Village Gamer

It appears that there were loads of news announcements made while we were at SIGGRAPH with very sketchy wireless. The media room where we could have had a wired connection was two floors and a long walk away, but we wouldn’t have had long enough on the wired connection to catch up on everything. Here are just a few of the stories that broke during the past few days:

The Montreal International Game Summit announced its keynote speakers. The conference will open with Jason Rohrer, an independent Game Designer, and Richard Lemarchand, Lead Game Designer for Naughty Dog, on November 1st and 2nd respectively. Yves Guillemot, Co-Founder and CEO of Ubisoft, will have the honour of delivering the conference’s closing keynote.

Other featured speakers at MiGS 2011 include David Hego, Artistic Director for Rocksteady Studios, who will be presenting in the Arts & VFX Track. Alain Tascan, President & CEO at Sava Transmedia will be participating in the Business track while Lee Perry, Senior Gameplay Designer for Epic Games will be on the Design track. Over on the Technology track, attendees will find a presentation by Stefan Boberg, Technical Development Director at EA DICE, while the Production track will feature a presentation by David Anfossi, Producer – DX: HR at Eidos Montreal. A new track has been added for 2011, and Tom Salta, Music Composer known for producing scores featured in popular franchises such as R.U.S.E. and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands will be the featured presenter for the brand new Audio track. Please visit the MiGS site for an up-to-date speaker list.

Ubisoft announced that PlayStation^® gamers will be able to test their assassination skills beginning on September 3rd with a multiplayer beta of the highly anticipated Assassin’s Creed Revelations that will run until September 11th. PlayStation^®Plus members and Uplay members will enjoy exclusive access to the multiplayer beta on PlayStation^®3. The multiplayer beta offers access to nine characters – The Sentinel, The Vanguard, The Guardian, The Vizier, The Thespian, The Deacon, The Bombardier, The Trickster and The Champion, three maps – Knight’s Hospital, Antioch, Constantinople, and four playable modes – Wanted and Manhunt, as well as two new modes, Deathmatch and Artifact Assault. The rest of us will apparently have to wait until the game’s release on November 15th.

Bioware’s Dragon Age franchise has expanded to Google+ games. Dragon Age™ Legends, the popular dark fantasy Play4Free® RPG developed by BioWare San Francisco (formerly EA 2D) has launched, and is the only game of its kind on Google’s new real-life social project. Dragon Age Legends extends the award-winning Dragon Age franchise and reinvents it for social play on Google+. The game blends accessible and engaging tactical combat, progression and exploration in the Dragon Age universe, and is perfect for co-operative and competitive gameplay across players’ Google+ Circles and Hangouts.

Vancouver’s WordLogic Corporation, a provider of advanced predictive text software for smartphones, PCs and other devices, has announced the availability of WordLogic Intelligent Input™ technology for licensing to manufacturers and software developers. The technology is ideal for mobile app developers, search providers, and device OEMs looking for the best possible predictive text or search technology.

WordLogic Intelligent Input™ helps make text input on touchscreen smartphones, tablets, and other consumer electronics devices faster, more accurate and helpful. Devices like smartphones, tablets, automotive infotainment systems, Internet TV, and game consoles are proliferating by the billions. They enable the Internet and employ touchscreens, body motion, infrared controllers or other non-mechanical keyboards to enter text, search and control applications. WordLogic Intelligent Input™ brings next generation text input to these text-hungry devices.

Current predictive text methods, which rely upon adjacent key prediction or misspellings, are frequently so inaccurate use that people simply turn them off. Alternatives require too much of a learning curve for mass adoption. Voice input has improved, but even server-based voice recognition is frequently insufficient in environments subject to background noise, such as groups where conversation is taking place, in vehicles, and on the street.

Gorilla Nation Media Canada has announced that it will exclusively represent the online advertising sales for European news site Figaro Medias in the Canadian market.

“Group Figaro is enthusiastic to join the Gorilla Nation family. We share the same vision of the digital business, which is to guarantee premium, innovative and engaging contents (video, chat session, etc.), to join our audience on all devices and platforms and to respond with care to our advertisers the same way we care about our content. The adaptability and the service quality of Gorilla Nation bring a new dynamic to the Figaro Medias offer in Canada,” says Eileen Lemuet, International Commercial Director at Figaro Medias.

