Village Gamer

The dev team over at TransGaming Studios, the creative group who brought you Garage Inc., have been tormenting me for weeks now with hints and images from their upcoming title Kula Blox. I have yet to figure out just exactly how this game is played, but I think it involves some type of match play – or maybe it involves tilt play (which means I’m pretty well toast before I begin), and I know it involves several characters from the animal kingdom. These are the details I have so far – some are from the game’s sell-sheet and others are pure conjecture.

While free-falling through exotic locales, you have to fight your way to the top of the Food Chain. In a total oxymoron, your game avatar becomes faster while growing bigger as you consume more and more enemies. Apparently your avatar – and I’m presuming that you will take on the appearance of one of the animals in the game – must consume enough enemies who are lower on the food chain than you are, in order to become big enough to defeat enemies who are higher up on the food chain than you. The developers have also provided special powers for each character and pick-ups to assist you with this task. Those who reach the top of the food chain will be recognized for their world supremacy on the Leaderboard as well as player achievements.

Kula Blox will launch directly to iOS devices, GameTree TV, Mac and PC with three geographical map areas, each with several levels to play through. The Jungle, The Savannah and The Forest will each feature its own set of unique characters, with more maps, levels, predators and prey coming in future updates. This game is rated E for everyone and will be available in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.

There will also be the option to make in-game purchases of items such as the previously-mentioned power-ups, and possibly other types of upgrades, but I don’t know what they will be, because they won’t tell me. Not a nice thing to do to a Gemini. I’ll get my revenge at Casual Connect in Seattle, though. I have more than a month to plot and ponder, which is only slightly different from pillage and plunder. However, now that the studio knows I’m plotting, maybe they will defeat my evil plans and release the game before Casual Connect Seattle, although the game is slated for a Summer 2011 launch, and summer doesn’t technically begin until the final day of Casual Connect.

In the meantime though, TransGaming’s Managing Director Wojtek Kawczynski is currently wandering the floor at E3. If you see him, feel free to accost him for me and pry some game details out of him – or ask to borrow his iPad, because he’s carrying the game around with him, and TransGaming did announce on Twitter that they were putting the finishing touches on Kula Blox prior to E3. Once you have completed your mission, send the details to me and I will reward you with a very big cookie.

zuluMe is a mobile social network that gives you and up to ten of your closest friends a level of privacy and interaction that you will not find anywhere else, except in the real world. This new app, created by Vancouver-based digital media entrepreneur (and one of my all-around favourite digital media ladies) Lynda Brown-Ganzert, is designed to put the “social” back into social networking.

“People are beginning to wrestle with digital identity concerns and privacy issues in the social networking sphere. They want to connect in a greater way with the people closest to them,” says Brown. “zuluMe is designed so people can use their devices to build more meaningful and intimate experiences.”

The design is based on how human beings operate and connect in real life, with features that differentiate it from any other app on the market. It is the only completely private network that allows users to update and share moods in real-time, send gifts, dedicate songs by emerging artists, post polls, chat as a group, take photos, update locations, and more, all with the help of a personalized avatar.

The current trend of mobile social networks, while they allow you to connect with a large number of people all over the world, do not allow for more intimate interaction with the people that matter most. In the past few years, there has been a profound shift in the way people communicate. Social networking is a great way to share information, but there is a growing desire for a greater level of connection within that sphere.

This app was born out of a simple idea: The people closest to you, who matter most, you want to know what they’re doing and how they’re feeling, all the time.

zuluMe has retained this simplicity in its digital identity. Unlike other mega-social networking tools, it is more image than text-based. So, when you update your mood, the look of your avatar and profile changes, and friends can respond according to that change. It is modeled according to how people would respond to those changes in a real face-to-face interaction.

zuluMe is a novel (and fun) way for people to connect with those they care about the most. It is now available, and free for a limited time (June 8th – 17th), on the iTunes store and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 3.2.2 or later.

Vancouver studio Renown Entertainment has released its latest free to play ad-supported casual title to the iTunes store and Facebook. Ball Hop Bowling is a digital version of the arcade skill-testing game that requires players to get a ball into the centre ring by rolling the ball over a ramp, landing it in one of the rings to rack up points.

Ball Hop Bowling features high definition, retina display graphics and is Game Centre-enabled. Players can redeem their prizes in the game’s shop, as well as remove the ads by purchasing an upgrade for $1.99 USD. Some of the top in-app purchases include extended time and extra prize tickets.

Renown will be releasing free content updates, as well as premium content. Ball Hop Bowling is rated 4+ and is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, 3rd and 4th generation iPod Touch and iPad/iPad 2 devices running iOS 4.0 or later.

