Village Gamer

The Entertainment Software Association of Canada is unveiling its 2011 Report on the Canadian Entertainment Software Industry (PDF) right about now at a luncheon event in Toronto. This year’s report shows that our industry, while undergoing somewhat of a metamorphosis, is maturing and becoming more mainstream as games become more and more a part of modern culture.

The study was conducted by Secor, and shows the many components of the digital media industry sector that play a part in Canada’s success as a leading developer of entertainment software. From schools to ancillary contractors and service providers, it is apparent that our national development landscape is comprised of highly talented people across the creative, technological and managerial sectors.

There is a wealth of information contained in this latest study, but I will not go into a lot of detail here, because I feel that it’s more important for those of you who are stakeholders in the entertainment software industry to read and digest the information for yourselves.

The main drivers of this success as a national video gaming industry include:

• Being predominantly a ‘made-in-Canada’ industry: many of the most important video games and video game companies were started in Canada by Canadians.
• Offering increasingly rich ecosystems of video game development and related support companies, providing to publishers the ability to build and test all components of a new product locally.
• Producing well-trained talent, particularly at the university and college levels.

As well as our having attractive economics for video game companies:

• Canadian governments at both the federal and provincial levels have developed a range of programs applicable to video game companies.
• Over several decades and until very recently, the Canadian dollar has been relatively cheap in comparison to the U.S. dollar.
• Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto, Canada’s dominant video game clusters, are well-known for their quality of life and more broadly, Canada itself has long been known as a desirable country to live and do business in.
• Positioning between the export markets of Asia and Europe, and in the same time zones as the major U.S.-based video game publishers.
• Being a multicultural society, Canada has significant language and cultural overlaps with the United States, Europe, and Asia.
• Receiving support from a variety of video game and interactive/digital industry associations
• Attracting frequent and well-informed attention from the Canadian media.

Overall industry developments since the release of the previous report in 2009 include the arrival of tablets and the increasing penetration of smart phones, along with the success of motion-sensor games and changes in the console introduction cycles. As well, there have been changes within the Video Gaming Categories as a whole, with console gaming profits still concentrating on blockbusters and Triple A console publishers increasing the proportion of their revenue earned through online sales. The rise of social, mobile and cloud gaming has also played a significant role in both industry changes and challenges.

As you read through this report, you will see how important it is for companies to participate in studies such as this, and it was somewhat disheartening to see that information about companies from an entire province was not included in the overall snapshot of our national positioning because no companies from the province participated in the study. I will not reveal which province it was, because as I mentioned above, I feel that all of you should download and study this report to interpret what it means not only for your company but for the future of digital media production in Canada. I’ve said many times that if we want to see Canada move to the top of the global list and dominate the world in entertainment software, we will all have to work together to get there. Just as each title is more often than not a team effort, so should the health of this industry be a national effort.

I am not naive in thinking that regional politics, economics and personalities won’t always play a part in this industry, but I think there comes a time when those politics need to be set aside for the greater good of our success, because we can accomplish more with team work than by pitting sectors against each other and diluting the quality not only of our titles but of our community.

Congratulations to everyone at ESAC and Secor – and to those companies who participated –  for producing a very insightful and informative report – and thank you for letting me play a small part in the final product.

Funcom has released a developer diary for its upcoming and highly anticipated modern-day MMO ‘The Secret World’. Watch as the developers delve into the story behind the game, and take a look at some of the many unique missions in the game. With hundreds of voiced characters, ‘The Secret World’ offers a rich and immersive gaming experience with a storyline that dares to go deep into the realm of myths and legends.

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

‘The Secret World’ is a next-generation massively multiplayer online game for the PC platform, where players are given total freedom to create and progress their characters, unbound by the restrictions of classes and levels. Players will get the opportunity to join one of the three secret societies and fight for power over important locations throughout our own world.  Players will also journey through familiar places across the globe, such as Egypt, New England, London, New York and Seoul and battle monsters of myth and legend.

Monster Media, an Orlando-based company with an office in Oakville and BMO Bank of Montreal have installed a monster-sized, 12′ X 7.5′ interactive electronic marketing display, prominently placed in Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, in an effort to capture the attention and the interest of more than 20 million travellers who move in and out of Pearson’s Terminal 1 domestic departures level each year.

