This past weekend the Documentary Organization of Canada – Toronto Chapter held docSHIFT Summit 2011, a conference with the purpose of educating and supporting documentary filmmakers who are looking to leverage their storytelling abilities and position themselves as the go-to people in this new and evolving marketplace.

While the target audience for the event was documentary filmmakers, I thought it would not be a bad thing as an interactive producer to also attend, to hear about the trends in interactive production for documentary and to listen to the concerns these filmmakers have while manoeuvring the transition to interactive storytelling.

The two day conference covered the full spectrum of interactive documentaries featuring case studies, academic insights, and lessons learned from industry leaders.  Topics ranged from user experiences (web, mobile apps, and gaming), business cases, branded entertainment, opportunities in elearning, opportunities for integrating augmented reality and games into documentary storytelling, legal considerations, and how to pitch to investors and broadcasters.

While impossible to write an article on every discussion and cover every wedge of information, this article is intended to summarize key take-aways from the event.  The conference organizers will be posting videos of many of the sessions in the coming weeks, but in the meantime you can review my curation of tweets from the event for additional insights.

Innovation in Documentary Filmmaking

The event started off with a keynote from Ryerson University’s Dr. Charles Davis who gave an overview of innovation in the documentary landscape.  Opportunities for innovation include the development of new business models for the content, to look at the use of multiple platforms to tell stories (ie – film, online, mobile, book, educational materials), and a need to create a “brand” for themselves as companies and for the Canadian interactive documentary industry as a whole (which was further highlighted later in the event about the international recognition of the NFB’s efforts in the interactive factual storytelling space).

Dr. Davis noted the transition into interactive can be difficult for filmmakers to adapt to, because successful interactive productions are a triad hybrid of business, creative, and technical considerations.  He also highlighted (which is relevant for most convergent products), that the trend in interactive story experiences is moving away from “huge, expansive storyworlds” and into smaller experiential chunks.

Opportunity for Storytellers

While interactive experiences tend to be inherently non-linear, the backbone is still based on a linear story – whether it outlines the user experience itself, or as the guiding backbone of the interactive concept.

An example of this “backbone” is The Goggle’s  Pine Point Interactive done in collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada.  The experience is framed in a linear way – beginning, middle, and end to the narrative – but offering the user a means of customizing the experience.  While the story is framed with pages that the user selects to advance the story, within each page users can shuffle photos, watch additional video content, etc.

Secret Location’s James Milward emphasized the importance of considering your user’s experience, noting that while an interactive experience is designed in a non-linear fashion, “a user’s journey is linear”.  He also emphasized the importance of “deciding in advance what success looks like”.  This decision and early consideration of a strategic plan helps to determine the delivery model and type of content.

Matt Locke, the Director of www.storythings.com added to the message: the biggest challenge of getting attention (in the digital space) is answering why people will spend time with your project – it is up to the creators to answer that.  “No matter how wonderful/beautiful your doc is, if the experience and usability isn’t great, you lose that tenuous connection to the user.”

Filmmaker Lalitha Krishna from In Sync Video demonstrated how by researching her audience early, she was able to adapt her digital media component for Semisweet to her audience wants before developing Choco-locate (created with the support of TVOntario, the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, and the OMDC Interactive Digital Media Fund).

Krishna’s documentary Semisweet looks into the lives of four individuals who have been intrinsically transformed by chocolate. Examining the history and social impact of the commodity of chocolate, she had assumed the best interactive component would be a further exploration into these themes.  However, upon focus-group testing with chocolate lovers, their number one request was a way to easily find chocolate.  From this feedback, Krishna changed her interactive concept into a mobile app to help locate local quality chocolateers and also set up a blog that highlights these retailers.

By researching her audience and setting a strategy in the early stages, Krishna was able to start production on all three platforms (documentary, iPhone app, website) with a clear understanding of what each component was adding to the IP, and could focus her team`s production efforts appropriately.

How to Know What Platform to Use?

The recurring question for the audience was “how do I know what to do?”.  With the variety of options both for content (website, social media/community building, interactive functionality, additional videos, games, augmented reality), and platforms/technology (online, iOS mobile, Android mobile, Facebook, Google+, QR codes) how does a filmmaker know what’s best?

Ryerson University’s Richard Lachman’s recommendation: “Play with existing content and determine what you like – If you don’t know anything about digital, how do you know you need a game for your project?”  Only by playing with content can you discover what works, what doesn’t, what suites your storytelling style, and what audiences will want to interact with.

Milward emphasized that in interactive, “eyeballs are important”.  Lachman additionally emphasized that the interactive space has its own set of metrics different from film: while someone watching only 8 minutes of a feature film is considered a failure, in interactive someone sticking for 8 minutes is considered a success.

Lachman recommendeed that filmmakers not fall into the GMOOT (get me one of those) traps when developing an interactive project – focus on what your story needs.  The Goggle’s Michael Simons agreed, that for Pine Point they “pushed back on the robots” and focused only on what they needed to tell their story.

What are the Broadcasters Looking for in a Digital Media Component?

The conference organizers were able to collect nearly all of the interactive representatives of the Canadian broadcasters who commission documentary content (CBC, TVOntario, Shaw Media, Corus Entertainment, Bell Media, and Glassbox).  While each broadcaster has its own content mandate and focus that matches their broadcast audiences, in terms of interactive experiences, they all had the same advice to the attendees.

