There’s lots going on over at IUGO Mobile Entertainment as well. Earlier today the studio announced that several of their game titles will be released for the iPad. On the list are Cliffed, Zombie Attack Second Wave and Implode, along with their brand new game, Escape: Norm’s World. We also found out today that IUGO’s Director of Business Management, Sarah Thompson, will be one of two featured speakers at the upcoming Appy Hour, which is presented by The Social Agency. Appy Hour will be happening on March 26th at the Revel Room from 4 – 6pm. Also speaking at Appy Hour will be Jesse MacFayden, a developer over at Nitobi.

The Vancouver Twestival will be taking place at the CBC Vancouver Audience Lounge this March 25th, and tickets are now on sale.  The Twestival is part of a global day of fundraising which will involve thousands of Twitter-users around the world who are gathering together to raise money for Concern Worldwide, an international humanitarian organization dedicated to reducing suffering and ending extreme poverty.

Your $20 Twestival ticket includes:

- Admission (donation to Concern Worldwide)
– 1 Wine ticket (more available for purchase)
– 1 Raffle ticket (more available for purchase)
– Food (sushi & canapes)
– Official souvenir YVRTwestival button
– Entertainment (Rob Cottingham, live DJ, Mojave)
– Socializing with Twitter friends (although that’s priceless!)

Edmonton – Bioware has announced the release dates for the next round of new DLC for Mass Effect 2. The Firewalker pack will be available beginning on March 23, and Kasumi Goto will join the crew of the Normandy on April 6. Kasumi’s DLC expansion will be titled Stolen Memories. Also coming on March 23 are new appearances for crew members Thane, Jack and Garrus. The Alternate Appearance pack will be available for 160 MS Points. The Firewalker DLC pack will include the brand new M-57 Hammerhead Hover Tank as well as five brand-new missions and locations to explore. This expansion will be free to those gamers who have the Cerberus Network option enabled. The Cerberus Network game add-on code included free to all those gamers who purchased the game new; if you bought a previously-played version, you can add the Cerberus Network option for 1200 MS Points through the XBL Marketplace. In my opinion, the Cerberus Network offers much value in return and is well worth the points if you didn’t purchase the game new.

There are also plenty of new items over in the Bioware store. Today’s new product announcement is the “Morrigan Disapproves” Dragon Age shirt. If you have a Bioware, Mass Effect or Dragon Age fan in your house, then the Bioware store is a great place to find some cool gift items from shirts and hats to lithographs and music.

The CFTPA has made the National Digital Strategy Prime Time panel videos and several PowerPoint presentations available online. To download the presentations and speeches, scroll down through the schedule list and click on the links for the presentations you would like. I think that by making these videos and presentations available to those who were unable to make the February conference is a great way to continue a national dialogue for the development of a Canadian digital strategy, and I appreciate the efforts by those at the CFTPA for taking strides to keep those of us in the digital media industry informed and talking.

I’m going to leave you on this Friday afternoon with a music video from the young English rock group Jonny Black. Now, you may ask yourself why a Canadian digital media news site is promoting an English group, and I would answer, “because the young men who make up this group are friends of ours and they deserve some extra promotion. Plus, they’re gamers, too.”

Formerly known as Mendella, Jonny Black’s band members are among those who have a dream and work hard to forge their path in the achievement of that dream. This video in particular is an endeavour by the group to have one of their songs chosen as the UK soccer team’s anthem for the 2010 World Cup. We hope that you enjoy Jonny Black’s music as much as we do, and will help their video go viral (watch it, fave it, share it) thereby playing a part in the achievement of their goals. You can read more about our involvement with Jonny Black and learn more about these young men here, here, and in our gallery, right here.

Global

The competition, in its fifth year, invites professional, hobbyist and student game developers to submit their original game concepts for a chance to win prizes such as a trip to the Tokyo Game Show (for professionals and hobbyists), and a trip to the 2010 Austin Game Developer conference (for students). Other prizes include cash, the latest hardware systems, the newest software packages, and agency engagement packages to help developers market and promote their winning game.

Game developers can submit their concepts for judging in three categories:

* Best Game for a Desktop
* Best Game for a Laptop
* Best Game for a Netbook

Judge’s Choice Awards will also be given for Best Art Design, Best Graphics Performance, Best Sound Design, and Best Character Design.

For the first phase of the competition, developers will be asked to submit their game concept by June 22 2010. The game concept must describe an idea that will make for an incredible game. In addition to the brief description, developers are invited to include screen shots, visuals or videos of the idea — these materials will help provide context for the judges to review and see the complete vision of the game.

Finalists will be selected by July 11 and will have until August 31 to provide detailed game demo abstracts and game executables. From there, the finalist entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges made up of industry experts. The winning game demos will be announced during the Austin Game Developer’s Conference on October 5. Winning demos from Levelup 2009 are also available to play online. Oh and for those interested, Intel is hiring for its Vancouver location.

