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  • Masters of Digital Media $50 000.00 Big Push Project

21st October 2009

Masters of Digital Media $50 000.00 Big Push Project

Vancouver – The Masters of Digital Media (MDM) Program invites applicants from artists, inventors, educators, health care professionals, non-profit organizations or academic/research institutions to submit a proposal for a digital media-based project to deliver a product that promotes a philanthropic cause or positive social change initiative. The project can include one or more of the following elements: dynamic web content, game development, 3D content, interactive sites, learning tools, and online community development.

The proposed project must involve a philanthropic contribution to sustainability, the environment and education within local (Vancouver), provincial (British Columbia), national (Canadian) and global (International) communities. Applications from Canadian organizations will be judged not only on their ability to demonstrate the impact of the project according to guidelines, but the potential for use in other arenas.

The prize, valued at $50,000, includes a team of multidisciplinary graduate students in the Masters of Digital Media Program in Vancouver who will work with your organization to define the project, develop the deliverables, and execute a final product that will help your organization realize its social and cultural goals.

Guidelines and Project Specifics:

·The proposed project must be completed within a 13 week period, starting January 4, 2010

·The winning submission will be provided with a team of up to 5 multidisciplinary students, including some of the following roles appropriate to the specific project’s requirements: a project manager and communications manager, lead engineer, lead artist, and designer

·The recipient(s) will be expected to contribute time and energy and other resources to work with the team, from the planning stages, to execution, and finally to marketing and distribution of the completed project

·There is no fee to submit a proposal

Project Proposal:

The proposal must be comprised of the following information:

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21st October 2009

Need For Speed Franchise Passes Major Milestone

EA GamesBurnabyEA Canada has announced that according to internal EA data, the Need for Speed™ franchise has surpassed 100 million units sold life to date. The newest release, Need for Speed SHIFT, pushes the franchise over the 100M mark, making it the best-selling racing brand in the gaming world. Need for Speed has become a driving force for innovation in the racing genre. Known for delivering unparalleled white-knuckle racing, creative customization and street style, the Need for Speed series has generated over $2.7B in life-to-date sales and has become a powerful pop culture phenomenon.Need For Speed Undercover

“Few videogame franchises ever reach the 100M units mark, so this is a huge honor. We have millions of fans to thank for driving us to this milestone,” said Frank Gibeau, president, EA Games Label. “With the launch of Need for Speed SHIFT and the upcoming release of Need for Speed NITRO, we hope to continue to deliver the most entertaining, action-packed racing experiences.”

Since the release of Need for Speed in 1994, the franchise has…

*Launched 15 blockbuster titles across more than 14 platforms
*Released in 22 languages in over 60 countries
*Players have raced over 279 billion miles of roads & race tracks
*Generated over 17 trillion user-generated vehicle customizations
*Featured actors, models & musicians including: Brooke Burke (Wild On), Christina Milian (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), Emmanuelle Vaugier (Two and a Half Men), Josie Maran (Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and actress), Maggie Q (Mission: Impossible III), Kanye West, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Prodigy
*Debuted exclusive remix from Snoop Dogg of The Door’s classic song Riders on the Storm
*Sold more games than all new passenger cars sales in the U.S since 1994 (93.8 Million according to Bureau of Transportation Statistics)

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21st October 2009

New Trade Association Coming For BC New Media Industry

New Media BCVancouver – Members of New Media BC and winBC have voted to merge the two associations into one. The new association is tentatively named DigiBC, which is short for the Digital Media & Wireless Association of BC. This merger has been in negotiation for several months now, WINBCand was officially accepted at the NMBC annual general meeting, which was hosted by Rainmaker Entertainment. Following the AGM, a brief extraordinary general meeting was held for members of winBC, so that their members could also vote on the merger.

The new organization will have many strategic priorities, including the building of a member-centric, results driven and sustainable industry technology association which will deliver value to its members, sponsors, stakeholders and the community at large. DigiBC will also promote British Columbia as a centre of digital media excellence across the globe, and enable BC digital media companies to excel in that competitive global market through innovative development programmes, strategic initiatives and advocacy.

