Village Gamer

Eidos Montreal has released the E3 2010 full trailer for Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The trailer, which draws from the game’s characters, environment and storyline, was produced by Vancouver’s Goldtooth Creative in partnership with Eidos Montreal and Square Enix’s Visual Works (Tokyo). The trailer promises strong writing, a large cast of important characters, intrigue and destruction. Deus Ex 3 is scheduled for release in 2011, and it is definitely on our list of Games We Must Have.

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If you are a fan of Studio B’s animated offerings, The City of Vancouver Archives is holding a special event which will chronicle the legacy of a local company that has become a leader in kids’ entertainment. Studio B’s popular animated series include Kid vs Kat, Martha Speaks, George of the Jungle and Class of the Titans, among many more.

Taking place at the VanCity Theatre on the evening of June 10th, the presentation will relate the studio’s rapid development from a two-man operation into its current status as a world-renowned production house composed of more than 200 artists and staff. Studio B has been donating its records from 12 original productions and many examples of its service and other work to the City Archives since 2006, preserving these records for generations to come. Tickets for this screening are very reasonable, with the most expensive ticket priced at $10.00.

For fans of the Ireland-Canada series The Tudors, it is now possible to create your own intrigue on your iPhone. The Tudors, developed by dTales and Slitherine in conjunction with TV production giants Showtime and Peace Arch Entertainment, is an intriguing and exciting adventure game based on Season 1. Follow in the footsteps of King Henry VIII at the beginning of his epic 40-year reign or choose the path of Anne Boleyn, and realize your dream to become Queen of England. As the story unfolds, you will meet over 20 characters from the series, including Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and Sir Thomas More and roam the corridors and staterooms of the Palace of Whitehall, the main residence of the King.

In an evolving sequence of dramatic events, you will be faced with danger, treason and intrigue. As King Henry VIII, you will be challenged by your closest friends and threatened by the menace of war with France. As Lady Anne Boleyn, you will pursue your dream to wear the crown of England no matter the cost. Only you can decide the course of history.

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The Tudors Game is currently only available for purchase from the US and Canadian App Store.

Main Features

– Two characters to choose from: King Henry VIII or Anne Boleyn
– Explore over 30 rooms at the Palace of Whitehall
– More than 20 historical characters to meet and talk to
– Play engaging mini-games to solve mysteries and progress in the game

EA Black Box has announced the first downloadable content pack for the critically acclaimed skateboarding game SKATE 3 – The Maloof Money Cup 2010 NYC Pack. The content pack hits Xbox Live and PlayStation Network on June 8 for 400 MS points or $4.99 and an additional 100 achievement points and 5 trophies.

The all new DLC lets players compete in the largest pursed event and one of skateboarding’s biggest annual contests – The Maloof Money Cup. For the first time ever, this year’s competition will be traveling east to Flushing Meadows, New York, where the site of the 1964 World’s Fair has been converted into one gnarly skate mecca. Gamers will have the opportunity to compete against some of the biggest names in skateboarding as they shred an all-new custom built street park for the ultimate cash purse.

The award-winning SKATE franchise breaks new ground with SKATE 3 and shreds the streets of the all-new skaters’ paradise, Port Carverton. Delivering the definitive co-op skateboarding experience, it’s up to players to build the ultimate team and change the face of the city with their brand by taking on unique team challenges and competing against rival crews online. The game also features the ability to create and share custom built skate parks and a revamped Thrasher Hall of Meat mode that will have players spending countless hours pulling off bone-crushing carnage.

Also announced today was EA Sports™ FIFA Online, the first downloadable FIFA soccer game designed for PC (A broadband internet connection and an average spec laptop computer or desk-top personal computer required), is available to soccer fans everywhere around the world to play for free (Internet connection required). EA Sports FIFA Online will be released around the world in stages. The UK English language Beta version is available now, with plans over the next 12 to 24 months for FIFA Online to launch in other languages across the globe.

Register online and compete in the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa tournament mode and score the goal that lifts your nation to FIFA World Cup glory. Compete by yourself or online with friends in an authentic re-creation or a fantasy version of the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament.

“Soccer fans have helped drive the game’s evolution and development through our testing period and now we are ready to share the game with a much larger audience,” said Kaz Makita, Executive Producer of the EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer franchise. “The FIFA World Cup attracts casual soccer fans all over the world and we are inviting them to try a free soccer game they can play at work or home and win the FIFA World Cup virtually.”

Since February 3, more than 20,000 soccer fans across Europe have participated in the Closed Beta development and testing of FIFA Online and that number is expected to grow to hundreds of thousands of fans. Additional content will be designed for the game based on feedback by fans.