Montreal – The demo for Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction is available now for download to your Xbox 360. Splinter Cell: Conviction, developed by Ubisoft Montreal, opens with our hero Sam Fisher working off the grid trying to solve his daughter’s murder. We find a changed Sam back in Washington, where he must work with old friends he can no longer trust, forced to save a country he no longer serves. Left without any choice, Sam has to defeat both a vast, faceless enemy and the shadows of the past to find out what happened to his daughter – and himself. Splinter Cell: Conviction is scheduled for full release exclusively to the Xbox 360 in April, and is rated M by the ESRB.

Just a few of the key features that gamers can look forward to in this latest Sam Fisher adventure include:

* New level of action: A full arsenal of cutting-edge innovations allow you to outflank foes with the Last Known Position™ system, tag and eliminate enemies using the Mark and Execute™ feature, and much more.
* Blockbuster experience: A unique storytelling style keeps you on the edge of your seat as you navigate the explosive world of a renegade agent where trust is impossible and justice requires you to go above the law.
* A new level of immersion: A revolutionary new graphic direction delivers an utterly seamless gameplay experience that’ll keep you totally engrossed in the story of Sam Fisher.
* Explosive Xbox LIVE play: Brand-new addictive multiplayer modes amp up the dramatic intensity like never before.

Montreal – EA Montreal has released an all-new co-op campaign map pack titled ‘Chapters of Deceit’ on Xbox Live for their award-winning title, Army of Two: The 40th Day. Available immediately on Xbox Live Marketplace (800 MS Points), the map pack will be available on April 1 on the PlayStation Network ($9.99). Army of Two: The 40th Day – Chapters of Deceit puts players back amidst the disaster in Shanghai where they will stumble upon new information that could help end the invasion by Jonah and his 40th Day Initiative army. However, they quickly learn that everyone is out for themselves and no one can be trusted. The lives of this iconic two-man private military team are at risk, forcing players to rely on each other to get out alive.

Originally released in January 2010, Army of Two: The 40th Day boasts a robust playbook of co-op moves. The game features one of the most extensive and varied weapon customization systems ever found in an action/shooter game. Players can mix and match weapon parts and execute strategic two-man tactics that create a one-of-a-kind co-op action experience. Army of Two: The 40th Day is rated “M” by the ESRB and is available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and the PSP.

Toronto – TransGaming, Inc. has announced that it is working with Google to develop ANGLE (Almost Native Graphics Layer Engine), an Open Source project to provide improved hardware and driver compatibility for the upcoming WebGL™ web graphics standard for systems running Windows®. The ANGLE project aims to achieve this broader compatibility by layering the OpenGL® ES 2.0 API on top of Direct3D®. The result for developers working with the WebGL standard will be a more consistent experience for their applications and a larger potential audience of users.

The API at the base of the WebGL standard, OpenGL ES 2.0, is an industry standard which enjoys broad support on a variety of embedded consumer electronics devices. In addition to enabling a greater range of hardware and driver compatibility for WebGL implementations, TransGaming expects ANGLE to help developers prototype embedded applications on Windows systems, and to provide new options for developers seeking to deploy their products.

TransGaming’s deep expertise and experience with OpenGL, a fundamental building block for the company’s other video gaming enablement products, makes TransGaming the ideal partner to work with Google on making WebGL content work everywhere. “The ANGLE project is a natural extension of TransGaming’s work to help developers enable their content on as many platforms as possible”, commented Gavriel State, Founder & CTO of TransGaming, Inc. “‘Not only does the project increase the range of supportable systems for WebGL, it also provides a bridge that allows developers in other areas, such as the mobile and embedded spaces, to test and deploy their content on Windows.”

Halifax – DHX Media Ltd. is pleased to announce that the hit pre-school children’s series Animal Mechanicals has been licensed in the US by a major broadcaster. Further non-commercial details will be released by both parties in the coming weeks.

“We are thrilled that Animal Mechanicals, produced by DHX Media’s Halifax Film animation studio, has been picked up for broadcast in the US,” said Michael Donovan, DHX CEO. “Penetrating the US market is a big step for this exceptional Canadian educational show for pre-schoolers which is now in its third season on CBC in Canada and has previously been picked up for broadcast in over 100 countries around the world.”

Animal Mechanicals is produced by DHX subsidiary Halifax Film for CBC in Canada, and has previously been licensed to Disney Channels in the UK, France, and Asia, ABC2 in Australia, M-Net in South Africa, Discovery Latin America, EBS in Korea, and Al-Jazeera’s Children Channel in the Middle East by DHX distribution subsidiary DECODE Enterprises.

