10th February 2010

Canadian Innovation and New Releases

Congratulations to the teams of Assassin’s Creed 2 and FIFA 10 for making the shortlist in the BAFTA Game of the Year nominations. The public are invited to vote in this category, so I hope you’ll head over to the vote page and support our Canadian products. The Awards ceremony will take place on March 19th at the London Hilton.

IUGOVancouverIUGO‘s fantastical and ridiculously fun dual stick shooter, Daisy Mae’s Alien Buffet is now available in the App Store for the introductory price of $1.99 USD.  Daisy Mae’s peaceful, simple life in her little desert trailer park will never be the same. A full scale alien attack on earth has begun and Daisy becomes the unlikely heroine outta nowhere. Take hold of the steering wheel and help Daisy Mae shoot and blast her way to victory in this fun and quirky dual stick shooter. Aliens: you have been served!

Features:

* More aliens than you can shake a stick at!
* The baddest selection of weapons known to folks ’round these here parts
* Purty graphics and fancy sounds effects
* Sassy costumes to unlock for Daisy Mae’s alien hoedown
* Daisy Mae “taunt” moves to kill the aliens dead in their tracks
* Control options to suit every varmint’s needs
* VIP points to be earned towards an additional costume
* Global leaderboards
* Auto save

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

OMDCToronto – The Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) proudly announces that it has invested $2.9 M in funding support through its Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund (PDF) to leverage an additional $7.1 M from 94 partners to support 17 innovative projects.

The Partnerships Fund was designed to help Ontario’s entertainment and creative industries invest in smart ways to grow and increase their competitive advantage in the global marketplace. The industries eligible for funding include book and magazine publishing, music, film, television, interactive digital media and commercial theatre. Read the rest of this entry »

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

posted in Associations, Awards, Business News, Careers, Casual, Digital Products, Early Childhood, Education, Events, Everyone, Everyone 10+, Game Dev, Government, Mature, Mobile, National News, New Releases, Peripherals, Research Studies, RPG - MMORPG, Social Media, Software, Sports, Studios, Teen By: | Print This Post Print This Post

9th February 2010

Future Shop announces 2010 recipients of Future Generation Tech Labs

Future ShopBurnabyFuture Shop, Canada’s largest retailer and eTailer of consumer electronics, today announced the latest recipients of its Future Generation Tech Labs, which is awarding $250,000 worth of state-of-the-art technology and resources to update Canadian classrooms. Five schools from across Canada were selected by Future Shop to receive major donations from the Future Generation Tech Lab program.Future Generation Tech Lab

“Future Generation Tech Lab created an immediate impact at launch in 2009 and we’re thrilled to continue to provide opportunities for students and teachers this year by announcing our latest recipients,” said Todd Empey, Vice President, Operations, Future Shop. “This program is designed to give back to the communities we serve, as well as help reduce both the digital and economic divide within secondary schools.”

Future Shop received entries from communities across Canada with over 40 applications from secondary schools to receive a Future Generation Tech Lab in 2010. The following five schools are recipients of a Tech Lab, which further demonstrates the company’s commitment to secondary students and schools across Canada to help students be career ready after graduation: Read the rest of this entry »

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

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

4th February 2010

A Great Turnout For Women In Games Vancouver Social

Women In Games VancouverVancouver – Approximately 50 ladies and gents attended the Women In Games Vancouver networking event which took place last evening in the HarbourviewWIGeh! 2010 Room at Steamworks Brew Pub. This event was held to introduce the group’s mandate, representatives and committees to members of the interactive industry, and many attendees signed up to participate in those committees.

It was great to see so many studios represented, including Fit Brains, Radical Entertainment, Hothead Games, Microsoft, Propaganda Games, Ubisoft Vancouver and 80 Elements to name but a few. Many thanks to event sponsors AnnexPro and Ubisoft Vancouver who provided nibblies and prizes. If you were unable to attend but would still like to get involved, please contact the WIGeh! group through their web site.

hotdocsTorontoHotDocs has launched the HotDocs Library, making hundreds of Canadian-made documentaries available to the viewing public. The Library is completely searchable, and there are also reference playlists which have been compiled by experts. The HotDocs Library is an excellent resource for students and researchers, and is free to use. The 2010 HotDocs Festival will be taking place from April 29 through May 9 in Toronto. The Festival will present over 170 films from more than 35 countries and welcome hundreds of visitors from around the globe. Festival passes are available online, but the official selection will not be announced until March 23rd, which is also when advance show tickets will go on sale.

