Village Gamer

With the holidays once again upon us, I’ve put together a list highlighting a few ideas for holiday gift giving. All of the prices listed are suggested retail prices, and do not take into account special retail sale prices. There are many, many great Canadian-developed game titles published every year, what I have listed here is but a small sampling. To search out more Canadian titles, I invite you to browse through the many titles I’ve talked about throughout the year. You can find them by hovering over the Games button to the left, and then choosing to browse either by Genre or Rating.

The easy gift solutions for that hard-to-buy-for gamer include the always timeless gift cards – whether for the Wii, Xbox 360 or PlayStation Network, these gift cards are always a safe bet, especially when you’re worried about duplicate games or “the wrong game” resulting in a less than enthusiastic reception. When giving the gift of game, please check the ESRB game rating to be sure that the title is age-appropriate, and if you are giving a game to a young person who is not living in your own household, check with the parents to see if they approve of the title. The ESRB has recently released a handy (and free) iPhone App so that you can search full game ratings anywhere, anytime.

PlayStation Network Cards have two versions: $20.00 or $50.00 and are good for both the PS3 and PSP. You can also buy game cards, which will allow for the downloading of games directly to the PSP. Check with local game retailers to see what game cards are available. Zombie Tycoon, developed for the PSP and available exclusively on the PlayStation Network, was developed by Frima Studio.

Xbox Live also has two versions: 1400 points ($19.99) or 2800 points ($39.99)
Xbox Live Gold 12 month subscription: $59.99

Nintendo offers a 2000 Points card which is good for either the Wii or the DSi WiiWare Store ($19.99). There are some great Canadian titles available in the WiiWare store such as Copter Crisis (Wii) and Sudoku Challenge (DSi), both developed by Digital Leisure.

For those with iPhone or iPod users on their list, there are always the iTunes gift cards – just remember that Canadian iTunes cards CANNOT be used to purchase items in the App store on a Canadian iTunes store account; it is only good in the iTunes store itself. If you want your gift recipient to be able to shop in the App Store, I highly recommend the Vanilla Master Card. I’ve used them many times and have never yet had a problem with them – something I can’t say for cards such as the MyTreat gift credit cards. Naturally, there are also the store-brand gift cards for EB Games, Best Buy and Future Shop to name but three – check with your gamer’s favourite retailers to see if they offer gift cards. There are also a few subscription games which have cards available for game subscriptions and in-game items.

There are some great Canadian iPhone/iTouch developers with products in the App Store, including Genius Factor Games, IUGO Mobile Entertainment, Big Blue Bubble, PowerUp Studios, No Robots Interactive, Glass House Games, Howling Moon Games, LotusLand Studios, A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. Games, Fuel Games, Cerebral Vortex Games and Tickle Tap Apps for youngsters – to name but a few.

For tech toddlers, I fully endorse Canadian-developed ClickToy The Meadow. This game is wonderful in its simplicity and encourages quiet story time at the PC with a parent. ClickToy has the ability to lock a PC keyboard so that the child cannot exit the game and wreak havoc in your files. Filled with colourful scenery and soothing music, this game is sure to please even those in the throes of terrible two-ness. Parents can order ClickToy online for both the PC and Mac, or pick it up at Apple Stores across Canada as well as in nine Vancouver-area Zeller’s stores (Lansdowne, Oakridge, Brentwood, Coquitlam, Scottsdale Centre, White Rock, Langley, Abbotsford and Chilliwack). At only $19.99, it’s a great interactive entertainment value.

My family title top pick is Ubisoft Vancouver’s debut game for the Wii, Academy of Champions Soccer featuring soccer greats Pele and Mia Hamm. Built for one or two players, Academy of Champions is easy to learn and fun to play. Both Story Mode and Quick Play offer hours of endless action, with mini games along the way, as well as skill and equipment upgrades to unlock. Academy of Champions encourages fair play and good sportsmanship initiatives along with a well-designed and beautifully animated game environment. At only $29.99, Academy of Champions is a great buy, and at last check was in stock at Best Buy, Future Shop and EB Games.