Because documentary productions tend to pull in smaller audiences, there are fewer financial resources available for interactive content for this genre.  Additionally, many of the interactive departments at the broadcasters are given a single budget which is to both operate their department and for licensing interactive material.  Producers who are able to sell the broadcaster’s interactive teams on the vitality of the interactive experience and demonstrate how that experience can lead to more eyeballs to the television component, the broadcasters will find means to support the project.

While the broadcasters are not always in a position to contribute significant interactive license fees or Canada Media Fund envelope allocations, they will find other means of support, such as in-kind services and guidance in applying to the Bell Fund’s Low Budget Production Program.

All of them emphasized the importance of story in the pitch.  CBC’s Tessa Sproule observed best formulation for transmedia treatments is one that is organic to the story and its themes.  ShawMedia’s Chris Harris recommended Producers focus their pitch on the level of engagement with the digital media property over pitching on the “thing”.  Corus Entertainment’s Caitlin O’Donovan reminded the audience that the digital media components, while needing to be compelling on their own, still needs to help convert into broadcast ratings.  Bell Media’s Ryan O’Brien added it is “meaningful experiences” that help expand the audience.

Christine McGlade discussed TVOntario’s two-tier approach to digital media material to support documentary films.  Their DocStudio platform is a simple online tool that curates their documentary promotional content, “DVD-extension type materials”.  Separate from this initiative, TVO is looking for “interesting extentions” to the broadcast property as an eligible digital media component.

Harris commented that the television series is usually what is greenlit first, but the interactive team is getting involved earlier.  When to pitch interactive for a Shaw Media property depends on when the Producer is ready – but be sure to not pitch for the “thing”, focus on the story and the level of engagement.

Simon Foster detailed Glassbox’s heavy-online focus, that their audience is hungry for online content, and are making efforts in building their digital media content library.

What do the Funds Really Want?

Andra Sheffer, Executive Director, Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund and Francesca Accinelli, Director, Canada Media Fund Program Administration, English Market from Telefilm Canada each took some time to demystify their Funds for the participants.

Sheffer explained that the Bell Fund wants to know and understand what makes the project engaging.  Detailing the user engagement in your application is a significant key to a successful funding proposal.  She also highlighted their Low Budget Program as mentioned by the broadcasters – they have discovered that not every interactive component needs to be a complex experience and plenty of excellent, innovative, engaging products can be produced for less than $100,000.

Accinelli outlined very clearly what the CMF means by “rich and substantial” in the Convergent Stream guidelines – it is new content that is meaningful to the user.  Simply cutting your film/television series into smaller bites is not eligible, but new or unused content is.  In response to a question from the audience, she also explained that in the cases where the digital media component is leading the broadcast, simply releasing smaller clips of the soon-to-be-broadcast television component is also ineligible.

Examples of previously funded “rich and substantial” documentary products (in addition to Semisweet’s Choco-locate) include:

• Samaqan – Water Stories
• One Ocean
• Totally ADD

When applying to the CMF’s Experimental Stream, Accinelli cautioned the attendees on how different that program’s mandate is from the Convergent Stream, and how it attracts a different collection of applicants.  Experimental Stream applications come in from game studios, portals, content aggregators, and software tech – many are organizations who do not often access funding from other programs or tax credit sources and are designing new technology and experiences.  She also responded to concerns that the Experimental Stream is “only games” – and explained that “games” are actually wide collection of interactive experiences.  Every round of the Experimental Stream sees 180-220 applications.

Accinelli also strongly emphasized that the Canada Media Fund is in the process of reviewing all funding programs, and will be locking their guidelines for a 2 year period. Public consultations and highlights of any proposed changes are available via their discussion board: http://www.cmf-fmc.ca/discussions

About docSHIFT

docSHIFT: Real Stories to Multiple Platforms facilitates new creative partnerships and helps develop innovative interactive documentary projects. docSHIFT is organized by the Documentary Organization of Canada – Toronto Chapter, made possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation and is presented in partnership with Ryerson University, Hot Docs, CFC Media Lab and the National Film Board of Canada.

The docSHIFTSummit was made possible by the Ontario Media Development Corporate on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, with the support of HotDocs, Ryerson University, National Film Board of Canada, Canadian Film Centre Media Lab, the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund and Interactive Ontario.

Sasha Boersma is an independent business analyst & consulting producer for the Canadian interactive, convergent, and games industries. She is active on twitter (@sashaboersma) sharing general insights and news about and relevant to Canadian IDM, and blogs on the business of the Canadian interactive digital media sector at www.bewareoftheleopard.ca.