UbisoftMontrealUbisoft has confirmed that April 13th will be the release date for Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction. For those not already familiar with this latest iteration of the Splinter Cell franchise, Sam Fisher finds himself doing battle from the outside after an investigation into his daughter’s death unwittingly leads him to discover he’s been betrayed by his prior agency, the Third Echelon. Now a renegade, Fisher finds himself in a race against time to thwart a deadly terrorist plot that threatens millions.

Uniting revolutionary gameplay enhancements with a high-octane, no-holds-barred storyline, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction arms you to the teeth with all the high-tech weaponry and lethal skills of an elite operative and invites you to enter a dangerous world where justice means making your own rules.

Read the rest of this entry »

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

posted in Action Adventure, Associations, Awards, Business News, Casual, Education, Educational, Events, Everyone, Game Dev, Mature, Shooters, Social Media, Studios, Upcoming Releases By: | Print This Post Print This Post

3rd February 2010

Updates from FreshTV, Bioware and Fuel Industries

FreshTVTorontoFresh TV Inc., an award-winning family entertainment company, is pleased to announce that they have been awarded three Pixie Awards for their animated tween TV series, Stoked. Fresh TV took home awards for Opening Title Effects, Animation and Atmospheric Effects and was given an impressive score of 9.5 out of 10 for the series. The Pixie Awards – sponsored by the American Pixel Academy – honour outstanding creativity in Motion Graphics, Effects and Animation.

“It is an honour to receive accolades from such an esteemed group of industry peers,” said Tom StokedMcGillis, President, Fresh TV Inc. “I would like to especially thank our amazing team at Fresh TV as these awards embody the team’s continued dedication to creating quality, engaging shows.”

Stoked is an animated situational comedy about teens who come together one summer to work at world renowned Surfer’s Paradise Resort, home of the best surfing in the country. For twelve weeks they will spend their first summer away from home, work hard, and most importantly, have the opportunity to surf on their days off.

The series (26 x 30’) broadcasts Monday-Friday on Cartoon Network in the US and on TELETOON in Canada.

Bioware CorpEdmontonBioware has released several new screenshots for the upcoming Dragon Age: Origins expansion chapter Awakening. These new images focus on Vigil’s Keep in Amaranthine, which had previously served as the base of operations for the Howe family and their troops. .

Amaranthine was the first of the Fereldan arlings to fall to the Orlesian occupation. As the port Vigil's Keepcity burned, its ruling family, the Howes, fled to the countryside to wage a guerrilla war against the invaders that lasted for generations. No matter how enormous of a bounty the Orlesians promised, they could not rid themselves of the wily Howes and their ever-growing number of sympathizers.

The Howes chose the ancient fortress of Vigil’s Keep as their primary base of operations, hiding the entire rebellion within the vast complex of storage rooms and caves beneath “The Vigil” — right underneath the noses of their oppressors. When the Orlesians were finally ousted, it was at Vigil’s Keep that the flag of Amaranthine was first raised again, amidst cheers of victory. Vigil’s Keep became the new home of the Howes. Following the downfall of the Howes in Origins, Vigil’s Keep and arling of Amaranthine came under the control of the Grey Wardens. If you want to learn more about the rise and fall of the Howes, you’ll have to pick up a copy of Dragon Age: Origins, because I’m not saying anything about how they betrayed their allies and friends.

Bioware has also released a short trailer to introduce of one of the new party NPCs you will meet when you play Dragon Age Awakening, Anders. According to the video’s description, many mages chafe under the Chantrys control, and Anders is no exception. Its a lucky thing that Anders despises blood mages as much as the Chantry does, else he might have been executed as a suspected maleficaru.

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

Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening will be available for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC on March 16, 2010. And yes – I have already placed my pre-order. Dragons, magic, spies, blood and gore – too much goodness to miss.