Renown also developed Waves: Survivor for iDevices and Facebook, and is currently working on a Triple A title in Unity called Project Rift. A release date for Project Rift has not yet been announced. Waves: Survivor is currently (at the time of this writing) on sale for 50% off in the iTunes Store, priced at 99 cents USD. Help Johnny Calm survive the epic ocean waves with your Paddle, Jump, Attack and Collect skills for as many days as possible.

Reminder: The BCTIA Tech Impact Awards are on June 9th. Tickets are still available for purchase.
Reminder: The Art of Marketing session day is also on June 9th in Vancouver. Tickets are still available for purchase.

BCIC has appointed Entrepreneur-in-Residence Mark Payne to the position of Acting CEO, effective yesterday. This follows the departure of former CEO Danny Robinson, who will be taking on a new role as Advisor to the Board. Board Chair Greg Aasen announced that the search for a new CEO will begin very soon.

Catalyst Canada announced today that it will honour Monique F. Leroux, Chair of the Board, President and CEO, Desjardins Group; Jennifer Tory, Regional President, Greater Toronto, RBC; and Michael Bach, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, KPMG LLP, with The Catalyst Canada Honours. The Catalyst Canada Honours recognizes three exceptional individuals who have demonstrated commitment, passion and results through their championship of women’s advancement in Canadian business.

“This year’s champions are extraordinarily committed to advancing women in the Canadian corporate world. Catalyst research shows that companies gain when they have a greater number of women on their boards and in senior leadership roles—and that highly placed sponsors like this year’s champions are the key to women’s advancement,” said Deborah Gillis, Senior Vice President, Membership & Global Operations, Catalyst. “Advancing women to leadership strengthens companies and promotes the sustainability and well-being of corporate Canada as a whole. By recognizing these outstanding leaders with The Catalyst Canada Honours, Catalyst hopes to inspire a robust pipeline of women and men who will follow in their footsteps.”

With a mission to create visible role models for Canada’s current and future leaders, The Catalyst Canada Honours recognizes a Company/Firm Leader, a Business Leader and a Human Resources/Diversity Leader who champion progress by advancing women in their organizations, industries and communities. The three categories reflect the unique and critical roles played by those who champion inclusion. The Catalyst Canada Honours celebrates leaders who have made a critical difference to women’s advancement, while inspiring men and women leaders to step up, demonstrate foresight and leadership and become champions themselves.

“Being in business carries with it responsibilities to the people who choose to work with us. BMO became one of Catalyst’s earliest members not only because of a shared conviction that workplaces must provide opportunities for everyone but also to serve as a constant reminder of the standard to which we hold ourselves as a company,” said Bill Downe, President and CEO of BMO Financial Group and Chair of The Catalyst Canada Honours dinner. “The Catalyst Canada Honours is all about recognizing individuals who are setting the bar higher and understand that it’s the strength of Canada’s workforce that will define corporate Canada’s success and, in turn, our customers’ success in a rapidly changing world.” Read the rest of this entry »

Toronto’s new waterfront communities will be wired with the latest in smart technology infrastructure that will make them among the most connected in the world.

Waterfront Toronto is partnering with the pioneering telecommunications firm Beanfield Metroconnect to create Canada’s first open-access ultra-high speed broadband community network. Following a competitive selection process, Waterfront Toronto chose the Toronto-based firm to build and operate an advanced fibre-optic broadband network throughout the new waterfront communities.

The open-access ultra-broadband infrastructure will transform the neighbourhoods into intelligent communities that revolutionize how residents receive telecommunications services, promote economic growth and development, and enable innovation.

“Broadband has become essential public infrastructure for 21st century communities, and the need for faster connections delivered over more robust networks has been intensifying since the dawn of the Internet age,” said John Campbell, President and CEO of Waterfront Toronto. “This state-of-the-art network will help us establish a new hub of innovation and stimulate enduring economic growth to help Toronto remain competitive with other world-leading cities, such as Seoul, Stockholm, and Tokyo where similar broadband infrastructures exist or are now being built.”

Every home and business in the new communities will be wired with fibre and provided with affordable and unlimited access to internet speeds up to 500 times faster than typical North American residential networks. The network will also provide full community-wide Wi-Fi service. The ultra-high speed network will deliver internet connections starting at 100 megabits per second for residential customers and up to 10 gigabits per second for commercial customers – all at an extraordinarily competitive cost.  At present, broadband of this calibre is not available for residential users in Toronto, and commercial access is significantly less affordable in Toronto than in other leading world cities. Read the rest of this entry »

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) thanks the Government of Canada and particularly the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, the Honourable James Moore, for announcing in the Budget that the CMF will receive funding support on an ongoing basis.

“This commitment will enable the CMF to truly play its part in Canada’s Digital Economy Strategy”, commented Louis Roquet, Chair of the CMF’s Board of Directors.