The bright, bold display is comprised of an interactive memory game and credit card rewards calculator, promoting the bank’s new premium travel rewards credit card, BMO World Elite MasterCard.

“The sheer scale of the installation gives the display a fantastic presence for our World Elite MasterCard and for the BMO brand,” says Su McVey, VP, Marketing, BMO Bank of Montreal. “It’s a creative and effective way for us to build awareness amongst a key market segment – frequent travellers – about BMO World Elite’s superior travel benefits, using touch screen technology on a grand scale. The game provides travellers with an engaging way to get to know us a bit better.”

Travellers can test their memory by uncovering matching icons hidden behind the display’s virtual screen panels. The icons represent various BMO World Elite credit card features. Players can also calculate how many points they can earn – and what destinations they can travel to – by sliding a virtual scale over a range of monthly credit card spend amounts.

Ms. McVey says the display has a practical benefit beyond its sheer entertainment value. “Customers become engaged in the game and walk away with a much more immediate sense of if and how BMO World Elite MasterCard fits their travel needs,” she explained.

“We already have a strong presence in top airports across the U.S. and this new partnership is a natural and major step in our strategy to aggressively expand our presence throughout Canada,” said David Leetham, vice president of Canadian sales for Monster Media. “We are very pleased to be working with BMO to be the first to bring this engaging, interactive and effective form of advertising to a Canadian airport.”

The Pearson installation is another “first” for Monster Media and BMO. Last year, BMO introduced Canada’s first large-format digital storefront game to pedestrians outside the bank’s flagship Toronto branch at King and Bay Streets. Passersby were challenged to tend goal against five virtual youth soccer players. The campaign supported BMO’s sponsorship of grassroots soccer across Canada.

Google Earth continues to be a popular way to showcase 3D versions of Canadian communities to the global audience.  Vancouver and Toronto are so popular that they have been added to Google’s Building Maker online 3D modeling tool.  This tool allows 3D freelancers from around the world to remotely create 3D buildings for these cities.

Local governments of smaller Canadian communities like Fredericton and Banff have successfully tapped into Google’s ‘Cities in 3D Program’.  These municipalities understand the benefits of having a 3D model of their communities for use in promoting economic development, boosting tourism and visualizing community planning.

For smaller towns and villages, there are businesses like Nanaimo’s JAC GeoDesign that specialize in creating 3D models of buildings and structures to showcase on Google Earth.  Owner Judith Chinn is Canada’s First Google Certified Geo 3D Developer.  “My business gives me the opportunity to showcase our well known Canadian communities alongside some of our hidden gems to a regional, national and global audience,” says Chinn.

Businesses like Chinn’s are popping up all over the world.  They service businesses, as well as, communities.  They create 3D buildings to help preserve and share our past, promote our current state, and help plan our future

The Beban House - Tourism Nanaimo

development.  According to Chinn, “Google Certified Geo 3D Developers from around the world are in regular contact with each other and Google Earth representatives.  We get to share our experiences, troubleshoot issues, collaborate on projects and celebrate our successes.”

Advancements in technology offer new and exciting ways to showcase Canada’s 3D communities.  New applications for mobile devices are being developed showcasing 3D models in Augment Reality.  In New York City, tourist can use touch screens monitors to create and view a 3D tour of their itinerary.  3D models can be imported into 3D gaming software.

Chinn will be celebrating her first  year in business next week.  “It has been a challenging first year.  It is not easy to introduce a new service into the marketplace.  I spend much of my time educating and informing the public and potential clients about the benefits and versatility of showcasing locations in 3D.  The community of Nanaimo has been very supportive of my efforts.”  The Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce recently, presented Chinn with the 2011 Sterling Business Award for New Business.  “I am hoping to gain additional support from my fellow Canadians as I expand my service throughout Canada,” says Chinn.

Electronic Arts Inc. has announced that EA Sports™ has developed the Player Impact Engine, a new physics engine that will deliver revolutionary changes to the best^ sports videogame on the planet. Two years in development, the new Player Impact Engine inside FIFA Soccer 12 delivers real-world physicality in every interaction on the pitch. It is one of several major innovations for FIFA Soccer 12 that have been inspired by the real-world game and created by the FIFA development team at EA Canada – and is available now for Pre-Order.

