Village Gamer

Montreal/Vancouver via GDC – Eidos Montreal has unveiled the first trailer for Deus EX 3: Human Revolution. The trailer, developed in conjunction with Visual Works and Vancouver’s Goldtooth Creative, has made its debut at the Game Developers Conference. Comments from gamers around the globe reflect the growing anticipation for this next chapter, which will go back to the roots of the original Deus Ex and meld the FPS genre with RPG. As with a number of different recent titles, the player will be able to choose from multiple paths and outcomes, which in my opinion, increases the re-playability for the game.

The development team is also striving for a more open world feel, which will also give the player a bit more freedom in respect to game play. Human Revolution will be a single player title and a prequel to the previous two Deus Ex games. Eidos Montreal has stated that there will be areas to explore, treasures to find and of course weaponry to master.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDJ7-OUPMto]

According to information on the Human Revolution web site, the “lead character is Adam Jensen, a security response specialist who’s been handpicked to oversee the defensive needs of one of America’s most experimental biotechnology firms. You, playing as Adam, are all-human, all organic…. for now, that is. You start pure, but as the story unfolds you are forced to augment yourself in order to survive and achieve objectives. Adam has a history leading up to the events that start the game, so his background is well fleshed out and we will learn more about him and his past, and his future, as the game progresses.”

Team members from Eidos Montreal have previously told me that E3 2010 will be a very important show for Human Revolution – and the end of the teaser trailer promises that more will be unveiled. The concept arti which I’ve seen on their site is very impressive, and the revealed (thus far) weaponry looks like there will be all kinds of opportunities for massive mayhem.

Eidos Montreal General Manager Stephane D’Astous states on the the studio’s site that “GDC 2010 marks the first part of our communications campaign for Deus EX. We have a lot to unveil and we’re excited to get started; there will be a lot more to come.”

Deus EX 3: Human Revolution will be available for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3, but no firm release date has been announced, but I can safely say that Human Revolution is on our Wanted list.

Toronto – Interactive Ontario today announced the first keynote speakers for INplay 2010, a conference about the art and business of kids interactivity. Jon Berrett, Executive Producer and Christian Jacobs, Co-creator, Director and Writer of the hit kids TV show, Yo Gabba Gabba, will be keynote speakers at the conference, taking place on May 18 & 19, 2010, at the Liberty Grand in Toronto, Canada.

“We’re thrilled to have Jon and Christian come to INplay to tell us the story of Yo Gabba Gabba. It’s always great to hear how people take a great idea and nurture it through to production,” says Ted Brunt, VP Interactive Production, marblemedia.

“Yo Gabba Gabba is all about fun and interactivity – the very same themes we want to continue to explore at INplay 2010, as we examine one of the fastest growing segments of online entertainment – the kids interactive space,” said Sarah Baird, VP Programmes and Operations for Interactive Ontario.

The conference will feature three major streams, each covering a different dimension of properties for kids aged 2-12:

• Inspiration – creativity and content stream
• Investment – business stream
• Insights – research stream

Early Bird registration ends March 18.

Montreal – Meridian4 is excited to announce that it has signed a digital publishing agreement with The Games Company to digitally publish their PC version of their XBLA hit game Biology Battle.

“Biology Battle is an excellent title and performed extremely well on XBLA. We are very optimistic to create a similar impact on the other platforms together with our new partner Meridian4 and are very excited to add Biology Battle as one of the key titles in our upcoming line up for its release in second quarter of 2010!” said Christian Sauerteig, Director Marketing & Sales at The Games Company.

“We are delighted to be working with The Games Company on Biology Battle. The game was an instant hit with us and we know everyone will enjoy it on the PC. This game is the definition of adrenaline-packed action; the game will have you twitching for hours.” said Andy Sher, CEO at Meridian4.

Biology Battle is a classic space-shooter with the latest high end graphic effects, where the player takes on the role of a medical nanobot and embarks on an exciting journey into the depths of a biological cell. They must evade the defense tactics of other cells and try to survive for as long as possible.