Animal Mechanicals is an action adventure series for preschoolers that combines fantastical worlds, mythical animals and cool quests. And, best of all, Animal Mechanicals transform! Big as dinosaurs and twice as powerful… meet the Animal Mechanicals: Rex, Unicorn, Komodo, Sasquatch and Mouse. They live and play in a place unlike any other: a colorful “snap-together-take-apart” world. Their world can also transform, just like the Animal Mechanicals. Imagine an incredible interconnecting and interactive play-set! Things are always popping up, changing shape and, most of all, presenting challenges to the Animal Mechanicals. Animal Mechanicals can be seen in Canada on the CBC at 7:30 AM each week day morning.

Toronto – SAW fans can experience the truly terrifying world of Jigsaw firsthand. Come to the Toronto Comic Con March 26-28 at the Direct Energy Centre and experience the opportunity of a life-time – meet SAW star Costas Mandylor (“Hoffman”) and other actors from the SAW horror franchise. Twisted Pictures and Lionsgate are set to release the seventh installment of the SAW franchise in theaters on October 22, 2010, and Maple Pictures will distribute the film in Canada. This SAW event in Toronto will be the first in a yearlong SAW Comic Con Tour that no SAW fan will want to miss. The SAW franchise will be the anchor of the new horror pavilion at Wizard Comic Cons all across North America.

The seventh installment is currently filming in Toronto. Mandylor and other cast members (to be announced shortly) will sign autographs and conduct a special Q&A session. Rare and never-before-seen props from the SAW movies will also be on display.

“Meeting Costas Mandylor and other members of the SAW cast at our Toronto Comic Con gives fans a truly unique experience,” says Gareb Shamus, Wizard Entertainment CEO. “For everyone here to get an up close taste of SAW is incredible. We’re extremely happy that the SAW franchise is providing this rare opportunity to our Wizard Comic Con fans.”

The popular SAW franchise follows the terrifying and blood-soaked trail of “Jigsaw.” This mastermind constructs horrific “games” in which those who do not appreciate their lives and blessings must fight for survival, thereby teaching the value of life. A SAW movie has been released each year since the original’s debut in 2004. SAW is one of the most successful horror movie franchises.

“Fans of the SAW movies will become part of the SAW world at Wizard Comic Con shows in North America over the next year,” says Mark Burg and Oren Koules, Co-Founders of Twisted Pictures, and producers of the SAW movies. “This is a unique chance for all of our loyal supporters to get up-close and personal with their favorite SAW actors.” Fans will have the rare opportunity to take photos with and get autographs of their favorite SAW stars. They can also go to Question and Answer Sessions and see never-before-seen traps and props from the SAW movies. There will also be plenty of surprises at stops on the yearlong Comic Con tour.

Toronto Comic Con brings together fans of comics, horror, toys, collectibles and offers a chance to see actors, writers, artists and the best each industry has to offer.

London – Tom Jenkins, chief strategy officer and executive chairman of Waterloo’s Open Text Corporation, will join “Gearing up for Growth” on Tuesday, March 30, as the morning’s keynote speaker. Speaking to the region’s capacity as a leader in digital media, Jenkins will also share Open Text’s story of success as Canada’s largest software company.

“Gearing up for Growth” is a regional conference on strategies for business growth, and Jenkins will present alongside other prominent business speakers such as Jeremy Gutsche, co-founder of the leading online trend-hunting community, TrendHunter.com, and “Blueprint to a Billion” bestselling author, David Thomson.

“Gearing up for Growth” is designed for Southwestern Ontario-based entrepreneurs, small- to medium-sized

Tom Jenkins

companies, growth-oriented service providers, and aspiring executives. “We’re thrilled to have a business leader with the calibre of Tom Jenkins speaking at ‘Gearing up for Growth’,” says Marilyn Sinclair, CEO and president of TechAlliance, hosts of the conference. “Tom’s dedication to digital media and technology is evident in his pursuit of success, not only for Open Text but also Canada’s broader economy and competitive advantage in the industry.”

“Gearing up for Growth” will take place at the London Convention Centre on Tuesday, March 30, from 7:30am to 4:00pm. Full-day conference passes give attendees the opportunity to attend the Power Breakfast session with Tom Jenkins, followed by a selection of breakout seminars based on six growth-oriented themes. Additional plenary speakers include Gutsche and Thomson, as well as Jim Clemmer, author and founder of the business leadership firm, The Clemmer Group, and Michael Rosenberg, a former actor who has channelled his improvisational acting skills into creative and flexible thinking seminars and books. The event concludes with a networking reception. Full-day passes are $149 for TechAlliance members and $249 for non-members; Power Breakfast-only tickets are $50 for TechAlliance members and $65 for non-members.

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.