DigiBC is proposed to have a format consisting of a Board of Directors, an Executive Committee, Association Management & Administration, plus approximately seven Special Interest Groups (SIGs) as well as a Strategic Advisory Group. The SIGs will encompass the many aspects of the digital and interactive media industry, such as Video Games, Animation and VFX, HR and Talent, Capital, Web 2.0 & Social Media, eLearning and Mobile & Wireless.

The web site for the new association is currently in development, but I imagine that as the merger moves forward, there will be more news coming from the existing amalgated Boards of Directors and the administrative staff. This merger promises to be a positive step forward for our industry in BC, and I’m looking foward to many new and exciting events and programmes for the province’s digital media industry.

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20th October 2009

New Book Focuses on Canadian IP

Miltons IPOttawaMiltons IP has joined together with Wiley, the publisher of the popular For Dummies reference book series, to create a Canadian Intellectual Property Lawresource for Canadians that outlines core intellectual property rights, how to make money from IP (whether your own or others), and a series of checklists.

The book contains a primer on the various types of intellectual property assets, from patents and trademarks, to copyrights and industrial designs. Each of the introductory chapters deals with one type of protection, provides definitions, pros and cons and instructs how to protect one’s IP rights. Later chapters discuss how to profit from IP and how to enforce one’s IP rights. A chapter on deriving income from someone else’s IP through licensing follows later in the book, with the final chapter dispelling some common misconceptions about IP. It is a quick read, suitable for individuals in a wide range of occupations and industries.

New Media BCJust a reminder that New Media BC will be holding its Annual General Meeting at Rainmaker (#500 – 2025 West Broadway) in Vancouver tonight, beginning at 5pm. There are some important issues on the table, including the proposed merger with winBC and the formation of aNational Film Board new trade association. It’s imperative that all voting members participate in this process.

Siggraph VancouverTickets are now available for the ACM SIGGRAPH Vancouver and NFB speaker session with animator Chris Landreth. This is a free event being held in conjunction with the National Film Board’s Get Animated cross-Canada tour. An evening with Chris Landreth takes place at the VanCity Theatre in Vancouver on Wednesday October 28th. This event is sponsored in part by vanARTS, Annex|Pro and 3vis.

In other news, Best Buy Canada will be celebrating the grand opening of their new store at Sevenoaks Mall in Abbotsford, BC this weekend. They are planning a full schedule of special events, including:

Grand Opening Weekend Schedule of Events:Best Buy Canada

Friday, October 23, 2009

– Before 9:45 am: Line up for a chance to win a $500 Best Buy gift card
– 9:30 am: Ribbon-cutting ceremony and $5,000 cheque presentation to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Abbotsford, Mission, Ridge Meadows
– 5 pm: Meet Alexandre Burrows for an autograph session

Saturday, October 24, 2009

– Before 9:45 am: Line up for a chance to win a $500 Best Buy gift card
– 6 pm: Meet Default for an autograph session
– 1 – 3 pm: Meet Dora the Explorer™

Sunday, October 25, 2009

– Before 10:45 am: Line up for a chance to win a $500 Best Buy gift card
– 2 – 4 pm: Meet Spider-Man™
– 11am – 6pm: Play in the PlayStation Big Rig

The grand opening specials and $500 daily Gift Card giveaways are also included at all Lower Mainland Best Buy locations!

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19th October 2009

Format Change for Ghoulash Bash

Vancouver – The producers of Ghoulash Bash have announced a change to ticket prices. Guests are now required to bring a donation of two essential food items to the venue, and no longer need to purchase a ticket for admission.

Additional contributions of cash or food items can be made at the event, with prizes awarded to high donors. Prizes include tickets to Casual Connect (both local and international), Vancouver GDX, and the Games 4 Change conferences. A list of acceptable food donations can be found at on the Ghoulash Bash web site.

