Calgary – iStockphoto®, the world’s busiest online stock image marketplace, today announced a new collection of images and illustrations available free of charge to Google Blogger users as part of the new Blogger™ Template Designer.
Blogger is the leading blogging product in the world with hundreds of millions of page views per day and millions of active bloggers. The Blogger Template Designer makes it simple for bloggers to express themselves through unique and beautiful web design. It’s easy to choose a base template, customize the background image, and modify the layout to create a professional site on the web. Users can access the iStock image collection directly from the Blogger Template Designer. There they will find a diverse collection of free images from iStockphoto. With just a few clicks, people can add punch and personality to their blogs.
“The Blogger Template designer empowers everyone to create a truly unique and beautiful blog, letting people express themselves in style on the web,” said Blogger Product Manager Siobhan Quinn. “We are thrilled to be collaborating with iStock, the market leader in the global microstock industry, to bring quality imagery to bloggers and help them create compelling designs for their content.”
Blogger makes it easy for bloggers to choose iStock images from the Blogger interface. Users seeking higher quality images or more options can easily click through from Blogger to iStockphoto where they can browse and purchase additional images. iStockphoto offers millions of photos, illustrations and videos to choose from at prices as low as one dollar.
“Being a content provider for Blogger will excite iStockphoto contributors and raise iStock’s profile with several new types of users, many of whom have not used micropayment stock images before,” said Danny Martin, iStockphoto’s director of business development.
Longueuil – D-BOX Technologies Inc. has announced its sixth release with Warner Bros. Pictures to feature its unique motion technology with the studio’s latest epic tale, Clash of the Titans, in theatres April 2.
“Warner Bros. continues to be one of our greatest studio supporters,” said President and Chief Executive Officer of D-BOX Technologies, Claude Mc Master. “While this is the second 3-D motion picture release to feature the D-BOX experience, with Clash of the Titans it is on a larger scale given our North American expansion over the past months. The combination of D-BOX’s precision motion effects with the added element of 3-D cinematography enhances the movie viewing experience, creating a truly realistic, multi-dimensional event for audiences.”
Action Fantasy. In “Clash of the Titans,” the ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is helpless to save his family from Hades (Ralph Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing left to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus (Liam Neeson) and unleash hell on earth. Leading a daring band of warriors, Perseus sets off on a perilous journey deep into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, he will only survive if he can accept his power as a god, defy his fate and create his own destiny.
Montreal - Ubisoft announced that it will bring the critically acclaimed Might & Magic Clash of Heroes to the Playstation® Network (PSN) from Sony and Xbox LIVE Arcade (XBLA) from Microsoft. Developed by Capybara Games, the creators of Might & Magic Clash of Heroes for the Nintendo DS ™ system, Might and Magic Clash of Heroes XBLA/PSN will give players the opportunity to enjoy the remarkable gameplay now in high definition (HD).
“We’re very excited to bring Might & Magic Clash of Heroes to PSN and XBLA,” said Senior Producer, Romain de Waubert de Genlis. “Not only have we had the chance to adapt all of our graphics to High-Definition, but we’ve also had the opportunity to improve the game even further, both in single-player battles and in the main campaign. We took many of the community’s recurring wishes into consideration, allowing players to match their strategic skills and taking full advantage of the online capabilities of PSN and XBLA.”
Might and Magic Clash of Heroes XBLA/PSN will take advantage of the next-gen console’s capabilities to increase its visual appeal and enrich the multiplayer experience. With a unique mix of RPG and an exceptional puzzle battle system. This upcoming release will give Might & Magic fans something to look forward to this Summer 2010.
Key features include:
* Rich Might & Magic Universe * High-definition environments with manga art design * Five different factions and five different heroes with five different stories * Fresh turn-based puzzle battle system with offensive & defensive combos * Unlockable heroes * Online Level-up & Ranking * Multiplayer mode for 2-4 players local and online.
Edmonton – Bioware has released information about new Dragon Age Origins: Awakening baddie The Architect – the first darkspawn to develop a will of his own and an unusual outcast who seems not to be subject to the call of the Old Gods, nor to the other darkspawn compulsions. Even though he is highly intelligent, the Architect has little understanding of humanity, and treating him as anything other than the darkspawn that he is would probably be detrimental to your character’s health. Awakening will be unleashed on the gaming public this coming Tuesday.
Calgary – iPhoneDevCamp 2 (YYC), produced by Robots and Pencils Inc., is taking place this weekend at Calgary Technologies Inc. The 1 day barcamp style un-conference starts at 9am and is open to people wanting to learn more about iPhone Apps development, marketing, business models and funding.
The list of speakers confirmed for iPhoneDevCamp 2 includes:
* Jon Lam of the iPhoenix Fund 1 and BigStack Studios Inc. * Michael Sikorsky of Robots and Pencils Inc. * Michael Loh of iKingdom Corp. * Stephen Gazzard of Broken Kings Inc. * Brenden Duddridge of TapForms.com * Trevor Doerksen of MoboVivo Inc. * Paul Thorsteinson of Big Nerds in Disguise * Isa Goksu of ThoughtWorks Inc.