Vancouver

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2010 VFS Summer Intensive Programs include:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vancouver

Edmonton – Bioware has officially announced the next downloadable character for Mass Effect 2 (I mentioned her yesterday in my review of ME2). Kasumi Goto is a thief. More specifically, she is an enigmatic human thief and the Illusive Man has requested that Shepard add her to his (or her, depending on the gender of your Commander Shepard) elite squad. As with all of the other squad members, Kasumi will come along with her own baggage in the way of a quest which Shepard will have to help her with in order to win her loyalty. Kasumi is tentatively scheduled to be available in early April. It is interesting to note that on the Mass Effect 2 character page, there are still two slots marked “Classified” so I think we can safely say that there is lots more to look forward to from Bioware. Like…M57 Hover Tanks…and more missions.

Longueuil – D-BOX Technologies Inc. has announced its first agreement with Walt Disney Pictures to feature its groundbreaking motion technology with the studio’s new film from producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, opening in theatres May 28.

“We are very proud to count Walt Disney Pictures as a supporter of our technology. Disney has a very good reputation within the industry and has demonstrated over the years much dynamism and vision. Following last year’s acquisition of Marvel Entertainment, which complements their already broad portfolio, this studio is well positioned to produce movies which will fit particularly well with our technology”, declared Claude Mc Master, President and Chief Executive Officer of D-BOX Technologies.

From the team that brought the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy to the big screen, Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films present Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, an epic action-adventure set in the mystical lands of Persia. A rogue prince (Jake Gyllenhaal) reluctantly joins forces with a mysterious princess (Gemma Arterton) and together they race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time – a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.

Toronto - On Thursday, March 18, communicators, bloggers, social media enthusiasts and students will come together at The Centre for Creative Communications for Talk is Cheap 3.0, Centennial College’s third annual “unconference” exploring trends in social media and public relations.

The evening kicks off at 6 pm with a panel discussion on the vital role social media played in Haiti immediately following the earthquake this past January. The panel includes representatives from the Canadian Red Cross, World Vision and CBC. Following the panel there will be a series of interactive workshops on everything from Twitter and online privacy concerns, to how organizations like the Ontario Ombudsman, City of Toronto and Toronto District School Board are using social media.

“Social media continues to revolutionize the way we communicate,” says Barry Waite, Program Coordinator, Corporate Communications & Public Relations, Centennial College. “Nowhere was this more evident than in Haiti, where it helped save lives and raised millions of dollar for earthquake relief. From global disasters to the A-B-Cs of parent-teacher communication, social media is touching every aspect of our lives. It’s also changing the nature of the public relations industry, which will also be a key focus of Talk is Cheap.”

Talk is Cheap 3.0 is presented by Social Media Group and takes place at The Centre for Creative Communications, 951 Carlaw Ave. (at Mortimer). Registration is free. Donations will be accepted in support of the Canadian Red Cross and World Vision Canada’s Haitian relief efforts.

Vancouver – Last week WaveFrontAC and Ericsson announced their partnership for a developer test lab at the WaveFront facility. Now you can take a video tour of the new lab and learn about how 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. 

Vancouver – From the earliest days of Nintendo’s portable Game Boy™ system, Pokémon™ games have made their mark. Now Nintendo has released completely updated versions of two classic Pokémon games, available now for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems. The new Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version games take place in the beloved Johto region first introduced in the Pokémon Gold Version and Pokémon Silver Version games 10 years ago. The new games have evolved to include updated graphics and sound as well as intuitive new controls that use the Nintendo DS touch screen.

“Every year Nintendo introduces a new wave of players to Pokémon, and their enthusiasm is always amazing,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions, combined with the new Pokéwalker accessory, give longtime fans a new way to experience Pokémon, and they open the door for the next generation of players who want to see what the Pokémon phenomenon is all about.”

Toronto and Montreal Pokémon fans were treated to a special launch celebration of the games by Nintendo of Canada. At events held at Wizard World, Toronto, and Pepsi Forum, Montreal, over 400 kids had the opportunity to play the games and try out the Pokéwalker accessory, while the Pokémon character colouring zone and Pokémon photo booth provided additional entertainment. As a special surprise, beloved Pokémon character Pikachu was on hand at the Toronto event to welcome and greet fans.

The new games come with a Pokéwalker™ accessory, a small device that lets players bring their favourite Pokémon with them wherever they go. Players can transfer a Pokémon to the Pokéwalker and then simply walk around in real life. By walking, players earn Watts that can be used to encounter and catch wild Pokémon or search for hidden items. The Pokémon in the Pokéwalker will gain Experience Points as the player walks, and can even go up one level when they are transferred back into the game. Players also can wirelessly connect two Pokéwalkers to receive a gift.

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions feature detailed graphics that show off the hundreds of Pokémon that players can catch and train, as well as all the different environments in the game. For the first time, players can interact with all their favourite Pokémon outside of battle by selecting the leader from their party to follow behind them on their travels. An internal clock keeps track of the time of day and the day of the week, and some special events will only happen on certain days or at certain times of day.