“With the addition of Figaro Medias to our roster of sites, it shows our commitment and seriousness in increasing our offer in the French Canadian market, while complementing some of the new business sites we have recently added,” says Jean-Sébastien Tremblay, Director of sales, East of Canada, at GN Media Canada.

For those of you visiting the site today and wondering where all of the great Canadian news is that I usually share with you, well, we’re at SIGGRAPH 2011 with limited internet access, so posting any news is going to be a challenge. That said, there are lots of awesome Canadian companies (or international companies with a Canadian location) at SIGGRAPH this year, so I hope you stop by to visit. I’ve listed those with booths below.  We are in Booth 1018 – please stop by for a visit and an interview.

In the meantime, we have soft-launched our new project. Right now you can only look at our announcement, because there just aren’t enough hours in the day for the two of us to work on the new project, work on Village Gamer, get ready for SIGGRAPH and put in appearances at our paying day jobs. So, without further ado, please visit Canadian Creative and sign up for email notifications (we won’t be selling, renting or giving away your addresses) so that you know when the front door is unlocked and the coffee is on.

Canadian Companies on display at SIGGRAPH 2011:

3D3 Solutions – Booth: 879

Autodesk, Inc. – Booth: 429

British Columbia Film Commission – Booth: 889

Campbell River Creative Industries Council – Booth: 580

Capilano University – Booth: 807

Centre for Digital Media – Booth: 938

cebas Visual Technology Inc. – Booth 250

Digital Domain – Booth 343

Emily Carr University of Art + Design – Booth: 947

Eos Systems Inc. – Booth: 273

iDesign Solutions Booth: 609

MPC – Booth: 463

Measurand Inc. – Booth: 252

Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Investment Booth: 890

Muuun Technologies Inc. – Booth: 690

NDI – Booth: 969

Nelvana Studio – Booth: 708

NorPix Inc. – Booth: 1017

PO-MO Inc. – Booth: 808

Peer 1 Hosting Booth: 283

Pixar Animation Studios Booth: 235

Point Grey Research Inc. Booth: 255

Rainmaker Entertainment Booth: 971

Sheridan College Booth: 813

Side Effects Software Inc. Booth: 712

Simon Fraser University School of Interactive Arts and Technology – Booth: 151

Southpaw Technology Inc. – Booth: 158

Think Tank Training Centre Booth: 944

Toon Boom Animation, Inc. – Booth: 710

Ubisoft World – Booth 955

VanArts – Vancouver Institute of Media Arts Ltd. Booth: 490

Vancouver Animation School Booth: 381

Vancouver Film School – Booth: 739

Vancouver Motion Capture: Animatrik and Alastair Macleod – Booth: 968

Waterloo Region – Canada’s Technology Triangle – Booth: 480

Note:  booth numbers are as of August 1st, hopefully they weren’t moved – let me know if I missed anyone

Have you made Vancouver home for the next six days? If so, that must mean you’re planning to be at SIGGRAPH 2011, which opens tomorrow at the Vancouver Convention Centre and runs until Thursday evening. The Conference and Computer Animation Festival goes from August 7 right through until the 11th and the Exhibition floor with (200+ displays) is open from August 9th through 11th. It is still possible to pick up single day passes, and at just $45.00, they are too good of a deal to miss out on. If you prefer, there are passes still available for the entire week. We got a sneak peek at the expo floor last evening, and it looks awesome. Check out your options on the SIGGRAPH 2011 Registration Info page.

This is the first time the flagship conference for the ACM SIGGRAPH organization has been held in Canada, and is an incredible opportunity for the Canadian digital media and film industry sectors. There are, at my count, 37 Canadian companies – or international companies with a Canadian location – with exhibit booths on the conference floor, including ourselves in Booth 1018. This does not include the number of Canadian companies who may have a booth in the Job Fair area of the conference, nor those like Corel who will be working out of LightBox’s booth. Nor does it include the Canadian studios who will be represented in our booth with their trailers and games or those being highlighted through the DFAIT and provincial economic development booths. There is without a doubt going to be lots to see, lots to learn, and many people to meet at SIGGRAPH 2011.

