the Sand Army. Those gamers who played Sands of Time will be able to make use of the Prince’s signature moves and acrobatics in The Forgotten Sands. Using the same Anvil Engine which was built for Assassin’s Creed, The Forgotten Sands will feature a rich environment with massive battle scenes. Just from watching the trailer, I know that my Prince character will be facing certain death a good amount of the time, however – The Forgotten Sands looks to me like another beautifully crafted historic time piece with lots of room to explore and details to take in.

Burnaby – Electronic Arts Inc. has announced the all-new Exotic Racing Series pack for Need for Speed SHIFT. On March 18th, gamers will have access to seven phenomenal new cars and an amazing new track in the game. Highlighting this exclusive pack of cars are the McLaren MP4-12C and the legendary BMW M1. Players won’t find more brilliance, innovation, or drama than in these magnificent machines, where each is a potent mix of race car and road car. The Exotic Racing Series pack will be available worldwide on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system for $10.00 or the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system for $10.00 or 800 Microsoft Points ^{(Xbox LIVE® or PlayStation Network account required)}.

Over 50 exciting new events have also been created specifically for these cars including time challenges, endurance and sprint races. The challenging and spectacular new Riviera track boasts four unique layouts, each with daring corners, multiple blazing straight-aways and a few hairpins that will push these cars to the limit. Players that complete the package will receive an additional 125 Microsoft gamerpoints or 5 PlayStation Trophies as a reward for undertaking various exciting challenges.

The Exotic Racing Series pack cars include:

1. Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
2. BMW M1 Procar
3. GUMPERT apollo
4. Honda NSX
5. McLaren MP4-12C
6. Maserati GranTurismo S
7. Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss

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. Need for Speed SHIFT is now available on the PlayStation®3, Xbox 360, PC, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, mobile and the iPhone™.

Canada – Best Buy will launch the highly anticipated God of War III on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at midnight openings (12:01 a.m.) at select Best Buy Canada stores nationwide. The first 100 people who purchase God of War III at each of the participating stores hosting a midnight opening will receive a free God of War t-shirt. You can also trade in 2 select games and get God of War III for free from March 16-18, plus you will bet triple Reward Zone points if you purchase the game between March 16-18.

The following locations will be hosting midnight openings for the God of War III release:

1. Cambie – 2220 Cambie Street, Vancouver B.C.
2. Coquitlam – 1135 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam, B.C.
3. South Edmonton – 9931-19 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB
4. Deerfoot Meadows – Unit 300-8180 11 St. SE, Calgary, AB
5. St. James Street – A-810 St. James Street, Winnipeg, MB
6. Bay and Dundas – 65 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON
7. Heartland Town Centre – 1-6075 Mavis Road, Mississauga, ON

Edmonton – PureInbox Inc. has released a software suite called Syncamatic™, which is able to sync your contacts, calendar, memopad, tasks and files over the air to your BlackBerry®, Mac or PC.  BlackBerry® users can now synchronize, protect and easily transfer data with their mobile devices without the need for a third party server and the new software interfaces enables users to continue to use applications that they already know such as  Outlook and the BlackBerry® MemoPad and its native address book.

Users can now have their BlackBerry® smartphones’ contacts, calendar, tasks and memo’s in continuous sync. with your office, wirelessly. PureInBox is offering a free 30 day trial for the premium version of Syncamatic, and as an additional bonus, Syncamatic will include a new feature which automatically synchronizes Files. This new feature will enable users to download files to their BlackBerry® smartphones, edit the files and attach these files to emails. If you require your data to be current and in constant synch, Syncamatic is for you! Your data is encrypted and should you lose your smartphone we can reinstall your data on a new phone.

Vancouver -  HootSuite has added Foursquare and MySpace functionality to their social media dashboard. The release comes just in time for SXSW – the massive interactive media, film and music conference in Austin, Texas.

Mayor of the Nest

Foursquare combines way-finding, social marketing and gaming in an addictive mobile app which encourages everyday socialites to “check in” at cafes, bars, conferences, and other locations to alert their friends, share tips and even become “mayor” of a location. Additionally, using HootSuite, travelers can easily follow recommendation from locals when visiting other cities. This location-based tool also creates a unique marketing opportunity for businesses who seek valuable word-of-mouth advertising and endorsements from regular customers.