Another great game for kids and family is Monsters vs Aliens, developed by Quebec City’s Beenox Studios for the Wii, PlayStation 2 and 3, Xbox 360 and PC. The Monsters vs. Aliens video game calls players into action to battle against Gallaxhar and his alien robot army. Taking on the roles of The Missing Link, the macho half-ape, half-fish; the gelatinous, indestructible and always hungry B.O.B.; and Ginormica, the 49-foot-11-inch tall woman, gamers team up with the helpful genius Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. and Insectosaurus, the 350-foot tall grub to defeat the alien invaders. Players master the unique and diverse abilities of each character as they ooze, brawl, skate, puzzle solve, climb, crawl, jump and race through more than 20 levels on Earth and through outer space.

The musically inclined family will enjoy Guitar Hero Smash Hits, also from Beenox Studios. Guitar Hero® Greatest Hits is a compilation of 48 top hits from previous versions of the Guitar Hero® franchise, all updated for full band play on Guitar Hero® World Tour. The Greatest Hits releases have been produced from Guitar Hero® master recordings and feature several play modes – career mode, rockstar creator, Guitar Hero® music studio and an eight player online battle of the bands. The playlist is expandable through downloadable content, and has a suggested retail price of $59.99 for the 360 and PS3,  $49.99 for the Wii and $39.99 for the PS2.

For more family play, I also recommend the latest Scene It? title, Bright Lights! Big Screen! One word of caution though, this game is rated “T” for Teen (Drug Reference, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Mild Violence, Sexual Themes). Developed by Montreal’s Artificial Mind & Movement, Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen! has enhanced single and multi-player gameplay. Single-player mode tests player speed and knowledge, while multi-player mode allows for a spirited social gameplay experience, perfect for parties and family gatherings. Up to four teams can test their silver screen knowledge with more than 20 different puzzles and minigames across four play modes, providing new and unique ways for Scene It? competitors to engage. Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen! is available for the Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360. This title is available at stores for only $39.99.

Next Level Games‘ remake of the E10 rated Punch Out! is another great family title that will get everyone into the virtual ring. Gamers can use either the Wiimote system or the classic controller to battle their way through the ranks, Players will find familiar names like Glass Joe, King Hippo and trainer Doc Louis. Next Level Games has brought the Punch Out characters back to life again with cell-shaded 3-D visuals, complete with hilarious fighting animations and back stories that capture all the fun and flair of the original Punch-Out!! games.

Waldo has gotten lost in game land, and game creators Ludia invite players to immerse themselves in “Where’s Waldo? The Fantastic Journey” – the ultimate search-and-find adventure for the entire family. Players can explore the unique and wondrous lands in search of Waldo, his friends and other hidden objects.The game is now available for the Wii™ system from Nintendo, the Nintendo DS™ system, Windows-based PC and Mac at North American retailers. Ludia has also developed such titles as Hell’s Kitchen, The Price Is Right, Press Your Luck and Family Feud.

Sports fans have a whole field of Canadian-made sport titles from EA Sports, including such worldwide hits as FIFA 2010, NHL 2010, Fight Night Round 4. All of the EA titles are available on a variety of platforms – check each game’s link to see if it’s available for your platform.

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Edmonton – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc., today announced Gift of the Yeti, a fun and fast-paced social game for people of all ages. Available now as a free Facebook app (Facebook account required, free to play on Facebook only), the game has been developed at BioWare by the studio’s new R&D group, BioWare Labs™. Gamers who play Gift of the Yeti will receive a $10 discount* off the purchase of the dark, heroic fantasy Dragon Age™: Origins. Additionally, BioWare will donate up to $10,000 to the Child’s Play charity, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing holiday gifts to children in need.