The transformation FIFA Soccer 12 has undergone is revolutionary not evolutionary,” said Kaz Makita, Executive Producer for the FIFA franchise, which has won 136 videogame awards the past three years. “To create the best and most authentic FIFA game ever, we needed new technology to deliver on our vision. Fans will see, and more importantly feel, the significance of the Player Impact Engine immediately.”

The game-changing new Player Impact Engine will drive FIFA Soccer 12 on the PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360®. Fans will experience the way real-world players challenge each other for the ball, win possession, and test each other physically. The Impact Engine processes decisions continuously in real-time at every point of contact on a player’s body to create an infinite variety of natural and believable outcomes in every collision. Players now feel more resilient, push and pull during the fight for possession, and recover from light challenges more easily.

Revolutionary gameplay innovations inspired by the real-world sport make FIFA Soccer 12 deeper and more engaging. All-new Precision Dribbling delivers a higher fidelity of touch on the ball for attacking players, while Tactical Defending makes defending as skilful and meaningful as real-world soccer. Plus, players have been infused with Pro Player Intelligence, the next generation of player intelligence and performance, and the new Career Mode delivers real-world storylines that brings enhanced depth and realism to the experience. Read the rest of this entry »

Get ready to start texting, tweeting and chatting like crazy, because keeping in touch with fellow Canadians just got a lot easier, cheaper and, well, a lot more fun! Boston company Heywire has launched HeyWire Canada as the very first iOS texting app to provide a Canadian phone number for unlimited texting (real SMS) to any mobile phone in Canada and to 45 countries for only $1.99 per month.

Whether you’re living in Canada, traveling on vacation or living abroad, HeyWire Canada provides an easy, inexpensive texting alternative using a Canadian phone number for connecting with friends and family in Canada and to 45 countries, including the U.S., Mexico, China, and countries within the Caribbean, South and Central America. Think of the HeyWire texting service as having a second line for your iPhone or a primary phone line for your iPod touch or iPad with access to unlimited texting greatness!

HeyWire Canada is available for $1.99/month. As a month-to-month subscription, you have the option to stop the service any time. So check-it out! Here’s how:

Step #1 – Make sure your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad has access to a 3G mobile data service or Wi-Fi.

Step #2 – Download HeyWire Canada from the iTunes App Store Social Networking category for free. Open the app, complete registration and simply purchase your Canadian phone number with unlimited texting for only $1.99/month. After that, once per month you will be reminded to renew so you can keep your Canadian number and unlimited texting. Yup, really easy! Read the rest of this entry »

With the release of its financial results for the first quarter of 2011, Videotron has announced some exciting plans for the rest of the year – and its customers will be the first to benefit. With reliable and robust land and mobile networks, state-of-the-art handsets and tablets, new HD channels and the most advanced platforms, Videotron customers already enjoy a wide array of benefits in terms of products, services, technological developments and entertainment.

“We know that the full range of telecommunications products and services that Videotron now offers or will soon be offering meets the growing needs of our customers because we are so close to them,” said Robert Dépatie, President and CEO of Videotron. “For example, the recent launch of our illico web and illico mobile services lets customers watch their favourite content on the platform of their choice, while saving money thanks to product bundling and one-stop shopping. This empowers Videotron customers and gives them a freedom of choice found nowhere else. In fact, it is thanks to our customers that Videotron was ranked the mobile carrier with the highest customer satisfaction rate in Eastern Canada.(1) We owe this honour to our loyal customer base, and to our people.”

As at March 31, 2011, the company boasted a total of 164,700 subscriber connections, including 143,600 connections to its new 4G network. Since the end of April, the residents of Saguenay–Lac Saint-Jean and several other municipalities across Québec have had access to the Company’s mobile services. Read the rest of this entry »

In its first seven months of operations, the BCTIA‘s Centre4Growth initiative has already exceeded its Year 1 projections, including servicing over 100 clients in its CEO’s-in-Residence program. Through the assistance and guidance received at Centre4Growth, client companies have raised a total of $5.5M in new revenue and investment and expanded their workforce by a total of 31 new employees. The Centre4Growth is a new entrepreneur services initiative from the BC Technology Industry Association that provides a number of services to start-up and emerging technology companies in BC.

The mandate of the Centre4Growth program is to boost the capacity of BC’s technology entrepreneurs and their management teams, with the goal to further grow and develop BC’s innovation economy.