SIGGRAPH 2011 highlights the full spectrum of the $67 billion annual computer graphics industry, showcasing the world’s finest technology exhibits, interactive displays, and the best in animation and visual effects. Numerous cutting-edge research and commercial products are shown to the public for the first time in interactive exhibit areas. Examples include:

• Displays: Watch attendees interacting with cutting-edge 3D displays that will change their home theaters and video game experiences.
• Robotics, Wearables, and Haptics: See people engaging with robots and stimulation devices such as a wearable pregnancy jacket that allows the user to feel a fetus’s temperature, movements, and heartbeat.
• Mobile Devices: Interact with the next wave of advancements in mobile technological devices such as a “watch” that turns your hand into a mini-keyboard.

You can get a look at the expo floor map (PDF) on the SIGGRAPH web site, it is current as of August 1st, and for those who are not aware, the expo hall is on the lower level of the new convention centre.

Within ten months of launching its service in Canada, Netflix has surpassed one million members. The milestone was in July, when Amanda Bell James, from Flin Flon, Manitoba joined Netflix and won a lifetime membership to the world’s leading Internet subscription service for enjoying movies and TV shows.

“We’re thrilled that Canadians have embraced Netflix so rapidly, and are we’re equally proud to have welcomed one million members in such a short period,” said Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO and co-founder. “Our focus remains on building up the breadth and range of movies and TV shows to watch instantly, as well as constantly improving the experience, and we look forward to welcoming many more new members.”

For $7.99 a month, Canadians can instantly watch unlimited movies & TV episodes streaming from Netflix, whenever and as often they want. Having an extensive library of thousands of movies and TV episodes ensures that Netflix members have a wide range of choices to watch instantly.

“I’m excited to be the millionth Canadian member,” said Amanda Bell James. “Netflix is something I enjoy with my family and I look forward to continue watching our favorite movies and TV shows via Netflix in the future.”

Members can instantly watch movies and TV shows from Netflix via the Internet on a number of devices from computers to game consoles to smart phones and Internet connected televisions. The experience allows members to pause, fast forward and rewind their selection on any of their devices. Movies and TV shows are shown without ads or trailers.

Thinware Media Ltd., developers of StudioCAP workflow automation and asset management for animation studios, and Render Rocket LLC, an advanced cloud-based rendering services company based in California, have announced a new strategic partnership and technology integration that will enable animation studios to fully automate the process of rendering completely managed via cloud  computing.

StudioCAP (CAP=Computer Aided Production) is a completely new workflow automation and asset management solution for animation studios. Its cloud-based system enables studios to more efficiently store, track, and move 2D and 3D CGI (computer generated image) assets through the creation process without having to install and manage a costly IT infrastructure to do so. Render Rocket is a cloud-based, high-end rendering service that provides professional-grade rendering power on-demand to any 2D or 3D production team regardless of size or location.

Together, StudioCAP and Render Rocket will enable studios to manage their files more effectively, and automatically trigger a render job by simply submitting an image or shot after an artist has completed it. This will immediately package and send all the files to Render Rocket for rendering. Render Rocket will quickly return the files to StudioCAP fully rendered. The entire process not only automates rendering for artists, it alleviates the need for studios to purchase and maintain dedicated file servers and rendering machines, since both StudioCAP and Render Rocket operate in the cloud.

“We are very excited that Ruben and his team are onboard with Thinware Media,” said Mark Rocchio, CEO of Thinware Media Ltd. “Render Rocket is a well-established, easy-to-use rendering solution that works seamlessly with StudioCAP, and this will undoubtedly simplify how our customers take content from concept to final render.”

Ruben Perez, CEO of Render Rocket, added: “StudioCAP is the perfect complement to our cloud-based rendering solution. Now studios of all sizes can create content more efficiently, manage projects and assets more efficiently, and render more efficiently – all within the cloud and without massive capital investment. This partnership has the potential to re-define how all types of media are produced.”

Corel has launched its Summer Appventure, featuring four, new, free apps designed to help families make the most of their summer vacations. With new apps for the iPhone®, iPad®, Mac® and PC, there’s something for everyone. Whether families are packing up the car, heading for the airport or planning holiday time closer to home, Corel’s new apps make it easy for everyone to make the most of their vacation moments.