This new app and its companion web site turns walking into a game by sending you on fun challenges that motivate you to move around your city. Arookoo rewards you for increasing the amount of steps you walk each day by completing a wide variety of fun activities, including:

• Fun Walking Challenges and GPS Map-based Scavenger Hunts – Arookoo’s strong game layer makes walking fun through imaginative walking challenges, collectable GPS-map rewards, and a loads of special awards to earn
• Daily Team Challenges with Friends – Invite friends to join your team or compete against you, and help each other stay motivated
• Healthy Calorie & Distance Tracking – Want to go deeper? Improve your health by setting personal walking goals, tracking distance, burning calories, and more
• Is always with you - Arookoo automatically tracks your walking, making it easy to walk and take more steps to a healthier you

Inside Disaster – The Experience was produced by PTV Productions in association with TVO. Funding was supplied in part by the Canada Media Fund, Bell Fund, the Canadian International Development Agency and Ontario Media Development Corporation. Inside Disaster was created to challenge “assumptions made about relief work in disaster areas.” Inside Disaster is not a game in the traditional sense – there is no score; instead, this very graphic and to-the-point experience allows you to work within the parametres of a relief helper, and then experience the outcome of any decisions you commit to. Note – this is not a game for sensitive people. The images are graphic and can be disturbing. Please heed the warning on the game’s site.

Phylo – A Human Computing Framework for Comparative Genomics. Apparently the game isn’t as scary as the name implies. According to its site, the game is “just an interactive game that lets you contribute to science.” Phylo was made with the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, McGill School of Computer Science, McGill Centre for Bioinformatics and the McGill Computational Structural Biology Group.

Discovery Channel Canada has a series of six videos from Popular Science’s: The Future Of…  that looks at innovation in the field of Play. I believe that the videos on Discovery Channel Canada are only viewable via the web for those with a Canadian IP address, so my apologies to our international readers. Here is a link to the show on Discovery.com (US), and a link to Pop Sci’s videos on Discovery.com, which may or may not work for international viewers. These episodes of the show feature information about a mixed reality lets you reach into the computer game and control it with your hands, a smart football that teaches us all how to play sports like the pros, pervasive games take over entire cities and discover siftables: kids’ alphabet blocks on steroids.

THQ and Relic Entertainment have released a new trailer for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Retribution™, which is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2011. In this latest chapter, which takes place years after the events in Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising™, Retribution allows players to choose their perspective with the first multiple-race single player campaign in the Dawn of War II series. The first race to be revealed is the savage Orks, but no matter which race is chosen players will be taken on an epic journey through each story arc, revealing the answers to many questions left open in previous Dawn of War titles.

As well as the single player campaign, Retribution will feature new multiplayer units, maps and an entire new playable faction when it ships.

Get Set Games has released Mega Jump for the Android platform. Available free of charge, Mega Jump can be downloaded to your Android phone by scanning the game’s QR code on the Get Set page.

Mega Jump on Android is compatible with all phones running Android OS 2.0 and up, and “features the same great graphics, hilarious sounds and action-packed gameplay. It also has the same leaderboards and achievements as the iPhone version – thanks to OpenFeint – so you can compete against your friends who have the iPhone version.”

ParetoLogic’s staff has come together once again this holiday season to provide gifts and charity for those in need. The Salvation Army Christmas Angels campaign and the Mustard Seed food bank have both been long-time recipients of ParetoLogic charity activities. This year, staff managed to up their donation levels, to provide happier holidays for those in need.

The Mustard Seed collects non-perishable foodstuffs for the underprivileged, and feeds over 7000 people a month in the Victoria area. To collect food, an extra-large hamper has been a mainstay of the ParetoLogic offices for the holiday season. The 125-litre bin is full to the rim with donations from ParetoLogic employees and their families.

Marlee Wilson, ParetoLogic’s Office Manager and de facto co-ordinator of charities, was optimistic about donations. “I can tell you that we have a full bin and I’m going to drop this off and hopefully we can fill it again before Christmas.”

The Salvation Army Christmas Angels program collects donations of toys and distributes them to children in need. An estimated 6000 children will receive gifts through the Christmas Angels program this winter. Donators are provided a child’s age and gender, and then pick out an appropriate present. The gift is transferred to the child’s parents, so they may give their daughter or son a happy Christmas. ParetoLogic staff donated 33 gifts this year, for children aged between two and 18.

“Mustard Seed is a charity for life, but the Christmas Angels is a charity for the soul. All children deserve a merry Christmas, and we are delighted to help do that,” said Wilson.

Readers of Canada’s national current affairs magazine can now enjoy Maclean’s at their tech-savvy fingertips with the Maclean’s App for iPad, now available on the App Store. The inaugural issue of Maclean’s magazine for iPad features content from Maclean’s Newsmakers 2010 special issue.

Each issue of Maclean’s comes complete with all the news, commentary, photography and columnists that have made the magazine the country’s most indispensable weekly read for more than a century. The content is beautifully rendered for iPad with an array of enhancements that bring the pages to life: embedded video, photo galleries, digital links, a live letters section, issue-at-a-glance and other navigation tools, and also gives readers the ability to save their favourite articles and share them with friends and family via Facebook, Twitter and e-mail.

The inaugural Newsmakers 2010 issue features:

• an animated video cover
• dozens of beautiful photos/photo galleries
• video of Justin Bieber performing live
• video montage of newsmakers who passed away in 2010
• our regular columnists: Andrew Coyne, Scott Feschuk, Paul Wells and more

“Maclean’s is dedicated to bringing readers relevant and thought-provoking content on today’s latest technology,” says Maclean’s publisher and editor-in-chief Ken Whyte. “With the new Maclean’s App for iPad, our readers can now enjoy everything they love about Maclean’s from the convenience of iPad.”

