Village Gamer

Ottawa – The Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) is delighted to announce the nominees for the second annual CFTPA Indie Awards to be presented in Ottawa on February 18th, 2009.

The awards were created by the CFTPA to honour the outstanding achievements of Canadian independent producers. The National Jury members are made up of leading industry players including Tecca Crosbie, Michael Donovan, Slawko Klymkiw, Sharon McGowan and Suzette Normandeau. With these 44 nominations, selected from more than 160 entries, the Jury’s task in choosing the winners is formidable.

“Through these awards we recognize the hard work and excellence of Canadian producers,” says Guy Mayson, President and CEO of the CFTPA. “Our industry not only entertains and enlightens, it helps create jobs and contributes to the economic well-being of the country. We are proud to showcase their exceptional work. Congratulations to each nominee.”

The awards ceremony will be hosted by renowned comedienne and writer Cathy Jones—a multi-award winner herself for CODCO and This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

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Future Shop sets the Facts Straight Again in Response to Continued Rumour about Closing

Burnaby – A viral email continues to circulate among Canadians saying that Future Shop’s stores are closing and that Future Shop gift cards are not valid — this is not true.

Future Shop is growing and prospering with 139 stores to date and more stores opening next year. Future Shop gift cards never expire and can be used at any of its stores across Canada or online at futureshop.ca.

For the holiday season, Future Shop has hired 6,000 seasonal associates to help serve the 25 million Canadians that come through its doors during November to the week of Boxing Day.

Vancouver – Despite below freezing temperatures this weekend, a sellout crowd gave a rousing Vancouver welcome to powerhouse heavy metal band Dragonforce with guests Power Glove and Turisas on this last performance of their 2008 North American tour.

The all-ages show was opened by Power Glove, a heavy metal group from Boston who have put a whole new spin on video game music. They opened the show with their version of the Tetris theme, levelling up into a high powered set of heavy metal Mario Minor, So Sexy Robotnick and more. Power Glove ended their set with a fantastic rendition of the Power Rangers theme – far better than the original show’s version. This is a band who obviously takes their foray into video games very seriously – right down to the koopa shell shoulder pads – and they put on a seriously rocking show.

Finnish Viking metal group Turisas was second to take the stage. Dressed in full battle regalia from furs to warpaint, Turisas took the audience through a journey of Viking legend in a way I’m sure the Vikings of times long gone never foresaw – and I’m sure Boney M never envisioned Rasputin becoming a heavy metal anthem, either. This band never stopped moving and neither did the

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The Canadian Interactive Alliance/L’Alliance interactive canadienne (CIAIC) is looking to build a complete profile of Canada’s interactive media industry, including all companies in Canada that work in or service the interactive media industry, either completely or partially.

The 2008 Canadian Interactive Industry Profile (CIIP) will assist the CIAIC in strengthening the Canadian interactive industry by increasing investment and partnering opportunities and improving the business climate for interactive media. Since the interactive industry is not routinely tracked by government agencies such as Statistics Canada, it is up to the industry to produce a comprehensive economic and operational profile to present to relevant decision makers.

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New Partnership Provides Unified Login Access and a Unified Monetary System for Players of Wicked Interactive and G4BOX Games

Toronto – Wicked Interactive, and G4BOX, both North American MMO Publishers, announced today that Wicked Interactive’s SUBA Games platform, will now host G4BOX MMORPG, Metin2, and its upcoming online FPS, Cross Fire.

The new partnership will result in numerous benefits for both SUBA Games and G4BOX players. A new unified login system will allow Cross Fire and Metin2 players to access all SUBA Games properties, including ACE Online, Priston Tale, and the upcoming Priston Tale 2: The Second Enigma, with their current G4BOX logins. Likewise, SUBA Games players will gain access to Metin2, and the exclusive closed beta of Cross Fire. Additionally, G4BOX games and SUBA Games properties now share a unified currency and community space. While the games have merged onto one platform, G4BOX and Wicked Interactive remain separate corporate entities.

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Toronto – The National Film Board of Canada is delighted to have two titles plus a co-production with Hamilton Mehta Productions, as part of Canada’s Top Ten list of best films in 2008. Luc Bourdon’s feature documentary The Memories of Angels, Theodore Ushev’s animated short Drux Flux and Deepa Mehta’s feature Heaven on Earth were selected. The list was announced on December 16, 2008 by the Toronto International Film Festival Group.