Attendees will also receive source-code from the recently launched iPhone Game, Hottie Hookups – the example App being giving away will show how to create an OpenGL based disco-ball effect. The 1 day event also includes an AppsTrack where conference participants can spend the day developing an iPhone App. Space is graciously provided by the awesome people at Calgary Technologies Inc. Thank you!
Toronto – The eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit is set to deliver four days of workshops, training and over forty conference sessions focused on the processes, tools and techniques that improve online marketing, communications and business results. With the increased performance pressure placed on marketing budgets, the demand for professionals who know how to measure, recommend and introduce changes to improve marketing efforts, including social marketing efforts, is on the rise.
“Canadian businesses may have initially been slower to adopt online marketing analytics than our US neighbours, but several indicators tell a different story for 2010,” says Andrea Hadley, Conference Director of the Toronto eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit, adding that in February 2010 nearly 600 executives turned up to hear Jim Sterne, Chair of eMetrics and Founding Director of the Web Analytics Association (WAA) in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal present on how businesses are measuring the results and value of their social media investment, a topic that will be expanded upon at the Toronto Summit April 6 to 9th, 2010.
Other indicators include a series of new hires and expansion into new services by several of Canada’s top consultancies and solutions providers: IT World Canada Inc just launched the new division – Visability Marketing Optimization – which is poised to deliver marketing optimization solutions led by Sionne Roberts, eMetrics Toronto Advisory Board member and long time industry advocate. Syncapse, a global leader in the practice areas of digital measurement, social media and community building services just added several new employees to its measurement sciences division headed by Christopher Berry, eMetrics Toronto speaker and research lead for the Web Analytics Association. And Marco Bailetti, eMetrics Advisory Board member previously with Momentum is the new Senior Manager Marketing Analytics at Sapient Interactive and Consulting, where he’ll use his 10+ years of expertise to enhance their offerings.
Montreal Web analytics evangelist and educator Stéphane Hamel says, “During our recent economic downturn, we continued to see steady increases in job opportunities as well as investment in web analytics tools, consulting and training” indicating that business interest and adoption of online marketing analytics in Canada is in a significant growth curve.
In April 2010 several hundred marketers, analysts and technology executives are expected to convene at the third annual Toronto Summit, diving deep into sessions, training and workshops, advancing their skills and employment prospects. Top executives from Expedia, MTV, Cisco, Microsoft, RBC and other well known brands will share their experiences, knowledge and proven methods:
Summit tracks include:
1. Marketing Optimization for E-marketing Management 2. Acquisition Optimization 3. Conversion Optimization 4. Emerging Media, Metrics and Technology
Pre-conference Workshops April 6 and 7th: Those new to web analytics can get up to speed with an Introduction to Web Analytics workshop developed by the Web Analytics Association (WAA). Those managing analytics and business intelligence can advance their web analytics maturity by following the Road Map to Online Analytics Success; while managers from marketing and IT have an opportunity to dive deep into Google Analytics training; and ecommerce and website managers can take a crash course in Landing Page Optimization .
Vancouver – Wireless developers in Western Canada are now able to test new wireless applications on a 3G network, in real-world situations over robust networks, to help them ready their technology for market. Ericsson is supplying Vancouver-based Wavefront with HSPA radio access equipment and access to the company’s leading-edge Montreal Test Facility, one of the largest in Canada.
“The final piece of the puzzle for most wireless applications developers is testing their technology on a large-scale network,” said Mark Henderson, president and CEO of Ericsson Canada. “With this connection, developers now have convenient and affordable access to such a network as well as the support of our world-leading Montreal Testing Facilities.”
Prior to this arrangement it was difficult for developers, especially for those based in Western Canada, to test their products on a 3G network. The arrangement between Ericsson and Wavefront will give smaller organizations access to one of Canada’s leading wireless testing centres.
“Ericsson’s network test lab at Wavefront connects innovators on the West Coast with the testing resources of the world’s leading telecom infrastructure company,” said James Maynard, president of Wavefront. “Without a doubt, this contribution from Ericsson Canada will lead to more Canadian mobile applications reaching the global marketplace.”
Ericsson will provide access to a basic core network and application services with a variety of nodes including; a circuit-switched core, packet core, and a Radio Network Controller (RNC). An Ericsson RBS 3206 base station will be used for the HSPA radio connectivity. Ericsson engineering support will also be available to developers should they need help troubleshooting applications.
Formed in 2007 as a joint venture between industry and government, Wavefront supports the growth of the Canadian wireless industry with services that accelerate commercialization for new mobile applications and technologies.
Vancouver - Tuesday’s shocking announcement by Makena Technologies that they would be closing the virtual world There.com in one week has left thousands of Thereians scrambling to find a new virtual home. With so many virtual world options to choose from, many users are worried that their in-world friends will wind up scattered forever.
“Unless we can all come together and agree on one new virtual world, I’m worried that my whole online social life will fall apart,” said one concerned Therian.