Fuel IndustriesOttawaW!LDBRAIN, the award-winning entertainment company and one of the world’s foremost producers of animation, has entered into a partnership with Fuel Industries, the Ottawa-based digital agency and producer of popular interactive brands, including AllGirlArcade.com, to develop television, motion picture, direct-to-consumer platforms and consumer products utilizing the existing popularity of Fuel Industries’ entertainment properties.Clik Stars From All Girls Arcade

“Fuel has a great body of characters and stories with limitless creative possibilities,” said Michael Polis, CEO, Wildbrain. “As a company, we will strategically integrate the proven Fuel Industries branded properties and characters into our studio’s content and distribution businesses. Under this agreement, we are looking at a number of properties that have the potential to become sustainable franchises and growth drivers on a number of media platforms,” he continued.

“Our development deal with W!LDBRAIN, combined with their successful portfolio of world-class animation and family entertainment, is a major step in our company’s efforts to realize the full potential of our Read the rest of this entry »

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

posted in Animation, Awards, Business News, Casual, Dev Diaries, Everyone, Game Dev, Mature, New Releases, RPG - MMORPG, Social Media, Studios, Upcoming Releases By: | Print This Post Print This Post

26th January 2010

Innovacorp Announces I-3 Technology Start-Up Competition Winners

innovacorpHalifaxInnovacorp today announced the first and second place award winners in the provincial I-3 Technology Start-Up Competition, an innovative competition to identify and support high potential Nova Scotia knowledge-based businesses.

“The start-up businesses chosen as first and second place award winners are excellent examples of the types of high potential Nova Scotia companies that have the opportunity to compete globally,” said Dan MacDonald, president and CEO of Innovacorp.“The I-3 finalists are all targeting high growth industry sectors, including clean technology, life sciences, information technology, and advanced manufacturing.”

The first and second place zone winners each receive $100,000 and $40,000 respectively in a combination of cash and in-kind business building services from professional services firms located in their zones to be used for the further development of their start-up ventures. The first place winners will move on to the provincial round happening February 9, to compete for a $100,000 seed investment from Innovacorp.

The first and second place award winners in each zone are:

Zone 1 (Cumberland, Colchester, Pictou, Antigonish and Guysborough counties)

1st Place – LST Energy – Jim Trussler, Gus Swanson and Philip Landry – Pictou – has developed an innovative patented technology that will enable efficient burning of grass and hay biomass pellets. While grass and hay biomass is plentiful and renewable, until this innovation it has been impractical to use as a fuel because it caused furnace and stove maintenance issues that required continuous intervention. LST Energy will first target commercial heating applications.

2nd Place – X-Flux Environmental Technologies – David Risk – Antigonish – has developed an innovative system for real-time monitoring of carbon dioxide emissions from underground carbon capture and storage facilities. The patented technology enables a network of ground level CO2 monitoring probes, network management and validation of carbon storage for public safety and containment integrity. X-Flux is positioned to enter the global market and will begin pilot installations in 2010.

Zone 2 (Lunenburg, Queens, Shelburne and Yarmouth counties)xona games

1st PlaceXona Games – Matthew and Jason Doucette – Yarmouth – is an independent game development studio targeting Xbox 360 and PC gaming platforms. The company concentrates on intensifying retro-style games and has already gained international recognition, placing 7th in the world and 2nd in Canada in Microsoft’s 2009 Dream Build Play competition. Xona’s game Decimation X is the number one rated Xbox LIVE Indie Game in Japan.

Read the rest of this entry »

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

posted in Awards, Business News, Contests, Game Dev By: | Print This Post Print This Post

22nd January 2010

Nominations Open For CATAAlliance Innovation and Leadership Awards 2010

CATAOttawa – For twenty-five years the CATAAlliance Innovation and Leadership Awards Gala Dinner has been celebrating the best in Canadian innovation and outstanding achievement. This prestigious gala has become one of the most eagerly awaited events of Canada’s advanced technology community.

The Awards evening is meant to be a celebration of the award winners and of Canadian innovation. CATAAlliance and its partners will recognize industry innovation, expertise, and leadership in the Canadian high-technology sector. Criteria for each award is explained as part of the category description in the Nomination Guide. Nominations close on February 25 2010.

