Village Gamer

Let the heavens rejoice after 5 years in development  Hothead Games has released Swarm. Swarm is a amazing downloadable action platformer game for  XBLA and PSN.

It’s about a gigantic blue worm that lands on a nasty planet and it’s up to you to control a team of 50 little “Swarmites” at once through 11 levels, collecting points and DNA to help grow “Momma”, get her a new hat and leave the planet. There is one catch though; this path is full of things that burn, trap, electrify and decapitate your swarm at every point and you get glorious points added to your score for it. All you have to do is make it through the level with at least one Swarmite in order  to return to Momma. Momma has lots of  Swarmites spawn points throughout the levels so if they die, Momma spawns more. This can be helpful because there are points in the game that require you to have a certain number in order for the higher point value orbs to appear.

You are rewarded in this game for the collection of things that look like nucleus and DNA. The more you collect in a row helps fill a multiplier which can greatly add to your score, but in a cruel twist, deaths of your Swarmites also add to it. So if your multiplier looks like it’s running out you can just kill off some of your swarm to keep it up. This is the game’s primary mechanic, as you find that most obstacles you encounter or crates to open just happen to kill off some of your happy blue buddies. At the end of the level your amount of Swarmite deaths are calculated up and put towards progressive death medals and the worldwide death total. Deaths in the level also have death medals but are only rewarded when the last 10 of your Swarm encounter the same deadly fate.

The game gets progressively harder and (easier if you replay earlier levels) as you get better at controlling your swarm and there are even two boss battles that are unlocked by collecting enough DNA.

Some of the awesome things you can get your swarm to do include moves such as jump, dash, huddle together and stack on each other as well as pick up and throw explosives. Sometimes your Swarmites will pick each other up when picking up explosives, leading to some hilarious deaths.

The game’s length is 6-8 hours but with the leaderboards, achievements and the constant questioning of Momma asking “Why can’t you be more like (Insert friend’s gamer tag here)”  the replay value is high. Here’s hoping there is more Swarm content coming.

Hothead Games has taken an old convention that games punish you if you die, turning it around so that death is rewarding. Congratulations to Hothead for taking an original idea and making it shine. If you’re looking for a fun, original type of game don’t let this one pass you by cause you wouldn’t want to disappoint Momma – plus it would make a great gift for any video game loving mom (Mother’s Day is coming up) and you know that would score some serious points.

Swarm is on  XBLA (Xbox Live Arcade) for 1200 MS Points and PSN (Playstation Network store) for $14.99 Released on March 22nd 2011 by Hothead Games, Swarm is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.

Review by: Twisted Majic

Markham Electronic Medical Record service provider Nightingale Informatix Corporation has launched its web-based EMR and practice management solution, Nightingale On Demand on the Apple^® iPad™.

Nightingale On Demand for the iPad™ responds to the increasing need for physicians and healthcare providers to have mobile access to their patient data. Key functionalities of the application will allow physicians to review patient charts and lab results, respond to patient and staff messages, as well as manage the scheduling and billing of patient visits. This is a complimentary tool for physicians using Nightingale On Demand and has been designed with use in settings, such as hospital rounds or offsite patient management and homecare, in mind.

“We are pleased to offer Nightingale On Demand to our customers for use on the iPad™,” said Sam Chebib, President and CEO of Nightingale. “Product innovation is a cornerstone of the Company’s mandate. We strive to provide solutions that not only make EMR implementation easier for physicians but also leverage the most current technology available in the marketplace.  We are confident that this will be a significant value added product offering for our customers. As a result, we anticipate considerable uptake over the coming months.”

Nightingale is leading the Canadian EMR market as one of the first companies with plans to launch an iPad™-enabled solution. Physicians and healthcare providers will have the comfort of knowing that all patient data entered while using the iPad™ is stored directly to the same secure servers Nightingale uses for its existing ASP EMR, and that no patient data will remain on the iPad™ device. Nightingale On Demand for the iPad™ will be made available to the Company’s more than 3,000 EMR users in Canada, as well as all new EMR customers.

