Village Gamer

Mafiaboy – How I Cracked the Internet & Why It’s Still Broken
Michael Calce with Craig Silverman
2008

Mafiaboy – How I Cracked The Internet & Why It’s Still Broken reads more like a “what I did last summer” essay combined with a school research project than a true authoritative look at the problems inherent with security and the internet. I found Mr. Calce’s tale to be built more on ego and teenage swagger than on remorse. Granted, he did learn some good coding skills in his early career, but I find it hard to believe that an otherwise seemingly well-behaved kid had no foresight into the wrongness of his activities. At times I did wonder who he was trying to convince – himself, his family, or readers – that his foray into piracy, hacking and bot herding was nothing more than an innocent quest for knowledge gone wrong.

While I understand the lure of power and being able to do something no one else (or very few) can do, Mr. Calce broke the law, and he deserved all he got. Although he cautions others against following in his footsteps as the end result is not worth the brief intoxication of power, my respect falls on the side of the RCMP and FBI agents who put an end to Mafiaboy’s thoughtless attacks. I do not feel that his inclusion of very basic internet security information in any way redeems the millions of dollars in damage and lost time he caused.

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New Title from EA SPORTS Freestyle Prioritizes Accessible Fun with Low Cost of Entry

Burnaby – Electronic Arts Inc. announced today that 3 on 3 NHL® Arcade – an all-new downloadable experience from EA SPORTS Freestyle™ – is in development at EA Canada by the team that produced the critically acclaimed NHL 09. 3 on 3 NHL Arcade is a no rules, fast paced, hockey experience that gamers of all types can enjoy. This fresh take on the NHL Hockey franchise will be available as a download in February 2009 on Xbox LIVE Arcade and the Playstation Network for 800 MS Points and $9.99, respectively.

“Available through a simple digital download, 3 on 3 NHL Arcade is perfect for sports fans who want to experience the thrill of NHL hockey at a great value without worrying about the rules of the sport,” said Dave McCarthy, vice president, EA SPORTS. “Accessibility is really important. We have worked to make sure that come February, 3 on 3 NHL Arcade is a lot of fun for players of all skill levels.”
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Vancouver – Kid vs Kat, Studio B’s new animated series, is about a little kitty whose big mean streak makes life miserable for Coop, a 10-year-old boy. When Coop’s spoiled sister Millie brings home Kat, a stray of mysterious origin, his idyllic life is turned upside-down. It’s obvious to Coop that Kat is out to get him – the problem is that he can never prove it, because by the time his Dad comes onto the smoking, debris-littered scene, all evidence pointing to the culpable Kat is gone.

Produced in association with YTV, Kid vs Kat will debut on Crunch, YTV’s Saturday morning cartoon block hosted by Andy, on Saturday, January 10 at 8:30 a.m.

Montreal – The critically acclaimed Prince of Persia franchise returns for the first time on next-generation platforms with an all-new epic journey. Developed for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC by Ubisoft Montreal, Prince of Persia hits store shelves this week with an MSRP of $59.99 CAD.

Set in a land rooted in ancient Persian mythology, the Prince finds himself caught in an epic battle between the primal forces of light and darkness: the God of Light, Ormazd versus his brother Ahriman, the destructive God of Darkness. The Prince arrives just in time to witness the destruction of the legendary Tree of Life – an act which threatens to plunge the entire world into eternal darkness. Manifested in the form of the Corruption, a dark substance that physically contaminates the land and the skies, the Prince must partner with Elika, a deadly companion, to heal the world from the evil Corruption.

Key Features

• A new hero emerges: Master the acrobatics, strategy and fighting tactics of the most agile warrior of all time. Grip fall down the face of a building, perform perfectly timed acrobatic combinations, and swing over canyons, buildings and anything that is reachable. This new rogue warrior must utilize all of his new skills, along with a whole new combat system, to battle Ahriman’s corrupted lieutenants to heal the land from the dark Corruption and restore the light.
• A new epic journey begins: Escape to experience the new fantasy world of ancient Persia. Masterful storytelling and sprawling environments will deliver to action-adventure fans an experience that rivals even the best Hollywood movies.

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Vancouver – Relic Entertainment titles Company of Heroes, Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts and the Gold Edition of Dawn of War and Dark Crusade are now available on Steam. Released on November 27th, the Relic Super Pack is available for $49.99 USD – a great deal for some great titles – to buy each game separately, the total retail cost would be $79.96 USD.

