7th June 2010

Mafia Wars At 7-Eleven Stores

Mobile Game StudioMobile Game Studio Inc. has released a lite version of their iPhone game, The High Seas. This new action packed game will put you in the boots of a treasureThe High Seas on iTunes hunter fighting against the mighty pirates as you sail the seas in search of treasure chests. You set off on adventure to find hordes of gold and booty, but beware of the pirates who are determined to foil your efforts, as well as barrels full of gun powder that follow you as you pass them by. Take a stand against your enemies with your cannons which you can set off with the touch of a button while your ship’s wheel guides you across the seven seas.

Bioware CorpBioWare™ and FUNimation Entertainment, the leading distributor of Japanese animation in North America, announced today an agreement to create an anime feature film adapted from BioWare’s critically-acclaimed fantasy Action RPG franchise Dragon Age™. Production of the Dragon Age anime movie is slated to begin in May 2010, with a home video release in 2011. Executive producing the film are Bioware’s Executive Producer Mark Darrah and Creative Director Mike Laidlaw, as well as FUNimation’s Fukunaga and Director of Original Entertainment Chris Moujaes.

“Anime is a great medium for us to continue the robust Dragon Age story,” said Mark Dragon Age OriginsDarrah, Executive Producer for the Dragon Age franchise. “Partnering with FUNimation ensures that we are delivering the exceptional quality and entertainment value that our Dragon Age fans expect.”

“We are thrilled to be working with EA and BioWare on the production of the Dragon Age anime feature,” said Gen Fukunaga, President and CEO of FUNimation. “We are going to be bringing the classic visual and storytelling techniques found in anime to create a film that will extend the narrative of the world BioWare has created.”

Dragon Age has been selected as the first title in FUNimation’s slate of major anime movies to be developed through FUNimation’s Original Entertainment team since the announcement of the company’s co-production initiative in November 2009.

Vancouver developer Genius Factor Games is giving away their casual game puzzler Gravity Well for free for the next ten days (June 16th is the last day). Take this opportunity to grab it from the iTunes App Store and see how long it takes you to make gravity your slave. This was one of the first games I bought when I first got my iTouch last year, and I’m still trying to beat this game. It’s not easy.

Last week Digital Alberta announced the resignation of long-time contributor, Executive Director, René Smid, effective Aug 31, 2010.René Smid

“René has been paramount to the Digital Media industry in Alberta,” says Larry Jacques, President of Digital Alberta. “On behalf of the Board of Directors and our membership, I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication Rene has provided to our organization. We wish her the best in the future and we are grateful she will support the transition to a new management team. Hers will be tough shoes to fill.”

As a succession plan, The Board will put a call out for replacement of the Executive Director position. Due to the growth of Digital Alberta and the demand of the upcoming programming year, there will also be a call for an Executive Assistant. These positions will be filled as soon as possible.

Heenan BlaikieNational business law firm Heenan Blaikie LLP has released an in depth guide that will be interest to all interactive media houses in the country. Producing in Canada – a guide to Canadian film, television and interactive digital media incentive programs is available for download on legal network & knowledge site Lexology. Sign up is required in order to download the guide.

Pixel to ProductTwo weeks ago at the mesh conference, the Pixel to Product research study was announced by 49 Pixels’ Justin Kozuch, lead researcher and founder of Refresh Events, when he issued a Call To Action and presented an outline of what is planned for the Pixel to Product project over the coming year. According to the Pixel to Product website, the purpose of this study is to create a classification system for Canada’s digital media industry and shed light on the industry’s size and scope.

Since the initial announcement at mesh, Justin has been working on setting the agenda and identifying the deliverables that will emerge from this working group. The first part of this research study is to convene a working session to help define digital media, and in order to make this working session as successful as possible, Justin is hoping to recruit volunteers to help out with the following tasks:

* Facilitator: I’m searching for a facilitator to help lead the event, set the context for the working session and assist with keeping the session on track.
* Photographer: I’m looking to capture photos of the event, attendees and the artifacts generated.
* Liveblogging: We’re using a ScribbleLive blog to capture conversations, photos and other elements.
* Wiki gardening: We’re employing the use of a wiki to capture the various definitions, along with other generated artifacts.

If you’re available to contribute your liveblogging, wiki gardening, or other gifts towards our working session, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Many hands make light work and will help make this event a success.

In this 2 hour casual working session, which is being called The UnConversation: Defining Digital Media, registered attendees will help us define digital media and share ideas on how to promote this research study across Canada.

Currently the group  has not finalized a solid definition for digital media, and the Unconversation is an opportunity to gather industry professionals to have a conversation around defining our industry. This definition will help shape the creation of our classification system, as well as all future tasks related to this research study.

The Unconversation will be held on Monday June 21st, and will open with a pre-event networking session beginning at 5:30pm. Yahoo! Canada has graciously offered the use of their facility for this event, their offices are located in Suite 801 at 201 Queen’s Quay West in Toronto.