EA BioWare™ has partnered with FUNimation® Entertainment, a distributor of Japanese animation in North America, announced today an agreement to create an anime feature film adapted from one of the video game industry’s most revered franchises, Mass Effect™. Tokyo-based anime and international feature film production company T.O Entertainment, Inc. has signed on as a co-producer on the video. Based on the Mass Effect universe, the anime video will tell the tale of an epic science fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life and mysterious, uncharted planets.

Casey Hudson of BioWare, executive producer of the Mass Effect series, will serve as executive producer on the film, along with FUNimation President and CEO Gen Fukunaga and Director of Original Entertainment Chris Moujaes and T.O Entertainment’s CEO Takeichi Honda and Yui Shibata.

“Over the last few years, we have revealed different pieces of the Mass Effect world through different media. Extending the story through an anime medium is another amazing opportunity for us,” said Casey Hudson, Executive Producer for the Mass Effect series. “Partnering with FUNimation ensures that we will bring this rich universe to life with the utmost quality and the same attention to detail that the Mass Effect games are known for.”

“It is thanks to the enormous and passionate Mass Effect fan base that this movie is made possible,” said Gen Fukunaga, President & CEO of FUNimation. “With production underway on the Dragon Age video, we are excited to team up with another BioWare team to add an exciting new chapter to this vast sci-fi world.”

Production of the Mass Effect anime movie has already begun. Digital and home video releases are scheduled for the summer of 2012. The original Mass Effect game and its sequel Mass Effect 2 have received over 250 awards and 100 perfect ‘10’ scores from critics worldwide. Mass Effect 2 is available now for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PC. Stay tuned for more news about the continuation of Commander Shepard’s adventure as BioWare will release more information about Mass Effect 3 soon.

In another deal, EA and Hasbro, Inc. have proclaimed that today, April 7th, is Global Monopoly Day on Facebook. Monopoly fans around the world are invited to play Monopoly Millionaires on Facebook to win more than $20,000 in prizes (no purchase necessary, void in Quebec) and participate in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Records® title. The attempt will be measured by the greatest number of people worldwide simultaneously playing Monopoly Millionaires on Facebook. Official adjudicators will be monitoring the game over a 24-hour period from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. PST on April 7. Players can take part during that time frame through Monopoly Millionaires on Facebook and can RSVP to participate at the Global Monopoly Day event page on Facebook any time prior to 11:59 p.m. PST on April 7. As of right now, there are over 74 000 people “attending” the event. Read the rest of this entry »

Every year, more than 50 000 children are reported missing in Canada. Avis de recherche (ADR.tv), the Quebec television channel devoted to public safety, is launching Child Alert, an iPhone application that allows parents to create and save a digital profile of their child. In the event of emergency, parents can then quickly send this data sheet to the authorities. A version for Android will be available in the near future.

The authorities stress that the first few hours following a disappearance are crucial. Reacting quickly can significantly increase the chances of finding a child safe and sound. More often than not, however, parents in such a situation are in a state of panic and therefore incapable of giving an accurate description of their child.

The Child Alert data sheet features height, weight, hair and eye colour, plus all other distinguishing features. The app also lets parents save photos of their child taken from a number of different angles.

“Our Child Alert application lets parents have a detailed physical description of their children at their fingertips”, explains Vincent Géracitano, President of Avis de recherche. “The app also sends users a regular reminder to keep their data up-to-date.”

The launch of the Child Alert app has been enthusiastically received by the national police community.

”Our goal at the Center is to protect and save children’s lives. The more tools we have the more we can fulfill our mandate, explains Monique Perras, S/Sgt, NCO i/c National Missing Children’s Services, of the RCMP. We want to congratulate Avis de recherche.tv for their initiative and their support. In working together we can achieve so much more!”