“We eliminated ticket prices in order to reduce overhead and increase the amount of donated food,” said the head organizer of the event, Ryan Arndt. “Ghoulash Bash will still include video game and costume contests and provide guests with the chance to network with members of the Vancouver Game industry.”

The event is scheduled for Thursday, October 29 and the Metropole Pub (320 Abbott at Hastings).

For more information about Ghoulash Bash, contact Ryan Arndt at 778.988.7780.

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19th October 2009

Ubisoft Announces New Details Of Assassin’s Creed: Lineage Film Series

UbisoftMontrealUbisoft® today announced the first of the three episodes from the new Assassin’s Creed: Lineage film series will debut on YouTube. Beginning on October 27, 2009, YouTube will have the first episode of the film series Ezio Assassin's Creed IIon its homepage in eight countries throughout the world for a period of 24 hours.

Developed by Ubisoft’s Hybride Technologies, the visual effects studio behind 300 and Sin City, Assassin’s Creed: Lineage combines live action and computer generated imagery (CGI) to explore the events that happen just before the Assassin’s Creed II game starts. The film series revolve around Ezio’s father, Giovanni Auditore da Firenze, and give insight on the game’s back story and universe.

The film series will whet the appetite of game players and fans of this type of cinematography in advance of the in-store release of the video game on November 17, 2009. Assassin’s Creed: Lineage will also introduce some of the characters that players will meet in the game: both foes and friends of the family, like Lorenzo de Medici, the Italian statesman and de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic during the Italian Renaissance period.

“Ubisoft is excited to share a new Assassin’s Creed experience with the public. The Assassin’s Creed Lineage film series is part of Ubisoft’s ongoing efforts to reinforce its intellectual properties by bringing them to multiple entertainment mediums, providing gamers with a more immersive experience when they play as Ezio, the master assassin of Assassin’s Creed II,” stated Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer of Ubisoft.

Last week Ubisoft also released Part Four of their AC2 Dev Diaries, featuring the variety of opponents Ezio will have to fight through an immersive combat system.

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19th October 2009

KrabbitWorld Origins New Battle Modes Pwn in KrabbitSoft’s new release of KWO v 1.1

Krabbit OnlineSurreyKrabbitSoft’s Gothic Fantasy 3D Action RPG breaks the mold with Furious Fighter Style Game Play. A true Hybrid, RPG element defined as lite, Action/RPG/Fighter more accurately describes this game.Krabbit World

Hack n’ slash combat focused, KWO now includes Battle Modes for those too twitchy to satisfy with Story Mode. New dash attack and combat magic jump & multi-shoot level the playing field for earthbound and aerial battler alike. Not for the faint of heart, not for the weak in spirit, for you will be pwned.

Arcade Mode

Most profitable mode for gaining high level armor.
– 8 fights of three 2 min rounds
– choose comrade at start or between fights
– opponents are chosen for you (up to 24 opponents in groups of 5 depending on level)
– time remaining in Victory rounds is added to your XP
– to win a round you or your comrade must survive
– end of 3rd round player gets random loot
– end of 8th fight player gets special loot

Versus ModeSwordswipe

Potentially best mode for testing different comrades and practicing against various opponents.
– 1 fight consisting of three 2 minute rounds
– choose comrade at start
– choose opponent and opponent’s comrade
– time remaining in Victory rounds is added to your XP
– to win a round you or your comrade must survive
– at end of 3rd round player gets random loot drop

Survival Mode

Potentially the best mode for testing your skills. You must survive an onslaught of 60 opponents.
This mode is good for gaining a lot of XP. You can gain more loot than Versus plus you get special loot.
– 1 fight consisting of one 10 minute round
– time remaining in Victory rounds is added to your XP
– to win a round you or your comrade must survive

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16th October 2009

Taco Bell Fill Up On Game Gear Tour In The Lower Mainland

TacoBellSurrey1

Taco Bell CanadaSurrey – The Taco Bell Fill Up On Game Gear Tour truck stopped at the Kennedy Heights Taco Bell tonight, to the delight of several young gamers. They were able to try out the $10 000.00 NovelQuest Emperor 1510 game chair – with its three screens, incredible sound and very comfy race car chair (and base model price of $4950.00 + shipping). The truck was also loaded with Gunnar gamer shades, Razer peripherals, Headplay V-R units, Nokia phones, and of course FUOGGhats and shirts.