Bands, Meet Fans

MySpace is the first stop for fans and artists to discover, connect and communicate. Consistently in the top dozen websites, MySpace is home to an abundance of creatives – from bands to filmmakers. With HootSuite, the hundreds of bands playing at SXSW can easily outreach to fans about gig locations, surprise shows and new song releases. Likewise filmmakers can quickly rally attention across networks for screenings and release dates. Fans can also spread the word about noteworthy bands or movies to build buzz – or to just make their friends jealous – all from the HootSuite web dashboard.

Tools for Marketers

Today’s release includes a powerful addition of default settings to custom URL parameters which were added in HootSuite’s “Barn Owl” release (Feb. 15, 2010). This feature helps marketing and customer service teams track campaign results by adding unique referral identifiers. The release also includes a variety of bug fixes and performance enhancements.

Bar-B-Q and Apps in Austin

Following the Android and iPhone App launch on March 2, HootSuite coordinated this release with the 23rd annual SXSW conference – a massive gathering of web tech, media and artists in Austin, TX which frequently acts as a launch pad and test bed for new media products and services. The HootSuite team will be on-the-ground keeping an eye out for users updating Foursquare and MySpace with HootSuite and sharing swag specifically designed for the culture of the conference.

GDC – Palm, Inc. has announced that a public beta version of the Palm® webOS™ Plug-in Development Kit (PDK) is now available at the Palm Developer Center. Palm is demonstrating new games from early PDK developers in its booth at GDC (No. 2016).

The PDK complements the Palm webOS Software Development Kit (SDK), letting developers use C and C++ alongside the web technologies that power the SDK and mix them seamlessly within a single app. The PDK enables new functionality, including immersive 3D graphics, and gives developers who have built games for other platforms an easy way to bring their titles to the webOS platform. Developers can download the beta PDK and start developing today, but distribution of games built with the beta PDK will require functionality provided in an upcoming Palm webOS update.

“Palm webOS is the go-to platform for great games on two of the three leading carrier networks,” said Katie Mitic, senior vice president, Product Marketing, Palm, Inc. “We have both the developer tools and the hardware necessary for a world-class gaming experience, and an impressive portfolio of webOS game titles from top-notch developers to show for it.”

“The Palm webOS PDK is extremely powerful and far-reaching, as evidenced by the number of titles we’ve been able to bring to the webOS platform in a very short time,” said Baudouin Corman, vice president of publishing, Americas, Gameloft. “It’s quite difficult to make a great phone that’s also an outstanding gaming platform; Palm has been successful delivering both.”

Vancouver and New York – 2K Sports announced today they have signed Ryan Kesler, star two-way forward for the Vancouver Canucks® and 2010 Winter Olympics Team USA member, to be featured as the cover athlete and spokesman for their upcoming video game, NHL® 2K11.

“Having the opportunity to participate in the Olympics and play in front of my home crowd was one of the best experiences of my life. To now be chosen as the next cover athlete for NHL 2K11 is another dream come true,” said Kesler, alternate captain for the Vancouver Canucks. “It was awesome to work with 2K Sports last year on the NHL 2K10 commercial shoot and the outdoor motion capture session on the Las Vegas strip was incredible to be a part of. I’m looking forward to having just as much fun again, and helping them make another great hockey game this year.”

Drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in 2003 as the 23rd overall pick in the first round, Kesler has spent his entire five-year NHL career with the Canucks. As a 2009 Selke Trophy finalist, awarded annually to the top defensive player in the league, Kesler has blossomed into one of the most feared and relentless players on the ice. Best known as a two-way forward, Kesler also set personal statistical records last season with 26 goals and 33 assists. He was honored with the Cyclone Taylor award last year as team MVP and has helped to lead the Canucks this year to the top of the Northwest division.

“Ryan is one of the most talented and exciting players to watch in the NHL today and his popularity has grown exponentially since the recent success of Team USA at the Winter Olympics,” said Greg Thomas, senior vice president of sports development for 2K. “We’re thrilled to have him represent NHL 2K11 and wish him the best of luck through the rest of this season.”

Being developed by Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports studio, NHL 2K11 is not yet rated by the ESRB and is scheduled to be available for Wii™ in fall 2010.

Toronto - As part of its ongoing commitment to be the centre of people’s online lives, Yahoo! Canada today announced its partnership with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to provide hockey fans with live streaming video of the network’s popular CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts starting Saturday, March 13 until the 2010 Stanley Cup champions are crowned in June.