Sergeant Jean-Yves McCann, coordinator of the AMBER alert program for the Sûreté du Québec, agrees wholeheartedly : “When an AMBER alert is activated, time is crucial and every minute counts – so having an electronic ID profile on a cell phone seems like an extremely valuable tool. We will clearly be able to save a lot of time by broadcasting accurate details of the child. And broadcasting photos will greatly increase our chances of success. I would therefore encourage parents in Quebec to use this application, which could become a kind of police insurance if your child ever disappears or is abducted.”

The Child Alert app can be downloaded for $0.99. For every purchase, ADR.tv will assist organizations that help families look for missing children in Canada. The channel will donate a quarter of all funds raised. In Canada the funds will be given to the Child Find organization. Whereas, in Quebec, these funds will be donated to Enfant-Retour Québec.

« Given that one in five children are found after being recognized in a photograph, it is extremely important that parents have recent photos to show the police if their child disappears”, adds Pina Arcamone, Director General of Enfant-Retour Quebec. “The Child Alert app lets parents keep an electronic ID profile on their cell phones. By moving the child identification program onto an electronic platform, we have made it more widely available and easier to access for families everywhere.”

This is the second app launched by ADR.tv. Last fall, the channel launched ADR Alerte, an app that lets users receive and view photos of missing persons, as well as police photos and videos of suspects. In this way, ADR Alerte allows the public to participate in police enquiries.

Big Blue Bubble is pleased to announce that Burn the Rope for the iOS fans can now play a new puzzle every day. Players can log in daily to see a fresh, new challenge. Additionally, Burn the Rope fans are invited to submit their original puzzle ideas for development as a Puzzle of the Day.

Puzzle of the Day is a unique game feature introduced in the 1.3 game update now available to all users. Every day, players of Burn the Rope for the iPhone will receive a new puzzle to play, which means free ongoing new content designed by users.

Anyone who submits a puzzle design has a chance to win a free T-shirt, bragging rights, and the undying admiration of Wickman if their puzzle is selected to become an actual game level. One puzzle will be selected every day so there’s plenty of opportunity to win. Submit a puzzle now to become one of the first winners.

“Puzzle of the Day strives to give users more influence over the kind of levels they most enjoy. With the ability to design and rate their own levels, players can create an experience they want and not what we think they want.” stated Dave Kerr, designer of Burn the Rope.” Plus, they’ll get a ton of new levels to solve.”

Burn the Rope is a challenging game where you try to burn as much rope as you can in each level, and as the fire only burns upwards, you have to tilt and turn your iOS device to keep your flame alive – and sometimes it’s burning up three or four different ropes, all headed in different directions.

As you progress through the levels, you’ll encounter bugs crawling along the rope. Different bugs have different reactions to the flame. For example, the ant changes the color of the flame so you can burn different colored ropes, and the spider shoots out a web bridge so you can access parts of the level that you could not before.

Burn the Rope is incredibly fun and addictive. You will actually feel like you’re burning a rope, yet there’s no need for a fire extinguisher.

Features:

· 112 exciting levels that are fun for the whole family
· New puzzle of the day feature
· Incredibly fun and addictive that is easy to learn but hard to master
· Unique controls with beautiful graphics and cool fire effects

Burn the Rope has received a great deal of praise from the critics and has been nominated for several awards including Best of 2010 and several categories in the upcoming Canadian Video game awards. Burn the Rope was also selected as “App of the Day” on both Gizmodo and TUAW. Burn the Rope 1.3 is $1.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category, as is Burn The Rope Lite version. A new Unlocking System has been introduced in Burn the Rope Lite, which now includes the ability to earn every level in the original game, for free.

Game development studio Ludia has released Planet Fish™ on WiiWare for 500 Wii Points. In this game, which is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB, invites you to fire suction bubbles from your underwater craft to trap fish that you can then display in your personal aquarium. Catch and collect exotic fish in colorful deep-sea environments such as the Gulf of Mexico, the Ryukyu Islands and the spectacular Great Barrier Reef. Try to avoid obstacles and dangerous species lurking in the depths. Grow your aquatic collection with beautiful marine life from around the world. Navigate through 30 unique levels of play, each with its own challenges and obstacles. Watch out for jagged surfaces, dangerous jellyfish and paralyzing algae. Win bonus collectible fish as you advance in the game. Unlock animated Trophies with each region that you successfully complete.