While the Maclean’s App is available for free from the App Store on iPad, each downloadable issue is priced at $2.99. Maclean’s 6th annual and biggest-ever Newsmakers edition looks at the year’s winners and whiners, heroes and heartbreakers, sinners and saints. Among them: Newsmaker of the Year Sidney Crosby and other Canadian Olympic heroes; Justin Bieber and Toronto Mayor Rob Ford; the arrival of British Prime Minister David Cameron and the election of Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s first female president; and the exits of Michaëlle Jean, Simon Cowell, Lloyd Robertson and Cathy cartoons; the dramatic rescue of the Chilean miners, the many setbacks of Barack Obama, the comeback of Conrad Black—and the triumphant return of Betty White.

Driven by North American, European and Asia Pacific markets, online gaming continues its steady growth and the latest purchasable study from American-based ABI Research forecasts revenues of slightly more than $20 billion in 2012. Technology developments will mean new opportunities for connected devices beyond the computer.

The Asia-Pac region, especially China, will be the engine behind much of this growth. However, in China, due to generally lower levels of personal PC ownership, the business models are evolving a little differently. According to industry analyst Michael Inouye, “World of Warcraft, for instance, generates significant revenue for Activision in Europe and North America on a subscription basis. But in China, despite a large ‘subscriber’ base, the revenues are far smaller: it’s more of a pay-as-you-go model (prepaid game cards). This also creates a greater reliance on ‘cloud’ or server-based games.”

Another difference in Asia is regulation. “In China, Korea, Vietnam, and elsewhere the rules are more exacting in what they allow. Some games for instance, have had to alter their content: using WoW again as an example, the developers had to remove the virtual blood.”

The increasingly varied and range of connected devices will also permit gaming on more platforms. For example Free, a French broadband and IPTV provider, has partnered with Intel to develop a very advanced set-top box (Freebox Revolution). The STB includes an Intel Atom processor, controller with gyroscopic inputs, Blu-ray player, powerline adapters, Wi-Fi, and a game controller. While these games might be more locally- based for now, they point to the potential for opening this up to multiplayer and MMO gaming.

There are challenges, though. Mobile gaming (eg. on smartphones) could be disruptive. The market is fragmented, with proprietary platforms the rule, posing difficulties for developers trying to serve a number of smaller platforms rather than a few big ones. And the growth of cloud gaming demands more and bigger servers and data centers.

ABI Research’s “Gaming in the Cloud” study examines the casual and Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games markets and the potential role for connected consumer electronics. It contains regional revenue forecasts and discusses pressing technical issues and is part of the Digital Living Research Service.

ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research’s worldwide team of experts advises thousands of decision makers through 30+ research and advisory services.

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.”

Burnaby – The dev crews over at EA Black Box have been very busy. Yesterday the studio announced the official Need for Speed World beta launch, and today they’re inviting gamers to team up and throw down in Skate™ 3, the latest installment in the award-winning franchise. Skate 3 will be in stores in North America on May 11th, 2010 and worldwide on May 14th, 2010. Redefining the skateboarding experience, Skate 3 breaks new ground by letting gamers build their ultimate skate team both offline and co-operatively (*internet and EA account required for online play) to take on new challenges or competitive battles against other teams.

“Since the very beginning of the Skate franchise, we have captured the true essence of skateboarding, be it from the feel of nailing that perfect trick, to the feeling of just hanging out and sessioning with your friends,” said Jason DeLong, Senior Producer. “For us, SKATE 3 is the culmination of this endeavor – the most connected, accessible and social skateboarding experience yet.”

In the all-new Skate.School, Coach Frank acts as a mentor and teaches newcomers the ropes by showing them all the ins-and-outs of skateboarding as they hone their skills on the sticks before hitting the streets with their team. Veterans will also feel right at home in Skate.School as they refresh their skills but also learn all the new tricks SKATE 3 has to offer including darkslides and underflips.

Gamers can hit the streets with the pros in the all-new city of Port Carverton – a true skater’s paradise with unique districts, skate parks, and endless lines. For fans with a creative flair, the new Skate.Park editor allows gamers to create their own dream plaza or mega-ramp park from scratch or use the Object Dropper to alter the landscape of Port Carverton to truly change the face of the city. In the end, SKATE 3 delivers a completely immersive and connected experience, giving gamers the tools to build and share their own skate parks, videos, and photos with all their friends by uploading them via the internet directly from their console or by importing custom created graphics & logos from the Skate website (*internet and EA account required).

SKATE 3 features a deep roster of the world’s greatest skaters including several Thrasher Skater of the Year winners:

SKATE 3 will be available on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB.

Ottawa – The Cultural Human Resources Council has asked The Conference Board of Canada to examine the cultural sector workforce in Canada. They want to learn about your opinions on the opportunities, challenges, trends and issues that you face; as well as your suggestions for enhancing the quality and sustainability of Canada’s cultural sector.

The Cultural Human Resources Council works for and with all the cultural industries and arts disciplines in the cultural sector including: Live Performing Arts; Writing and Publishing; Visual Arts and Crafts; Film and Television Production; Broadcasting; Digital Media; Music and Sound Recording; and Heritage.