For the first time ever, the more than 16 million Canadians who visit Yahoo! Canada every month can access the new CBC & Yahoo! Canada site and catch their favourite hockey teams on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada each week. CBC will be responsible for all sales and marketing initiatives on the new site.

“It’s no secret Canadians love hockey, and as part of the company’s focus on delivering ‘wow’ consumer experiences, Yahoo! Canada wanted to make the experience of watching games even better,” says Gina Cothey, director, audience, Yahoo! Canada. “Hockey fans can watch their favourite teams in action and catch up on all the news and analysis from the hockey world just by visiting Yahoo! Canada. CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada is an important part of Canadian culture, and Yahoo! Canada is excited to partner with the CBC to offer NHL fans this unique online viewing experience.”

“CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada is pleased to be working with Yahoo! Canada on this initiative,” says Scott Moore, executive director, CBC Sports. “Yahoo! Canada provides a unique platform for CBC to extend the best in CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada programming to Canadians. In addition to our complete line-up at CBCSports.ca, we’re ensuring that Canadians can experience Canada’s number one weekly sports program whenever and wherever they choose.”

CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada content featured at Yahoo.cbc.ca will include:

• CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts live and on demand
• Hot Stove – Ron MacLean’s second intermission feature focusing on the latest news and developments from around the hockey world
• Coast to Coast – CBC’s expert analysts break down the evening’s action
• Top 5’s – A list of all the top hockey events of the night
• Peter Puck – A 26-part animated series featuring the legendary Peter Puck, focusing on interesting and unique stories of players and remarkable moments in hockey
• The Opens – Popular show openings from CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts
• Game In An Hour – Games condensed into an hour-long format
• Player stats and profiles and game highlights

Today’s announcement further reflects Yahoo! Canada’s commitment to bring all the latest sporting news and information to Canadians. During last month’s Games in Vancouver, Yahoo! experts and athletes Elvis Stojko (figure skating), Jennifer Jones (curling) and Ken Daneyko (men’s hockey) provided popular insights and analysis around the competitions and competitors.

Canadians came to Yahoo! Canada Sports in record numbers during the Games in Vancouver, with more than 1.7 million unique visitors during the week of February 15^th to the 21^st alone (comScore Media Metrics), making Yahoo! Canada Sports one of the most visited online destinations during the Games. This represents almost a doubling of the number of unique visitors to Yahoo! Canada Sports in the earlier weeks of February 1^st to the 14^th.

To support the company’s continued focus on hockey, Yahoo! Canada recently hired Sam McCaig, formerly with The Hockey News, into the role as hockey editor where he is responsible for delivering the best hockey content to users for all of North America. Yahoo! Canada Sports will continue to invest in and increase its hockey coverage with a junior hockey site launching in April.

Vancouver

“Our mission at EA Partners is to work with the best talent across the game industry, and we are thrilled to extend our expertise to the leading creative developers in downloadable indie games,” said Jamil Moledina, Outreach Director, Business Development at EA Partners. “The team at Klei Entertainment is among the best in the world at developing fun and engaging titles for digital distribution platforms, and Shank is an amazing experience.”

“As an independent development studio, we always focus on creating great, authentic experiences for players. Working with EA Partners expands our distribution and allows us to bring Shank to a much wider audience,” said Jamie Cheng, CEO of Klei Entertainment. “They have been a fantastic partner and their understanding of the space is incredibly exciting.”

Taking place in a stylized, modern-Western setting, Shank tells a classic betrayal story directed through a sophisticated cinematic lens, with addictive action gameplay found in classic 2D side-scrolling games.

EA’s second announced deal today is another exclusive publishing deal, this time with Hothead Games and their newest title DeathSpank, which will be coming to Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PlayStation®Network in 2010. Developed under the vision of The Secret of Monkey Island creator and industry icon Ron Gilbert, DeathSpank blends a story filled with Gilbert’s unique humor and wit with classic and addictive action RPG gameplay.

“The team at Hothead Games is a perfect fit for EA Partners. They are a great example of how the EA Partners program continues to emphasize the importance of building strong relationships with the world’s top indie developers,” said Jamil Moledina, Outreach Director, Business Development at EA Partners. “DeathSpank is an engrossingly fun and hysterically funny experience, and we are all excited to have the opportunity to help introduce DeathSpank to gamers across the world.”

