Village Gamer

Canada – With National Digital Media Day almost upon us, there are many events happening around the country this week – here is just a small sampling; I will be updating our Events Calendar today with a fuller list of coming events.

Village Gamer will be attending Appy Hour this Friday. Presented by The Social Agency, in partnership with Rogers Communications, this event is designed to inform, connect and provide opportunities for the rapidly growing industry surrounding Apple’s i-phone. Appy Hour is taking place this Friday at The Diamond in Vancouver.

“More than ever before, app developers need information, resources and a bit of inside information from the pioneers who’ve already successfully launched with Apple’s i-phone.” Says Monica Krake, Communications Director of The Social Agency, “By bringing this community together to access expertise from pros like Michael Fergusson and Jonathan Carrigan, The Social Agency is applauding National Digital Media Day’s goal to support and promote Canada’s interactive digital community.”

Lynda Brown-Ganzert, Founder of National Digital Media Day adds that “Canada is producing some of the best digital content out there, but companies have big challenges to overcome if we want to be world-leaders in this burgeoning sector. National Digital Media Day brings the industry together to discuss these opportunities and to raise the profile of emerging talent – like the people presenting at Appy Hour.”

Meanwhile, Winnipeg’s National Digital Media Day’s celebration will take place on Thursday, September 24th- they’re getting the party on early at Shannon’s Irish Pub beginning at 5pm.

In tonight’s seminar on Understanding SEO, Web development guru Tim Lloyd and veteran marketer Pam Brain will discuss the relationship between your brand, the language associated with it and leveraging available technology to drive how your clients find you online. Learn how keywords really work on the web so that your site works harder and communicates better.

The Business Council of BC presents Chapter 2 in their Outlook 2020 series, Foundations For The Future, on Tuesday evening at the Pan Pacific Hotel. This session will focus on the following question: In a fast-moving international economy where knowledge is king, how can British Columbia successfully adapt and innovate to carve out a prosperous and sustainable future built on innovation, education, training and fully leveraging the value of human capital in a global economy?

The Web of Change annual retreat is taking place over on Cortes Island from the 23rd through to the 27th. Web of Change, which consistently sells out, is an event which connects senior leaders with a deep commitment to the social change movement.

Another Vancouver event beginning on the 23rd is CMOS Emerging Technologies, which takes place at SFU Harbour Centre through to September 25th. On Thursday evening, we will be attending the Art Institute of Vancouver’s Grad Presentation Night, where we’ll be getting a look at the latest in student projects. We’re looking forward to meeting another round of talented young people as well as visiting AI’s new campus on Renfrew in Vancouver.

The Connect Conference and Click Trade Show 2009 at Niagara-on-the-Lake is in full swing on day two of it three day event. Tomorrow is a workshop focusing on Entertainment, Media, and Communications: New Media: The Emerging Landscape taking place in Toronto. Meanwhile, on September 24th students and prospective students can learn more about the world of game development with the Interactive Onatrio seminar Go Into Games With Big Blue Bubble taking place at Fanshawe College. There will be a similar seminar over at the University of Toronto on September 29th with Go Into Games With Koei Canada. The Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario presents their Creative Business Summit on September 24th in Toronto

Hot on the heels of a very successful Spark Animation Festival, Vancouver’s hardworking SIGGRAPH chapter has opened ticket sales for Aliens Among Us: The Visual Effects of District 9. This speaker session will feature key staff members from the team at Image Engine, who contributed over 300 visual effects shots including digital aliens to Neill Blomkamp’s directorial debut District 9.

On-set VFX Supervisor & Digital Production Manager Peter Muyzers will be moderating this post-mortem discussion with input from Shawn Walsh – VFX Executive Producer, James Stewart – Creature Supervisor, Jon Cowley – VFX Seq. Supervisor and Tim Belsher – CG Supervisor. Aliens Among Us takes place on Tuesday September 29th at the Empire Theatre. Tickets are on sale now.

UBC Sauder has an excellent offering of seminars and continuing education sessions coming up, including Strategies, Skills and Tactics of Negotiations, Fundamentals of Finance and Accounting for Non-Financial Managers, Strategic Sales Leadership,  Outlook: Getting Out of the Inbox and Software Architecture and Iterative Development Process: Managing Risk through Better Architecture.

Tomorrow night Digital Alberta is presenting a Summer After Burner event, Social Media and Consumers: Next 500 Days. Join Digital Alberta’s panel of experts to learn how consumers will be using Social Media in the next 500 days. The panel will be moderated by Norman Leach and will be comprised of Manoj Jasra, Lynda Brown, Douglas Walker and Roger Kondrat.

Business In Vancouver presents Investment in Innovation – Investing in Smart Tools For Your Business on September 24 at SFU Segal Graduate School of Business while WaveFront is presenting their WaveGuide Seminar on Mobile UI Design – User Centered Design and UI Best Practices over at the Guinness Tower Conference Centre. The New Ventures BC Awards Ceremony takes place at the SFU Segal Graduate School of Business on September 24th and is hosted by New Ventures BC.  The BCTIA is presenting the next session in their C-Suite series – Behind Your Financing Options on September 29th at the Segal Graduate School of Business.

Also of importance this month are the Focus Group Consultations which are taking place across the country. The Canada Television Fund is on the road looking for industry input. Their schedule for the remainder of this month is as follows:

September 21: Halifax
September 22: Fredericton
September 23: Charlottetown
September 24: St. John’s
September 25: Iqaluit
September 28: Calgary
September 29: Vancouver
September 30: Vancouver (Aboriginal Focus Group)

Vancouver – THQ and Relic Entertainment have released details about Warhammer® 40,000™: Dawn of War® II – Chaos Rising™, the next standalone chapter in the critically acclaimed Real-Time Strategy series, is scheduled for release on Games For Windows-LIVE in spring 2010.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Chaos Rising features a new playable army, the traitorous Chaos Space Marines, and continues the epic journey of the Blood Ravens as they battle this new, more personal enemy. Chaos Rising offers new single-player and co-op campaigns, a level cap increase from 20 to 30, more powerful war-gear and a suite of innovative multiplayer options.

“Dawn of War II took intimate brutality to another level and introduced RPG-RTS hybrid gameplay,” said Jonathan Dowdeswell, general manager, Relic Entertainment. “The epic struggle between Space Marines and the forces of Chaos lets us take those two game-play elements and create an even more intense experience – this time, the battle is personal.”

Set in the grim, war-ravaged world of Games Workshop’s vast Warhammer 40,000 science fiction universe, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Chaos Rising transports players into the midst of an intergalactic war between ancient enemies. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Chaos Rising introduces the Chaos Space Marines as a new playable army, continuing the single player campaign from the original Dawn of War II.

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