Village Gamer

After 4 days of seminars and networking events, I was beat. But, boy was it worth it.

Day 1

The first day was devoted almost entirely to the Casual Connect Leadership Conference organized and supported by Women In Games International (WIGI) and Women In Games Vancouver (WIGeh). Numerous speakers presented a variety of topics, each with a particular interest in the role that women play in games, games play in the lives of women, and the portrayal of women in games.

As a person interested in the breakdown of stereotypes, thus allowing everyone’s true potential to shine, I was very engaged in the presentations of the day, which in the end left me feeling very hopeful and empowered about the potential of gaming.

Not long after, a set of roundtable discussions were set up with a variety of topics ranging from working as a contract vs employed worker, owning a small business, and moving up in the games industry.

A networking event followed with the inclusion of other folks from a more general Casual Connect audience, and it was a great night!

Highlight of my day: Megan Gaiser of Her Interactive’s presentation on “The Importance of Leadership”

Day 2 (Day 1 of Casual Connect officially)

Audio day! The entire day had an option to hear speakers who are professionals in the audio for casual games environment. Great ideas were shared including a glimpse into how other professionals create their sound design assets. It was entertaining, welcoming, and I learned a great deal. Speakers covered a wide range of aspects including the creation of stings, sfx, composition, recording, and producing. I would recommend this to any person interested in the audio for casual games arena. A very cohesive day in the audio stream.

Highlight of my day: Barry Dowsett of Sound Rangers on “The Birth and Life of a Sound Effect”
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Toronto and Vancouver – StyleTap Inc. and Techneos Systems Inc. today announced the completion of an OEM agreement which allows Techneos to integrate StyleTap® Platform with its Entryware™ mobile survey application. The resulting Entryware 6.4 system enables customers to seamlessly obtain the benefits of the world’s most powerful and flexible mobile survey software on inexpensive and readily available devices running Windows Mobile™.

Entryware running on StyleTap

A primary benefit of the integration of StyleTap Platform and Entryware is the elimination of the need for separate installation and licensing of the two products. Although existing versions of Entryware execute on StyleTap Platform, Entryware 6.4 was enhanced to recognize the StyleTap environment and to take advantage of device-specific capabilities, such as high-resolution screens and support for cameras on Windows Mobile smartphones.

“Many of our key customers were already using our product with StyleTap Platform,” said Dave King, CEO of Techneos. “This integration makes it easier and faster to deploy Entryware on a wider range of devices, while maintaining a consistent user experience regardless of the hardware manufacturer. And for many of our global customers, the ability to use inexpensive devices that can easily be obtained in their local markets is essential to their use of our software.”
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Ottawa – Corel Corporation today announced that Kris Hagerman, who joined the Company as Interim CEO in May 2008, will assume the role of Corel CEO on a permanent basis effective today.

“We are delighted that Kris is joining Corel as its permanent CEO,” said Alex Slusky, Chairman of Corel’s Board of Directors and Managing Partner at Vector Capital, the Company’s majority shareholder. “Since joining the Company, Kris has been actively engaged in advancing all aspects of Corel’s business strategy, while steering the Company through a very challenging economic cycle.”

“I’m excited about joining Corel on a permanent basis and by the opportunity to drive the future of the company with a longer-term outlook,” said Hagerman. “In my time at Corel, I’ve been impressed by the quality and commitment of the team, and I’m excited about what Corel can accomplish in the years ahead as we look to leverage the many strengths of the company, including its vast customer base, the depth and breadth of its product portfolio, its reputation for innovation, quality, and value, and its global distribution channels.”
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Montreal – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Ludia Inc. today announced a deal to create and distribute videogames based on the hit reality TV dating shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, from Warner Horizon Television and created by Mike Fleiss. The worldwide licensing and distribution arrangement will launch the videogames across multiple platforms following the conclusion of The Bachelor’s 14th season in 2010 on the ABC Television Network.

“The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are extremely popular on television and we are looking forward to bringing the properties into the videogame space,” said John Quinn, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Operations, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “These games are meant to engage fans of the show and the wider public beyond television, enriching the overall entertainment experience around the brand.”

“The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are first-rate licenses in reality TV’s dating genre, which is a hugely popular category with television viewers,” said Alex Thabet, Ludia’s founder and CEO. “We see great potential for the segment within the context of video games, and look forward to our collaboration with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to deliver a true-to-show game experience on a wide variety of platforms.”
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Montreal – Starting at noon EST on Friday, July 31, MEGA Brands Inc. is offering Halo Wars© fans an exclusive opportunity to receive a limited edition Mega Bloks UNSC Steel Spartan or an ultra-rare UNSC Active Camo Spartan miniature figure at halowars.megabloks.com.

Mega Bloks UNSC Steel Spartan

Ten thousand limited edition Halo Wars figures will be given away to fans on a first come first serve basis: 9,900 Limited Edition UNSC Steel Spartan and 100 randomly inserted, ultra-rare UNSC Active Camo Spartan miniature figures. Each 1.75” tall figure will include its own weapon and an exclusive camouflage effect block.

Spartans are the most powerful soldiers in the history of the Human race. Their dominance of the battlefield was absolute until they met the Covenant. Their training allows these super-soldiers to wield any weapon and master any combat vehicle. The Limited Edition UNSC Active-Camo Spartan has an advantage over the UNSC Steel Spartan. It can become invisible when in combat to hide from its enemy, the Covenant.

“With the successful launch of the Halo Wars video game and the new Mega Bloks authentic collector’s series, we wanted to offer collectors a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get their hands on limited edition Halo Wars figures,” said Vic Bertrand, Chief Innovation Officer of MEGA Brands. “The Halo franchise has a massive following and now fans can grow their collection with new Mega Bloks building sets.”

This exclusive online offer is only available through the Halo Wars Mega Bloks website in the United States and Canada, and is not available in stores. The quantities are limited and certain conditions apply.