Village Gamer

Montreal – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, announced today that it will publish WET™, an innovative action game from Artificial Mind and Movement (A2M). WET, in development for the Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, is slated for a Fall 2009 release.

WET is a highly stylized third-person shooter that seamlessly blends acrobatics, gun play, and sword kills. With dual pistols and a samurai sword, you can engage in combat while sliding on floors, running on walls, jumping, flipping, and performing amazing acrobatic moves – leaving a massive body count in your wake.

“We’re very excited about the opportunity to bring WET to all gamers,” said Vlatko Andonov, president of Bethesda Softworks. “Our proven success as a publisher which focuses on select, innovative titles matches up perfectly with WET’s new class of gameplay.”
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Vancouver – This past Saturday night we attended the best digital art event in town. Anomaly 2009 was held at the District 319 Theatre, and with attendance of well over 200, was an awesome night of networking and learning.

Daryl Mandryk

Attendees could watch live CG demonstrations given by such talented digital artists as Daryl Mandryk (Propaganda), David Tran (Smoking Gun), Jesse Turner (Threewave), Jeff Simpson (Big Sandwich Games), Peter Zoppi (Treyarch, Rythm & Hues, Luna Pictures) and Marco Menco (Image Engine), as well as interact with the artists, who were more than willing to talk about their techniques and share their knowledge. There were also two showcase exhibits set up featuring the beautiful work of Offload Studios and Avatar Sculpture Works.

The evening began with speed sketching, featuring Jesse Turner and live model Jenny Magenta. Accompanied by live music, everyone was encouraged to draw along with either traditional or digital tools.
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Vancouver – Keynotes from Canadian videogame development luminaries Don Mattrick, Ray Muzyka, and Greg Zeschuk will kick off two days of best practices for building better games with better teams. With sessions designed to improve collaboration among designers, programmers, visual artists and writers, GDC Canada is a must attend event for the entire team.

The conference schedule has now been finalized, and with a wide variety of topics, there is something for everyone, from games as a brand to outsourcing and from audio to writing. The full schedule with more information can be viewed on the GDC Canada website.

Featured Sessions:

8 Things Game Developers Can Learn from BMW
Speaker: Otto Ottosson (Threewave Software Inc.)
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Montreal – Telefilm Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of Denise Arab to the position of Director, Communications, effective May 25.

Ms. Arab has worked for fifteen years at the Business Development Bank of Canada, where she presently holds the position of Director, Public Relations and Employee Communications at the Montréal office. She has also worked at Canada Post.

“On behalf of all of us at Telefilm I am very pleased to welcome Ms. Arab to her new position as Director of Communications and look forward to her participation on the Executive Management Committee” said Wayne Clarkson, the Corporation’s Executive Director. “Her expertise in management and communications and her extensive national and regional experience will be definite assets in carrying out our corporate plan.”
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Ottawa – The Canadian Association of Internet Providers (CAIP) is pleased that the Conservative government has taken action to address junk email. With more than 97 per cent of all email considered to be spam, it will also be welcome news for Canadian Internet users.

In May 2004 the then-Liberal government announced the launch of an Anti-Spam Action Plan for Canada and established a government-private sector task force to oversee and implement the plan.

“In 12 short months we brought together a broad group of stakeholders to do what had never been done before,” states Tom Copeland, Chair of CAIP and a member of the federal task force. “We were able to create a plan that involved virtually anyone who sends or receives email. Our recommendations have been adopted around the world and now, I’m glad to say, will be recognized in Canada through the legislation presented today in the House of Commons.”
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Toronto – The Adventure Company has released a trailer for Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper, a Windows® adventure title releasing in North America on May 12, 2009. Click here to view the trailer.

Sherlock Holmes, one of the world’s best known detectives is matched up with the most dangerous serial killer in England’s history, Jack the Ripper. The Year is 1888, London has been overtaken by a series of gruesome murders and police are left baffled, with no leads. The murders continue and Sherlock Holmes steps up to the case, setting out on a terrifying adventure to seek out the identity of Jack the Ripper.
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Vancouver –  Clio is officially “Best in Show” according to the world of legal technology. The web-based practice management software-as-a-service (SaaS) product took home top honors at both New York LegalTech in February as one of Bob Ambrogi’s LegalTalkNetwork’s “Ten Tech Stars”, and more recently, the ABA TECHSHOW in April by landing on TechnoLawyer’s “Best in Show” list.

Clio’s meteoric rise began on October 1, 2008 when the product was launched at the ABA’s Solo/Small Firm Fall Meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The product, created by Themis Solutions out of Vancouver, BC in Canada, was developed as a web-based alternative to traditional desktop practice management software packages such as Time Matters and Amicus Attorney. With Clio, Themis Solutions quickly developed traction among its target market – solo and small firm attorneys – a segment that had been vastly under-served by existing legal technology offerings.
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Burnaby – Electronic Arts Inc. today announced that EA SPORTS™ Complex launched on PlayStation®Home for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the 3D social gaming community that allows users to interact, communicate and share gaming experiences online. This newly created EA SPORTS space offers users a place to play a variety of unique, casual multiplayer games with friends in PlayStation Home, as well as view exclusive game trailers and videos, to learn more about their favorite EA SPORTS games. At launch, EA SPORTS Complex will feature a tournament-style Texas Hold ‘Em Poker game and EA SPORTS Racing featuring formula-style cars.

“We are extremely proud of the compelling and immersive online offerings that are available at launch for EA SPORTS Complex,” said Rob Burnett, senior producer. “EA SPORTS Complex is a dynamic space and was specifically designed to appeal to not only the hardcore sports fan but casual gamers alike.”
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Ottawa – Connect2Media, the multi-platform entertainment company, has signed a deal with world-leading mobile entertainment publisher Magmic Games to distribute its products in all territories outside of North America. The Magmic Games catalogue of more than 20 games includes titles such as Big Kahuna Words, Boulder Dash Rocks! and Daytona USA.

“Connect2Media impressed us with both their knowledge of the global market and their approach to our games,” said Nicholas Reichenbach EVP of Publishing at Magmic Games.”Through this exclusive distribution deal with Connect2Media, we will have a global distribution footprint allowing us to reach all the major carriers for our Blackberry, Windows Mobile and J2ME mobile games.”
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Kelowna – Okanagan College business graduate Andrew Roberts has announced the launch of Cosmic Logic Inc., a Kelowna-based video game development company planning to open doors into the video game industry and provide opportunities within the Okanagan. The company will produce and sell video games on digital distribution platforms such as Xbox Live Arcade, Sony Playstation Network, WiiWare, and iPhone.

The implementation of networking features on current video game systems has created an indie-revolution in the video game industry, allowing small teams to reach a global market.

“Smaller, independently funded companies previously had to find a publisher to produce and distribute their games,” says Roberts. “With platforms such as Xbox Live Arcade, consumers can simply download these games directly to their system’s hard drive. This allows indie-developers to bypass the costs involved in producing and distributing discs, and gives them more creative control in terms of content and pricing.”
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