Established in 2001 by the Toronto International Film Festival Group, Canada’s Top Ten celebrates and promotes contemporary Canadian cinema and is intended to raise public awareness of Canadian achievements. A 10-member national panel of filmmakers, programmers, journalists and industry professionals vote on the best Canadian films of the year, which can include features, shorts, documentaries, animation and experimental films.

Documentary, poetry and essay rolled into one, The Memories of Angels is a singular lesson in Montreal history with its famous figures, symbolic places and ordinary citizens. Luc Bourdon has created a virtuoso mosaic of stockshots and clips from 120 NFB films to present Montreal of the ’50s and ’60s. Without a commentary, the film moves from the red light district to Jean Drapeau, the Jacques-Cartier market, department stores downtown, textile factories and the construction of Place Ville-Marie. We meet Geneviève Bujold, Oscar Peterson, Monique Mercure and Igor Stravinsky. We hear Raymond Lévesque, Jean Drapeau and René Lecavalier.

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One of CBC’s #1 Rated Preschool Shows in October

Toronto – Kids’ CBC has renewed Cookie Jar Entertainment’s popular series, “Busytown Mysteries (Hurray For Huckle!)” and will begin airing season two in 2009. Inspired by the classic works of best-selling children’s author, Richard Scarry, “Busytown Mysteries (Hurray For Huckle!)” was one of the two top-rated preschool series on CBC’s weekday morning lineup for the month of October. “We’re delighted by the overwhelming response from viewers to ‘Busytown Mysteries (Hurray For Huckle!).’ The show’s success is a testament to Richard Scarry’s timeless work, coupled with the creativity of our talented production team,” said Jennifer Picherack, Cookie Jar Entertainment’s VP Distribution/Sales Operations. “Kids’ CBC is one of the leading broadcasters for children’s television, and it is very gratifying to provide them and their viewers with bright, entertaining and distinctive programming.” “Busytown Mysteries (Hurray For Huckle!)” blends humor and learning by following the lives of six unforgettable characters who try to solve everyday life mysteries in Busytown.

Three B.C. and two California companies honored for their innovation

Richmond BC – Sierra Wireless and Wavefront, the community-based commercialization center for B.C.’s 1,000 wireless and new media development companies, announce the winners of the Sierra Wireless – Wavefront Developer Programme.

The Sierra Wireless – Wavefront Developer Programme was established to find best-in-class enterprise or consumer applications that take advantage of the mobile broadband and GPS capabilities built into Sierra Wireless PC cards, ExpressCards, and USB modems. Finalists created working prototypes and a team of six judges, including Parm Sandhu, TELUS; James Maynard, Wavefront; David Sonnen, Integrated Spatial Solutions, Inc (ISSI); Ed Schmit, AT&T; Steve Blaine, Sierra Wireless; and Trent Punnett, Sierra Wireless, chose the best-in-class winners.

Apisphere, Inc of Berkeley, CA – Apisphere for Outlook is a location-aware plug-in that enables Sierra Wireless users to automatically send and receive location-smart messages to their mobile devices and laptops based on their Outlook calendar and location.

Clevest Solutions Inc. of Richmond, BC – Clevest Solutions Inc, the world’s fastest growing mobile solutions provider for utilities, has developed a new breed of Mobile Field Force Optimization Solution for mobile workforces by integrating and leveraging the power of GPS/Automatic Vehicle Location, GIS Maps, Scheduling, Dispatch, patented and configurable forms, validations, and workflows.
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Vancouver – The Electronic Arts head office in Redwood City, California has announced further plans for its corporate restructuring plans, which includes consolidating studio facilities and reducing their workforce.

EA expects the restructuring plan will result in annual cost savings of approximately $120 million and restructuring charges of approximately $55-65 million over the next several quarters. The plan is intended to reduce EA’s worldwide work force by approximately 10 percent or 1,000 people. The majority of these actions will be completed by March 31, 2009. This represents a four percent increase from the six percent reduction EA announced on October 30, 2008.

The restructuring also calls for consolidation or closure of at least nine studio and publishing locations. Among the facilities to be consolidated is the Black Box Studio facility in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Black Box development teams and associated game franchises will move to the nearby EA studio location in Burnaby, British Columbia. EA is implementing a plan to narrow its product portfolio to focus on hit games with higher margin opportunities. The company remains committed to taking creative risks, investing in new games, leading the industry in the growing mobile and online businesses, and delivering high-quality games to consumers.

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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