“Summer is the perfect time to travel, explore and reconnect with the things and people we care about most. Being creative and having the ability to easily share and relive holiday moments is at the heart of Corel’s Summer Appventure,” said Prescott Lee, VP and GM, Light Apps at Corel. “With the release of our four new mobile apps, we want to give travelers a range of options to make the most of their summer adventures, offering them a collection of apps that are creative and fun and that help them make the most of their valuable time.”

• Beep Beep: Convert your iPad into the perfect digital coloring book for a no-mess, creative distraction while you’re on the road or flying through the air. Rather than zoning out with a DVD, kids can explore their creativity and create vibrant, fridge or Facebook-ready masterpieces with an array of colors and sample images to choose from. Corel Beep Beep for iPad (iOS 3.2 or higher) is available as a free English app.

• Slingshot™: Capture those once in a lifetime moments on your iPhone and automatically share them in real-time with customized groups of family and friends, or send them straight to a selected Facebook album. All of your photos are automatically backed up to a private Facebook photo album so you’ll always have peace of mind. Corel Slingshot for iPhone (3G, 3GS, 4 and iPod touch 4^th generation users running iOS 4.3.3 or higher) is available as a free English app

• Postcard: Forget crowded tourist shops and searching for postage stamps. With Corel® Postcard, it’s easy to create and send personalized postcards using your iPhone. Snap that perfect moment, add your greeting, and automatically send your printed postcard anywhere in the world for just $0.99 (USD). There’s no faster, easier or more personal way to say “Wish you were here!” Corel Postcard for iPhone (3G, 3GS, 4 and iPod touch 4^th generation users running iOS 4 or higher) is available as a free English app in selected Apple App Stores worldwide. The sender’s credit card will be charged USD $0.99 per card to anywhere in the world (includes printing, postage, and handling). Postcard also runs on the iPad (iOS 3.2 or higher).

• QuickSort: Quickly sort your top holiday photos and select your favourites with this free app. With QuickSort, it’s faster than ever to reduce the hundreds, if not thousands, of digital images you captured on the road and isolate your very best shots. Using QuickSort for Mac or Windows, you can rapidly sort your photos into “good” and “best” folders with the tap of a keystroke. Not only will QuickSort save you valuable time, you may even free up some hard drive space!

Travelers can join the Corel Summer Appventure and share favourite vacation photos, videos, and holiday anecdotes. From memorable landmarks, to funny encounters, to beautiful landscapes, Corel wants to hear your stories. You can also follow the Corel Summer Appventure action by connecting with them on Facebook and following along on Twitter using the hashtag #corelappventure for your chance to win prizes such as Corel photo editing or video editing software.

Today at the National Association of Bar Executives Annual Meeting in Toronto, Vancouver-based Themis Solutions Inc. announced its new Clio Bar Affinity Program which provides members of participating Bar Associations access to an ongoing discount on Clio, a cloud-based practice management system for small and solo law firms. The NABE Annual Meeting is being held at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel from today through August 4^th.

The 77,000-member New York State Bar Association, the largest voluntary state bar association in the United States, has signed up for the Clio Bar Affinity Program so that its members can enjoy the benefits of Clio at a reduced price. Several other top bar associations in the U.S. have also joined the program, including the Connecticut Bar Association with over 9,700 members, State Bar of Michigan with over 40,000 members and the South Carolina Bar with over 13,500 members.

According to Jack Newton, President of Themis Solutions, “We are proud to announce the Clio Bar Affinity Program. Bar Associations across North America are realizing that cloud-based technology is becoming integral to their members’ success, not only as legal professionals, but as business owners. Themis Solutions is teaming up with Bar Associations to offer Clio at a discounted monthly subscription price, which is a true win-win situation. Bar members can tap the efficiencies offered by Clio, and in turn, Clio can be discovered by small firm and solo lawyers seeking greater organization and productivity for their practices.”