Craig with 2 Taco Bell EmployeesIt was great to finally meet up with Ryan and Craig of Halophax – it’s just too bad they didn’t have more time out here on the coast so that we could get them on some studio tours and take them around to meet the awesome people who make up the Vancouver game development community. It was appropriate that the game being used to demo the Emperor today was EA Blackbox’s Need for Speed Shift, though – being on the west coast and all.

You still have one more chance to check out the chair Inside the Gear Truckbefore it heads back to the east coast, though. The FUOGG Tour will be stopping at the Taco Bell in Coquitlam’s Pinetree Village (2991 Lougheed Hwy) on Saturday October 17 from 5 – 8pm before hitting the road again. If you make it out to Coquitlam, ask Craig about his airbrushing experience, I’m sure he’d love to share the details with you.

One of Many Gamers Trying Out The ChairRemaining Tour Dates:

Winnipeg – October 22
Waterloo – October 26
Windsor – October 27
Toronto – October 29

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16th October 2009

Start 2010 with Mass Effect 2

BioWare CorpEdmonton – Mark your calendar and lock in your copy of Mass Effect 2 now! Leading video game developer BioWare™ has announced that the epic Shooter/RPG Mass Effect™ 2 will be on store shelves in North America on January 26, and on January 29 in Europe. With its larger-than-life hero Commander Shepard, intense shooter action, nuanced characters and a rich storyline, the much-anticipated sequel to the original award-winning opus is one of the most anticipated titles of 2010. In support of the launch, BioWare is releasing unique Mass Effect 2 Terminus Gearpre-order incentives* at key retailers in North America and across Europe. Codes for downloading these items will be provided to players who have pre-ordered, usable when the game is released.

“Our fans are in for a genuine thrill in the New Year with Mass Effect 2 – the second installment in the trilogy will be of amazingly high quality,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder, BioWare and Group General Manager of the RPG/MMO Group of EA. “BioWare’s fans worldwide have been eagerly awaiting this epic sequel, and we couldn’t be more excited to reward them for pre-ordering by delivering some awesome bonus content!”

In North America, pre-order bonuses (restrictions apply, see actual pre-order offers for details) include special-ops armor and weaponry that are designed to boost Commander Shepard’s skills and abilities. At GameStop, Terminus Gear is available with pre-orders, which includes the powerful Terminus Assault Armor and the M-490 Blackstorm Heavy Weapon:

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16th October 2009

FIFA Earth Beta Now Live

EA SportsBurnaby – With 1.7 million copies sold through at European retail in the first week, FIFA 10 is the fastest selling sports game ever and EA’s biggest European launch in history, and now EA Sports is happy to inform players that EA Sports FIFA Earth beta is now live. FIFA Earth is the premier online destination for sharing all the latest FIFA 10 news, stats, rankings, and more.

Through FIFA Earth players can get closer than ever before to the real life data that drives the EA Sports FIFA 10 community. From tracking the number of FIFA 10 games being played online to the number of wins, losses and draws of individual clubs or countries, FIFA Earth enables you to keep a finger on the pulse of everything happening within the EA Sports FIFA community. If your club is starting to slide down the league standing, FIFA Earth alerts you, enabling you to take control into your own hands to win more games and increase your overall winning-percentage. FIFA Earth enables users to connect to FIFA 10 fans from all over the world, collecting EA Sports FIFA tweets and football thoughts as they occur, in real-time.

And all this is just the beginning. Just as football keeps growing and growing, FIFA Earth will evolve along with it to become a platform of infinite possibilities. You decide how big football can get!

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