Awards will be presented in the following areas:

Outstanding Product Achievement (ICT)
Outstanding Product Achievement (Clean Tech)
Outstanding Product Achievement (Health Care)
Emerging Technology
Excellence in Science and Technology Reporting
Private Sector Innovation and/or Leadership in Advanced Technology
Public Sector Leadership in Advanced Technology
IT Strategic HR Management
CIO of the Year, for SME’s and Large Corporations

Special guests from industry and government will be invited to attend and the evening will feature the awards ceremony, networking and a business dinner. Co-hosts include Deloitte and Gowlings Lafleur Henderson LLP, in addition to Award sponsors for each category.

The 2010 Innovation and Leadership Awards Gala Dinner will take place May 19, 2010 at the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa. Paul Brent, host of CJOH TV’s Tech Now will be our guest MC. Attendees will also enjoy an informative and interactive discussion with this year’s featured panel, including:

Dan Dodge, CEO, QNX Software Systems
Derek Kuhn, Head, Alcatel-Lucent Canada
Ben Riley, Head, U.S. Defence Rapid Technology Office
Caroline Lewko, President, Wireless Industry Partnership

Banff – With 28 prestigious award categories, including the addition of four Francophone Categories, new interactive and drama categories, Best Branded Entertainment, Best Cross-Platform and Soap Operas as well as a special Green Grand Prize open to all eligible competition participants – the 2010 Rockies promise to be an exceptional competition.

The early bird nomination deadline is on February 1 with the final submission deadline on February 15, so don’t miss your opportunity to save – take advantage of the early bird discount and submit your program today! The Rockies will be presented at the 31st Banff World Television Festival at the Fairmont Banff Springs in Banff, Alberta, Canada, in June 2010.

Read the rest of this entry »

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

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

20th January 2010

Assassin’s Creed 2 and Dragon Age: Origins Nominated for GDC Awards

Ezio

Assassin's Creed 2

Organizers have revealed the nominees for the tenth annual Game Developers Choice Awards, the leading peer-based video game industry awards. Nominations this year are led by Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 2, with seven nominations. The acclaimed title is closely followed by five nominations for Thatgamecompany’s evocative downloadable game Flower, and four nominations for Ubisoft Montreal’s well-received Renaissance action game sequel Assassin’s Creed II.

In addition to the aforementioned Uncharted 2 and Assassin’s Creed II, this year’s Game Of The Year nominations are rounded out by BioWare’s Dragon Age: Origins, From Software’s Demon’s Souls, and Rocksteady Studios’ Batman: Arkham Asylum. Other multiple nominees include notably diverse titles such as PopCap’s Plants Vs. Zombies and Infinity Ward’s Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

The changes in today’s game industry are well represented in the Game Developers Choice Awards this year by the inclusion of multiple iPhone titles (including Flight Control and Spider: The Secret Of Bryce Manor) as nominations in existing categories, as well as console

downloadable titles such as Q Games’ PixelJunk Shooter and RedLynx’s Trials HD. Organizers have also further diversified the awards by adding a Best New Social/Online Games category this year, with both Facebook and free-to-play online games competing for the new prize.

 

 

Dragon Age: Origins

The Game Developers Choice Awards are open to any video game, with no restrictions or payment for game submission, and Main Competition finalists are chosen via a combination of open game industry nominations and the votes of the leading creators in the Choice Awards Advisory Committee. Starting this year, winners are now being selected by the Game Developers Choice Awards-specific International Choice Awards Network (ICAN), which is a new invitation-only group comprised of 500 leading game creators from all parts of the video game industry. Choice Awards organizers believe that, in tandem with their goal of having the most focused, impartial awards in the game industry, this additional voting transparency will further boost the awards’ reputation.

The complete list of nominees for the 10th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards are as follows:

Best Game Design
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady)
Assassin’s Creed 2 (Ubisoft Montreal)
Flower (Thatgamecompany)
Uncharted 2 (Naughty Dog)
Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap)

Read the rest of this entry »

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

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

18th January 2010

And The Winners Are…

Readers Choice AwardsThank you to everyone who took the time to nominate and vote in our first annual Village Gamer Readers’ Choice Canadian Video Game Awards. The running in many categories was very tight, often with only a vote or two separating the top three choices. We saw some great titles, studios and characters nominated, and we’re already looking forward to next year when we can do it all again. We extend our congratulations to all of the nominees and winners.