As always, trading and battling with friends is a big part of the Pokémon experience. Players with a wireless broadband Internet connection can interact with their friends who have Pokémon HeartGold, SoulSilver, Diamond, Pearl or Pokémon Platinum Version games to trade or battle Pokémon via the Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection service. Players also can battle and trade with others via a local wireless connection.

Note to Readers: Do you have Canadian Interactive Media News to share? Let us know about it so we can pass it along to others.

Mass Effect 2 was very high up on my list of most-wanted games for the first quarter of 2010, and also placed a very close second in our own Readers’ Choice Awards for Most Anticipated Game. Mass Effect 2 even won a convert in our house – The Cavechild did not like Mass Effect 1, but the changes in Mass Effect 2 won him over right through to the game’s final frames and has him looking forward to Mass Effect 3.

For my first play-through of Mass Effect 2 (Collector’s Edition) I chose to begin with a new character instead of importing from ME1, so that I could experience all that the story-line had to offer without paying for the sins of my Mass Effect 1 character. Well, along with the fact that I have not yet finished Mass Effect 1 (again) due to a forced re-start of the game because some less-than-honourable gamer stole my 360’s 120gb hard drive during a LAN tournament.

The opening cinematics for Mass Effect 2 are impressive and set the stage for much of the shiny newness that makes up Mass Effect 2. One of the primary new additions to the Mass Effect world is the Cerberus Network, which is available for free with all new Mass Effect 2 games. According to the Mass Effect site, gamers who either rented the game or purchased it used can still access the Cerberus Network by purchasing the option for 1200 Microsoft points. Messages about new DLC and other ME news will be sent to the gamer through the Cerberus Network interface, and much of the DLC for ME2 is free for those who have the Network enabled in their game files.

It’s hard to not give out any spoilers to those few who have not yet played the sequel – but it was cool having my female Commander Shepard become the new Jaime Sommers, even if we seem to owe allegiance to the Illusive Man for our resurrection – and it appears that much has happened at The Citadel in Commander Shepard’s absence as well, including a reduced explorable area and a different format for stores. That said, we do get to visit some new and interesting locations, such as the miscreant hangout known as Omega and the decadent Illium, where we find Liara T’Soni in her new occupation as an information broker.

There many new and shiny things in Mass Effect 2, not the least of which is the rebuilt Normandy. While maintaining the basic layout of the ship, the technology and amenities have been updated, giving Commander Shepard fancy new Captain’s Quarters which can be decorated with spaceship models, a cute little pet and an aquarium in which to collect exotic fish. I was happy to see that Joker still pilots the Normandy, because I would’ve missed his dry wit. His interaction with the ship’s AI adds an amusing level of conversation to the game, and there are many, many homages paid to SCI FI icons throughout the game. I’m not going to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t played ME2 yet, but suffice to say that it’s important to speak with as many characters as possible throughout the game, as well as eavesdrop on conversations whenever possible.

As with Mass Effect 1, you gain Codex entries and experience points for talking to people and finding bits of information as well as for completing missions and assignments. The storyline takes a number of interesting twists, and regardless of all the Illusive Man (voiced by actor Martin Sheen) appears to be doing to help out, I do not trust him. Not one bit. Something in his eyes says he’s up to something, and I’m sure we’re going to find out what it is in Mass Effect 3.

Naturally, your actions throughout the game will effect how the story goes for your character, and will also effect the appearance of your Commander Shepard. Sometimes the conversation choices are not easy to make, regardless of how predictable they may seem as far as Paragon/Renegade choices go. Sometimes you will not find out until very late in the game how a conversation option you chose has effected the storyline, which can prevent you from getting an achievement. One new addition to conversation options is Interrupt, and Shepard’s ability with Interrupt, which allows for more physical action, is usually related to the Paragon/Renegade level.

One change in the game that I definitely did not like was the planetary scanning and mining. I liked being able to land on planets in the “rover” and drive all over the place and using the big gun to blow enemies into little bits. Those of you who have read my other reviews know that I am not a skilled video game vehicle driver, but I still derive much amusement from commanding and destroying vehicles. Unless there’s a race that I have to win, then it can be a bit frustrating. But, back to Mass Effect 2. Bioware did redeem themselves on the lack of a rover with the newly announced Firewalker Pack, which includes the M57 Hover Tank and five new missions. The Firewalker Pack is scheduled for a late March release, which follows the recently released Arc Projector – a very nifty Heavy Weapon which unleashes more mayhem and destruction on the enemy.

