Village Gamer

IGLOO Software, provider of community solutions in the cloud, today announced the release of a suite of self-service collaboration templates for the PlayBook^TM, at BlackBerry World in Orlando. These templates will enable mobile professionals to easily create and manage an online business community, in order to access corporate knowledge and expertise, anytime, anywhere, right from their tablet.

Communities, powered by IGLOO, allow business professionals to share files and capture knowledge, locate documents and expertise, communicate with colleagues and customers, build connections and work better together around projects. In the first iteration of the app, BlackBerry® users will be able to start an online community by choosing from a variety of business templates, including social intranet, extranet, virtual boardroom and collaborative file sharing, right from within BlackBerry App World™.

At BlackBerry World this week, attendees have had the opportunity to experience the future of collaboration on the world’s first professional-grade tablet:

• Online File Sharing: ability to organize, manage and share documents, such as PowerPoint files and .PDFs, right from a mobile device.
• Internal Collaboration: team collaboration tools for managing projects, interacting with people and accessing information.
• External Collaboration: information sharing and networking tools to build better relationships with customers, partners and suppliers.

“We launched our first native BlackBerry® app over two years ago now and it is truly amazing to look back and see how far workplace collaboration has come,” remarked Dan Latendre, CEO of IGLOO Software. “The rise of tablets, combined with the ubiquitous access to broadband and the emergence of cloud computing, is particularly exciting as it is taking mobile computing to the next level, enabling us to create and consume content in a totally different way.”

The IGLOO Software PlayBook™ App will be available for free on BlackBerry App World^TM.

Canadian eReader device platform Kobo has announced that the Kobo Wireless eReader is now available in Best Buy stores throughout the United States as well as in the American Best Buy online store. Now customers can visit any U.S. Best Buy location to get hands-on experience with the affordable, Kobo Wireless eReader as well as access to over 2.3 million eBooks, Newspapers and Magazines in the robust Kobo store. Starting today through May 14, 2011, U.S. Best Buy locations are offering the Onyx Kobo Wireless eReader in stores and online for the special discounted price of $99.99 in celebration of Mother’s Day. At the end of this promotion, Best Buy will resume selling the Kobo Wireless eReader for $129.99.

The Kobo Wireless eReader comes pre-loaded with 100 free eBooks, so purchasers can read right out of the box. Users can easily shop the Kobo store that offers over 2.3 million titles including today’s newest releases and bestsellers, newspapers and magazines – plus a selection of over 1 million free titles. Delivering open standards versatility (supporting ePUB, PDF and Adobe DRM), customers can also borrow eBooks from their local libraries and read them for free on the Kobo Wireless eReader.

The compact, lightweight, and simple-to-use Kobo Wireless eReader features an eInk screen that reads like print on paper and is easily customizable with a selection of font sizes and font styles. Perfect for reading on-the-go, Kobo’s Wireless eReader holds up to 1,000 eBooks and has a SD expansion slot that can increase capacity to hold up to 10,000 eBooks. Featuring a modern, clean design, with easy-to-use navigation and a unique soft quilted back, the Kobo Wireless eReader provides an intuitive user experience with access to a rich assortment of the latest content with just the press of a button.

To provide additional flexibility, free eReading applications are available online for most smartphones, desktops, laptops and tablets, and come pre-loaded on the recently released BlackBerry PlayBook. This multi-platform approach to reading freedom championed by Kobo offers consumers the ability to read across multiple devices while building a lifetime eReading library, available from anywhere, with Kobo.

“We’ve seen great success working with Best Buy in Canada and look forward to being available in-store in the U.S. with the Mother’s Day special,” said Todd Humphrey, vice president of business development, Kobo. “Having Kobo’s Wireless eReader in Best Buy stores throughout the United States and online provides the eReading public with more purchasing options and allows shoppers to compare our eReader to the competition to see the value and versatility we bring to the table. Best Buy is the ultimate electronic shopping destination, offering knowledgeable product experts and a low price guarantee.”

Kobo is changing eReading with Kobo Reading Life, an industry-first social experience that lets passionate readers, discover, track and share their love of reading. With Reading Life, Kobo users can connect with friends or book clubs and discuss their favorite books on Facebook. Statistics help users track their Reading Life, and earn awards – just for spending time reading.