Without further ado, here are the results followed by the percentage of votes received:

Best PC Title

1. Assassin’s Creed 2 – Ubisoft Montreal (25%)
2. Dragon Age: Origins – Bioware (23%)
3. Prototype – Radical Entertainment (19%)

Best Xbox 360 Title

1. Assassin’s Creed 2 – Ubisoft Montreal (36%)
2. Prototype – Radical Entertainment (21%)
3. Dragon Age: Origins – Bioware (19%)

Best PlayStation 3 Title

1. Assassin’s Creed 2 – Ubisoft Montreal (40%)
2. Prototype – Radical Entertainment (25%)
3. The Bigs 2 – Blue Castle Games (18%)

Best Wii Title

1. The Bigs 2 – Blue Castle Games (30%)
2. Academy of Champions – Ubisoft Vancouver (28%)
3. Avatar – Ubisoft Montreal (14%)

Handheld PSP or Nintendo DS Title

1. The Bigs 2 – Blue Castle Games (20%)
2. Zombie Tycoon – Frima Studio (16%)
3. Fighting Fantasy: Warlock of Firetop Mountain – Big Blue Bubble (13%)
3. Avatar – Ubisoft Montreal (13%)

Best Handheld Phone or PDA Title

1. Gravity Well – Genius Factor Games (28%)
2. Sky Babes vs Fly Boys – A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. Games (18%)
3. Jamble – No Robots Interactive (13%)

Best Indie Title

1. Braid – Hothead Games (33%)
2. Gravity Well – Genius Factor Games (21%)
3. Madballs in Babo: Invasion – PlayBrains (15%)

Best Kids Title

1. Academy of Champions – Ubisoft Vancouver (29%)
2. Where’s Waldo: The Fantastic Journey – Ludia (14%)
3. Ice Age 3: Dawn of The Dinosaurs – Artificial Mind & Movement (13%)

Best Casual Title

1. Academy of Champions – Ubisoft Vancouver (31%)
2. Gravity Well – Genius Factor Games (27%)
3. Critter Crunch – Capybara Games (14%)
3. Masters of Mystery: Blood of Betrayal – Big Blue Bubble (14%)

Best Sports Title

1. The Bigs 2 – Blue Castle Games (24%)
2. NHL 10 – EA Canada (23%)
3. Academy of Champions – Ubisoft Vancouver (20%)

Best Driving Title

1. Need For Speed Nitro – EA Canada (71%)
2. My Sims Racing – Artificial Mind & Movement (29%)

Best Action Adventure Title

1. Assassin’s Creed 2 – Ubisoft Montreal (32%)
2. Madballs In Babo: Invasion – PlayBrains (22%)
3. Prototype – Prototype – Radical Entertainment (17%)

Best RTS Title

1. Dawn of War 2 – Relic Entertainment (48%)
2. Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor (40%)
3. Supreme Ruler 2020 GOLD – Battlegoat Studios (12%)

Best RPG Title

1. Dragon Age: Origins – Bioware (64%)
2. Whiskey Mountain Wars – Kiko Games (14%)
3. Fort Zombie – Kerberos (11%)

Best Shooter Title

1. Prototype – Radical Entertainment (54%)
2. Wet – Artificial Mind & Movement (20%)
3. Garters & Ghouls – Big Blue Bubble (13%)

Best Fighting Title

1. Fight Night Round 4 – EA Canada (54%)
2. Warriors Orochi 2 – Koei Canada (27%)
3. KrabbitWorld Origins – KrabbitSoft (19%)

Best Family Title

1. Academy of Champions – Ubisoft Vancouver (22%)
2. The Bigs 2 – Blue Castle Games (20%)
3. NHL 10 – EA Canada (15%)
3. SceneIt? Bright Lights! Big Screen! – Artificial Mind & Movement (15%)

Best Multi-Player Title

1. Madballs In Babo: Invasion – PlayBrains (40%)
2. The Game Cartel – Roundhouse Interactive (31%)
3. Warriors Orochi 2 – Koei Canada (27%)

