Village Gamer

Edmonton – Most Dragon Age: Origins fans probably already know this, but the DLC pack Return To Ostagar is now available for download. I grabbed it from XBL for 400 MSPoints last night, but haven’t yet had time to play through it. I’m going to work some DA play time in today between returning from the Salt Mine and the return of Bones this evening, and will share my thoughts on the expansion with you tomorrow.

*Update – and just as I posted this, I received another update that the DLC released yesterday is buggy and has been removed. No further updates on the Return to Ostagar DLC are available at this time. This is sad.

Montreal – Ubisoft has released a new video for Splinter Cell: Conviction. Sam Fisher’s old friend Victor Coste shares his views on what’s happened to Sam, and delivers what amounts to a thinly veiled warning for his interviewers. The video features a quick look-back at some Sam’s previous assignments and important events which serve to lead us to where the story currently sits.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua9RCm1vqN4]

Online – The CATAAlliance and Canadian Innovation Centre invite you to join them on January 19 for their “Critical Factor Assessment: Are You Ready to Succeed” webinar.

Your new technology innovation may be leading edge, but there are many other factors that will influence your ability to win in the marketplace. Examining these issues upfront can help you determine your readiness to succeed, and what gaps you need to fill to enhance your chances of success.

The Critical Factors Assessment (CFA) service offered by the Canadian Innovation Centre, has been used to evaluate over 20,000 innovations. It has been proven to be an accurate predictor of success. This predictive power is made possible by the proprietary, peer-reviewed tool covering 40 factors that are key to any commercialization endeavour, supported by an extensive library of case studies and secondary research.

The CFA tool has been adapted for use by many organizations in evaluating start-ups opportunities and it often helps in securing early financing.

Join us to learn about the Critical Factor Assessment process and how it can help you increase your probability of success.

Critical Factor Assessment: Are You Ready to Succeed
Date : Tuesday January 19th at 12:00 EDT
Register : Online
There is no cost to attend, but space is limited, so don’t miss it – sign-up now!

The Ready Set Grow webinars are intended as a resource for emerging and established Canadian Technology companies to help them accelerate their growth. Each webinar features recognized subject matter experts and Canadian tech industry executives addressing a broad range of the issues facing growing companies.

The series is being presented by the Canadian Innovation Centre and the Technology Marketing Resource Centre in collaboration with the Canadian Advanced Technology Association (CATA). The Ready Set Grow series is sponsored by Export Development Canada (EDC) and the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).

Vancouver – Delivered in partnership with ACETECH, BCTIA presents the first annual Xcelerate Forum, a full day committed to improving your corporate strategies and operations through dynamic two-way discussions with professional experts and industry coaches specializing in legal, finance, markets, talent, product development, planning, sales, licensing, and many more.

Xcelerate Forum is a dynamic learning experience delivering the highest degree of coaching possible in a short period of time. To ensure we deliver the best results possible, only twenty-five companies will be selected to attend Xcelerate Forum.

1. All applications will be reviewed by The Panel – three respected and seasoned advisors.
2. 25 tech entrepreneurs will be selected to participate and may bring up to three senior team members.
3. Selected companies will be advised by February 10, 2010
4. Companies must forward their confirmation of participation by February 17, 2010

Date: April 12, 2010
Location: Discovery Parks Vancouver – 877 Great Northern Way, Vancouver
Time: 7:30am – 5:00pm
*Registration: $200 per Company includes 2 registrants. Additional registrants, $50 each, maximum 2

*Registration fee applies only to companies selected to participate and includes continental breakfast, buffet lunch, breaks and closing reception. Interested parties are invited to submit their application online by January 29, 2010.

The BCTIA will also be presenting their Talent Outlook 2010 Executive Briefing on February 2, 2010, when it will release the results of its 2009 Tech labour study; the results of the study will bring to light the specific and immediate demands for technology talent in British Columbia and the recommended actions to address these needs.

To support the release of this important study, the BCTIA will bring together a panel of industry experts to discuss the current actions that have been taken to address talent attraction and recruitment in BC’s technology industry and the future actions that should be considered. This is your opportunity to hear from and engage with your peers, industry leaders and talent experts on the future of the technology workforce in BC. Previous studies are available online for those interested in viewing them.

Talent Outlook will begin at 8:00a.m. with registration and breakfast, with the survey results and panel discussion beginning at 8:30a.m. Registration for this event closes on February 1, and tickets are $37.50 for BCTIA members or $70.00 for non-members. This event will take place in the Versailles Ballroom at the Sutton Place Hotel in Vancouver.