To help former There.com users move to their new platform as a group, Utherverse Digital, Inc. has rolled out the virtual red carpet with a suite of offerings, including the opening of ThereNewWorld.com, a brand new virtual world that is designed to make Thereians feel right at home.
“ThereNewWorld.com looks and feels just like There.com, only with more advanced graphics. The new world is full of activities and games like combat flying, mermaid deep-sea diving and skate-boarding,” said Utherverse CEO Brian Shuster. “Users can play in the arcade, dance on the beach, swim with the sharks or super-jump buildings.”
ThereNewWorld.com is part of the Utherverse.com network of more than 16,000 virtual worlds, most of which have been built by users of the Utherverse.com software. Many former There.com users are already building virtual worlds to replicate what they’ve lost.
“I’m working on a VWW area for Firecracker FunPark, which was my neighborhood in There,” said SueZ, a former There.com designer. “…thanks so much for the warm welcome.”
In addition to creating ThereNewWorld.com, Utherverse has taken extraordinary measures to welcome former There.com users to the Utherverse network, including an exchange program that allows users to exchange their Therebucks into Rays. The company has exchanged more than 25 million Therebucks under the program.
Utherverse.com has also created a ‘There.com Forum Board‘ that is designed to replace the forum board that was abruptly closed by Makena at the same time that they announced the pending closure of There.com.
Autodesk, Inc. has introduced its “Vehicle for Games” curriculum for post-secondary students. The 16-week curriculum provides hands-on training for the entire game development pipeline, from concept art to creating an engine-ready asset. This free* web-based curriculum is designed to be used with Autodesk Maya modeling, animation, rendering and visual effects software, and Autodesk Mudbox digital sculpting and texture painting software. A six-month student trial version of Maya* and a 30-day student trial version of Mudbox* can be downloaded for use with the curriculum.
Autodesk developed the curriculum with professionals from leading game developers NCSoft and Double Helix, to mirror the requirements of real-world game development. Laguna College of Art & Design (LCAD) in California is piloting “Vehicle for Games”. Sandy Appleoff, game art department chair at LCAD, said, “Autodesk is a company that cares about the paradigm shift in the way we educate our young people, providing us with resource tools that help embrace the future of education. With the ‘Vehicle for Games’ curriculum, Autodesk provides a valuable link between educators and the game industry, and helps make sure that our graduates’ qualifications match industry needs. Having this masterful curriculum has allowed our students to move faster. By the end of the semester they will have produced game engine-ready assets and have them loaded and functioning in the game engine.”
LCAD instructor Derek Sunshine is currently teaching the curriculum. Sunshine said, “The goals set for my class are aggressive. This curriculum complements what the students are trying to achieve at LCAD by going step-by-step through the process of creating AAA quality art for games. Both LCAD and Autodesk have a standard of quality that really helps push students into gaining the upper hand in this very competitive job market.”
Intended for intermediate to advanced students, “Vehicle for Games” takes a unique approach to teaching 3D techniques by providing an art director’s point of view for various steps of game development. The first lesson explores concepts based on a narrative, guiding students through the progression of an idea that starts with a simple poem and moves into a story-rich world with many visual possibilities. The lessons examine storytelling and how important it is to identify and remain aware of the world in which the vehicle asset will be placed.
Students go through the process of modeling and texturing a vehicle for a video game, learning industry techniques. “Vehicle for Games” also provides a taste of what it’s like to be an asset modeler working in production. It includes video tutorials, models, textures, concept art, and orthographic drawings that students can follow or use as guides to create their own vehicles with their own concepts.
Access to the Curriculum
“Vehicle for Games” is available in English on the Autodesk Education Community, in the Level 4 content on the Industry Careers Framework micro site. Please note that the Autodesk Education Community is accessible only to faculty and students with a valid email address from a registered educational institution.
*The curriculum terms and conditions are available online.The software is subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user license agreement that accompanies the software.
Vancouver via GDC - OverInteractive Media Inc. (OMI) announced the official open-beta release of dimeRocker, the company’s premiere self-publishing platform that enables Unity developers to deploy and monetize their games across the social web from a single, centralized account.
The launch will allow Unity game developers – 100,000 downloads of the engine to date – to create an account at dimeRocker and access an ever-growing feature-set that includes the following turn-key API:
• Deployment to Social Networks (Facebook and MySpace ) • Real-time global and Social Leaderboards • Achievements • Scalable Hosting • Social Engagement (Wall Posts, Challenges, etc.) • Microtransaction System
“These initial beta developers will be invaluable in helping to shape dimeRocker’s technology moving forward, and will receive many “first-look” opportunities as we roll out new tools and services,” said OverInteractive Media CEO Jason Joly. “We currently have over 150 Unity developers signed up and expect to be see some exciting games using our platform in coming months.”
In tandem with the open-beta launch of dimeRocker, OMI is showcasing two next-gen social games inside the Unity booth at GDC. The first, “Air Traffic Commander”, is developed by Downtown East Side Games, in partnership with Complex Games. The game shows-off a wide range of dR functionality, from social engagement to microtransactions.