In the Gift of the Yeti game, players have a chance to help a sick Santa by delivering gifts on his behalf. Facebook friends can compete to beat each others’ high scores. The backstory of the Yeti will unfold through a clever Advent day calendar, with each day revealing a new piece of the storyline. Gift of the Yeti also allows players to choose from a variety of different gifts that they can send to their friends to invite them to save the day for Santa, and support the Child’s Play organization.

“Gift of the Yeti is BioWare’s digital holiday card to its fans. We use social networking as a powerful tool to connect meaningfully with our tremendous fan community,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder of BioWare and the Group General Manager of the RPG/MMO Group at EA. “Gift of the Yeti is a fun, engaging holiday present from BioWare to our fans, the first in a series of compelling social experiences from BioWare Labs.”

“Child’s Play draws the bulk of our support from video gamers and the games industry, and we are honored to be part of BioWare’s Gift of the Yeti campaign,” said Kristin Lindsay, Program Coordinator, Child’s Play. “Now gamers can help support pediatric hospitals in the US, Canada and worldwide simply by playing the game and having fun! When gamers give back, it makes a big difference.”

For every play of Gift of the Yeti, BioWare will donate a minimum of a penny, up to $10,000 to the Child’s Play charity. Child’s Play is a community-based charity grown and nurtured from the video game culture and industry, distributing toys, games, books and cash for sick kids in children’s hospitals worldwide. Originally supported by Penny Arcade, more information about Child’s Play can be found online at the Child’s Play website.

* Value of discount will be deducted from total order at time of purchase. Valid for new purchases of Dragon Age: Origins of equal or greater value only. Discount is valid only on purchases from the EA Store. This offer expires on January 1, 2010, and cannot be combined with any other offer, Gift Card, rebate or other discount coupons. Valid only in the U.S. and CANADA. Limit one offer per person. Subject to availability. Customers are responsible for shipping, handling and applicable sales tax. Offer may not be substituted, exchanged, sold or redeemed for cash or other goods or services. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law.

Ottawa – CATAAlliance has announced that Peter Allen, President & CEO, DragonWave Inc., and recognized innovation leader, has endorsed the call for the adoption of the CATAAlliance Innovation Nation Platform, as a compelling model to improve the nation’s competitiveness and prosperity.

Peter Allen joins a growing list of business and community leaders, including Terry Matthews, Chair of Wesley Clover and Chairman of Mitel and March Networks, Dan Dodge, Co Founder & CEO, QNX Software, Dr. James Goodnight, CEO, SAS, Rod Bryden, President & CEO, Plasco Energy Group, Samantha S. Sannella, President & CEO, the Design Exchange, Rob Ashe, President & CEO, Cognos, Lionel Hurtubise, former CEO & Chair, Ericsson Canada Inc., Dennis Melnbardis, Lead Partner, Communications & High Tech, Canadian Practice, Accenture, Micheál J. Kelly, Dean of the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, the Hon. John Manley, former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, Mike S. Zafirovski, past President & CEO, Nortel, Chris Fawcus, President & CEO, Aon Reed Stenhouse, Dr. Marc Garneau, MP Westmount, Villle-Marie Canada’s first astronaut, Dr. Charles Despins, President & CEO, Prompt and Arvind Chhatbar, President & CEO, Enablence Technologies Inc., to call for the adoption of the Innovation Nation Platform.

“The award of national prosperity will go to those countries that lead the world in the design, development, production and distribution of goods and services,” says Mr. Allen, “These countries will attract and retain investment and talent. For nations to prosper they must become leading innovation nations; we all need to do our part to get there.”

Among the core planks being developed for Innovation Nation is a national brand for Canada based on regional advantages, creating an industrial strategy based on strategic approaches to government procurement and global supply chains, adopting best innovation tax credit (SR&ED) practices, removing trade barriers as part of responding to the flat world and attracting and training and retaining the best talent.

CATAAlliance is also looking for measures that would advance executive leadership and promote the adoption of high technology tools in government and the private sector.