To help to maintain funding and programs specific to the need of the cultural sectors, please take the time to complete the survey. There is a survey tailored to employees, freelancers and employers. The survey can be accessed online.

Sault Ste Marie – There is plenty of activity going on at Algoma University as well. The University will be hosting the 3-day Digital Storytelling Workshop organized by the Queer Voices of the North Film Festival. The workshop will be held in the Round Room at the George Leach Centre March 22nd to the 24th, 2010, and is intended to provide a venue for local lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, two-spirited, and other transgendered or queer (LGBT2SQ) youth to share their stories about living in the North.

Algoma University’s Diversity Advisory Committee first became involved with the festival in February, 2010. It is Northern Ontario’s only LGBT2SQ film festival and seeks to provoke important discussion on queer topics, to increase queer visibility in the North, and to celebrate local LGBT2SQ history. “Algoma University embraces the diverse composition of its student population.” said Diversity Advisory Committee Chair Dawn Elmore, “This workshop and festival provide an opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and two-spirited youth to come together and share stories about their experiences in the north. This sharing of perspectives enriches our learning community and promotes respect and understanding in our community.”

“Algoma University’s on-campus club Proud Algoma hosted the very first Queer Voices Film Festival, and since then it grew to be a size that required use of both Galaxy Cinemas and the Grand Theatre.” said festival co-director, Sarah Broad, “It really feels fitting that at its 5-year anniversary, it will be back at the University for the capacity-building piece.”

The Digital Storytelling Workshop is being conducted by Toronto’s Centre for Digital Storytelling. The workshop will bring 10 LGBT2SQ youth through the process of creating their own digital stories which participants can opt to screen on Saturday, March 27th, during the Queer Voices of the North Film Festival. Digital stories are two to five minute videos created by individuals sharing their own stories through voice, images, music, and other found objects in their lives. The digital storytelling workshop blends creative writing, oral history, and digital video production to support individuals and communities in making connections between their own lives and the lives of others.

The workshop is quickly filling up, and any interested individuals are asked to apply soon. Applications are available at the Queer Voices web site, and can be submitted online or they can be picked up and returned in person to Desireé Beck, Healthy Sexuality Co-ordinator at HARP, located in the Group Health Centre offices at 262 Queen St. East. Applicants must identify as a member of a minority sexual or gender identity (LGBT2SQ) and be under the age of 30. Some subsidies are available for Northern youth from outside Sault Ste. Marie to attend the workshop.

Algoma U has also opened its Games for Health studio, which is student-run and will focus on developing video games which have therapeutic benefit.  Over the past few months, Algoma Games for Health has been working with Toronto Rehabilitation on a prototype for recovering language skills after a stroke. The concept is to develop a game that can be used remotely by patients and therapists.

Speaking about the partnership in a press article released today, studio director Dwayne Hammond stated that “games can bring value to so many different areas. In health care, there is enormous potential for games to be employed therapeutically. Traditional rehabilitation techniques can be tedious for the patient, but by adding interactive gaming style content, patients are often more motivated to stick with their therapy.”

Games can also automatically collect valuable research data and monitor patient progress, and they can be delivered to those in need in a cost effective manner that is not restricted by geographical concerns or proximity to therapists.

Furthermore, Algoma Games for Health presents an excellent opportunity for its bachelor’s and master’s students to work in a professional studio on real-life projects. Last year, two students worked on the prototype of the language skills recovery game.

Algoma’s innovative MSc program in gaming (linked by videoconference over advanced networks such as ORION and CANARIE to the University of Abertay Dundee in Scotland) has graduated its first crop of graduates – some of whom have found employment in the field in the Sault Ste. Marie region. In addition, the Algoma Games for Health initiative is not only an ideal learning ground for students in real-world gaming applications, it may also become an incubator for program graduates to work on specific projects.

With funding from the municipal, provincial and federal governments and now with a full-time staff of four developers, Algoma Games for Health is also exploring the potential of videoconferencing technology to connect therapists to patients in their homes.

Toronto – Portfolio Entertainment Inc. has brought together a diverse and prominent pool of jurors from across the globe to weigh-in on the top 15 finalists and select the winner and runner-up of the company’s recently launched “In Toon With Tweens” animation contest.

Lending their expertise to select the two most entertaining, innovative and bold projects are Carole Bonneau (TELETOON Canada inc.), Marc Buhaj (Disney Channels EMEA), Rick Clodfelter (Cartoon Network), Jocelyn Hamilton (Corus Entertainment), Linda Simensky (PBS KIDS), Andra Sheffer (Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund) and Shari Cohen (Ontario Media Development Corporation). Contest prizes total $10,000 CDN in cash as part of Option and Development Agreements and winners will be notified on September 15, 2010. The announcement was made today by Portfolio Entertainment’s Co-Founders & Presidents, Lisa Olfman and Joy Rosen.

“We are thrilled to have such a diverse group of industry experts involved with our inaugural animation contest. Each juror was chosen for their extraordinary background in kids entertainment as well as their valuable understanding of the market,” said Olfman. “We want animators and creators to know that we want to encourage them by providing this opportunity to unleash their creative talents, articulate their distinct visions and gain unprecedented access to the insights of our judges.”