The second is a browser-version of the popular iPhone/iTouch title “Battle Bears”, downloaded more than two million times via Apple’s App store. The game took under two weeks to port over to the web and deploy via dimeRocker. SkyVu Pictures, the company behind “Battle Bears” sees this opportunity as way to not only market the App, but also provide a secondary stream of revenue from social networks like Facebook with its 400 million users. In coming months, OMI will keep expanding the dimeRocker platform by offering real-time analytics, in-game advertising and iPhone connectivity.
Vancouver – The highly anticipated expansion to Dawn of War 2 has gone live today. Chaos Rising is now available for download on Steam – although on the game’s Steam page, there is a message (as of 12 noon PST) which says the game will unlock in ten hours. Also, if you purchase the game right now for $29.99 usd, you will also get a free copy of Saints Row 2 for PC.
In Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising you will take command of the Blood Ravens and defend the sector against the Chaos Space Marines of the Black Legion. Purge the chaos filth and hold the chapter together as traitorous forces work from within to try bring down the Blood Ravens.
* New Single Player Missions – Continue your fight against the enemies of the Emperor and use your squads’ wargear, abilities, and experience to battle Chaos in 15 new missions * New environment and Multiplayer Maps – New ice planet graphics set will increase the visual diversity and adds 7 new PVP maps * Aspire to Glory – Build your existing squads up to level 30 and unlock even more devastating abilities * Chaos Corruption Mechanic – New single player mechanic allows you to equip incredibly powerful equipment that corrupts your squad and will guide the story towards or away from the corrupting influence of Chaos * New Multiplayer Race – Swear loyalty to the Chaos Gods and play as the bloodthirsty Chaos Space Marines in multiplayer battles against both Chaos Rising and Dawn of War II owners * New Units – New units for the Space Marines, Ork, Eldar, and Tyranid armies in multiplayer. * 2 New Last Stand Heroes – Face off against the relentless horde as either the Chaos Sorceror or Tyranid Hive Tyrant
Victoria – Nominations are now open for the 2010 VIATec Awards. Nominations close at 4:30pm on Friday March 19th. Recognizing technology companies in the Greater Victoria (BC) area, there are several award categories open:
* Technology Company of the Year * Emerging Technology Company of the Year * Product of the Year * Innovative Excellence * Online Strategy of the Year * Executive of the Year * Employee/Team of the Year * The Colin Lennox Award for Technology Champion * Environmental Excellence * VIATeC Member of the Year * Member’s Choice for Service Provider of the Year * Employer of the Year Award
The VIATeC Awards Gala will be held on May 13th at the Victoria Conference Centre.
Montreal – Emmy® Award-winning Toon Boom Animation Inc. today announced the upcoming release of Toon Boom Animate 2, a new version that provides professional animators with more power and flexibility for creating traditional, digital, cut-out and Flash-style animation. Toon Boom has listened to the animation community and is now delivering a new Animate version that reflects its requests. Animate is totally dedicated to animators and takes care of their needs from start to finish of their animation projects.
New feature highlights include:
• Fast distribution of character parts to layers • Easy adjustment of velocity on multiple character parts • Efficient creation of richer-looking ambiance • Full-fledged SWF export with effects • Direct import of scanned drawings (TWAIN) • Convenient text capability
Key benefits Whether preferring traditional or digital methods, animators will greatly benefit from Animate 2‘s superior feature set throughout their entire production process. Read the rest of this entry »
Vancouver via GDC – Coming out of last week’s exciting announcement of a publishing deal with EA Partners to bring Shank to XBLA, PSN and PC this summer, Klei Entertainment has released a new video of its upcoming 2D cinematic brawler. Showcasing new levels, new moves and new bosses coming to the game.
This video supports its showing at this year’s Game Developer Conference in San Francisco, Calif. March 11-13, 2010. As one of the 2010 Independent Game Festival (IGF) finalists (and recognized for its excellence in “Visual Art”), Shank will be on display at the IGF Pavilion during regular Expo Hall hours.
Montreal – Ubisoft has released a new game play trailer for Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands. In Forgotten Sands, the developers are using the setting to take the Prince back to the roots which were a big part of Sands of Time. Our hero will travel to his older brother Malik’s kingdom, which is under attack by the Sand Army. Those gamers who played Sands of Time will be able to make use of the Prince’s signature moves and acrobatics in The Forgotten Sands. Using the same Anvil Engine which was built for Assassin’s Creed, The Forgotten Sands will feature a rich environment with massive battle scenes. Just from watching the trailer, I know that my Prince character will be facing certain death a good amount of the time, however – The Forgotten Sands looks to me like another beautifully crafted historic time piece with lots of room to explore and details to take in.
Vancouver – Last Friday evening we attended Massive Bear Studio’s Launch Party at the Granville Room – your new website is awesome – and I see some upcoming news that looks quite exciting, as well. Massive Bear’s projects have included work on Microsoft-Big Park’s Joy Ride, 2k’s Mafia 2 and Day 21 Studios’ Sky Pirates of Neo Terra. Thank you again to Tim Lewinson for a fantastic time and the invitation to celebrate with you – all the best as you set off for a full slate of meetings and seminars at GDC!