Secure digital media distribution company YANGAROO Inc. has entered into an exclusive multi-year agreement with Australia’s D-Star Music Delivery Pty Ltd (“D-Star”), a member of the Shooting Star Pictures group of companies. The Shooting Star Group is one of Australia’s leading creative production businesses, servicing the entertainment industry and the corporate market. The initial focus will be on the delivery of music to radio, press and other destinations and will launch immediately, branded as D-Star, powered by DMDS. This will be followed by the delivery of full broadcast quality SD and HD music video and advertising files to television broadcasters and movie theatres throughout Australia and New Zealand.

The parties have entered into an exclusive three year renewable agreement whereby YANGAROO will provide its patented industry leading Digital Media Distribution System (DMDS), and D-Star will provide local marketing and customer support, utilizing the Shooting Star Group’s extensive resources, leading market presence and proven industry expertise.

Effective immediately new releases from major and independent record labels are available for streaming or download. New releases from the last few weeks are also available should they be required for on-air consideration.

“We are very excited to offer this new and improved service to the industry we have been servicing for many years,” said Peter Skillman, CEO of the Shooting Star Group. “We can now, not only offer the latest cutting edge technology for audio delivery, but also broadcast quality video delivery as we move forward.”

“This is another example of how we are executing on our profitable growth strategy and monetizing the investment made in DMDS 5.0,” said Scott Wambolt, CEO of YANGAROO Inc. “I look forward to a long and mutually rewarding relationship with Peter Skillman and his excellent team at the Shooting Star Group,” said Cliff Hunt, Chairman and COO of YANGAROO Inc. “The Australian and New Zealand markets are strong and growing, and we are excited about the significant new revenue opportunities that this relationship provides.”

Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), Canada’s largest media development organization, is teaming up with Maclean’s magazine in Write the Wrong, a national essay competition where students are asked to answer the question “What is the single largest problem that we face today and what do youth need to do to fix it?”

The winning essay will be published on Maclean’s website and the author will receive a Rogers Smart phone.  Five finalists will have their essay posted on the website and multimedia platform, CITIZENShift.

“Students are not the future, they are the present” says jhr’s Youth Engagement Coordinator, Ken Zolotar.  “Write the Wrong gives students the ability to share their views on global issues and Maclean’s gives them the platform to be listened to”.

jhr, a Toronto based organization, works to ensure international human rights standards are upheld by working with local media in Africa to educate and create widespread human rights awareness. Write the Wrong is a Canadian initiative that invites youth to engage in discussion about a human rights related issue, and in turn foster human rights awareness.

The winning essay will be chosen by a panel of celebrity judges including CBC’s Adrian Harewood, the David Suzuki Foundation’s Severn Cullis-Suzuki and Maclean’s Cathrin Bradbury.

Submissions are currently being accepted. The deadline is May 13^th, 2011.

3D character animation solutions developer Di-O-Matic Inc has released its complete line of character animation plugins with support for the recently released Autodesk 2012 products. As an Autodesk Authorized Developer, Di-O-Matic has updated its complete plugins product line to be fully compatible with the newest offering from Autodesk and is happy to release these updates after the recent official Autodesk release.

The new Di-O-Matic plugins compatible with Autodesk 2012 products feature significant enhancements over previous versions as most plugins received significant updates in addition to now being compatible with the newest Autodesk 2012 releases.

Key updates include:

* Voice-O-Matic,

Di-O-Matic’s automatic lipsync solution plugin for any character rig in 3ds max, Maya and Softimage has received several updates and now offers significantly better results than before.

* Morph-O-Matic v2.4,

Di-O-Matic’s morphing solution for 3ds max featuring a new Game Engine Scripting API for easier integration with game engines via MAXScript.

* Character Pack v1.5,

From muscle simulation to automatic lip synchronization, this all in one suite gathers all of Di-O-Matic’s 3ds max plugins for only 999$, a saving of more than 1400$ if purchased separately.

All Di-O-Matic plugins are available for purchase directly from the Di-O-Matic online store or through any of Di-O-Matic’s authorized resellers worldwide. All Di-O-Matic commercial products come with floating licensing options and one year of premium support.