Hailing from one of Canada’s leading children’s broadcasters, Carole Bonneau is VP, Programming for TELETOON Canada inc. where she oversees the acquisition, original production and scheduling strategy for four distinct nationwide specialty television channels, TELETOON English and French, and TELETOON Retro English and French.

Representing the world’s most recognizable mouse, Marc Buhaj currently serves as SVP Original Programming for Disney Channels EMEA overseeing all aspects of Disney Channels Europe, Middle East and Africa’s content including Disney Channel, Disney XD, Playhouse Disney and Disney Cinemagic.

Providing support from global powerhouse Cartoon Network, Rick Clodfelter, serves as Director, Acquisitions & Co Productions and is responsible for acquiring pre-produced series, specials, short-form product and series co-productions that fit the Cartoon Network and Boomerang brands.

Representing Canada’s leading kids broadcaster, Jocelyn Hamilton, VP, Programming and Production, Corus Kids, oversees the programming and content strategies for YTV, Treehouse and Nickelodeon in Canada, as well as Nelvana Studio.

Stepping-in to represent the renowned U.S. public broadcasting service, Linda Simensky is Vice President of Children’s Programming for PBS KIDS. In her role she collaborates with producers, co-production partners and distributors throughout development, production, post-production and broadcast for existing and new series.

Offering insight from the world of digital media, Andra Sheffer, Executive Director for Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund manages three private funds supporting the Canadian television and new media industries: the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, the Independent Production Fund, and the COGECO Program Development Fund.

Rounding out the panel of judges, Shari Cohen, Program Consultant for Ontario Media Development Corporation, brings decades of animation production and entertainment law experience to the table. Currently, she specializes in facilitating the development and production of creative content for screen-based delivery platforms through programs such as the OMDC Screen-Based Content Initiative and the new Intellectual Property Fund.

The “In Toon With Tweens” animation contest is an initiative designed by Portfolio Entertainment to encourage creativity and out-of-the-box thinking by throwing the doors open to new voices within the global animation community. Animators and creators with serious comedy chops are invited to submit their original television or multiplatform projects targeting kids 8 to 12 years old for a chance at $10,000 CDN in cash as part of Option and Development Agreements. Entries must be received by June 15, 2010 and winners will be notified on September 15, 2010. Complete guidelines, eligibility requirements and instructions for submission can be found online.

Halifax – It’s that time of year, where thousands of enthusiasts head to the cold rinks to enjoy the sport of Hockey! Helping hockey players of all ages train their stick-handling skills, Halifax based Skillz Systems launched an interactive video game, called QuickStickz.

Hockey players can use any hockey stick, a computer and Internet access to play QuickStickz virtually anywhere and at anytime. The system includes cameras to track a custom ball and then feeds that information to the training software on the player’s computer.

“What we’ve done is taken kids’ love of hockey and their love of video gaming and combined the two,” says Dean Dachyshyn, Skillz Systems Chief Operating Officer.

QuickStickz which launched just over a week ago, has been in beta testing over the past 2 years. Young eager hockey players across Nova Scotia were able to test and play the video game providing feedback, which was incorporated into the official product.

Endorsed by Buffalo Sabres assistant coach James Patrick and Phoenix Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett, QuickStickz is poised to be the next generation training device. “We are looking forward to setting the hockey world on its ear with this revolutionary new training,” Dachyshyn says. Skillz Systems is a past participant and winner in the InnovaCorp I-3 Technology Start-Up Competition.

Edmonton – BioWare re-invented the fantasy role-playing genre with its recent release of Dragon Age: Origins. With game patches issued days after the title’s debut, BioWare delivers full support for the visually striking AMD innovation, ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology. ATI Radeon graphics now give Dragon Age: Origins players the ultimate visual experience as they see more of this vivid in-game world, and at higher resolution. 1

* BioWare issued patches on Nov. 6 and Nov. 17, 2009 to fully enable Dragon Age: Origins on ATI Eyefinity technology, ensuring that gamers have access to ultra-widescreen resolutions for the ultimate visual experience.
* Experience even more of the fantasy world of Ferelden in Dragon Age: Origins by viewing it with an ultra-wide, three display configuration using ATI Eyefinity technology, allowing for a maximum resolution of 7680 x 1600.
* ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology allows seamless enablement of the biggest game environments available today. Gamers can arrange one to three displays using the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970, ATI Radeon™ HD 5870, ATI Radeon™ HD 5850, ATI Radeon™ HD 5770 or ATI Radeon™ HD 5750 graphics cards.2

“BioWare has made ATI Eyefinity compatibility a priority, and it speaks strongly to their belief in what ATI Eyefinity technology brings to the gaming experience,” said Neal Robison, director, ISV Relationship Management at AMD. “BioWare is known for creating rich, immersive gaming experiences, and it is clear that they appreciate how ATI Eyefinity technology found on the latest ATI Radeon cards, can help further enrich the experience for gamers.”

“We’re really excited to take advantage of AMD’s new ATI Eyefinity multi-screen configuration technology,” said Mark Darrah, executive producer, BioWare. “Dragon Age: Origins is an incredibly immersive game and it’s quite impressive to experience the Dragon Age universe on this impressive technology from AMD.”