It’s not generally our policy to cover the employment downside of game development, particularly with the way the economy has been over the past year or so and the adverse effect it has had on many Canadian studios. While we will always let you, our readers, know about new studio openings and career positions, we feel that other media outlets provide more than enough coverage about job losses and we don’t really need to add to the mix.
That said, I cannot let a recent development pass without comment. For those who have not yet heard, Kelly Zmak formally announced his departure from Radical Entertainment this past Friday. This truly saddens me, as Kelly has been (and will continue to be, I hope) an integral part of the Vancouver development community. A powerful and motivational speaker, Kelly has worked hard on various Advisory Boards and industry committees. He has many times played host and emcee, and he has given me more encouragement and inspiration than he is perhaps aware. I have the utmost respect for Kelly as a business person, teacher and perhaps most important of all, friend. Kelly leaves some big shoes (or should that be hat?) to fill for his successor at Radical, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish him well with his future projects. Read the rest of this entry »
Vancouver – A reminder that nominations are open for the Canadian Videogame and Digital Arts Awards, which will be held May 5th, 2010 here in Vancouver, BC. This event will honour and celebrate the best and brightest in Canadian games, computer animation and visual effects. It will be a great, fun, fast paced night featuring Canadian hosts and presenters, as well as internationally renowned musical talent VideoGames Live! You only have until midnight, Wednesday, March 17th to get your submissions in – all nominations must be made on-line at the Canadian Videogame and Digital Arts Awards website.
All awards are for work completed in Canada by December 31st 2009. This includes products that were certified gold during the 2009 calendar year. Please note: videogame upgrades, expansions and mission packs are not eligible.
Vancouver – We’d also like to remind you that the Technology Impact Awards also has a nomination deadline of March 17th. The BCTIA Technology Impact Awards celebrate the successes of our industry and the companies, people and innovation that continue to put British Columbia on the map and who serve as role models for others in our province. The Technology Impact Awards will be presented at the BCTIA dinner on June 8th. The dinner will be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre beginning at 530pm.
Vancouver – Last evening we stopped in at the Masters of Digital Media portfolio presentations, as always we were very impressed with all of the projects going on. The instructors, mentors and administrators at the campus have much to be proud of, and we foresee a very bright future for all of the innovative students in the current class. We invite you to check out the industry projects which we got a look at last night. We were particularly impressed with the innovative eLearning application Wound Care as well as with the Rainforest Project and the Bateman Centre Visualization Project.
Vancouver – Following the portfolio presentation we went over to the Pacific Space Centre to attend the VANarts graduation ceremony. VANarts also has many students to be proud of, as witnessed in the many student reels which were presented for 2D and 3D animation, Visual Effects, Game Art and Design and Digital Photography. We wish the graduating class all the best as they venture out into the wonderful world of digital media. Read the rest of this entry »
Vancouver – Electronic Arts has announced two new partnerships involving local studios. First, EA announced that it has inked an exclusive deal with Klei Entertainment to bring the studio’s provocative new game Shank to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PlayStation®Network and PC this summer. Featuring a unique art style inspired by graphic novels and golden age comics, Shank blends the intensity of classic 2D side-scrolling action games with a gripping and mature storyline. The cinematic brawler is a finalist for “Excellence in Visual Art” at this year’s Independent Games Festival and will be featured at the IGF Pavilion during the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco next week.
“Our mission at EA Partners is to work with the best talent across the game industry, and we are thrilled to extend our expertise to the leading creative developers in downloadable indie games,” said Jamil Moledina, Outreach Director, Business Development at EA Partners. “The team at Klei Entertainment is among the best in the world at developing fun and engaging titles for digital distribution platforms, and Shank is an amazing experience.”
“As an independent development studio, we always focus on creating great, authentic experiences for players. Working with EA Partners expands our distribution and allows us to bring Shank to a much wider audience,” said Jamie Cheng, CEO of Klei Entertainment. “They have been a fantastic partner and their understanding of the space is incredibly exciting.”
Taking place in a stylized, modern-Western setting, Shank tells a classic betrayal story directed through a sophisticated cinematic lens, with addictive action gameplay found in classic 2D side-scrolling games.
EA’s second announced deal today is another exclusive publishing deal, this time with Hothead Games and their newest title DeathSpank, which will be coming to Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PlayStation®Network in 2010. Developed under the vision of The Secret of Monkey Island creator and industry icon Ron Gilbert, DeathSpank blends a story filled with Gilbert’s unique humor and wit with classic and addictive action RPG gameplay. Read the rest of this entry »
Toronto – Microsoft Canada has a sweet contest going for Splinter Cell: Conviction fans. Check out the Contest Information page at GameStop (yes, this is a campaign to get gamers to pre-order SCC). The full rules for the contest, which is open to Canadians aged 18+ (or age of majority in their province of residence) only, can be found right here, but the idea is that 40 entrants will be randomly drawn from all pre-order registrants on March 18th, and those 40 entrants (along with a companion of their chosing, who must also be of majority age) will then be transported to Toronto on March 27th, where they will be hosted at a local hotel and given $100.00 in spending money. The 40 entrants and their guests will then become teams of two, and take part in a “scripted but realistic pure-skill challenge competition.”