John Reid, CATAAlliance President, concluded, “We are living through an economic revolution created by technology, global interdependence and increasingly open markets” adding, “Canada is already a leader in many business sectors. But to maintain and grow this leadership, we have to expand our markets and be the best in the world. We are calling on all Canadians to work with us to create the necessary entrepreneurship, innovation, risk taking, and public policies for the Innovation Nation.”

Welland ON – In spite of the economic recession, Matthew Glanfield is quite excited and confident about his new gaming store. MiniWarGaming celebrated its 2nd anniversary in October 2009, but it didn’t start as a brick and mortar store as most businesses do.

“I had a couple of years experience in online marketing from a past business that I ran,” said Matthew, “so when I got into the tabletop gaming hobby, the idea of starting an ecommerce store that sold what I was so passionate about was natural.” MiniWarGaming started in October 2007 as a small website selling Games Workshop’s popular Warhammer and 40k miniature lines, but later expanded to sell other tabletop, roleplaying, and even board games.

In March 2009 MiniWarGaming opened the doors of its brick and mortar store. Dave comments that “…some of the manufacturers that we purchased from required a brick and mortar store, which is why we originally opened the store, but it later turned into an even greater passion as we were able to deal with residents from Welland, St. Catharines, Port Colborne, and other surrounding areas that loved the tabletop gaming hobby as much (or more) than we did.”

Matthew states that this influx of gamers inspired him to work hard on turning the store into an area where gamers could maximize the enjoyment of their hobby, including a place to paint and play for free, as well as hosting events from tournaments to free weekly professional painting lessons.

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Gormley – Digital Leisure and EA Mobile have announced that Dragon’s Lair will be coming soon to your iPhone and iTouch. Now Dirk the Daring fans can take their hero on new adventures in a visually stunning hand-drawn animated world adapted from Don Bluth’s original Dragon’s Lair title. Players will be able to guide Dirk through the game’s environment and battle enemies with their trusty sword.

As we reported earlier, Digital Leisure recently released two new titles for the Wii – Sudoku Challenge and Copter Crisis are both available now via WiiWare™ from Nintendo.

London ON – Big Blue Bubble Inc. is proud to announce that Masters of Mystery: Blood Of Betrayal is scheduled to launch on all major portals and is available now at Big Blue Bubble Arcarde. Blood Of Betrayal is the second in a Masters Of Mystery series of hidden object games that will appeal to fans of the genre and anyone who loves a good murder mystery!

It’s been nearly six months since Carrie Chase solved the Crime of Fashion murders. Since then, she’s enjoyed a nice promotion, better apartment and even had time to mingle with one of the attractive new detectives at the station. Life has been great – until now. It’s late one night and Carrie Chase’s dinner plans get interrupted with unfortunate news… two grisly murders in a nearby condominium penthouse. Taking her new detective with her, Chase begins unraveling the clues behind the deaths of these two men and what she discovers will change her life forever!

Help Sergeant Carrie Chase solve the death at the penthouse and discover how deep betrayal can go. Enter the shoes of Carrie Chase as she works her way through deception, heartache, inter-office romance and a betrayal so deep it will change her life forever.

Game Play Features:

• Photo Realistic Crime Scenes
• Captivating Storyline and Voiceovers
• Countless Hidden Objects to Find
• Super Zoom Technology for Super Hidden Objects
• Crime Scene Mini-games
• Achievements
• Relaxed and Timed Modes

System Requirements:

• OS: Windows XP/Vista
• CPU: 1.0 GHz
• RAM: 512 MB
• Hard Drive: 70 MB
• DirectX: 7.0
• Video Card: 3D Supported

Montreal – Software publisher Strategy First Inc, and Valve Corporation, a developer of leading-edge technology and software announce that “9th Company: The Roots Of Terror” is now available for  worldwide pre-order on Steam®, Valve’s leading platform for digital content distribution and management. Anyone ordering the title between Dec.3, 2009 and Dec.10, 2009 will receive a 20% discount.