Toronto’s Max the Mutt Animation School and Daemen College in Amherst, New York have signed an articulation agreement that may provide some Max the Mutt graduates with the opportunity to obtain advanced standing in Daemen College’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program subject to meeting Daemen College’s requirements.

“This is exciting news for Max the Mutt diploma holders who apply and are accepted as they can earn a BFA degree in one academic year!” explains Maxine Schacker, the Founder and Director of Max the Mutt.  “They will have the ability to round out their education with academic studies, and attain credentials that may be necessary for some job opportunities abroad.”

Max the Mutt and Daemen first entered into a partnership in May, 2010. Max the Mutt was able to assist Daemen in founding their new animation degree program. In the future, both schools will support and enhance each other’s programs and plan to cooperate in developing innovative educational strategies that will enhance the development of students at both schools.

Max the Mutt and Daemen are well matched as both stress small class size, foster skills and creativity, and seek to develop knowledge and skills that will make their graduates  a positive addition to their fields and to the world. Max the Mutt and Daemen will also offer relevant workshops to each other’s students.

“We were amazed and delighted to find a school that has the same basic philosophy as Max the Mutt,” says Schacker.  “We believe our graduates who apply for this and are accepted will have an easy transition into Daemen’s environment.”

Max the Mutt Animation School is devoted to the study of drawing, classical and computer animation, illustration for sequential arts and concept art for animation and video games.

Frima Studio says that size does matter, and  in conjunction with SFO-based Bolt Creative, the studio has announced that the Pygmies of Pocket God on Facebook are moving to bigger and better things with Episode V: Archipela-Go-Go. This latest addition to the Pocket God world introduces a brand new island, a first for the popular online title, and features a fun new way to reward the Pygmies for their undying loyalty. The latest update also adds customization for a 6th tribe member.

Since its debut in December 2010, the Facebook version of Pocket God has grown exponentially and is attracting more players every month. More than 40 million loyal, unquestioning Pygmies have met their demise over that time—that’s approximately the same amount of people who have had the fortune of being Rick-Rolled over the years. Don’t worry, we’re never gonna give you up (or let you down). Another two million sacrifices can be attributed to friends on Facebook sacrificing other friends in a host of brutal and irreverent ways, including electrocution, shark attack, venus fly traps, tornados, tar pits, and more! Nothing says moral support like a good smiting.

The new updates for Archipela-Go-Go include:

• Movin’ on up to a larger coastline: The Pygmies have finally found their deluxe island in the sky. Errr—water…you know what we meant! Players can now unlock or purchase a larger BIG island for Pocket God on Facebook, a third land mass in the archipelago, and will give deities the opportunity to stretch their Pygmies’ legs so they don’t feel too claustrophobic. More so, the new BIG island can be utilized for larger-scale Pygmy torment as there is now more space to invoke different, simultaneous acts of torture, as well as additional room to conveniently handle quests.

• More Pygmies, more customization: Six is bigger than five so it must be better! With the BIG island available, players can now add and customize a sixth member of their tribe, allowing players to expand their roster of endless torture victims, complete with all the trimmings such as grass skirts, t-shirts, life jackets (that still don’t work), and more!

• Relax with a nice hot spring bath: Put a hot spring in a Pygmy’s step with the all new Hot Spring! See what we did there with a classic expression and some word play? Zing! With the Hot Spring environment now enabled, players can pamper their subjects with a much needed and deserved bath, which will also award deities with additional devotion points if Pygmies are asking for a dip in nature’s hot tub.