According to the rules, each Team will travel through multiple checkpoints testing their skills against challenges inspired by the video game Xbox® Splinter Cell: Conviction®. The Team which most accurately and quickly completes all checkpoint challenges in the shortest period of time (thereby accumulating the highest number of game points) will be declared the winner. The winning Team will then stay another night in Toronto before traveling to Montreal for an overnight stay followed by a private tour of the Ubisoft offices and visit an EB Games or GameStop retail location. Please check the full rules page for more information.
Toronto – Working together with long-time collaborators Fresh TV Inc. and TELETOON Canada Inc., marblemedia has launched Stoked Interactive – to coincide with the March 4 premiere of new episodes of the series and push to the second season premiere in September 2010. With increasing interest in the program, the new site offers a tidal wave of new activities and experiences for fans around the globe. For fans of the French version of the series, teletoon.com has launched a French version of the site. Read the rest of this entry »
Vancouver – Yummy Interactive, Inc., developer of premiere digital distribution technologies, has partnered with Metaboli, Europe’s leader in digital distribution of PC games, to improve and enhance Metaboli’s class-leading online video game subscription services in Europe and in North America with GameTap.
“We’re very delighted to have partnered with Metaboli and to be helping them expand their subscriber base across the globe, especially with their many telecom partners in Europe and GameTap’s service in the United States. There is a strong fit between both companies regarding our culture and goals. Core to both of our company’s philosophies is creating the best experience possible for users playing games online,” says Nick Mellios, CEO of Yummy Interactive.
By integrating the Yummy Games delivery platform and associated APIs into its on demand service platform Metaboli has increased compatibility, download speeds and added more games to deliver exceptional value and ease of use for their customers such as British Telecom and France Telecom, along with their 50+ other white-label services.
Metaboli now offers support for games on 64-bit processors along with Microsoft Windows®7 compatibility. A variety of games will also support mods, patches, and custom maps adding even more value to Metaboli’s services.
“By partnering with Yummy we have been able to make a leap forward in our Games on Demand services. Because Yummy’s solution is so easy to integrate and feature-rich, we have been able to innovate for the next generation of online PC gaming, and we are now even better positioned to take advantage of the paradigm shift to downloadable game content,” said Olivier Decrock, CEO of Metaboli.
Edmonton – Bioware has updated the Dragon Age wiki with new information about Dragon Age: Awakening. Players can get more advance information about the enhancements coming when Awakening is released in two weeks for Mages and Rogues. It appears that there will also be new information coming soon for Warriors, Armour and Weapons, but those pages have not yet been added to the Wiki. In the meantime, here is the latest trailer which introduces Mhairi, one of the newest Grey Warden recruits. Read the rest of this entry »
Calgary – Two announcements from Ph03nix New Media today. First they announced their rebate offer for Hottie Hookups through their innovative iPhone Game Rebate program. Starting today through March 10, customers who purchase Hottie Hookups from the App Store qualify for a $1.99 cash rebate. There are only 1,000 rebates available so act fast!
Hottie Hookups is a unique time-management game from the creators of the acclaimed #1 iPhone game Sally’s Spa. Blending elements from line drawing and castle defense games, Hottie Hookups is an irreverent, ironic game where you must connect hotties on the dance floor while defending them from nerds, fatties, and geezers using a variety of techniques.
To receive iPhone Game Rebates, follow these three simple steps:
The second announcement from Ph03nix New Media involves their casual games division, Triple Hippo Studios, who has released their much anticipated casual PC title, The Tarot’s Misfortune. Available exclusively for the next month on Big Fish Games, The Tarot’s Misfortune leads players on a mysterious and dangerous adventure as they solve puzzles and uncover intriguing clues about the missing Villagers of Luzio.
“We believe we’ve succeeded in creating a game that will keep players of all levels captivated by intertwining challenging puzzles along with an intriguing storyline,” said Michael Grills, Director of Operations at Triple Hippo Studios.
In The Tarot’s Misfortune, players take on the role of tarot reader, Rosalee, who awakens disoriented in prison and must embark on a thrilling journey. Exploring the town of Luzio, players will piece together cryptic clues and find the lost tarot card deck to uncover the secrets of the village. To advance through each of the 12 beautifully detailed levels, players must uncover specific hidden objects in Luzio. Gameplay is intuitive yet addicting so both experienced casual gamers and newcomers to the genre will be entertained and enchanted. The Tarot’s Misfortune will be released to other game portals at the end of March 2010.
Montreal – The MODSIM World Canada organizing committee has put out an official call for speakers and Papers. MODSIM World™ is a unique multi-disciplinary International Conference & Exposition for the exchange of knowledge, research experience, and technology in modeling and simulation across industry, government and academia. Issues include: Read the rest of this entry »
Burnaby – Electronic Arts Inc. has announced that FIFA 10 Ultimate Team, the popular game mode expansion that creates a new way of playing the award-winning EA Sports™ FIFA Soccer 10, is available now to download for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system.
