Village Gamer

Ubisoft will be visiting Richmond Centre Mall in Richmond, BC on November 14 and 15 then heading over to the West Edmonton Mall for November 22 and 23rd. Gamers are invited to come out and experience Shaun White and Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party on the Wii as well as Far Cry 2 on the Xbox 360.

Vancouver – Zeugma Systems, a privately held supplier of open telecommunications solutions, today announced the Zeugma Smart™ Series applications that run within the highly flexible Zeugma Open Application Sandbox (OAS), which facilitates rapid, cost-effective development of new services. SmartVideo™, the first application in the Smart Series, enables service providers to monetize the video traffic already traversing their networks by creating a high-quality, always-available premium internet video service that they can sell to their residential customers for an incremental fee. SmartVideo enables service providers to turn streaming internet video into a premium opt-in video experience by identifying and allocating the appropriate amount of bandwidth to video traffic, including high-definition (HD) video, yielding a viewing experience approaching that of a locally attached DVD player.

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Toronto – QuickPlay Media, the premier provider of mobile TV and video solutions, today announced that it has been named as a finalist in the “Service Provider Innovation” category in the First Annual TelcoTV Vision Awards. The awards recognize the most innovative and “visionary” new products, services or applications announced in the communications industry in the past year. QuickPlay Media is being recognized for its role in powering Rogers Vision, Canada’s first fully-integrated mobile video and radio service offered exclusively from the region’s largest wireless provider of voice and data services, Rogers Wireless.

“The past year has witnessed an unprecedented mobile evolution, which includes growing adoption of mobile TV and video services such as Rogers Vision. To be recognized for the work we have done with Rogers is a tremendous honor,” said Wayne Purboo, CEO of QuickPlay Media. “Looking forward, we expect more and more companies from around the globe to turn to our quick-to-deploy, flexible mobile video solutions to deliver their customers high quality entertainment experiences that match their unique interests.”

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EA Brings Need for Speed to Life in Next Summer’s Biggest Drift and Time Attack Racing Event
London to Host Need for Speed Live 2009 International Race Event

Today at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, Electronic Arts Inc. announced Need for Speed™ Live, a unique festival and competition that celebrates car culture. This first-time event, which is still being negotiated, will be open to the public and will be hosted next summer at the world famous Brands Hatch Circuit located near London, England. The weekend-long experience will be a showcase of entertainment, videogames, music, car shows and displays designed to appeal to fans of racing games, proud owners of hot vehicles, fans of exotic cars and motorsports enthusiasts.

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Edmonton – XGen Studios today announced that the long awaited Stick Arena Ballistick has arrived! Stick Arena Ballistick is an improved and expanded version of the original Stick Arena. Included in this new version are new weapons: The Flamethrower, Chain Gun, Railgun, Chain Saw, Laser Sword, and Tesla Helmet. Or kick it oldschool with the original weapons: Katana, AK-47, Sledgehammer, Shotgun, Baseball Bat, or Glock. Battle it out the new all-new Space Lab, or the original Offices, Construction Yards and Sewers. Gamers can upgrade characters with customizable Spinners and Pets, create custom maps, earn in-game currency, and much more. For a quick overview, check out the trailer or Play Ballistick Now. Ballistick is rated Mature.

Quebec City – Beenox Studios, an Activision Publishing, Inc. property today announced that the Quantum of Solace™ video game, based on the eagerly anticipated “Quantum of Solace” and prior “Casino Royale” James Bond films, is now available. Developed under license from EON Productions Ltd and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), the Quantum of Solace video game equips players with the weapons, espionage and hand-to-hand combat skills and overall charm needed to survive the covert lifestyle of legendary 007 secret agent James Bond. Beenox Studios developed the Games for Windows and Wii versions of the game.

“Activision’s Quantum of Solace video game marks the first time players can become the newly re-imagined, dangerous and cunningly efficient James Bond as portrayed by Daniel Craig,” said Rob Kostich, Head of Marketing for Licensed Properties, Activision Publishing. “We’re extremely pleased to release the game day and date with the new movie, so for those of us waiting for the new era in Bond gaming, Quantum of Solace has arrived.”
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Next Chapter in Award-Winning Franchise Features All-New Single-Player Campaigns, Multiplayer Modes and Innovative “Direct-Fire” Feature

Relic Entertainment and THQ Inc. have announced that Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor, the next standalone chapter in the widely acclaimed real-time strategy (RTS) franchise, is currently in development for Windows PC. Featuring three intense campaigns, brand-new multiplayer modes and an innovative “direct-fire” feature that allows even more tactical control during the heat of battle, Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor will immerse players in some of the most historic, tide-turning clashes of World War II. Internally developed by Relic Entertainment, the game is currently scheduled for release in spring 2009.

“Company of Heroes is one of the most critically acclaimed RTS series of all time,” said Peter Matiss, vice president of global brand management, THQ. “With Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor, Relic Entertainment is delivering an all-new, standalone chapter in the franchise and continues to push the boundaries of innovation and quality in the genre.”
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Ultimate Game Card™, the prepaid gift card accepted by more than 200 online multiplayer games, is now available in western Canada at 294 Mac’s Convenience Stores, Inc. By the holiday season, 580 of Mac’s eastern stores will also stock Ultimate Game Card. While there are many prepaid cards targeted to multiplayer games, Ultimate Game Card is the only card accepted by more than 200 games and sold in more than 18,000 major retail stores in Canada and the U.S.

Developed and supported by PayByCash®, a subsidiary of PlaySpan, Inc., these pre-paid cards are available at Mac’s in a $20 denomination. They are redeemable at more than 200 online multiplayer game supported by PayByCash. Ultimate Game Card allows customers to make fast payments for online entertainment without submitting financial information.

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Every Story Ever Written is Just Waiting to Become Reality

Toronto – The Adventure Company, a leading publisher of interactive entertainment software, today announced it will publish Inkheart for Nintendo DS™. Based on the feature film adaptation of the best-selling Cornelia Funke novel, Inkheart brings high-quality, beautiful graphics to your DS in the fantastic and lovingly detailed world of Inkheart.

“To launch an adventure game in conjunction with its feature film release is an exciting opportunity for us,” said Brian Gladman, Global Product Manager at The Adventure Company. “Adventure enthusiasts can see the movie and then become a part of the story themselves by playing the game. The story has all the components for a successful transition to a DS game, fantasy, intrigue, exploration, character development and puzzle solving. We can’t wait to put it out there!”

Inkheart is the story of Meggie, a young girl whose father has a secret magical ability; he can bring book characters to life simply by reading the story aloud! It sounds like a wondrous gift, but evil lurks within the pages of a rare children’s fable…

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Toronto – Breakthrough Animation is proud to announce that they have closed a production deal for My Big Big Friend, a new series that will be produced in association with Canadian preschool network Treehouse. Production on fifty-two eleven minute episodes will begin later this year.  The announcement was made today by Kevin Gillis, Ira Levy and Peter Williamson, Executive Producers at Breakthrough Animation.

“We are delighted to be working on My Big Big Friend with a broadcast partner that has an international reputation for quality entertainment,” said Kevin Gillis, executive producer and managing partner, Breakthrough Animation.  “Treehouse has had a tremendously positive effect on our creative development and our international broadcast relationships.  We anticipate that this series will be a major hit in all territories around the world. As our first Canada/Brazil CoProduction we believe 2DLab will be a wonderful partner on the series, bringing a tremendous amount of talent!”

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