Registered users with an active support package can request the latest version of their plugins by filling the required form, while registered users with an expired support package can simply renew their support package to get the latest version.

Nintendo Canada is dropping the suggested retail price of its Wii™ system to $149.99 and including a Mario™ game with the Wii hardware. Starting May 15 at many stores across Canada, the newly priced Wii system will come in either black or white with the Mario Kart™ Wii game and a matching coloured Wii Wheel™ accessory, replacing the previously included Wii Sports™ and Wii Sports Resort™ games.

Also on May 15, Nintendo launches the new Nintendo® Selects collection of Wii games, a set of popular games that millions of people have already experienced, at a suggested retail price of $19.99. The four must-own games in this collection are The Legend of Zelda™: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing™: City Folk, Mario™ Super Sluggers and Wii Sports, which is available for the first time as a separate software purchase. Parents and video game fans can now easily expand their library of fun, family-friendly Wii games. I’ll be keeping my eyes out for any Canadian-made titles that are designated as Nintendo Selects – if you see any, let me know.

“From the day it launched, Wii has let players of all ages and experience levels have fun with one another,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “The new suggested retail pricing for both the hardware and select games will help create more of these magical moments for even greater numbers of people.”

With Mario Kart Wii now included with the Wii hardware, players will be able to enjoy fun go-kart racing with Mario and all his Mushroom Kingdom pals right out of the box. The Wii Remote™ Plus controller, Nunchuk™ controller and Wii Wheel included in the package will all match the hardware, meaning they will be either black or white. The new black Wii Wheel will also be available separately at a suggested retail price of $9.99.

After teasing fans on its Facebook Fan Page, Ubisoft has released a few details about Assassin’s Creed^® Revelations, the fourth installment in the critically acclaimed and immensely popular video game franchise. Developed and led by Ubisoft Montreal with the support and expertise of Ubisoft studios Annecy, Massive Entertainment, Quebec, Singapore and Bucharest, Assassin’s Creed Revelations presents the most immersive experience available in the series to date and the culmination of Ezio’s adventure. The game is set to release on the Xbox 360^®, the PlayStation^®3 and Windows PC this November.

In Assassin’s Creed Revelations, master assassin Ezio Auditore walks in the footsteps of his legendary mentor, Altaïr, on a journey of discovery and revelation. It is a perilous path – one that will take Ezio to Constantinople, the heart of the Ottoman Empire, where a growing army of Templars threatens to destabilize the region.

In addition to Ezio’s award-winning story, the acclaimed online multiplayer experience returns, refined and expanded, with more modes, more maps and more characters that allow players to test their assassin skills against others from around the world. The latest chapter in the Assassin’s Creed saga also includes revolutionary gameplay, allowing players to manipulate the construct of Desmond’s memories and the Animus to decipher the mysteries of his past and gain insight into the future.

“Delivering the final chapter of the Ezio trilogy is an important milestone in the Assassin’s Creed franchise for us and for our fans,” said Alexandre Amancio, Creative Director at Ubisoft Montreal. “Assassin’s Creed Revelations includes lots of new features and some significant surprises. We can’t wait to show our fans what we have in store at E3 this year.”

Initially launched in 2007, the first three Assassin’s Creed^® games have sold more than 28 million units worldwide, and the franchise is now established as one of the best-selling series on next generation consoles. Recognized for having some of the richest, most engrossing storytelling in the industry, Assassin’s Creed has transcended video games, branching out into other entertainment experiences such as comic books, Facebook, novels, short films and more. Additional details on Assassin’s Creed Revelations can be found in an exclusive feature in the June issue of Game Informer Magazine, available this month.

Frima Studios and Zombie Tycoon: Icefield Demo have won the FITC award for ‘Best 3D Flash’. Built using a combination of Adobe’s Molehill technology and Frima’s proprietary IceField 3D engine, Zombie Tycoon is one of the most advanced Flash games to be released. The honor was given at the FITC Awards in Toronto on May 3rd, 2011.