The original Ultimate Team expansion mode for FIFA Soccer 09 was the most popular PDLC expansion mode ever released by EA Sports, with over 35 million gold, silver and bronze packs opened, over 50 million auctions for players and items completed, and over 10 billion in-game coins exchanged in trades as legions of soccer fans took on the challenge to put a personally crafted team up against the rest of the world.
FIFA 10 Ultimate Team is half the price of the original — 400 Microsoft points or $4.99 through PlayStation Network — and this year enables gamers to manage one or multiple squads simultaneously, and compete against other gamers in dynamically updated online tournaments. Fans will be able to experience the game mode by creating a team with a starter pack of players and play a five game free trial (FIFA Soccer 10 and an internet connection are required for play).
Featuring over 7,500 of the best soccer stars in the world to choose from, gamers can emulate the way real-world coaches and managers build the truly great soccer teams. Choose how to manage your team –- focusing on creating one formidable squad, or managing multiple squads to match dynamic requirements for tournaments and competitions. Buy, sell, trade and acquire the biggest stars to build your team. Be strategic and tactical in preparing your squads for the various in-game competitions. A completely redesigned chemistry system built around player relationships on the pitch means that managing teams and squads to their full potential is even more critical to success. Take carefully assembled squads into standard tournaments and themed competitions against the most formidable teams from around the world – and then out wit and out play them.
Rated by the ESRB as “E for Everyone”, FIFA 10 Ultimate Team is available now to purchase for 400 Microsoft points or $4.99 as a download via Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network to FIFA Soccer 10. FIFA Soccer 10 and an internet connection are required for play. Read the rest of this entry »
Toronto – Spongelab Interactive has earned its third major international award – first prize in the Interactive Media category from the Journal of Science and National Science Foundation’s 2009 Visualization Challenge. This is the second consecutive year which has seen Spongelab Interactive named as the winner.
Spongelab Interactive’s Genomics Digital Lab (GDL) is an integrated on-line learning environment where users experience the world of biology through discovery-based learning. GDL (version 4) is currently being used in over 50 countries around the world, illustrating a demand for new technology-based and game-based teaching tools. Spongelab continues to promote the use of immersive learning technologies to school boards and districts across Canada to increase funding commitments for the use of leading-edge interactive digital learning tools in their secondary schools and in the mean time plans to continue to keep costs minimal for individual users and classrooms. “At the high school level, one of our biggest problems across North America is that enrollment in science & math is tanking, especially among girls,” said Dr. Jeremy Friedberg, one of the founders of Spongelab Interactive. “Well-designed educational games are an amazing way to reconnect with students in an engaging and relevant way.”
GDL, was developed as the first part in a series of modular, curriculum-aligned games and interactive simulations covering an array of topics in biology. To meet the needs of students, teachers, and schools, GDL is designed to be fully accessible online from home or school through a web browser, with no downloads, or installation, and provides teachers with class management tools and integrated real-time assessment. Built around a custom learning environment, GDL employs rich, high-quality- 3D graphics designed to captivate and immerse users in the biology they’re studying.
Encompassing varying levels of difficulty, one of the many games engages students in a discovery process to ‘save’ a dying plant by identifying the correct air, light and soil conditions. GDL is built around discovery-based and self-directed learning where users are highly engaged and learn by ‘doing’ and by “playing the biology.” For example, students can choose to feed their plant water, salt water, vinegar, or soda to discover the impact on their plant: will it flourish or shrivel?
In other games, students use their imagination to come up with an “artificial leaf” or they can learn about how plants are the source of our food, fuel and everything in-between. ‘Transcription Hero’ allows students’ to take on the role of an enzyme to transcribe DNA.
Montreal – Twelve months ago, Montreal mom Michelle Skamene was unhappy about the fact that her two boys, then aged 8 and 9, spent very little time reading. Video games and computers were too much competition for their books. She and her husband, Emmanuel Greciet, decided to put a system in place whereby their kids had to earn TV or game console time by reading: 1 minute TV time for every minute of reading. An IT consultant working in field of website design, Mrs. Skamene set up a program for them to log their reading and TV time to help everyone keep track.
When friends asked if they could use it for their own children, Mrs. Skamene expanded the website to allow parents to set up their own rewards for their kids, and included a number of mini-games and features that the children could activate by reading and reading alone. The kids loved it, and it worked! They are no longer the reluctant readers they once were. “The thing is to get them started. We just needed that little extra motivation to get the ball rolling, and turning their TV time into a reward was the key. Once they made reading a regular part of their routine, and found books they liked, the incentives, really, were no longer necessary.” says Mrs. Skamene, who also created a page to help kids choose the right books. Read the rest of this entry »
Toronto – Incubator Games has released new concept art for their upcoming puzzle-RPG Tribes of Mexica. In a unique effort geared towards public involvement, the studio has unveiled artwork which could represent a possible stylistic direction for the game. Incubator Games encourages site visitors to cast their vote on the styles and possibly influence future visual developments for Tribes of Mexica.