Ian Wilkinson, CEO of Hothead Games added, “We are proud of our independence, but are very excited to be working with EA Partners on a title as big as DeathSpank. With EA Partners handling distribution and marketing, Hothead can continue to focus on what we do best, making great games.”

The game casts players in the role of DeathSpank, the Hero to the Downtrodden, a Vanquisher of Evil and Defender of Justice as he fulfills his life-long destiny and searches for a mysterious and magical item only known as “The Artifact”. Along the way he’ll rescue a few Orphans, defeat a local tyrant and tumble headlong into the even deeper mystery surrounding the legendary Thongs of Virtue in an epic adventure game that includes collecting loot, crazy puzzle solving, witty dialogue, collecting loot, over-the-top animations, fun, accessible action combat, and of course, collecting loot.

Hothead Games was also awarded a 2009  Editor’s Choice Award from MacWorld for bringing Jonathan Blow’s Braid (the time-bending Independent Games Festival winner) to the growing audience on the Mac.

“We’re honored to receive an award from a prestigious magazine like Macworld,” said Joel DeYoung, Hothead’s director of game technology and producer on the project. “It is part of our core purpose at Hothead to support indie development and meet the needs and desires of gamers around the world, regardless of platform. We’re excited to see others support our efforts and we will continue to lead in indie game collaboration in 2010 and beyond.”

Aylmer – Ratrod Studio Inc., with the collaboration of pro skateboarder Mike Vallely is proud to present this highly anticipated title Mike V: Do or Die. This skateboard video game is now available worldwide for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The game is rated 4+ (for everyone) and can be purchased now on the Apple App Store.

Mike V: Do or Die focuses on Mike’s path, passions and career. It will feature an overview of his evolution as an individual and his lifelong accomplishments in the history of skateboarding. Players start from the legendary ‘Bones Brigade’ Powell-Peralta era and can improve their skills while gaining experience to unlock exclusive game content including a selection of over one hundred items to choose from. They can customize their character, board, wheels and car.

The game features stunning next generation 3D graphics using the multi-touch capabilities of the iPhone or iPod Touch to simulate an authentic skateboarding experience by using a cutting edge control system to execute over 40 unique tricks ranging from different styles. The players are even able to select their stance and adjust their trucks to fit their riding style.

“This game was built by skateboarders sharing a passion for the sport and targeting skateboard fans from all around the world. We have been working hard to push the limits of what can be done on the iPhone and to deliver a unique and realistic skateboard experience on this mobile platform which can be often very challenging.” Says Pat Toulouse, Executive Producer and President of Ratrod Studio Inc.

Starting off with the basics then learning some new tricks as you play, tricks range from old school impossible to grinds, slides, grabs, plants and manuals. Mike V: Do or Die includes 7 adrenaline-packed skate locations including a Skate Park, Vert Ramp, Warehouse, Roof Tops, Movie Studio, Ditch and a Mall, the game also includes a Free Ride driving mode featuring a massive open city for players to explore.

The game features top brands and affiliates including Element, Powell-Peralta, Von Zipper, Bones, Active Rideshop, Affliction, Powell, FUEL TV and Ferret Music on top of a diversified sound track that includes multiple songs from Revolution Mother’s newest album “Rollin’ with tha Mutha”. Players are also able to use their own iPhone music library.

From skateboard legend to rock star and movie actor, Mike Vallely is known as a pioneer and innovator in the skateboarding world. Discovered by Stacy Peralta (Z-Boys) and Lance Mountain in the 80s, Mike became the first east coast street skater to emerge on the scene and became an overnight sensation. Mike is also the vocalist for the band, Revolution Mother, and is the host of his own TV show called DRIVE on FUEL TV. Recognized and idolized by skateboard enthusiasts around the world, Mike has long been featured in the Tony Hawk video game series published by Activision including their latest, RIDE.

Mike V: Do or Die is now available for the iPhone and iPod Touch and can be purchased on the Apple App Store. Ratrod Studio Inc is also planning to bring this exciting new title on the console platforms in the near future.

The game has already been recognized world-wide and nominated at the 2010 International Mobile Gaming Awards for Excellence in Design. This category is for games with an exceptional attention to visual quality.