“9th Company: The Roots of Terror is an exciting title whose subject matter is relevant to millions of families today.” Said Strategy First Director Emanuel Wall “We feel that this title will offer hundreds of hours of game play while at the same time reminding each of us the sacrifice that many men and women in uniform carry out on a daily basis.

“9th Company: The Roots of Terror” is an action driven Real Time Strategy game based on the actual events that took place during the Soviet Union military campaign in Afghanistan under the Reagan administration.

“9th Company: The Roots of Terror” features include:

* Warfare on two tactical levels: use the area operations map to choose your mission or explore 12 unique and highly detailed tactical maps of Afghanistan.
* Stunning 3D graphics and a spectacular physics engine guarantee a one-of-a-kind experience in destroying any mechanized unit or building.
* Merit reward and in-combat morale system for every character and advanced hit location system for mechanized units make tactical battles even more realistic.
* A complex system of tactical behavior and firepower control for mechanized infantry, assault, reconnaissance and special operations units. More than 80 different unit types.
* Nonlinear mission structure.
* System of experience gain – the crew now become more and more experienced with every battle. A possibility of forming an elite military unit is available in the requisition screen.

Minimum Requirements

* Windows XP SP2/Vista
* Intel Pentium 4 2400 MHz and higher
* 1024 Mb (2048 Mb for Windows Vista)
* 3D accelerator with 128Mb video memory (NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or ATI Radeon 9800 Pro and higher)
* DirectX-compatible sound card
* Keyboard, mouse
* DirectX 9.0 or higher

Vancouver – Genius Factor Games, a digital entertainment company committed to delivering quality game experiences in five minutes or less, proudly announced today its upcoming game for iPhone and iPod touch based on the hot new web television series, “Riese.”

In a hauntingly familiar dystopian world, Riese, a seemingly random wanderer, flees across the dying lands. Hunted by a terrifying religious group, The Sect, Riese must evade their assassins to discover their true objective. Her past is shrouded in mystery as even Riese cant recall the events of the tragic night when her entire family was slaughtered and she was forced to flee. On her journey she will piece together her past and her destiny. The once peaceful kingdom Eleysia will be the battlefield of a struggle that will hold the fate of the world in balance. Riese will emerge as the sole beacon of hope.

Currently in its first season, “Riese” stars Christine Chatelain of Sanctuary acclaim and is fast becoming an online phenomenon as the story is revealed through its site and featured channels on YouTube and Koldcast TV. Drawing hundreds of thousands of views since its launch on Nov. 2, season one episodes air every other week until the end of January, culminating in a season finale, with the next season scheduled to kick off in February 2010.

“‘Riese’ represents a new, viable way to digitally distribute blockbuster-quality storytelling,” said Ted Nugent, Genius Factor president and founder. “Not only is it in line with exploring our own goals for the digital distribution of games and entertainment, but the compelling story, audio and visuals make for an excellent series that keeps you wanting more. We are incredibly excited to be working with Riese Productions!” Read the rest of this entry »

Montreal – THQ Inc. has officially announced that it has selected Montreal, Quebec, as the location for a brand new video game development studio which the company expects to become the largest facility in its global studio system. The agreement with the government of Quebec will allow THQ to create in excess of 400 sustainable new jobs over the next five years as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to develop the highest quality games in a cost-effective manner.

THQ has appointed Dave Gatchel, who was the general manager of THQ’s Paradigm Entertainment studio, to serve as the Montreal studio’s general manager, bringing extensive industry experience to his role. Under his leadership, THQ Montreal will focus primarily on creating core games for THQ as well as providing support for games developed across THQ’s worldwide studio system. THQ expects to create jobs in several disciplines, including design, engineering, art, content and technology development, quality assurance and localization.

“Montreal’s outstanding pool of creative digital media talent and its highly regarded university system makes this the ideal location to support our future product and technology development needs,” said Steve DeCosta, THQ senior vice president, THQ Core Games, Operations and Finance. “Moreover, government support, in the form of reimbursable tax credits and other incentives, enabled Montreal to stand out as the best combination of creative talent and favorable economics of the cities we evaluated for our new studio.”