Best Free To Play Title

1. Dragon Age: Journeys – Bioware (73%)
2. Whiskey Mountain Wars – Kiko Games (27%)

Best Social Media Title

1. Assassin’s Creed 2 Twitter Assassination Experience – Ubisoft Montreal (41%)
2. Need For Speed Nitro – Facebook App – Ayogo (25%)
3. SceneIt? Online – Facebook App – Fuel Industries (20%)

Best Music Title

1. Guitar Hero Smash Hits – Beenox (69%)
2. Jamble – No Robots Interactive (31%)

Best Serious Game Title

1. QuickStickz – Skillz Systems (32%)
2. Count Caddy – Zinc Roe (24%)
3. Learn CNC – LearnCNC.org (22%)
3. WeMuv – WeMuv (22%)

Best Audio Production

1. Prototype – Radical Entertainment (20%)
2. Dragon Age: Origins – Bioware (19%)
3. Assassin’s Creed 2 – Ubisoft Montreal (15%)

Best Environment Design

1. Assassin’s Creed 2 – Ubisoft Montreal (32%)
2. Prototype – Radical Entertainment (19%)
3. Dragon Age: Origins – Bioware (17%)

Best Cinematic Design

1. Assassin’s Creed 2 – Ubisoft Montreal (28%)
2. Prototype – Radical Entertainment (23%)
3. Dragon Age: Origins – Bioware (22%)

Best Writing In A Canadian Game

1. Dragon Age: Origins – Bioware (37%)
2. Assassin’s Creed 2 – Ubisoft Montreal (25%)
3. Prototype – Radical Entertainment (23%)

Favourite Character In A Canadian Game

1. Alex Mercer – Prototype – Radical Entertainment (23%)
2. Morrigan – Dragon Age: Origins – Bioware (11%)
3. Oculus Orbus – Madballs in Babo: Invasion – PlayBrains (10%)

Canadian Publisher

1. Ubisoft Montreal (72%)
2. Dreamcatcher Interactive (16%)
3. Meridian4 (6%)
3. Strategy First (6%)

Canadian Studio

1. Radical Entertainment (18%)
2. Blue Castle Games (17%)
3. Ubisoft Vancouver (15%)

Most Anticipated Canadian Indie Title of 2010

1. Dawn of Heroes – Wicked Studios (66%)
2. Duality ZF – Xona Games (17%)
3. Riese the Series iPhone Game – Genius Factor Games (17%)

Most Anticipated Canadian Title of 2010

1. Dead Rising 2 – Blue Castle Games (21%)
2. Mass Effect 2 – Bioware (20%)
3. Modnation Racers – United Front Games (10%)

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

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

12th January 2010

Technology Impact Award Nominations Open

Avalanche AppVancouverMountain Equipment Co-op™ (MEC), Canada’s leading outdoor retailer, and the Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC), Canada’s national public avalanche safety organization, have deepened their longstanding partnership by developing a new software application – or app – that enables iPhone users to obtain detailed and regionally specific avalanche information.

Available free of charge, the avalanche app provides users with a similar experience and the same Avalanche Appdepth and breadth of information as is available through the CAC’s website.

The application was conceived and financed by MEC, which contracted a local digital agency, Idea Rebel, to design and develop the app. The CAC provided technical assistance to the project.

“As an outdoor retailer, supporting the CAC and the app’s development go hand-in-hand with MEC selling technically advanced avalanche gear,” said George Weetman, MEC’s web marketing manager. “Promoting avalanche awareness and safety is an example of MEC’s ethic of corporate social responsibility.”

“MEC has long been one of our most loyal and generous sponsors,” said CAC Executive Director Ian Tomm. “This app is yet another example of MEC’s creative and innovative approach to helping us do our work in public avalanche safety. We are deeply grateful for their support.”

The app provides avalanche bulletins, weather forecasts, incident reports and realtime weather for seven avalanche-prone regions of British Columbia as well as links to similar information for national and provincial mountain parks in BC, Alberta and Quebec.