I did not find the new “scan and shoot probes” interaction to be engaging at all. I would much rather have been able to land more often and either have a scanner/probe function built into the rover or have the old method of locating something and then getting out of the rover to investigate. The number of actual landings often involved very limited explorable areas and quite often jumped to a cinematic when it became necessary to leave a location in a hurry. I liked having to run through collapsing archaeological digs in Mass Effect 1, and would’ve liked to have continued that type of game play in Mass Effect 2. I did find the space travel parts of the game somewhat more interactive than it was in Mass Effect 1. Now the player has to watch fuel consumption when flying around the galaxy, as well as stock up on probes. The only dog-tag collecting mission was okay, but I personally like having lots of things to collect, and there doesn’t appear to be as much to collect as there was in Mass Effect 1.

I did like the new method of obtaining and upgrading weapons, armour and the Normandy. Using the computer terminals to research new technologies was much better than unlocking crates and storage units – and often forgetting that I was carrying a lot inventory. That said, it was also nice in Mass Effect 1 to be able to sacrifice some of that extra inventory for omni gel when it was needed. There are lots of new and improved weapons to obtain, and we all know that one can never have too many big guns.

For character attributes, I preferred all of the options which were available in Mass Effect 1. In Mass Effect 2 there doesn’t seem to be as much thought required for where experience points get put, which to me means that you don’t need to put as much thought into how you balance your team. I found that I often used the same characters on each mission, unless a choice was forced due to the story line. That said, I suppose that part of the reasoning behind this change was that this is a sequel – and Shepard should by now know how to use all of his/her skills – the same with the highly trained band of misfits in the squad. So, I can see the logic in this change. There are also many new powers to learn, and ammunition is handled differently than it was in ME1. Another change I greatly appreciate is the ability to map powers on the 360 controller. I found that playing Dragon Age: Origins has made me a better Mass Effect player in regards to squad skills, and the extra mapping just adds to this, so thank you, Bioware.

One thing that I did like was how team members and characters from Mass Effect 1 were worked into Mass Effect 2’s plot line, and Mass Effect 2 knew which (if any – don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t played ME1 yet) team member may have been “sacrificed” during the Virmire Assault. This was especially interesting for me, because Mass Effect 2 was making choices for me based on my original (prior to my hard drive being stolen) ME1 game play, not my current play-through, which hadn’t yet reached Virmire. I have since completed that mission, making different choices than I did with my original play-through, so it will be interesting to see if my next full play-through of ME2 registers the changes I am making with this new ME1 voyage.

I found the writing much improved in Mass Effect 2, although at times I felt that the voice-acting for some of the characters was at times just a bit 0ff. In my opinion, the proper vocal inflections were often not achieved, particularly in the human characters. This tended to make the conversations seem a bit stilted when I was hoping it would be improved over Mass Effect 1. I did enjoy the diverse character stories and backgrounds, and often spent time “talking” with characters in order to learn more of their stories. Codex and experience points had nothing to do with that. They were just a side benefit to sometimes finding out some very surprising and humourous tidbits about my crew members.

Thus far, I have found the assassin Thane to be the most interesting new character with the greatest amount of depth to his story, but I am looking forward to another play-through which will add Morinth to my squad – just to see how that will effect the story and character interactions. I am also looking forward to adding Kasumi Goto to the squad once she becomes available in April via DLC for 560 Microsoft points.

It is important to note that Mass Effect 2 is not really a game which can be rushed through in the way that some gamers seem to enjoy rushing through a game as fast as they can, often skipping key game components. If Shepard is taken into the end game missions without due preparation of the entire squad, chances are the mission will not succeed, and Shepard may even end up in deceased mode. A deceased Shepard cannot return to gameplay after the credits nor be imported to Mass Effect 3, so therefore the player must plan to stay alive – and hopefully the full squad survives as well.

The only real problem I have with Mass Effect 2 is that my character gets stuck every so often – either by falling into a hole, getting pushed up on top of a crate by squad members, or stuck in an invisible wall – or a wall that is there but with a partial travel path through it. These events are very frustrating, because there is no way out. For some reason Shepard cannot jump down off of a crate or up out of a hole, and can’t back out of a wall. While Shepard can leap over cover, this is not possible to escape a hole because the walls of that hole are not recognized as cover. This meant that I had to start over from my last save point, and if I had overlooked saving my progress recently, this was sometimes really, really maddening.

I was not at all disappointed with Mass Effect 2 and I would highly recommend it to those who enjoy single player RPG adventures. While others have said the game doesn’t hold that much replayability for them, I feel quite the opposite. I feel that the Mass Effect franchise has loads of replayability, not only for various story outcomes, but also different experience levels, plus the direction of the story line in Mass Effect 3 has led to much debate and conjecture in the Village Gamer house.

Toronto

Sherlock Holmes VS. Jack The Ripper Game Overview:

A horrible series of crimes are uncovered in the East End district of London. The police have no serious leads and the heinous murders continue. Take on the role of Sherlock Holmes as you set out to find clues in the dark, gloomy streets of London searching for the macabre trail of the one known as Jack the Ripper. During this terrifying adventure, Sherlock will attempt to shed some light on the mystery that shrouds the identity and motive of the ghastly killer.