This event is being styled as a roll up your sleeves, break-out-your-moleskine working session with clear goals and deliverables. Expect a casual working session with smart and creative industry personalities like yourself working in groups towards a larger outcome.

1. Register online
2. Select the ticket type that best describes you in the list.
3. Add your contact information, and tell us what gifts you’re bringing to the table.
4. Check your inbox for email confirmation of your registration.

If you are unable to attend in person, you can still contribute to this conversation. There will be a liveblog of the event that you can follow and add your voice to.

dhx mediaDHX Media Ltd is pleased to announce that Super WHY!, its award-winning, literacy-based series, has been commissioned for a second season of 15 all-new episodes by PBS KIDS and Canada’s CBC.

The innovative, critically-acclaimed, animated preschool program which is a co-production by Out of the Blue Enterprises and DHX Media’s DECODE Entertainment subsidiary, also airs around the globe on channels including: Nickelodeon UK and Australia and OKTO TV in Singapore; Korea’s EBS, KidsTalkTalk and Tooniverse; ATV in Hong Kong; Astro TVIQ for Malaysia and Indonesia, and Thailand’s True Visions. DHX Media holds worldwide television rights to the series excluding the U.S.

Reading is power and Super WHY! helps young children learn important literacy skills through interactive storybook adventures. The program represents a unique approach to preschool educational television, featuring the “Super Readers,” a team of superhero characters with literacy-based powers, who jump into books to look for answers to everyday challenges. The home viewer is the superhero sidekick, who is encouraged to participate in the fun through playing research-based reading games. Hip Hip Hooray, the Super Readers save the day!

Janice Walker at DHX Media’s DECODE Entertainment said, “PBS KIDS and CBC are among the most trusted channels among parents and families and ideal platforms for Super WHY!. The second season commission underscores the widespread appeal of the popular – and highly-effective – literacy-powered series.”

Out of the Blue is a groundbreaking originator, producer and brand development visionary of interactive children’s entertainment properties. The company is led by Ms. Freeman, a former long-term Nickelodeon entertainment executive, and Angela C. Santomero, a creator of the preschool entertainment phenomenon, Blue’s Clues.

webcom MontrealOn May 26, Montréal hosted the 8th edition of webcom-Montréal, the international conference on new technologies and Web 2.0. The participation of Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales as keynote speaker made this latest edition a resounding success.

A record event, over 900 participants networked at OACI, where it all took place, thanks to the involvement of several collaborators and partners from the business, Web, webcom conference 2010communications and multimedia fields.

With over 850 members on its Facebook page, more than 1,000 subscribers to the event’s Twitter account, thousands of tweets on the topic (1st Trending Topic in Canada on Twitter on May 26, and unlocking of the Swarm badge on FourSquare, a first in Montréal), as well as impromptu interviews on webcom-LIVE, Internet users the world over watched the entire day unfold live. Press coverage in a dozen media outlets also helped ensure the success of webcom-Montréal, whose media relations were coordinated by Massy-Forget Public Relations.

Among the renowned 50-odd speakers in attendance, Tara Hunt, marketing and online community expert and pioneer, and author of the book The Whuffie Factor, Clara Shih, author of The Facebook Era, and Chris Heuer, founder of the Social Media Club, also shared their considerable Web expertise with participants.

Guests of this 8th edition had their dance cards full, with 37 sessions and conferences, including six panel presentations and a dozen case studies, a webCamp attracting 2.0 fans, webcom Live, where speakers participated in live interviews, as well as the very first Networking at Webcom 2010Canadian edition of WebTweet Montréal.

Four main fields, namely Corporate 2.0, Marketing 2.0, Solutions 2.0, as well as a themed field focusing on Public Relations 2.0, enabled participants to learn more about new Web trends and practices, as well as look into several 2.0 case studies, all of which was divided into three major themes: real-time Web, online communities and Wiki collaboration.

Webcom organizers took the opportunity to award Louise Guay and Sylvain Carle with two important distinctions for their work within Québec’s new technology industry. In fact, this is the second time such distinctions were given, since both Michel Cartier and Michelle Blanc were so honoured last October. webcom-Montréal is already preparing its 9th edition, to be held on November 17, 2010, and promises to be just as dynamic and relevant. Among the potential themes proposed are mobility, geopositioning and augmented reality.

Government of CanadaWomen entrepreneurs in Western Canada seeking to grow or expand their businesses will benefit from a federal investment of $544,000 towards an initiative that will facilitate access to domestic and international supply chains.

The announcement was made on June 5th by the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, on behalf of the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification.

“Our Government’s investment in the Access to Supply Chains program will benefit women entrepreneurs in western Canada by creating new opportunities for them to do business with large corporations across the country and around the world,” said Minister Ambrose.

Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) funding is directed towards the development and delivery of the Access to Supply Chains program. The two-year pilot program will provide services leading to the certification of women entrepreneurs as diverse suppliers, which is expected to help enable them to access the domestic or international supply chains of large corporations that have adopted diverse supplier programs and contract with certified women owned businesses. These supply chains were previously inaccessible to most small, regionally-based women entrepreneurs in Western Canada.

“Today’s announcement means that self-employed women across the west will have increased access to opportunities to grow and develop their businesses,” said Shirley Higgins, Chair, Women’s Enterprise Centre British Columbia. “We are working to provide competitive advantages that will create new possibilities for success.”

The initiative is being delivered by Women’s Enterprise Initiative (WEI) offices in each of the four western provinces. WEI offices are non-profit organizations that provide a variety of unique products for women entrepreneurs, including advisory services, training options, networking opportunities and business financing.

“For women-run businesses, WEConnect exists to connect them to contract opportunities so they can grow their businesses. Corporations are keen to be a part of, and to fund WEConnect becauseWEConnect Canada they want access to innovative suppliers who reflect the marketplace in which they are trying to do business,” said Betty Wood, WEConnect Canada’s head of certification and programs.

WEConnect Canada, which is partnering with WEI offices to deliver the program, is a Canadian non-profit association that qualifies women’s business enterprises, as well as trains, mentors and coaches businesswomen on how to expand their companies through partnerships with large corporations and governments.

Western Economic Diversification Canada works with the provinces, industry associations and communities to promote the development and diversification of the western economy, coordinates federal economic activities in the West and represents the interests of western Canadians in national decision making.

7-11In one of the broadest product promotions in its history, 7-Eleven, Inc. is partnering with Zynga to offer FarmVille-, Mafia Wars- and YoVille-branded items on many of the convenience retailer’s products, including signature Slurpee® and Big Gulp® drinks in nearly 7,000 stores across the United States and Canada. The innovative campaign, the first retail tie-in for Zynga, will allow millions of consumers to redeem exclusive virtual items within Zynga games during a six-week campaign beginning June 1 and running until June 30th in Canada.
zynga
As a part the promotion, 7-Eleven will unveil an advertising campaign across satellite and local radio as well as print, online and outdoor. Also, vignettes featuring characters from MTV’s popular programs will air as the campaign hits stores.

Consumers will be able to purchase specially marked products to receive a redemption code that can be used for a new, limited-edition virtual good in one of three Zynga hit games. Product Zynga 7-11codes can be redeemed online. In addition, consumers can also earn an über gift in each game by purchasing unique qualifying items and participating in at least one in-game activity, like mastering a crop in FarmVille, vaulting a collection in Mafia Wars and redeeming seven items in YoVille. For FarmVille, the über gift is 200 FarmVille cash; Mafia Wars, 50 Skill Points, and YoVille, a virtual Slurpee machine.

“7-Eleven’s partnership with Zynga has launched one of the most unique campaigns in our company’s history,” said Rita Bargerhuff, 7-Eleven vice president and chief marketing officer. “It gives millions of loyal fans, who regularly play Zynga games, access to incentives on more than 30 products in our stores. The Zynga universe of gamers is vast, and we knew we had to come up with a promotion fit for this demographic. Attracting millions of consumers to 7-Eleven stores with exclusive items for Zynga games creates an additional opportunity for them to try some of our newest products, like our proprietary 7-Select™ ice cream and candy, along with long-time favorites, such as Slurpee and coffee drinks.”

“Through our promotion with 7-Eleven, we are expanding our reach and making our games more accessible to consumers,” said Vish Makhijani, senior vice president of business operations at Zynga. “The opportunity to collect exclusive items for FarmVille, Mafia Wars and YoVille that are found only at 7-Eleven stores creates a unique way for players to get the best social experience in our games.”

7-Eleven’s promotion runs from June 1st through June 30th in Canada, or while supplies/coded products last. Exclusive virtual items and corresponding 7-Eleven products include:

FarmVille

-Fun Slide – Slurpee cups
-Sandwich Cart – All fresh sandwiches
-Water Tower – 7-Select bottle water
-10 Fuel Tanks – Prepaid FarmVille game card

Mafia Wars

-Showman – Slurpee
-Lone Wolf – 20-ounce coffee
-Pepper Shaker – hash browns, Taquitos, Grilled Burritos, potato wedges (at select stores)
-Combat Helmet – Prepaid Mafia Wars game card

YoVille

-Wall Freezer – Slurpee
-Coffee Machine – 7-Select packaged brownies – available at select stores
-Nacho Machine – Prepaid YoVille game card

This entry was posted on Monday, June 7th, 2010 at 5:23 pm and is filed under Animation, Associations, Business News, Careers, Casual, Events, Everyone, Government, Mobile, National News, New Releases, Research Studies, RPG - MMORPG, Teen, Upcoming Releases. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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