Longueuil – D-BOX Technologies Inc., a leader in innovative motion technology for the entertainment industry and developers of the GPH-120 Gaming Chair, announced today the opening of Emagine’s Cinema Hollywood located in Birch Run Michigan, the second theatre with the cinema chain. Additionally, another row of MFX Seating will be added at the Canton location, bringing the total of D-BOX Motion Seating with the chain to 42 and 267 across North America.

Emagine Canton was the first theatre in Michigan to feature the breakthrough technology last November. Due to the growing popularity and already increasing demand of the D-BOX motion seating, Emagine Entertainment is adding to its existing D-BOX auditorium in Canton and opening another location. Cinema Hollywood in Birch Run, MI., will be equipped with 18 MFX seating while 12 more motion seating will be added to Canton, both add-ons just in time for the Christmas Day release of Warner Bros.’ “Sherlock Holmes.”

“We are tremendously excited by the recent and rapid success of our technology in the Detroit area and in North America in general,” declared President and CEO of D-BOX Technologies, Claude Mc Master. “Being that we proceeded with Emagine’s first installation less than a month ago, we are very enthusiastic to see that the level of excitement generated by our motion systems can exceed initial expectations. We view these new installations from an existing customer as a true testimonial of the D-BOX value proposition translating into increased attendance, higher revenues and a true differentiating factor for exhibitors.”

“We are thrilled with the turnout we’ve experienced so far and are looking forward to growing our business and adding more theatres with D-BOX motion systems” said Paul Glantz founder and owner of Emagine Entertainment.

Adding a completely new dimension to movie viewing, D-BOX Motion Code™ is embedded, frame by frame, onto each film by D-BOX Motion Designers, perfectly synching the onscreen action with the motion sensations. Audience members will feel every action-packed moment while the seats will remain still during the quieter, more dialogue-driven scenes. Additionally, each seat is fully-equipped with personalized intensity adjustments allowing moviegoers the opportunity to experience as much or as little action as desired. For those looking to skip the long theatre lines, many D-BOX theatres offer online ticket purchasing so seats for the D-BOX experience can be reserved in advance, guaranteeing a great seat for the movie.

D-BOX Motion Code™ is now available in eleven movie theatres in North America including Wehrenberg Theatres Ronnies 20 Cine in St. Louis, Missouri; Emagine Entertainment’s Canton Theatre in Canton, Michigan; Emagine Entertainment’s Cinema Hollywood Theatre in Birch Run, Michigan; Cinéma Beloeil, in Beloeil Quebec; Cineplex Odeon Queensway Theatre in Etobicoke, Ontario; Mann Chinese 6 Theatre in Los Angeles, California; Theatres at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota; Galaxy at the Cannery in Las Vegas, Nevada; Galaxy Highland Theatre in Austin, Texas; UltraStar Cinemas in Surprise, Arizona; and UltraStar Apple Valley in San Bernardino, California.

Going to be in Edmonton this week? Check this out:

Edmonton – Players of first-person shooter computer games traditionally play while seated with a keyboard, mouse, and fixed monitor – but this could soon change. These hardcore gamers soon may be unleashed from their stationary position to enjoy a realistic virtual combat experience with life-sized video images, projected on walls, ceilings and floors, all from a weapon-styled projection game controller they hold in their hands.

Among the first consumers to try a prototype of such a product will be the players and spectators attending the Intel® Extreme Masters PC gaming tournament in Edmonton, Alberta on Friday, Dec. 11 through Sunday, Dec. 13. Intel Corp., sponsor of the event, has invited laser display technology supplier Microvision, Inc. of Redmond, Wash., to give gamers a first look at a new technology that projects a follow-you-anywhere video image – up to 200 inches across – from a handheld game controller.

Game players at the tourney who give the prototype a spin will experience “an immersive, 360-degree feel,” promises Ian Brown, Microvision’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “The company’s laser projection engine can show a distortion-free image on nearly any flat or curved surface. Consequently, the game goes along with the gamer and reflects the character’s position in three-dimensional space.”

It’s no coincidence that Microvision also happens to be a main mover behind the emerging consumer-electronics product category known as “pico projectors.” In September, the company started shipping its first SHOWWX™ laser pico projectors – based on its PicoP® display engine – to customers in the Asia Pacific region and Europe. But the game tournament demo in Canada will show off the versatility of Microvision’s PicoP display engine beyond the streaming movies, music videos, camera-phone snapshots and business presentations which are the media most likely to be shown with pico projectors.

“The game application takes advantage of our PicoP display engine’s infinite focus,” Brown says. “We believe that Microvision’s technology can be used to create a new level of realism and interactive freedom for gamers. As the worldwide market for video games exceeds $50 billion, we are very excited to partner with Intel to showcase this new advance in gaming technology to the world’s best gamers at Intel Extreme Masters.”

“Intel believes that radical innovations like Microvision’s laser projection engine will continue to drive the gaming industry forward,” said George Woo, Intel Corporation’s Marketing Manager of the Intel Extreme Masters. “We are pleased to demonstrate how Microvision’s technology and the Intel® Core™ i7 processor Extreme Edition can create a new way for gamers to become immersed in the game world.”