Edmonton – The City of Edmonton is opening its doors to local software developers to improve the way information is made available to residents, and banking on market competition to spur innovation, lower costs and provide greater sustainability for the way information is processed.

“The City is committed to supporting our local software development community – some of the most innovative companies in the world are based in Edmonton,” said Chris Moore, the City of Edmonton’s Chief Information Officer. “At the same time the City is being recognized internationally for working with other municipalities to establish standards so that everyone can benefit from the solutions to the challenges we all face, from wherever they might be developed.”
Among the coming initiatives:

* The City of Edmonton is partnering with other municipalities, including the City of San Francisco, to agree on a common platform from which developers can create applications to send information to 311 call centres. The Open 311 effort means that an application developed for one city anywhere in the world could be used in other cities that have adopted the same platform.
* In late March the City will announce an Apps4Edmonton contest, with $50,000 in prizes and winners showcased at GTEC2010 in Ottawa in October 2010.
* The City of Edmonton is planning to launch an iPhone application called CityWatch, developed by local company Touchmetric. CityWatch will allow Edmontonians to report problems to 311 using an iPhone application. The message to 311 will include location information and pictures from the iPhone’s GPS and camera.

The City of Edmonton is also pursuing the development of a Code for Canada organization, which builds on similar work that is currently underway in the U.S.A. Code for Canada will help city governments become more transparent, connected and efficient by connecting the talents of innovative web developers with city departments to enable the transformative power of the web to achieve more impact with less money. Code for Canada will work with city officials and leading web development talent to identify and develop web solutions that can be shared and implemented in multiple cities.

In the last four months, the City has hosted several “Open” workshops and introduced an Open Data Catalogue, as part of its efforts to improve openness, accessibility and transparency.

“These types of efforts are also a much more effective way to develop and deliver information to residents than we might be able to undertake on our own,” added Moore. “We’re leveraging the power of the community to help our city operate more efficiently.”

The development team is also striving for a more open world feel, which will also give the player a bit more freedom in respect to game play. Human Revolution will be a single player title and a prequel to the previous two Deus Ex games. Eidos Montreal has stated that there will be areas to explore, treasures to find and of course weaponry to master.

According to information on the Human Revolution web site, the “lead character is Adam Jensen, a security response specialist who’s been handpicked to oversee the defensive needs of one of America’s most experimental biotechnology firms. You, playing as Adam, are all-human, all organic…. for now, that is. You start pure, but as the story unfolds you are forced to augment yourself in order to survive and achieve objectives. Adam has a history leading up to the events that start the game, so his background is well fleshed out and we will learn more about him and his past, and his future, as the game progresses.”

Team members from Eidos Montreal have previously told me that E3 2010 will be a very important show for Human Revolution – and the end of the teaser trailer promises that more will be unveiled. The concept arti which I’ve seen on their site is very impressive, and the revealed (thus far) weaponry looks like there will be all kinds of opportunities for massive mayhem.

Eidos Montreal General Manager Stephane D’Astous states on the the studio’s site that “GDC 2010 marks the first part of our communications campaign for Deus EX. We have a lot to unveil and we’re excited to get started; there will be a lot more to come.”

Deus EX 3: Human Revolution will be available for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3, but no firm release date has been announced, but I can safely say that Human Revolution is on our Wanted list.

Toronto – Interactive Ontario today announced the first keynote speakers for INplay 2010, a conference about the art and business of kids interactivity. Jon Berrett, Executive Producer and Christian Jacobs, Co-creator, Director and Writer of the hit kids TV show, Yo Gabba Gabba, will be keynote speakers at the conference, taking place on May 18 & 19, 2010, at the Liberty Grand in Toronto, Canada.

“We’re thrilled to have Jon and Christian come to INplay to tell us the story of Yo Gabba Gabba. It’s always great to hear how people take a great idea and nurture it through to production,” says Ted Brunt, VP Interactive Production, marblemedia.

“Yo Gabba Gabba is all about fun and interactivity – the very same themes we want to continue to explore at INplay 2010, as we examine one of the fastest growing segments of online entertainment – the kids interactive space,” said Sarah Baird, VP Programmes and Operations for Interactive Ontario.

The conference will feature three major streams, each covering a different dimension of properties for kids aged 2-12:

• Inspiration – creativity and content stream
• Investment – business stream
• Insights – research stream

Early Bird registration ends March 18.

Montreal - Meridian4 is excited to announce that it has signed a digital publishing agreement with The Games Company to digitally publish their PC version of their XBLA hit game Biology Battle.

“Biology Battle is an excellent title and performed extremely well on XBLA. We are very optimistic to create a similar impact on the other platforms together with our new partner Meridian4 and are very excited to add Biology Battle as one of the key titles in our upcoming line up for its release in second quarter of 2010!” said Christian Sauerteig, Director Marketing & Sales at The Games Company.