Montreal – An all-new campaign map pack called ‘Chapters of Deceit’ for the third-person co-op shooter Army Of Two™: The 40th Day has been announced by EA Montreal. Available for download on Xbox LIVE™ and the PlayStation®Network on April 1, 2010 for $9.99 or 800 Xbox LIVE points, players will return to war-torn Shanghai where they will encounter more destruction, more devastation and enemies determined to bring the city to the brink of ruin.
Army Of Two: The 40th Day – Chapters of Deceit features two all-new co-op campaign maps. In the new chapters, players stumble upon information that could lead to ending the invasion by Jonah and his 40th Day Initiative army. However, they quickly learn that everyone is out for themselves and to trust no one but their partner. Army Of Two: The 40th Day is rated “M” by the ESRB.
Vancouver – Relic Entertainment has released a developer profile for the Sorcerer, a Chaos multiplayer hero. According to the profile, the Sorcerer is a follower of Tzeentch, the Dark God known as the Changer of Ways. These psykers are unlike those of most other factions. The Sorcerer wields death and destruction with all the fireworks and power you’d imagine from a servant of the Dark Gods. His powers can break enemy formations, his shrines fire bolts of energy that damage enemy units, and they can hide friendly units from enemy sight if Heretics are worshipping at the shrine. The Sorcerer’s tricks and abilities are many – you can check them out on the Dawn of War 2: Chaos Rising dev blog.
Vancouver – DigiBC has just released details for a full day seminar whose topic is Social Networking in Transmedia Hollywood: A Strategic Master Class. The seminar will take place from 9am – 5pm on March 18th at The Emily Carr Motion Capture & Visualization Studio. Featuring Los Angeles-based Social Media Specialists Mr. Darcy Jouan, Ms. Shira Lazar, Mr. Gregory Markel and Peter Huh, this session will focus on discussions and audience feedback on Transmedia trends and challenges faced by Traditional Media producers using social media techniques to cross over into the Interactive Online space. Tickets for this event are $40.00 for DigiBC members and $60.00 for non-members. Space for this seminar is limited, so early registration is recommended. Read the rest of this entry »
Vancouver – Relic Entertainment’sWarhammer® 40,000™: Dawn of War® II – Chaos Rising™, the highly anticipated standalone chapter in the critically acclaimed RTS series, has reached the gold master stage of development and entered manufacturing. Chaos Rising features the traitorous Chaos Space Marines army as a playable race, a new single-player campaign, a level cap increase from 20 to 30, more powerful war-gear and a suite of innovative multiplayer options. Scheduled for a nationwide release at all major retail and online outlets on March 11, 2010, Chaos Rising will be available as a Games for Windows LIVE® PC title for a suggested retail price of $29.99.
“Chaos Rising is the perfect follow up to Dawn of War II, 2009’s RTS Game of the Year, offering an incredible amount of new content for an amazing value,” said Travis Plane, Vice President of Global Brand Management, THQ. “Relic Entertainment is the industry’s leading RTS developer and will once again deliver bone-crushing action, breathtaking visuals and unprecedented innovation in the genre.”
“Chaos Rising builds on the success of Dawn of War II to create a truly epic and memorable experience for fans and newcomers alike,” said Jonathan Dowdeswell, General Manager, Relic Entertainment. “The game features an intense single player campaign with 15 new action-packed missions and our most brutal multiplayer army yet, the Chaos Space Marines.”
St. John – The CNIE-RCIÉ Awards Festival, which recognizes excellence in the innovative educational practice and use of learning technologies in all educational settings has issued a call for Submissions and Jurors. Distributed learning, open/distance education, and institutional contexts including government, commercial and or industrial sectors, both nationally and internationally, are invited to participate in the competition which will be adjudicated by a committee of professional peers from across Canada.
A total of approximately 20 Awards are available for presentation in English and French.
Two different CNIE-RCIÉ categories are open to competition:
· Awards Festival
· Graduate Student Stipend Award
The deadline date for submission for the Awards Festival program is February 25th, 2010, with the Awards presented at the Festival which takes place in St. John NB this coming May 16-19. Read the rest of this entry »
Calgary – iStockphoto®, the world’s busiest online stock image marketplace, today announced a new collection of images and illustrations available free of charge to Google Blogger users as part of the new Blogger™ Template Designer.
Longueuil – D-BOX Technologies Inc. has announced its sixth release with Warner Bros. Pictures to feature its unique motion technology with the studio’s latest epic tale, Clash of the Titans, in theatres April 2.
Chief Executive Officer of D-BOX Technologies, Claude Mc Master. “While this is the second 3-D motion picture release to feature the D-BOX experience, with Clash of the Titans it is on a larger scale given our North American expansion over the past months. The combination of D-BOX’s precision motion effects with the added element of 3-D cinematography enhances the movie viewing experience, creating a truly realistic, multi-dimensional event for audiences.”
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