• Win a trip to Uranus: April Fool’s (unless you’re into that sort of thing)! Jokes aside, players who log in today will have a chance to participate in a global event where users from around the world will cooperatively work towards unlocking a new special item. Also, for a limited time, players can feed their Pygmies and watch as the results of said feeding become more “explosive” than normal. What’s the secret item to be won and what kind of “explosive” do we mean? You’ll have to log in and find out!

Today, gamers on PC and Mac finally get their hands on Big Sandwich Games’ innovative dragon-themed game of gathering treasure.  HOARD™ is available for purchase on Steam.  Purchasers who act now can take advantage of a limited time discount off the retail price of $9.99USD.  4-packs are also available for a deeper discount, encouraging friends to take advantage of HOARD™’s unique and compelling multiplayer action. HOARD™ is also available for play on PS3 and PSP.

HOARD™ is packed full of content and features for both solo and group-minded gamers.  Aspiring dragons can compete for high scores on over 35 different maps and 4 modes, ranging from single player score-attack to co-op to intense head-to-head matches.  The gameplay is an innovative and addictive mix of action and strategy, creating a deceptively deep arcade experience.  Joystiq raves, “HOARD™’s gameplay shines.”  IGN agrees, having awarded HOARD™ “Best Quick Fix” honors, and nominating it for “Best Competitive Multiplayer.”  Despite the game’s quickplay nature, Big Sandwich assures gamers will find dozens of hours of gameplay in the package.  Ars Technica concurs that “HOARD will keep you scorching villages for hours on end.”

All popular Steam features are employed, including over 100 achievements, leaderboards, multiplayer matching, friend invites, stats, and Steam cloud saving.  Steam Play is also supported, meaning users who own both a PC and Mac only need buy the game once.  Several impressive new features are also making their appearance in the Steam version, including graphical boosts like Night mode and a crisp winter tileset.

“If you like dragons, gold, princesses, knights, burglars, giants, medieval villages, wizard towers, gems, or fire, you’ll probably like HOARD™,” says Tyler Sigman, Executive Producer. “But if you like great games and great value, you’ll definitely like it.”

Gamers Heart Japan will be airing this weekend, with its premiere on April 3rd at 4pm in all CityTV markets, G4 at 6pm in all markets and on SPACE at 7pm ET (4pm PT).

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRZz5mAQtgM]

Watch, Enjoy, Donate.

Reminder: Battle of the Apps Round 2 is open for submissions until April 15th.
Tickets: Canadian Video Game Awards tickets are on sale now at TicketMaster.
Just In: Seth Green will reprising his role as Joker in the upcoming Mass Effect 3.

FACTOR is now accepting applications for the 2011-2012 fiscal year through FACTOR’s Online Application System. Visit onlineapp.factor.ca to create an account, review new program guidelines, as well as create, save and submit online applications for all FACTOR programs. New Program Guidelines are available online. 

Apparently the Eastern Arctic region of our country has entered into a thaw, because Big Blue Bubble is celebrating Spring. Starting tonight at 5PM ET a large selection of the studio’s iOS titles will be on sale for 24 hours, so if you’ve been meaning to download some of their games and haven’t gotten around to it, now is the time for action.  Big Blue Bubble’s Administrative Assistant Amanda Thorpe hinted that the studio has some great things coming up for their iOS games in the next few weeks, so she suggested that you stock up now while they are at a reduced price.

These iPhone and iPod Touch Titles will be available for 99 cents USD:

• Thumpies (regular price 2.99)
• Burn The Rope (regular price 1.99)
• Home Sweet Home 2 – Kitchens (regular price 2.99)
• Home Sweet Home (regular price 2.99)

The following universal titles (they work on all iOS mobile devices) will also be available for only 99 cents USD:

• Fighting Fantasy: Warlock Of Firetop Mountain (regular price 2.99)
• Fighting Fantasy: Deathtrap Dungeon (regular price 2.99)
• Fighting Fantasy: City Of Thieves (regular price 2.99)
• Fighting Fantasy: Citadel Of Chaos (regular price 2.99)
• Fighting Fantasy: Creature Of Havoc (regular price 2.99)