The Government’s support, combined with the funding that the CMF receives from Canada’s cable and satellite distributors, will enable the CMF to provide over $370 million to the television and digital media industry in 2011-2012 and to support the creation of quality Canadian content on multiple platforms.

“This is most welcome news for the industry as a whole” stated Valerie Creighton, President and CEO of the CMF. “With the help of this commitment, the CMF will continue to drive innovation and to support Canada’s competitiveness in the global marketplace.”

As a result of this announcement, the CMF will now be in a position to release a supplementary program budget of $100 million which, combined with the preliminary program budget of $271 million announced on March 31, will amount to a total program budget of $371 million for 2011-2012.

The total funding allocated to each of the CMF’s programs is outlined below, please click the image for full-size view.

Via ESAC: Once again, some of the most anticipated games at this year’s E3 Expo, are developed in Canada. Over 10 major titles at this year’s show are developed in Canadian studios including major blockbusters such as Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Mass Effect 3, and Prototype (full list below). These games showcase the exceptional talent and expertise of Canadians within the global video game industry.

“The Canadian made games shown at this year’s E3 really demonstrate the calibre of talent and innovation here in the Great White North,” said Danielle Parr, Executive Director of the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC).  “Canada remains a powerhouse in the world of game development, punching well above its weight,” she added.

According to recently-released research (PDF) by Secor Consulting for ESAC, over the past 2 years the video game industry in Canada has grown by 11% and now currently employs approximately 16,000 people across the country at nearly 350 companies, making Canada’s the third largest video game industry in the world.  The industry is projected to grow at 17% over the next two years.

New made-in-Canada games from ESAC-member companies* showcased at E3 2011:

·         Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (Ubisoft)
·         Far Cry 3 (Ubisoft)
·         FIFA Soccer 12 (EA Sports)
·         Hole In The Wall (Ludia / Microsoft)
·         Just Dance: Kinect (Ubisoft)
·         Mass Effect 3 (Bioware / Electronic Arts)
·         Need For Speed: The Run (Electronic Arts)
·         NHL 12 (Electronic Arts)
·         Prototype 2 (Radical Entertainment / Activision)
·         Spider-Man: Edge of Time (Beenox / Activision)
·         SSX (Electronic Arts)
·         The Darkness 2 (Digital Extremes / 2K Games (Take-Two Interactive))
·         War Hammer 40,000: Space Marine  (THQ)
·         X-Men: Destiny (Silicon Knights / Activision)
·         Your Shape Fitness (Ubisoft)

* This list does not include the many non-ESAC member studios who are also down showcasing their titles at this year’s E3 Expo.

At the E³ Expo, Nintendo introduced a new paradigm for video games and home entertainment: Wii U^™, a new console that includes a controller with a 6.2-inch screen. Adding a second screen to the living room creates a multitude of new video game experiences while offering families a variety of options to customize their entertainment.

Previously, video games played on a home console have been confined to the TV and offered identical viewpoints to each player in a multiplayer environment. Furthermore, watching TV and playing console games have been completely separate experiences. The new controller removes these boundaries, creating a more dynamic and fluid gaming and entertainment experience. Visitors to the E³ Expo will see firsthand the type of gaming experiences made possible by Wii U and the new controller such as:

• In single-player games:
  • The new controller can display information on its screen that does not appear on the TV.
  • The information and viewpoint can also change in the new controller based on the orientation of its gyroscope.
• In multiplayer games:
  • The player using the new controller can have a different experience than those looking at the TV. This will offer a wide variety of competitive and cooperative opportunities.

In addition to the 6.2-inch screen, the new controller also features an accelerometer and a gyroscope, a rumble feature, an inward-facing camera, a microphone and speakers. Adding these features to the Classic Controller^™ button scheme – two analog Circle Pads, +Control Pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons and ZL/ZR buttons – will enable a breadth of game-play experiences while appealing to both casual and dedicated video game players.

Wii U combines motion-sensing game play with the ability to support full HD graphics. Each Wii U console will be partnered with a new controller and can also use up to four additional Wii Remote^™ or Wii Remote Plus controllers. The system is also backward compatible and can play all Wii games and use all Wii accessories. The Wii console has sold more than 86 million units globally and greatly expanded the overall audience for video games. Wii U aims to expand that audience even further. Developers worldwide are already working on new games and experiences for the console.

“Wii U redefines the structure of home entertainment by fundamentally changing how the TV, the game console and the Internet function and interact together,” said Nintendo President Satoru Iwata. “The experience enabled by Wii U and the new controller takes players deeper into their games, while reaching out wider than ever before to be inviting to all kinds of gamers.”

Nintendo 3DS^™, which lets users see 3D images without the need for special glasses, launched in the North America on March 27 and continues to evolve. Owners will find that their Nintendo 3DS experience is different every time they pick up the system, thanks to new content and updates delivered by Nintendo, by third parties and exchanged between users.