“We are focused on building hit franchises and achieving efficiencies within our studio organization and THQ Montreal will play an integral role in achieving both of these objectives,” Said Danny Bilson, THQ executive vice president, THQ Core Games. “We expect to ramp up the studio over the next several years, with our first titles targeted for release in fiscal 2013.”

“We are pleased to welcome leading videogame publisher THQ to Montreal,” said Clément Gignac, Quebec’s Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade. “THQ’s new studio represents a key investment by a premier video game developer and will create more than 400 highly-skilled jobs in Montreal’s technology sector, further enhancing our position as a leading center of creative talent and game design.”

THQ is currently evaluating locations for the new facility and expects to open the studio by mid-2010. THQ Montreal will be the company’s second fully operational development and production studio in Canada. THQ’s global system currently includes more than 1,200 people located in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Interested applicants may send their resumes to THQ Montreal at: Montrealcareers@thq.com.

Vancouver – The call for submissions to present content for lectures, roundtables and panel sessions for the 2010 Game Developers Conference® Canada (GDC Canada) is now open through midnight, Tuesday, January 5, 2010. GDC Canada serves as a nexus point for established and promising young studios to learn best practices for developing new global titles and understanding emerging digital distribution models. The second annual GDC Canada is presented by Reboot Communications and Think Services, the organizers of the industry-leading Game Developers Conference. GDC Canada 2010 will return to the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, BC from May 6-7, 2010.

Canada houses more than 260 videogame and digital entertainment studios and an ecosystem of more than 60 universities focused on gaming studies. With this accomplished community of national and international talent to draw from, Vancouver’s GDC Canada is the premier event for professionals to discover new insights into developing popular international titles, managing established franchises and taking advantage of thriving digital distribution models.

“GDC Canada provides the perfect opportunity for game development teams to share knowledge for developing established franchises and guidance on taking advantage of new game distribution models,” says Izora de Lillard, event director. “GDC Canada really benefits from the incredibly talented community here, and we can’t wait to see what useful and insightful content they bring with them when GDC returns to Canada in early May.”

The session formats for this year’s content include 25 and 60 minute lectures, panels, and roundtables. The GDC Canada advisory board will rate sessions based on the criteria of concept, depth, organization, credentials and takeaway. The topics for this year include:

— Business/Production
— Digital Distribution
— Game Design
— iPhone Games
— Programming
— Social and Casual Games
— Visual Arts

Victoria – VIATeC is pleased to announce the opening of the nomination period for the 2009 VIATeC 25. The VIATeC 25 is an annual listing of the largest technology companies headquartered or founded in Greater Victoria based on revenue. To be eligible for inclusion in the VIATeC 25 please check our guidelines.

Companies listed on the VIATeC 25 will be announced at the exclusive VIATeC Christmas Party on December 17 where members will gather to celebrate the end of another successful year. Results will also be published on the VIATeC website and in the media.

For more information or to submit a nomination please contact Michelle. Cut off for nomination submissions is December 14, 2009.

To RSVP for VIATeC’s Members Only Christmas party on Dec 17 at Sauce Restaurant & Lounge from 3:30 pm please email our office.

Vancouver – Pixar Canada, who launched their new web site this week, has now announced some of the job openings for their new Vancouver studio. They are currently looking to fill openings for Layout Artist, Production Manager, Manger of Finance and Manager of Information Systems. Upcoming openings include positions in their IT and Software Engineering departments. Future positions to be filled in 2010 include those who work in Modeling, Shading, Rigging, Animation, Lighting, FX, Simulation, Art, Production Staff…and an ex-Navy SEAL? At least they aren’t looking for a partridge and a pear tree…

Calgary – Digital Alberta has announced their New Year’s Evolution event with strategic innovation practitioner, international lecturer and author Alexander Manu. Held in partnership with the Canadian Marketing Association and Telefilm Canada, New Year’s Evolution will take place on January 19th at Calgary’s Theatre Junction Grand and Velvet Lounge. Tickets are $55 for DA or CMA Members and $95 for Non-Members.

