Village Gamer

Submissions are now being accepted for the 2009 Game Developers Choice Awards, the most prestigious honours in videogame development. The ten awards will be given out at a ceremony produced by the Game Developers Conference(R) (GDC) and presented by Gamasutra.com and Game Developer Magazine on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at GDC. The celebration, held in conjunction with the Independent Games Festival (IGF), will be hosted in the Esplanade Room in the South Hall of San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center. The nomination ballot and further details about the Choice Awards are now available online at http://www.gamechoiceawards.com/.

“Over the last eight years, the Game Developers Choice Awards have recognized excellence in videogame development with a peer-based voting methodology. The awards are for developers, by developers,” said Meggan Scavio, event director of the Game Developers Conference. “We’re honored to be keeping the tradition alive by hosting the awards at GDC where all the creative talent will be celebrated for yet another innovative year of games.”
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Digital Media Grabs 10% Share of $845Bn Global Media and Entertainment Business in 2008

Boston – Global revenues from digital media will exceed revenue generated by filmed entertainment – movie theaters and home video combined – for the first time in 2008, according to new research from Strategy Analytics, a research company which provides timely and actionable market intelligence focused on opportunities and disruptive forces in the areas of Automotive Electronics and Entertainment, Broadband Connected Home, Mobile & Wireless Intelligent Systems and Virtual Worlds.

The report, “Global Media & Entertainment Market Forecast, 2004 – 2012,” predicts that total worldwide revenues from media and entertainment – including television & filmed entertainment, recorded music, games software and advertising – will exceed $845 billion this year, with more than 10%, or $90.0 billion, coming from online and mobile channels. In comparison, the global filmed entertainment market will generate $83.1 billion in revenues this year.

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Interactive Ontario, the province’s digital media content industry’s association, will be holding their Annual General Meeting on Thursday, January 22, 2009. All IO members are welcome to attend. All Full Member companies can vote. Full Members have the opportunity to select board members via a vote that takes place during the AGM. Supporting Members are not permitted to vote. Membership fees are based on the size of the company. Since last fall, the Association’s membership has grown by 67%, to over 200 companies.

Following the AGM , IO will be hosting an iNTERACT networking event at The Gladstone Hotel. iNTERACTS are free for IO members and just $5.00 for non-members and include one drink ticket and munchies. The following day, Friday, January 23, IO presents iLunch 7.04, on The Digital Pangaea. Interactive Ontario’s mandate is to promote the interests of its members in the digital media content industry, and to enlist the support of government and private sector partners with a vested interest in its growth.

Montreal – Meridian4 and Frogames have been hard at work adding content to Penguins Arena, their action-packed, non-stop battle for survival – “There can be only one” – FPS (First Penguin Shooter) and have also added a little Christmas cheer.

Frogames have added three new larger battlebergs for your penguin tribe to combat others in the ultimate struggle for supremacy and survival. More room to run, to hide, to watch your dynamite fish grenade smack a penguin clear off the iceberg into the cold waters below and then to be eaten by a great white…ah memories. They’ve also decorated for the holidays, adding a few string of lights, some garland, a Christmas tree or two and some of your old favorites like Frosty and even St. Nick might make an appearance.
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