Hamilton

The online multiplayer game promotes physical activity via the use of a specially encrypted pedometer. Kids play the adventure game online but in order to advance to new levels and have their WeMuv character stay healthy, they must leave the computer and engage in physical activity while wearing their pedometer. By getting Muv-ing kids earn steps on their pedometer but they never know how many steps they’ve earned until they upload their pedometer at the WeMuv site. The step “currency” they’ve earned can then be spent to unlock new adventures, advance to new levels and buy nutrition to keep their WeMuv character healthy.

“WeMuv creates what most parents want, balance in their children’s lives and healthier lifestyle habits” says WeMuv Co-Founder and CEO Lisa Savelli who is a family therapist, anti-bullying expert and celebrated children’s book author. On the WeMuv online platform kids travel throughout the real world online and learn about other countries and cultures, making new friends and sharing positive interaction all with the safety and security of parental controls and limits.

Recently, WeMuv launched one of the largest schools based Physical Activity Challenges ever run in Canada in over 100 schools with more than 20,000 students participating. With direct exposure to WeMuv, children were given an opportunity to try it out and receive incentives to continue playing through the purchase of an online subscription at the completion of the school based launch. WeMuv has successfully initiated a strong membership base and online community of over 6,000 active members just two weeks after launch. “The positive feedback we’ve had from teachers, parents, doctors and most of all children has been tremendous. They simply love WeMuv” adds Jason Savelli, Co-Founder and VP Strategy and Development.

With childhood obesity rates at staggering levels in North America and many other developed countries, WeMuv couldn’t have come at a better time as busy and often stressed parents try to find novel ways to get their children Muv’in toward better health and balance between active play and sedentary activity.

In response to this research, Vancouver’s Vivity Labs has created FitBrains.com, a new online brain fitness platform that hosts fun, casual games developed by brain fitness experts, specifically designed to exercise the brain and improve the five major cognitive brain functions – memory, concentration, language, executive functions (logic and reasoning), and visual-spatial skills.

The team behind FitBrains.com – including award-winning Neuroscientist Dr. Paul Nussbaum from the University of Pittsburgh and a board of scientific advisors – has created individual brain fitness workouts for players of all ages. More than fifteen brain games can be played for free, with daily and weekly brain fitness leader boards, a Brain Fitness Blog with top brain fitness tips, and a 30-day brain fitness chart for players looking to track their brain games progress and develop a competitive edge. A premium section of the site offers additional features like in-depth brain tracking charts and the ability to play against family and friends.

“FitBrains.com is designed to provide something for everyone who’s looking to improve their brain fitness,” Dr. Nussbaum said. “Our online brain games and tools use scientific principles to maximize brain fitness impact while providing a fun way to spend time playing casual games online.”

Michael Cole, founder and CEO of FitBrains.com, said fun and motivation were key factors in the design of FitBrains.com.

“We want to tap into as many motivational drivers that get individuals of all ages to integrate brain fitness work-outs into their daily life as we can,” Cole said. “With FitBrains.com, we provide the highest quality brain fitness gaming experience on the web. The site fuses the right balance between science and entertainment, which is critical for mass adoption. ”

Ottawa – DISTIL Interactive announces a beta release date of February 1, 2009 for its Auditing Skills game. This will be the 10th off-the-shelf game designed by DISTIL, in partnership with the Canadian Standards Association. The Auditing Skills game can be used by companies using any management system, in order to train new auditors, accelerate auditor development and identify top-performing or underperforming auditors. The game is designed to help internal auditors develop the competencies specified in ISO 19011 guidelines.

The internal auditor role is a critical one in an organization, one that requires strong communication skills and effective investigative abilities, often in addition to the employee’s usual workplace role. According to auditing principles and the requirements specified in many Standards, individuals must be independent of the areas they are auditing to ensure impartiality and objectivity. Novices to the auditing field often express concerns around the interpersonal skill requirements – auditing senior management can be especially daunting; and seek practice in the interpretation of evidence. This learning product provides a safe but challenging environment for learners to develop their competence as auditors. Strong training not only improves auditors’ personal performance, but leads to accurate and complete audit findings that can facilitate improved corporate performance.

In the game, learners perform the role of internal auditor in a virtual audit of a fictitious company’s Business Management System (BMS). The BMS requirements will appear familiar to anyone who is familiar with management system standards such as ISO 9001,

ISO 14001 or OHSAS 18001/Z1000/Z10. Documentation exists within the game to provide background information for the auditor – including a Policy statement, BMS Standard and BMS Manual.

To be successful, learners must demonstrate that they are able to keep their observations within the prescribed scope of their audit tasks; manage their audit interviewees deftly – using appropriate questioning techniques and maintaining rapport; and perform a correct evaluation of audit findings based upon the evidence they uncover. The learner is evaluated on their ability to uncover and evaluate evidence, and receives in-game feedback on their performance. There are multiple missions to complete, including interviews with employees of a variety of personality types and seniority.

“This game helps the auditor-in-training avoid real problems when auditing their own organizations by allowing them to practice the key methods of collecting evidence in a safe environment, with detailed feedback to help them learn from any mistakes.” commented Linda Lawrence, an international standards expert. “The auditing game meets the needs of auditors in training by providing them with an opportunity to learn how to conduct an audit–not just the practical theory, but how to actually do it,” adds Lawrence.

For more information, visit DISTIL’s webpage on the Auditing Skills game or details on being a beta user.