OTTAWA – Playbrains, an independent game development studio, has announced their upcoming mobile gaming debut with Babo Crash, a fast-paced action puzzler built for iPhone, iPad and Android platforms. Babo Crash starts out simple with familiar gem-swapping match-3 gameplay, rewarding players who create bigger matches – but it ramps up the intensity one level at a time, adding hero characters with special abilities, real-time enemy combat, destructive powerups, chain reactions and evolving objectives.

Rotating the device shifts gravity, adding a strategic element to gameplay. Additionally, tilting the device controls a hero’s special power s, emphasizing tactics and rewarding fast reflexes. Once players guide a bomb to its detonation zone, they’ll instantly clear the stage and enter Overtime, a frantic bonus round where they can rack up huge scores through combo chains and multipliers.

BaboCrash brings frenetic match-three action with tons of genre-bending features:

• Addictive, high tempo match-three puzzle action
• Gorgeous graphics with over-the-top special effects
• Strategically rotate your device to control collapses
• Unleash heroic abilities to destroy tons of gems at once
• Combo/multiplier system – the faster you match, the higher you score
• 21 levels to ramp up the madness
• Leaderboards and Achievements via OpenFeint

Babo Crash is coming to the App Store in March 2010 for $0.99.

Edmonton – Bioware has released another creature bio for the upcoming Dragon Age: Origins expansion chapter, Awakening. Today’s feature creature are The Disciples, a branch of the darkspawn who “are organized despite the death of the archdemon, following the lead of unknown commanders. No civilized person can say where these darkspawn commanders come from, but they think, speak, and act with purpose, which makes them dangerous indeed.”

The Disciples join the ranks of villainous new creatures along with The Children and the Queen of the Blackmarsh. I predict much death for my Dragon Age characters in the future. Dragon Age Origins: Awakening is scheduled for release on Tuesday March 16th and is available for pre-order at video game stores everywhere. The Dragon Age franchise is rated Mature by the ESRB.

Halifax – DHX Media Ltd. has launched its Living Stories storybook apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch by DHX Interactive, DHX Media’s digital and interactive media divison. These animated storybooks will bring new and classic children’s tales to life, with titles to date including King Midas, The Tortoise and the Hare, and the Hans Christian Anderson classic The Princess and the Pea. All three Living Stories apps are available on the iTunes App Store for $1.99.

Anne Loi, Senior VP Finance and Operations of DHX Media said: “This is an ideal marriage of DHX’s production expertise in animation, illustration and storytelling, and our interactive division’s expertise in developing content specifically tailored to these devices. The Living Stories app titles are perfect for kids and parents.”

The Living Stories apps are easy-to-use for kids, allowing preschoolers to read along on their own. Users can read along with full English language audio narration that is accompanied by beautiful illustrations developed specifically for iPhone screens. DHX Media’s Living Stories apps also permit readers to record their own narration, adding their voice to the book to play back again and again.

Toronto – Open Text Corporation, Canada’s largest software company and a global leader in enterprise content management, today announced it will spend $225 million over the next five years on product innovations and related job creation at its Waterloo, Richmond Hill and Ottawa locations. At a press conference this morning, Ontario Minister of Economic Development and Trade Sandra Pupatello unveiled a $33.75 million contribution to Open Text’s initiative from the province’s Next Generation of Jobs Fund.

“As a proudly Canadian company, we’re pleased to announce this investment in a long-term growth strategy for our operations in Ontario,” said John Shackleton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Open Text. “One of the drivers for this investment is the digital media sector which offers opportunity for growth and innovation. The provincial government’s support of this initiative is an investment in Ontario’s long-term prosperity and we’re pleased to collaborate in this effort.”

Open Text’s plans will include almost 400 job opportunities at the company’s Ontario offices in Waterloo, Richmond Hill and Ottawa. Innovations driven by new Research and Development (R&D) efforts in green computing, mobile applications and high-performance systems will help Open Text continue its successful track record in the growing ECM market which is expected to have a valuation of $9.3 billion globally by 2014 (Content Management Market Shares Strategies and Forecasts 2008 to 2014 – Winter Green Research).

“This is a strategic investment that anchors Open Text’s operations in the province and furthers Ontario’s reputation as a leader in digital media and information and communications technology. We’re proud to support Open Text’s latest investment that creates high-value jobs for Ontario families,” said Minister Pupatello.