Southpaw Technology, a Toronto-based developer of production asset management (PAM) technology for digital content creation companies, has announced that Toonbox Entertainment, also located in Toronto,  is deploying 100 seats of TACTIC to manage all of the assets and data for its first feature-length production, The Nut Job. The growing studio just completed the movie’s trailer, and is now rolling out TACTIC for the production of the stereoscopic 3D film, which is one of the largest productions happening in Canada at the moment. Read the rest of this entry »

Electronic Arts has opened the doors for EA Sports™ Season Ticket (conditions & restrictions apply), an all-new program that provides premium benefits for a better gaming experience on five participating EA Sports titles. With an annual fee of $24.99 or 2000 Microsoft Points, subscribers will receive four all-new program benefits:

• Early Full-Game Digital Access: Three days before a game’s scheduled release, fans will be able to download and play the full version of all five participating titles on Xbox 360 and PS3™. The digitally downloaded game will time out when the game is available at retail and consumers have the option to purchase the same full game on disc at retail. EA Sports Season Ticket subscribers can transfer all achievements earned during the three-day download period to the purchased disc, resulting in an early edge over the competition.

• Discounted Downloadable Content: Subscribers will get a 20-percent discount on all available downloadable content for participating EA Sports titles. Downloadable content, which enhances and refreshes the core game experience, includes such items as Ultimate Team packs, accelerator packs and gear upgrades.

• Free Premium Web Content: Premium web content extends the game experience beyond the console to a web browser. All participating titles will feature premium web content that will be free to EA Sports Season Ticket members beginning with the premium Creation Center packs for FIFA Soccer 12. These packs provide a deeper set of customization tools and abilities within Creation Center to build your own teams and tournaments, and will be available to the consumer until the membership to the program has expired.

• Membership Recognition: Subscribers are easily identifiable with an exclusive membership recognition badge displayed both in-game and on their EASports.com profile.

GameStop will introduce EA Sports Season Ticket in North America with an innovative multichannel marketing campaign, including its PowerUp Rewards™ program of more than 11 million members.

EA Sports Season Ticket is available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft beginning today. Fans can subscribe today through the Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation®Store for the PlayStation 3, and benefits begin with this month’s launch of Madden NFL 12. Moving forward, participating franchises include Madden NFL Football, NHL hockey, FIFA Soccer, Tiger Woods PGA Tour® golf and NCAA® Football.

“EA Sports Season Ticket is an exciting program for our core fans – it lets our biggest fans play earlier, play more and play better than anyone else,” said Peter Moore, President, EA SSports. “EA Sports Season Ticket is an important step in our vision for transforming how deeply fans connect with the sports games they love through digital products and services. We’re excited to continue evolving EA Sports Season Ticket as we listen to what consumers want most in their gaming experiences.”

GameStop President Tony Bartel added, “We are excited to be selected as the exclusive retail marketing partner for the roll-out of EA Sports Season Ticket. GameStop is in a unique position to deliver this digital product utilizing its multichannel network. We will continue to work with progressive publishers to bring great gaming experiences to our customers.”

To subscribe to EA Sports™ Season Ticket for the Xbox 360, go to the Xbox LIVE Marketplace, download and launch the EA Sports application, and follow the prompts after “purchase a subscription”. For PS3™ users, go to the PlayStation Store, search for EA Sports Season Ticket and purchase the program. EA Sports Season Ticket is available on PS3™ and Xbox 360 in North America, and Xbox 360 in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

3D3 Solutions, a Burnaby, BC developer of 3D scanning technologies, will be exhibiting at SIGGRAPH 2011 in Vancouver, where they will offer attendees at the conference free 3D face scanning demonstrations at their booth #879.

The face scanning process involves using a 3D scanner to capture an accurate 3D mesh and color texture directly from a human face. The output is especially useful in the video games, visual effects and medical imaging industry. 3D3 Solutions will feature the HDI 3D Scanner to demonstrate live face scanning at Siggraph. Their scanner uses white-light technology to capture high-resolution, color 3D scan in less than 1.4 seconds. Attendees will be provided with the 3D data of their face scans for personal use.

3D3 Solutions offers 3D scanning systems that are flexible in capturing human shapes, art sculptures, and mechanical parts for industrial inspection. 3D3 Solutions has also worked with a number of leading game companies and universities on developing custom high-speed 3D face scanners. In the latest development, the company’s custom face scanner is capable of performing a 3D scan every 0.2 seconds. “People have a tendency to move just by breathing alone and movement affects scan quality,” said Thomas Tong, President of 3D3 Solutions. “With the ability to generate 3D scans almost instantaneously, users will have cleaner, high quality scan data to work with.”

Please visit booth #879 at SIGGRAPH 2011 to learn more about 3D3 Solutions’ 3D scanning technology.