The following iPad titles are also on sale:

• Burn The Rope HD – sale price 2.99 (regular price: 4.99)
• Home Sweet Home HD – sale price 0.99 (regular price: 3.99)
• Thumpies XL – sale price 0.99(regular price: 2.99)

Three of Big Blue Bubble’s 99¢ games will now be free permanently:

• Rooster Punch
• Invaders From Uranus
• Snow Ballistic

Henning Software Solutions property Kidobi has added several children’s series to its growing library of videos for preschoolers, which are part of new distribution partnerships with top children’s content producers, including Organa LLC and Toronto’s CCI Entertainment.

“These additional series bring us one step closer to our ultimate goal, which is to provide videos that entertain young minds while showing them their imagination and potential is limitless,” said Eric Sorenson, Director of Research & Content, Kidobi.

New Additions Include:

“The Adventures of Mouse and Mole” about the everyday adventures of these lovable companions as they help each other to navigate through both good times and bad, from Los Angeles-based Organa LLC.

“The Longhouse Tales” (26×30’) about the fantasy and fun adventures of a young coyote and his animal friends, and “Farzzles World” (130×3’), which shows the real world seen from a baby’s point of view, CCI Entertainment.

A subscription to Kidobi provides a personalized playlist for each child based on their skills, interests, educational needs and more. By creating playlists for individual children, Kidobi ensures a unique and engaging experience for each viewer. Parents can rest assured that while their children watch videos from Kidobi’s current library they are surfing on a site that is entirely age appropriate and free of advertising.

Kidobi, which is currently seeking Beta testers, was developed with experts in child development, education, psychology and children’s media. Kidobi creates personalized video playlists based on the educational needs and entertainment tastes of individual children.

Big Sandwich Games announced today that their award-winning strategy-arcade title HOARD™ now has a demo version immediately available for download on Steam.  The full version can be purchased at a “dragonfire sale” discount of 25% off the normal retail mark of $9.99. The full version unlocks (releases) on April 4^th on Steam for both PC and Mac.  4-packs are also available for a discount, so gamers can take on their friends as well as participate in the Hoard Steam Community and follow the game on Facebook.

Big Sandwich Games expects HOARD^TM to be a big hit with PC and Mac users who want an addictive combination of action and strategy. The game offers bite-sized chunks of single and multiplayer play that includes a co-op mode for up to 4 dragons working together.  “HOARD^TM is a rare game that was created for both core and casual gamers,” says Tyler Sigman, the game’s designer. “Whether they prefer solitary play, competitive multiplayer, friendly co-op, or arcade-style score-attack challenges, HOARD^TM is a great fit. At under $10, that’s a lot of fire-breathing destruction and fun for very little money.”

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca2-riOgdO0]

All popular Steamworks features are employed in HOARD™, including over 100 achievements, leaderboards, multiplayer matching, friend invites, stats, and Steam cloud saving.  Steam Play is also supported, meaning users who want to play on both PC and Mac only need to buy the game once.  Several new features are also making their appearance in the Steam version, including graphical boosts like night mode and a crisp winter tile set.

Audiokinetic Inc. has released the latest version of Wwise. Wwise 2011.1 introduces new features and enhancements, including support of portable systems such as iOS (iPhone and iPad) and previously announced Nintendo 3DS™.

“The video game industry is evolving, casual and social games are becoming a focus for more partners. This also implies making games available on a wider range of media and devices.” said Simon Ashby, VP of Product Strategy at Audiokinetic Inc.

In an effort to make Wwise accessible to a wide range of developers, Audiokinetic confirms a new pricing model for iOS projects. Developers will be able to license Wwise for $500 US. New public discussion forums will be made available to the community. Approved Nintendo 3DS developers that want to license Wwise will be able to purchase a license at $5,000 US. Additional details on our pricing are available on Audiokinetic’s web site.