“It’s one thing to start a new technology company, but it’s another thing to grow that company from 5 employees to 25 or better yet, 100 employees,” said Pascal Spothelfer, President & CEO, BCTIA. “Through our research and advocacy efforts, we’ve heard a lot from entrepreneurs and investors about the need to grow the management capacity within our tech companies. Centre4Growth is without a doubt addressing these challenges, our client load proves there is a need, and our results in just seven months indicates that Centre4Growth is working.”

The core of the Centre4Growth initiative is a one-on-one coaching program provided by seasoned CEOs-in-Residence. By working directly with these experienced technology executives, tech entrepreneurs receive confidential coaching, as well as referrals into other C4G services designed to assist in the growth of their companies. Read the rest of this entry »

Microsoft Canada has announced the 10 finalists for DO or DIE, a new campaign that asks the question: could you survive with just your PC? Of these 10 hopefuls, DO or DIE will choose three people to drop in three foreign cities with nothing but their wits, a Windows-based PC, and a Windows Phone 7. The lucky three will each choose one friend, and together they will have 10 days to find shelter, earn food and survive by creating, connecting and sharing with Windows and Windows Live services.

They will have no money, no suitcase and no security blanket, but they will have the support of their DO or DIE community, who can follow their adventures at DO or DIE via daily wall posts, photos and videos.

The 10 finalists were selected from an open casting call looking for the most quick-witted, connected and street-smart Canadians. To make it to the top three, they must engage with the DO or DIE community to convince them they have what it takes to survive and earn their support.

The final three will be announced June 6^th, 2011.

The Top Ten include:

• Whitney Bragagnolo, Vancouver
• Dominic McDowell – Vancouver
• Josette Jorge – Vancouver
• Trevor Jones – Vancouver
• Jennifer Leung – Toronto
• Kira-Jade Roebuck – Sarnia
• Danielle Barker – Toronto
• Richard Veltri – Simcoe
• Alex Hugh – Markham
• Rodolphe Louis – Montreal

Not one of the finalists? Not to worry, visitors to DO or DIE can take an interactive quiz featuring exotic locales and lore. Completing the quiz will generate your survival score, which you can share with friends, whether you earn an F (your survival rate is about as likely as a Baby Chick on a Mechanical Bull) or an A (Cockroach in a Tank – you could survive anywhere on earth). There will be new content throughout the campaign with new challenges and games.

Supporting candidates also makes you eligible for a number of prizes, including a $500 prepaid VISA card, a Windows Phone 7, an Xbox 360, and more. See DO or DIE for full contest details.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada today released new Pay-For-Performance Ad Campaign Guidelines, designed to help Publishers, Ad Networks, Advertisers and Agencies maximize success when conducting direct response campaigns across the Web.

Designed to be used in situations where the goal is to elicit a specific and immediate action from a user who views the Online ad, Pay-For-Performance (PFP) ad campaigns have also increased in popularity as recessionary budgets have challenged marketers to deliver more immediate ROI from their Online advertising budgets.

The document, which was developed by both IAB Canada’s Publisher and Agency Councils, includes:

• Proven practices for creating impactful PFP ad creative;
• Factors to consider when adding targeting parameters to PFP campaigns;
• Best practices for set-up, tracking and optimization of PFP campaigns beyond the “click,” to conversion events or sales;
• Advice for minimizing PFP delivery and reporting discrepancies; and,
• A host of additional tips designed to maximize efficiencies within PFP ad campaigns.

“The goal in creating IAB Canada’s new Pay-For-Performance Ad Guidelines was simple,” says Gino Coutu, Vice-President, Business Development, Rogers Digital Media and initiator of the project within IAB Canada’s Publisher Council. “Standardize as many elements as possible within the PFP buying, selling, delivery, tracking and reporting process, so that professionals on both sides of the PFP equation can concentrate instead, on innovating around technology, strategy and creative.”

Scott Atkinson, Director, Digital Solutions with Media Experts, and a key contributor on the initiative from IAB Canada’s Agency Council, agrees: “By following the basic rules of engagement detailed within IAB Canada’s new PFP Ad Guidelines, even experienced PFP marketers should be able to realize enough efficiencies to allow them more time to focus on the benefits that come from testing and optimizing around ad format, ad messaging, ad placement and conversion processes.”