“We’re thrilled to have been recognized for our achievements in 3D Flash,” said Steve Couture, CEO of Frima. “Luc Beaulieu, our CTO, and our entire R&D team did an exceptional job working with the 3D technology to create the Zombie Tycoon: Icefield Demo. Frima has always focused on new and cutting edge technology, and this award inspires us to continue to be a leading edge video game developer.”

In Zombie Tycoon, players control their very own horde of ravenous zombies! Developed in just a few months by Frima Studios’ R&D team, the Zombie Tycoon: IceField Demo offers three levels of zombie madness. Two game modes are available to try; mild, which offers players a chance to explore and conquer the game world, and chunky mode which offers players the chance to see the full power of the new technology with over a hundred zombies moving on the screen at the same time. Zombie Tycoon: IceField Demo was also nominated for the ‘Technical Excellence in Flash’ award.

Rock Hippo Productions Ltd is pleased to announce that its new Zombie Mode for the anime inspired,cartoon-style third person MMO shooter MicroVolts is now live…or … undead. The highly-anticipated new mode allows players to become “Zombified” and take on the role of a Zombie Toy in this popular third-person-shooter currently in open beta.  In addition, the company has launched a new trailer that depicts the new Zombie mode in action.

With the introduction of Zombie Mode even toys can become zombies as infected players take on the role of a Zombie Toy with unique abilities to hunt players with uninfected toys.  Uninfected players will have all weapons available but may not have as much ammo as they are accustomed to playing with which may leave them vulnerable to a “Zombie Toy.”

“The new Zombie mode is great because not only does it introduce zombies into gameplay, but it also forces uninfected players to strategize with new weapons and less ammo than they are used to,” said Howard He, President of Rock Hippo Productions. “As players dive into the new Zombie mode they should also keep an eye out for news of some exciting upcoming events we have this month in celebration of the addictive new mode!”

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1ghvEHEfTg]

In order to fight off the hordes of toy zombies, players will have access to special Zombie Mode weapons. These will come in drop boxes randomly in the middle of a match, so players need to make sure to be the first to get to the box! There will be 4 new Zombie Mode weapons in total, each with their own unique ability.  Two of the new weapons to make their debut include the Firestorm and Blizzard; which both live up to their names!  The Firestorm lights up the competition in a blazing storm of fire, burning pesky zombies to a fine ash and zombies will freeze in fear at the chilly cold whirlwind of ice that the Blizzard dishes out!

MicroVolts features fast paced, third person shooter action and pits players against each other in a secret battle that has been waged and going unnoticed right in our own backyard for years.  No one knows for sure when or where the first toy declared war but rumor has it that the uprising began with four original limited edition figures, code named MicroVolts. Battle lines were drawn when Naomi, Knox, Pandora, and C.H.I.P. -the prototypes A -were soon joined by an endless number of modified versions. Now, toy figures around the world are engaged in an all-out war for valuable battery resources and supremacy of the Micro World.  All we can do now is stay out of their way and wait for a champion to be declared!

With a ton of weapons, inventive character designs, and a huge list of customization features, MicroVolts is destined to invigorate and re-energize the Free2play space. Intuitive controls and a third person view make the game easy to play and fun for both newcomers and veterans of shooter games.  Game modes include the brand new Zombie Mode, Free for ALL, Team Deathmatch, Item Match, Capture the Battery, and many more featuring various maps designed by toy concept.

Ahead of the release of its final report later this month, Pixel To Product’s Justin Kozuch will be making an appearance on the Nat&Marie show tonight at 9pm EST.

Justin will be Wikileaks-ing a handful of new results from the company’s recent research study, and I encourage you to tune in and catch the segment. On deck are some interesting insights into the types of skill-sets companies are hiring for this year, hiring projections, perceptions of bias (ageism, sexism, etc), and some other very interesting findings the study has uncovered.

If you’ve got a question for Justin about the findings, tweet them to @49pixels or post your question on their Facebook fan page, or call into the show via Skype (add “NatAndMarieShow” to your Skype contact list), and they’ll do their best to answer it on the air.

They’re also giving away a copy of Scott Stratten’s “UnMarketing” for the best question; so think one up, tune in and you could be the lucky winner of a book I personally highly recommend.