Village Gamer

Official Website: Chains
Format: PC
Genre: Action

One of the first things I noticed about Chains is that there was no tutorial; that’s fine, I could probably figure this out. When the first level, Trident, loads there is a clear message on the screen “Clear 100”. After a moment the level loads and the balls begin to fill in the empty spaces. I sat and watched them fill it, waiting for some kind of direction as to exactly how to clear these multi-coloured balls that had filled in the level and after a short time a box came up and with instructions. This was going to be a lot of fun, no more mind numbing word games, just a brightly coloured and interesting version of connect the dots!

On to the next level! Clear 200 without losing any, and the balls start falling down into this little trapped area with a gate held closed by a counterweight. This was the first time I actually lost a level; sad probably since the first went by so well. My second biggest complaint with the game was that the helpful hints would take enough time to read that by the time I was back to the game the number of balls piled up caused me to fail the level. This happened a couple times before I learned that the game auto pauses when it loses focus. Awesome idea, I really liked this. Now when the hints would come up I would alt tab to some other program and move it out of the way so that I could take my time to read over the hints.
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Toronto – TLI Software, a leading Web Applications developer, announces the launch of MySchoolCouncil.com. MySchoolCouncil.com is an application designed for school councils, parent teacher associations and student councils to build community online.

MySchoolCouncil provides the aforementioned community’s the ability to build, maintain and update online community website with only basic computer skills. The sites are automated and have several features that are particularly well suited to the school community. “One of the favorite features with school principals has been the approval process that can be activated for each site. It allows for each page that is built or updated to be sent automatically sent to the principal for their approval at which time, the page goes live,” said Taye Newman, Product Manager of MySchoolCouncil.com.
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Ottawa – Corel Corporation today announced that its documentation team has been recognized with an Award of Excellence from the Society for Technical Communication (STC). ‘The CorelDRAW® Handbook: Insights from the Experts’ won top honors in the International Technical Publications competition receiving praise for its appealing and inviting design, as well as its effectiveness in strengthening readers’ connection to the product. ‘Insights from the Experts’ is essential resource material included with CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4.

The STC International Technical Publications Competition recognizes and encourages excellence in communication through printed media. Each entry is evaluated for qualities including production, design and typography, copy editing, content and organization, and graphics.

‘Visually, this publication is dramatic, attractive, and appealing. Its concept is interesting and from a marketing standpoint, very effective. The testimonial approach and the contributors’ sharing of their expertise provide new users with a powerful message about the product’s capabilities and potential,’ said the STC judging panel. ‘The writing is conversational, leading readers to view the contributors as providing one-on-one training – a very effective approach.’
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Montreal – Interactive entertainment company Ludia Inc. today announced that its premiere game, The Price Is Right, has sold one million units across multiple platforms since its launch in March 2008. Based on information from retail and digital distribution channels, a Price Is Right game has been purchased on average almost every thirty seconds since its release online, in retail and on the Apple App Store.

“We are very proud that The Price Is Right game has given so many players countless hours of enjoyment on the platform of their choice, said Alex Thabet, Founder and CEO of Ludia Inc. “The strong sales of this game show title in retail and digital channels proves that our multiplatform strategy can result in tremendous reach and ongoing sales potential.”

“After more than 37 years, The Price Is Right remains a highly successful television game show with phenomenal longevity,” said David Luner, Senior Vice President, Interactive & Consumer Products, FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME), North America, the program’s licensor. “Ludia’s The Price Is Right game hitting this impressive milestone is very exciting to see, and is a strong affirmation that the brand continues to resonate in new ways with fans of all ages.”
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Vancouver – THQ Inc. today announced Warhammer® 40,000™: Space Marine®, from renowned internal studio Relic® Entertainment, will bring Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 science fiction universe to life on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system for the first time. The Action-RPG title will put players in control of individual units throughout a narrative-driven story campaign and in wide-scale online battles. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine will be unveiled at E3 2009 in THQ’s booth – number 5300 in the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

“The Warhammer 40,000 universe has a huge global following and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine will bring that world to life on the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 systems for the first time ever,” said Kevin Kraff, vice president, global brand management, THQ Inc. “Relic Entertainment is leveraging years of experience developing games within the universe to create an Action-RPG experience unlike anything seen before.”
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Vancouver – IUGO Mobile Entertainment is proud to release their newest Freeballin’ update – a new pinball table based on their ToyBots franchise. The table features artwork from ToyBots, and brings the number of table maps up to five.