A new system update is now available for the Nintendo 3DS system. Users who connect to a wireless broadband Internet connection and install the system update will instantly gain access to the Nintendo eShop, which contains a variety of games and applications for download using a cash-based system.

Users can browse original 3D software, 3D Classics (select classic video games re-mastered in 3D), classic Game Boy^™ and Game Boy Color games, and more than 350 games and applications currently offered for the Nintendo DSiWare^™ service. Visitors can also see videos and screen shots for games, plus see how other players rank games.

The system update also provides Nintendo 3DS owners access to free items, including an Internet browser that can show 3D images on sites specifically designed to show 3D images, a download of a re-mastered 3D version of the NES^™ classic Excitebike^™ game (free until July 7) and Pokédex^™ 3D, which lets users discover and view more than 150 Pokémon^™ from the Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version games in visually engaging 3D.

Nintendo also announced a huge lineup of upcoming new and fan-favorite franchise games:

• Nintendo 3DS: Super Mario^™, Luigi’s Mansion^™ 2, Mario Kart^™, Kid Icarus^™: Uprising, The Legend of Zelda^™: Ocarina of Time^™ 3D, Star Fox 64^™ 3D, Animal Crossing^™, Paper Mario^™, Picture Lives!, The Rolling Western^™.
• Wii: The Legend of Zelda^™: Skyward Sword, Kirby^™ Wii, Wii Play^™: Motion, Mystery Case Files^™: The Malgrave Incident^™, Mario Party^™ 9, Rhythm Heaven^™ and Fortune Street^™.
• Nintendo DS^™: Kirby^™ Mass Attack, Professor Layton and the Last Specter^™, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker^™ 2 and Super Fossil Fighters^™.

Nintendo kicked off its E³ Expo Presentation by announcing a number of initiatives to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. A re-mastered 3D version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches for Nintendo 3DS on June 19, while Wii owners will see the arrival of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in the 2011 holiday season. Additionally, Nintendo announced a tour of orchestral concerts featuring music from the beloved franchise. Additional commemorative activities will be announced at a later date.

For the duration of the E³ Expo, Nintendo will provide fans with exclusive videos and Nintendo content on the Nintendo Network. People can visit http://e3.nintendo.com to watch developer interviews, get all the information about new games and see coverage coming directly from the show floor. The same exclusive content also will be streamed through the Nintendo^® Channel to Wii owners who have a broadband Internet connection.

PadWorx Digital Media Inc. has put the finishing touches on its latest project, Alice: Madness Returns^TM Storybook App. Created in conjunction with Electronic Arts, the app is designed to bridge the gap between games American McGee’s Alice and Alice: Madness Returns. The storybook app introduces readers to the world of Alice as imagined by acclaimed game designer American McGee, recapping the events, characters, and environments from the first game while setting the stage for the visionary world of Alice: Madness Returns.

“It was an amazing experience for us to work with EA and American McGee’s company Spicy Horse on such an intensely realized project,” said Jeffery Alan Schechter, Creative Director and President of PadWorx Digital Media, Inc. “American McGee’s Alice is a legendary title in the game industry, and just being mentioned in the same breath is a real honor.”

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0apDvEPk8I]

“We needed a partner who could bring the incredible story and styling of Alice: Madness Returns to life, we wanted to set the bar for what a free interactive storybook experience could be, and we needed it done fast,” said Ben Swanson, Online Marketing Manager at EA.  “PadWorx stepped up and not only delivered a beautifully intense book in record time – just six weeks – they also simultaneously developed the book for iOS, Android, and even a Flash version that’s playable from inside our Facebook page.  These guys are rock stars!”

PadWorx Digital Media, Inc. worked closely with game developer Spicy Horse to create what has been described as the most intense reading experience ever on a mobile device. Rated 17+ by iTunes, the Alice: Madness Returns Storybook is a free download and is both a prequel and a companion to the upcoming EA game Alice: Madness Returns.

A dash of kitchen simulation, a smattering social elements and a heaping spoonful of Zombies is on the Fall 2011 menu over at Beeline Interactive Canada (formerly Capcom Mobile Canada). Play as a Zombie Chef and cook Zombie Food, prepare ingredients and put them in the stove or oven for just the right amount of time. A brand extension of Zombie Cafe, players of both games will be able to unlock unique content across both titles.

While Zombie Cookin’ is free to play, players can accelerate gameplay or acquire unique items by purchasing “Bones,” the game’s in app premium currency.

• Master more than 50 recipes
• Send your zombie hoard out to discover macabre, unusual and downright disgusting ingredients.
• 18 finger cleaving, brain scooping mini games.
• Decorate and increase the efficiency of your kitchen with better stoves, windows, floor coverings and more.