Toronto – Ubisoft has made a contest out of announcing where their new Toronto studio will be located. Employee #1 has started posting clues on his FaceBook page with a link to this video on YouTube:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbrq6O5r4dE]

The first person to guess the address of Ubisoft Toronto’s new studio location wins a copy of Avatar The Game (from Employee #1 – you must enter via his Facebook page).

Terrace – Rusty Axe Games, a developer and publisher of downloadable game software, is proud to announce the release of Real Estate Empire 2 version 1.0!

Real Estate Empire 2 is the sequel to our popular game, Real E$tate Empire! For the real estate mogul in everybody, Real Estate Empire 2 contains over thirty different levels packed into four different scenarios.

Real Estate Empire 2 features a streamlined upgrade and renovation system that makes the game easier to pick up and play. Real Estate Empire 2 also features a new goals based system that has players leveling up through a variety of different scenarios and goals. The much requested feature of renting has been added – do you wait for good renters who won’t damage your newly renovated bungalow or do you get somebody in there to start paying the mortgage today?

Real E$tate Empire 2’s user friendly difficulty system allows players of all ages and capabilities to enjoy the game. Players will be entertained for hours while learning about real estate management at the same time!

Real Estate Empire 2 is the real estate game that teaches you how to win… at the real estate game!

Vancouver – The launch of a business case library with a focus on British Columbia technology companies highlights the province’s growing knowledge economy, while giving students unprecedented access to industry successes, challenges, and best practices.

The BCIC Business Case Library is a collection of business cases that cover an extensive range of topics, including entrepreneurship, technology management, sustainability, finance, and marketing. The venture was established by the BC Innovation Council, and led by the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business.

The library will be used by post-secondary students, instructors, entrepreneurs and industry professionals to gain knowledge from local companies. In addition, the library is expected to shine a light on the province’s burgeoning technology industry and marketing the province’s technology companies globally.

“The availability of these business case studies will benefit B.C. students and entrepreneurs wanting to learn relevant local content that realistically reflects the province’s business environment,” said Dean Rockwell, CEO of BC Innovation Council.

“This is an incredible learning resource for the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders in this province,” said Thomas Hellmann, the B.I. Ghert Family Foundation Professor in Finance and Policy at the Sauder School of Business, who led the project at UBC. “These case studies help students to understand the intimate relationship between business and technology. This is relevant for start-ups and established companies alike.”

Business cases are often used as part of the case teaching method, an experiential learning approach that is popular with some business schools, and one made well known by Harvard Business School. The library is available in its entirety online, with the individual cases free and downloadable.

The BCIC Business Case Library was developed with expertise from seven universities in the province: British Columbia Institute of Technology, Simon Fraser University, Thompson Rivers University, University of British Columbia, University of British Columbia Okanagan, University of Northern British Columbia, and University of Victoria. The initiative also received support from the W. Maurice Young Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Research Centre.

“British Columbia is a great environment for entrepreneurial spirit,” said David Demers, CEO of Westport Innovations, a leading developer of environmental technologies for vehicles, and one of the companies participating in the business cases collection.

BCIC Business Case Library — Case Studies by Company:

AbeBooks
Absolute Software
Ballard Power Systems
Blast Radius
Canadian Council for the Americas in BC
Carmanah Technologies
DelTech Manufacturing Inc.
Etraffic Press
Inland Glass & Aluminum Ltd.
Inproheat Industries
Kelowna Flightcraft
Moly-Cop Canada
OncoGenex Technologies
QLT
Sitemasher Corporation
Teampages.com
Terahertz Solutions Inc.
Westport Innovations Inc.
Wood Lake Publishing
YVR
Zengar Institute