I’ve been playing Freeballin’ since its release, and the game is truly fun to play. Each of the levels features highly detailed artwork and in-level missions to achieve. Each of these missions involves getting the ball to go where needed and hit specific targets, such as crushing cars. All of the level maps vary in setting from an inner-city locale to tropical jungles and a colourful dreamscape table. In true game play fashion, there are boss battles to win and high scores to make higher. The audio track for this game is energetic and fits each table perfectly. The only problem I’ve had with the game at all is sometimes pressing the screen a little hard for flipper control, and I keep waiting for the “TILT” message to light up.
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Gormley – For the first time ever, you can experience Don Bluth’s classic arcade game Space Ace, the follow up to the revolutionary Dragon’s Lair on your iPhone or iPod Touch, developed by Digital Leisure

This release of Don Bluth’s legendary animated arcade game features video transferred directly from the stunning high definition master, delivering the sharpest images and most vibrant colors ever – even far better than the original laserdisc release!

In Space Ace you play the heroic Ace who must stop the evil Commander Borf from taking over the Earth! Borf plans to reduce all of humankind to infants and take over the planet. Only two people have the courage and strength to stop Borf and save Earth: the beautiful Kimberly and the heroic Ace. But as they approach Borf’s stronghold, Ace is hit by the Infanto Ray, changing him into a child, and Kimberly is kidnapped by the evil madman! Armed with only a laser gun, Ace must find and destroy the Infanto Ray, rescue Kimberly and save the Earth!

The fate of Earth is in your hands! Read the rest of this entry »

Vancouver – Smoking Gun Interactive Inc. a premier independent video game studio announced today that it is collaborating with the award-winning writer Douglas Rushkoff for the story of its as-of-yet undisclosed new property. Rushkoff will work closely with the team at Smoking Gun, to develop story narratives across a range of media formats that can feed off one another and exist concurrently.

“Our vision at Smoking Gun Interactive has always been to deliver interactive entertainment content in new and exciting ways that push the medium forwards”, said John Johnson CEO and Creative Director of Smoking Gun Interactive, “We are delighted to announce our collaboration with Douglas. His astounding skill in creating compelling narrative is the perfect fit for the themes and scenarios we are introducing in our first property”.

Winner of the first Neil Postman award for Career Achievement in Public Intellectual Activity, Douglas Rushkoff is a bestselling and controversial author, comic’s writer, intellectual, and documentarian. His ten books on new media and popular culture have been translated to over thirty languages. They include Cyberia, Media Virus, Playing the Future, Nothing Sacred: The Truth about Judaism, and Coercion, winner of the Marshall McLuhan Award for best media book. Rushkoff also wrote the acclaimed novels Ecstasy Club and Exit Strategy and graphic novel, Club Zero-G, as well as the recently released Life Inc: How the world became a corporation and how to take it back.
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Toronto – The Ontario government is investing nearly CAD$23 million in Starz Animation Toronto to help expand its studio and create or retain over 250 jobs. This investment in Ontario talent and equipment will help Starz Animation Toronto attract more international business. The company is also investing CAD$130 million over the next five years. Many of the new Starz Animation staffers will be local new media graduates

One of Canada’s largest 3D animation studios, Starz Animation Toronto creates computer-animated movies, TV series and commercials for clients. Ontario’s investment will help Starz Animation Toronto, a world-class studio, develop and produce its own feature films — allowing it to compete with the best studios in the world.
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