The Open Text announcement was made by Tom Jenkins, Executive Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer at Open Text, who has been a champion for digital media and a proponent of advancing Canada’s digital economy through increased talent, technology and creative investment. Open Text’s investment will not only benefit technology innovation and employment, but will also benefit the environment given digital storage reduces or eliminates wasteful printing and storage requirements.

“Our government knows that going forward, the jobs and skills of tomorrow will be different than yesterday’s. Supporting innovative companies like Open Text is part of our government’s plan to create a knowledge economy that future generations can build on – and rely on,” said John Milloy, Ontario’s Minister of Research and Innovation and MPP for Kitchener-Centre.

Toronto – Get Involved and q media solutions are pleased to announce the launch of DigitalU – the first television/webshorts to examine how the internet and social media is changing the world around us. DigitalU is an eight-part series that looks at transparency, crowdsourcing, privacy and security – with powerful examples that demonstrate how the internet is changing the way we live, work, play, consume and communicate.

DigitalU demystifies social media – from NASA crowdsourcing to map craters on Mars, or businesses like JetBlue twittering to improve the customer experience, DigitalU shows us how the speed and collaborative powers of the internet are transforming our lives. DigitalU covers everything from cautionary tales about the future and security of our personal information, to empowering stories about how the internet is fuelling change at a furious pace.

Every Friday, beginning March 5, at 8:50PM, TVO will premiere a new DigitalU short, featuring interviews with over 25 social media and experts including; Mitch Joel, Twist Image, author and pundit Don Tapscott, Jason Mogus, Communicopia, Meghan Warby, Argyle PR, Beka Economopoulos, Fission Strategy, Craig Heintzman, World Wide Web Foundation, Christopher Berry, Critical Mass, and Sacha Chua, IBM.

Additionally, beginning today, all eight DigitalU shorts will also be available on YouTube in full HD 1080p and audio versions will also be available on iTunes by mid-March.

“This series has been produced as a primer; a digital 101 of sorts,” says Dorothy Engelman, Executive producer, Digital U “With all the buzz about social media, we couldn’t find one series on television or the web that provided a big picture view of what’s spinning all around us. I personally feel overwhelmed by the speed of change and I worried I was out of the loop and missing opportunities. And so DigitalU is our attempt to help people wade through all the terminology, while giving them real world examples that bring the tools to life. We did over 25 interviews and so many great examples and wonderful stories ended up on the ‘cutting room floor’ and so we created 24 podcasts alongside the series for those that want a more in-depth look at what’s going on.”

Vancouver – When comic publisher and artist / writer Jason Thibault began combing the internet for a website that covered all aspects of the crime genre in the form of a pop culture magazine he came up empty. Enter Blunt Force Beating, a site dedicated to the coverage of crime films, novels, comics, television, documentaries and video games.

Says Thibault, “I couldn’t believe that no one had put together a site documenting all of the incredible work being done in the crime genre worldwide. Shows like The Wire, The Shield and Sons of Anarchy have already entered mainstream consciousness not to mention all of the high-quality crime graphic novels such as ‘The Hunter’ being produced in the comics industry right now. I knew something cool could be put together with the right group of people.”

Optimum Wound, a Vancouver-based boutique publisher specializing in dark crime and genre graphic novels,  already had experience both in building a popular online website for creators and publishing crime fiction. When faced with the task of building a new online magazine they enlisted the help of artist and long-time collaborator, Christopher Williams.

“I saw something magical in what Jason was putting forward. A highly-focused site for the crime market was a brilliant idea”, adds Williams. “I immediately got to work helping Optimum Wound organize a killer site. This is a passion project and everyone better hold on tight over the next few years as we build the definitive crime culture magazine. The aim is to make it the go-to source for the culture of bad people doing bad things and the vengeance that may or may not follow.”

“Blunt Force Beating” will review film, video and books both fiction and non-fiction that fall within the crime genre and its darker subgenres. As horror culture is already well documented online this site will be quite focused on the crime genre with few exceptions.

In addition to the North American market there will be a strong emphasis on covering international works. Christopher Williams and Optimum Wound co-owner Richard Serrao are already working closely together to produce a series of reviews and essays. In addition a small group of writers have been solicited to add more material to the site. With this new online crime magazine the internet just got a little more dangerous.