“We are delighted to be working with The Games Company on Biology Battle. The game was an instant hit with us and we know everyone will enjoy it on the PC. This game is the definition of adrenaline-packed action; the game will have you twitching for hours.” said Andy Sher, CEO at Meridian4.

Biology Battle is a classic space-shooter with the latest high end graphic effects, where the player takes on the role of a medical nanobot and embarks on an exciting journey into the depths of a biological cell. They must evade the defense tactics of other cells and try to survive for as long as possible.

Biology Battle for PC will feature:

• Eleven different versus modes
• Play online against thousands of real opponents
• Comprehensive tournament mode and demanding coop mode
• Improve the ship´s capabilities with various bonuses
• Enhanced features from the XBLA-hit: the latest graphic and shader effects, high use of DX 10/11 abilities, new game modes, new enemy types and better AI

Toronto – SPACE, Canada’s science fiction, speculation and fantasy network, will be the exclusive television partner for Toronto Comic Con, March 26-28 at the Direct Energy Centre.

SPACE, which is available in nearly seven million homes in Canada, will highlight the event on its flagship entertainment show InnerSPACE, with specials and features looking at Comic Con from all angles. Spacecast.com, will also have extensive coverage of the show.

SPACE will have a strong presence on site at Toronto Comic Con. In addition to hosting an interactive premier exhibitor booth, SPACE personalities Ajay Fry, Teddy Wilson and Natasha Eloi will also host a number of programming panels including Universal Studio’s Caprica on Friday and Battlestar Galactica on Saturday. The network will also host on-air personality autograph sessions and conduct celebrity interviews during the show.

“The opportunity to partner with Toronto Comic Con is a natural one for SPACE,” said Isme Bennie, interim VP SPACE. “We are pleased to be able to connect with our audience at the inaugural event and to be able to provide viewers a behind the scenes look at the convention both on-air and online.

Toronto Comic Con brings together fans of comics, toys, collectibles and offers a chance to see actors, writers, artists and the best each industry has to offer. Advance tickets are now on sale.

Mississauga - Targus® Inc. announced today that it has appointed Kelly Lind as the new Country Manager for Targus Canada. Ms. Lind brings 25 years of experience to Targus with the goal of strengthening the company’s presence in the Canadian market. In her new role at Targus, Lind will oversee Canadian operations as the company seeks to expand its marketing, sales and distribution channels in the Canadian market. She will also be responsible for providing customer and consumer insights in support of new product commercialization, and business development.

“I’m thrilled about the opportunity to work with a company as reputable as Targus and confident that my expertise will play an integral role in strengthening the company’s position in the Canadian market,” said Kelly Lind.

Prior to joining Targus Canada, Kelly most recently was the Vice President of Sales at DayMen Photo Marketing, the leading global manufacturer of photographic supplies including camera cases and accessories. In this role, Kelly grew the account base into the mass and consumer electronics channels as well as commercial business and was responsible for new product launches into the Canadian market. Her past experience also includes progressive positions at Toshiba Canada where she was appointed Vice President, Channel Sales in the Information Systems Group. Kelly also held positions in sales, marketing and customer service at Tech Data and the Canadian Home Shopping Network. Her consistent achievement of sales, market share and profitability goals has earned her recognition within the industry.

“Kelly has built a strong reputation in the industry for developing and executing strategies that grow technology and consumer driven brands,” stated Bob Shortt, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Targus. “We are honored to have her join the team and make a significant contribution to expanding our business in Canada.”

Toronto – Harlequin Enterprises Limited, a global leader in series romance and one of the world’s leading publishers of women’s fiction, announced today that select Harlequin books are now available on the Nintendo DS(TM) in Japan.

DS Harlequin Selection: Love Stories for Grown-Ups (literal translation of the Japanese title) consists of 33 titles by acclaimed Harlequin authors and New York Times bestselling novelists. Twenty-five of the titles have been previously published, five are new titles that will debut with the launch of DS Harlequin Selection and three titles were formerly available only as online reads.

DS Harlequin Selection: Love Stories for Grown-Ups enhances the reading experience by offering a number of interactive features accessed through easy touch screen operation — a “concierge” that allows you to navigate stories by mood or type of heroine, character correlation charts and lists that are updated along with plot developments, narrative annotations including maps for locations, digital bookmarks, story recaps that bring readers up to where they last left off, a choice of background music, Author introductions and images, polls on hero ranking, review rankings by other users via Wi-Fi connection and more.

“We are thrilled to be the first publisher outside of Japan to have its stories available on the Nintendo DS,” said Donna Hayes, Publisher and CEO of Harlequin Enterprises Limited. “DS Harlequin Selection introduces Harlequin to a new generation of readers who demand accessibility, portability and supplemental features that enhance their reading experience.”

Calgary

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

“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.