BCTIAVancouver – The BCTIA has opened nominations for the Technology Impact Awards, which celebrate the successes of our industry and the companies, people and innovation that continue to put British Columbia on the map and who serve as role models for others in our province.

The Awards Categories are:

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

Company Awards
Most Promising Start-up
Emerging Company of the Year
Company of the Year

Personal Recognition Awards
Team of the Year
Community Leadership
Person of the Year

CATA-WITVancouver – The CATA special interest group Women In Technology (BC Chapter) are holding a breakfast seminar on January 27th at the SFU Segal School of Business (500 Granville Street) titled Generational Differences in the Conception of Work Life Balance. The seminar, which features speaker Melissa McCrae, PhD Candidate (HRM) and Director of Graduate Studies, SFU, takes place from 7:30 – 9:30a.m. Tickets are $15.00 per person and include a continental breakfast. Those who are interested in attending can register online.

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

posted in Associations, Awards, Business News, Careers, Digital Products, Education, Events, Mobile, New Releases By: | Print This Post Print This Post

5th January 2010

Minh Le’s New Project Announced

FIX KoreaMany fans of the classic FPS and LAN tournament favourite have often wondered where Minh “Gooseman” Le has gone. Well, it turns out that since leaving Valve Software a few years ago, the former Vancouverite and SFU student joined Korean software developer FIX Korea in 2008, and they have just announced Minh Le’s current project – Tactical Intervention, will have a beta release in the first part of 2010.

Mihn Lee worked on various games including Counter-Strike for HL2, CS:Condition Zero, Tactical InterventionCS:Source, and Day of Defeat at Valve. Lee left Value because he wanted to create his own FPS. Lee started working on Tactical Intervention since 2006 and then joined FIX Korea two years ago as vice president.

Tactical Intervention takes aim at maximizing strategic team play. The game is being developed with the Source Engine and is set in the modern battle between terrorists and counter terrorism teams. Tactical Intervention is guaranteed to deliver real-like weapon and character design as well as K9 units and hostage NPCs with impeccable AI.

“The Counter-Strike-type of game is proven to be a success throughout regions such as Asia, Europe, and North America. It is quite challenging to balance between bringing out familiarity and new system at the same time. But I can guarantee you will have fun playing it,” said Mihn Lee.

Tactical Intervention is already licensed in North America and Europe and the developers are currently looking for publishing partners in other countries including Korea, Japan, China and in Southeast Asia.

Fuel IndustriesOttawaFuel Industries has released a new web application which is designed to make the following of topics on Twitter much easier. TweetYouThere is Tweet You Therecurrently in beta, and is showing the current tweets relating to this month’s CES in Las Vegas. TweetYouThere makes it simple to follow each company’s Twitter feed updates, and you can choose to view results either alphabetically or by popularity. Each company’s feed shows up in a sidebar window when you click on their respective names. I couldn’t find much in the way of information about this web app on the Fuel Industries’ site, but I would certainly be interested in learning more about TweetYouThere and finding what is in store for it in the future.

Independent Games FestivalCongratulations are due to Klei Entertainment, whose upcoming title Shank has been nominated to the IGF Awards, which take place at GDC San Francisco. Shank has been nominated in the Excellence in Visual Art category. Another Vancouver-made title in the running at IGF is Enviro-Bear, an iPhone-iTouch game designed and developed by Justin Smith. Enviro-Bear has been nominated for a Nuovo Award. Shank and Enviro-Bear are the only two Canadian titles which have been nominated for this year’s IGF. Good luck to both studios!

Sony EricssonToronto – Canadians will be among the first in the world to experience open and integrated social media, communication and entertainment with the launch of the Sony Ericsson Xperia ™ X10 phone, which will make its North American debut first in Canada , exclusively from Rogers . The Xperia ™ X10 is expected to be available in the second quarter 2010.

Read the rest of this entry »

Currently 0 Comments - Share Your Thoughts

posted in Associations, Awards, Business News, Digital Products, Game Dev, National News, Peripherals, Rating Pending, Shooters, Social Media, Software, Studios, Upcoming Releases By: | Print This Post Print This Post

  • Archives

  • Subscribe to our Newsletter


  • Select a list:

  • GWEN Radio
  • Gamers Giving Back