Biology Battle for PC will feature:

• Eleven different versus modes
• Play online against thousands of real opponents
• Comprehensive tournament mode and demanding coop mode
• Improve the ship´s capabilities with various bonuses
• Enhanced features from the XBLA-hit: the latest graphic and shader effects, high use of DX 10/11 abilities, new game modes, new enemy types and better AI

Toronto – SPACE, Canada’s science fiction, speculation and fantasy network, will be the exclusive television partner for Toronto Comic Con, March 26-28 at the Direct Energy Centre.

SPACE, which is available in nearly seven million homes in Canada, will highlight the event on its flagship entertainment show InnerSPACE, with specials and features looking at Comic Con from all angles. Spacecast.com, will also have extensive coverage of the show.

SPACE will have a strong presence on site at Toronto Comic Con. In addition to hosting an interactive premier exhibitor booth, SPACE personalities Ajay Fry, Teddy Wilson and Natasha Eloi will also host a number of programming panels including Universal Studio’s Caprica on Friday and Battlestar Galactica on Saturday. The network will also host on-air personality autograph sessions and conduct celebrity interviews during the show.

“The opportunity to partner with Toronto Comic Con is a natural one for SPACE,” said Isme Bennie, interim VP SPACE. “We are pleased to be able to connect with our audience at the inaugural event and to be able to provide viewers a behind the scenes look at the convention both on-air and online.

Toronto Comic Con brings together fans of comics, toys, collectibles and offers a chance to see actors, writers, artists and the best each industry has to offer. Advance tickets are now on sale.

Mississauga – Targus® Inc. announced today that it has appointed Kelly Lind as the new Country Manager for Targus Canada. Ms. Lind brings 25 years of experience to Targus with the goal of strengthening the company’s presence in the Canadian market. In her new role at Targus, Lind will oversee Canadian operations as the company seeks to expand its marketing, sales and distribution channels in the Canadian market. She will also be responsible for providing customer and consumer insights in support of new product commercialization, and business development.

“I’m thrilled about the opportunity to work with a company as reputable as Targus and confident that my expertise will play an integral role in strengthening the company’s position in the Canadian market,” said Kelly Lind.

Prior to joining Targus Canada, Kelly most recently was the Vice President of Sales at DayMen Photo Marketing, the leading global manufacturer of photographic supplies including camera cases and accessories. In this role, Kelly grew the account base into the mass and consumer electronics channels as well as commercial business and was responsible for new product launches into the Canadian market. Her past experience also includes progressive positions at Toshiba Canada where she was appointed Vice President, Channel Sales in the Information Systems Group. Kelly also held positions in sales, marketing and customer service at Tech Data and the Canadian Home Shopping Network. Her consistent achievement of sales, market share and profitability goals has earned her recognition within the industry.

“Kelly has built a strong reputation in the industry for developing and executing strategies that grow technology and consumer driven brands,” stated Bob Shortt, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Targus. “We are honored to have her join the team and make a significant contribution to expanding our business in Canada.”

Toronto – Harlequin Enterprises Limited, a global leader in series romance and one of the world’s leading publishers of women’s fiction, announced today that select Harlequin books are now available on the Nintendo DS(TM) in Japan.

DS Harlequin Selection: Love Stories for Grown-Ups (literal translation of the Japanese title) consists of 33 titles by acclaimed Harlequin authors and New York Times bestselling novelists. Twenty-five of the titles have been previously published, five are new titles that will debut with the launch of DS Harlequin Selection and three titles were formerly available only as online reads.

DS Harlequin Selection: Love Stories for Grown-Ups enhances the reading experience by offering a number of interactive features accessed through easy touch screen operation — a “concierge” that allows you to navigate stories by mood or type of heroine, character correlation charts and lists that are updated along with plot developments, narrative annotations including maps for locations, digital bookmarks, story recaps that bring readers up to where they last left off, a choice of background music, Author introductions and images, polls on hero ranking, review rankings by other users via Wi-Fi connection and more.

“We are thrilled to be the first publisher outside of Japan to have its stories available on the Nintendo DS,” said Donna Hayes, Publisher and CEO of Harlequin Enterprises Limited. “DS Harlequin Selection introduces Harlequin to a new generation of readers who demand accessibility, portability and supplemental features that enhance their reading experience.”