Quebec City – Beenox Studios, an Activision studio, has been contracted to develop a video game for the upcoming Dreamworks animated 3D film, Monsters vs Aliens. The game, which is being developed for the Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2 and Games for Windows/PC is slated for release in March 2009, coinciding with the film’s theatrical debut.

Following the plot line of the movie, Monsters vs. Aliens The Game puts the fate of the planet in players’ hands as they lead a dynamic team of five misfit monsters on a mission to save the world…as only they can. This group of monsters who have been rounded up and isolated by the US Government is put into action when the planet is invaded by aliens. Led by newly-monsterized California girl Susan Murphy, it’s up to the troop of Monsters to save the planet and its residents from annihilation.

Dee Brown, Beenox President

Toronto – Arcana Trading Company Inc. (Arcana) announced Tuesday the launch of its Arcana Digital Media Strategy consulting services and website.

Arcana is a Toronto-based strategic business consultancy specializing in driving profit through objective analysis, thoughtful planning, and hands-on fieldwork. Established by former Canwest Digital Media executives Tim Lambertus and James Larrue-Baulch, Arcana has been built to consult in
virtually any market category or vertical, and possesses intimate knowledge of the digital media industry attributed to more than 20 years of combined experience of its principals.

Arcana’s specialized knowledge revolves around knowing how to extract and then act on the truth, even when it’s hidden or confusing. Arcana transforms consumer patterns, sales numbers, marketing reports, advertising data, competitive studies, operational costs, and the sea of arcane metrics gathered by a digital business into innovative strategic plans to drive and improve performance. “You would be surprised how many companies operating in the digital space possess extensive untapped revenue potential,” says Tim Lambertus, President, Arcana. “The digital marketplace is continuing to grow, even during these tough economic times. Whether a company is leveraging digital for commerce, audience acquisition, or brand marketing, those who fully understand the anatomy of their business will certainly weather the storm and even add to their bottom line.”

Ava Awards today announced winners for the 2008 international award competition that recognizes outstanding achievement by creative professionals involved in the concept, writing, direction, shooting, and editing of audio-visual materials and programs. The 2008 competition saw over 2,200 entries from the United States, Canada and several other countries. The nominated entries included film, analogue and digital productions viewed in a wide variety of mediums from movie screens and televisions to computers. Entrants included video and film production companies, web developers, advertising agencies, PR firms, corporate and government communication departments, producers, directors, editors and shooters.

The Canadian winners are:

Direct Focus Marketing Communications, Inc. from Winnipeg won two awards, one in the Produced For A School category, produced for the University of Winnipeg, and one in the Commercials/Restaurant category for EQ3

Kasian Architecture Interior Design & Planning’s Vancouver office won in the Flash category

Grimsby, Ontario’s  West Lincoln Memorial Hospital also picked up two awards. The work, done by MEDIAIMAGE Communications Group, received the first award for their entry in the Pro Bono category, and the second was in the Medical/Fundraiser category. On a side note, MediaImage also won a 2008 Videographer Award for the West Lincoln  Fundraiser piece.

Highly Anticipated Comedic Vampire Adventure Releases in Time for the Holidays

Toronto – The Adventure Company, a leading publisher of interactive entertainment software, today announced A Vampyre Story for Windows® has shipped to retail stores across North America.

This hilarious adventure is the brainchild of adventure gaming veteran, Bill Tiller, known for the adventure classics The Curse of Monkey Island, The Dig and Indiana Jones. It’s got a cast of more than 20 characters each with their own entertaining personality and more than 30 hand-drawn locations in a richly-detailed world. “Adventure gamers should agree that it’s been worth the wait for A Vampyre Story, all the elements are in place to make it a classic,” said Byron Gaum, Product Manager at The Adventure Company. “Gorgeous graphics, vast environments to explore and a hilarious sidekick will keep you entertained for hours!”
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Toronto – Dreamcatcher, a leading publisher of interactive entertainment software and Microïds, one of the leading adventure games producers and publishers, owner of the Syberia franchise, has announced that Syberia for Nintendo DS™ has shipped to retail stores in North America.

A visual masterpiece created by Benoit Sokal, Syberia has captured the hearts and the imagination of PC gamers worldwide. The charming characters, stimulating puzzles and fascinating storyline of Syberia come to life on DS bringing with it the full musical score and breathtaking cut scenes which helped to make this title PC Adventure Game of the Year.

“Syberia has been a favorite among the adventure gaming community since its release in 2002,” said Brian Gladman, Global Product Manager at The Adventure Company. “We wanted to remain true to the quality of this title in the DS version, players will find the adapted soundtrack and stunning visuals of Syberia translate extremely well into the DS platform.”

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