FIFA Online features 28 licensed leagues, 500 clubs and more than 15,000 players in a League Mode that enables fans to manage and compete as their favorite soccer club, and the ability to play online in challenge or cooperative matches. FIFA Online will enable soccer fans to build their favorite club into their fantasy team by developing or acquiring players, upgrading skills, and getting unique apparel by earning in-game currency to acquire items or through micro-transactions.

I don’t know how I missed this entry when the Profit 100 Fastest Growing Companies was released earlier this week, but Vancouver’s Work at Play ranked 53rd in the Top 100.

“Our inclusion in the Profit 100 is a testament to our commitment to delivering excellent results and service to our customers” says David Gratton, CEO of Work at Play. “The digital media industry is a high-growth sector here in British Columbia, and we are delighted that more and more organizations are trusting Work at Play to help them achieve their marketing and business objectives”.

“Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies are the poster children for entrepreneurship, innovation and pure tenacity,” says Ian Portsmouth, editor of PROFIT. “They demonstrate what it takes to succeed in today’s highly competitive, technology-driven global economy.”

As part of its ongoing series of professional development workshops, Vancouver’s Biz Books welcomes acclaimed Los Angeles-based filmmaker and author Jon Reiss for an exciting workshop that promises to inspire the creative minds of local filmmakers. (Personally, I think this workshop would be beneficial to anyone launching a product, whether it’s traditional film or interactive media.)

Think Outside the Box Office Workshop: A Nuts and Bolts Guide to Distributing and Marketing Your Film with Jon Reiss will be held at the Performing Arts Lodge (581 Cardero Street) on Saturday June 12, beginning at 9am and running until 5pm.

Jon Reiss will introduce participants to the new world of hybrid distribution and marketing. Covered in the workshop will be specifics on how to create a distribution and marketing strategy that is unique for your film, the various markets that are available to release your film, how and why to engage your audience as early as possible and how to think beyond the feature film to create new forms of content and/or to market and distribute your film. Tickets for this workshop are available online at a cost of $150.00 (+GST) per person.

BoardSuite® Corp., the freemium SaSS-based board portal, today announced it has acquired eBusiness Solutions company InWeb Media Inc. The acquisition supports BoardSuite’s strategy to provide an ecosystem of mandated and trusted business services within its flagship portal.

InWeb Media will provide BoardSuite users with premium offerings ranging from interactive annual reports and IR websites for public companies to eMarketing campaigns and lead generation tools for private and not-for-profit organizations. Incorporated in 2005, the award winning company embraces a proven methodology of project scoping, work flow, web design, development, analysis, and testing for measurable results.

“InWeb Media is a great addition to BoardSuite’s overall strategy to provide a single point of entry for directors, officers and advisors of board managed entities to engage business services directly from the BoardSuite portal to achieve good corporate governance and best practices,” said Oscar A Jofre Jr., Founder, President and CEO of BoardSuite. “InWeb has proven experience in BoardSuite’s target market of small and medium enterprises and not-for-profit associations. Their team of talented and dedicated developers, production and creative staff made them a great fit.”

“We see the BoardSuite vision as innovative and believe InWeb Media can bring real value to this growing user base,” said Craig Poulton President, InWeb Media Inc. “We are passionate about bringing new clients our unique combination of experience, creativity and leading edge technology to contribute to their success.”

InWeb Media’s service offerings will be integrated into BoardSuite’s flagship portal facilitating a single point of access within the new Marketplace of premium business services for all BoardSuite registered users.

In an area not solely to do with digital media, but on a topic which I completely support because I am a firm believer in the adage that it takes only one open door to change a child’s life forever, I was very pleased to read today this news release from Standard Life, especially as I once worked at the Boys & Girls Club in Mt. Pleasant and experienced first hand what a positive difference mentoring (and even just time spent) can have. When the CaveChild was much younger he had the opportunity to have a Big Brother, and again, it was a very positive experience for him.

Standard Life will announce, at the second edition of Standard Life’s Big Search taking place today on Mount Royal that it has raised $300,000 to date in 2010 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada. With the help of its employees and business partners, Standard Life contributes to Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Canada-wide recruitment campaign for new youth mentors.

About 300 people have come together for Standard Life’s Big Search, a recreational activity largely inspired by geocaching. This is one of the first times geocaching is used as part of a fundraising event in Canada. Participating teams must use a GPS and a list of coordinates (latitudes and longitudes) to find items hidden throughout the park to accumulate as many points as possible. Standard Life’s Big Search will also take place in Toronto on Friday, June 18, 2010.

“We are proud to reach out to our networks to join Big Brothers Big Sisters in its effort to recruit new mentors, and to continue investing in the well-being of youths in Canada,” said Joseph Iannicelli, President and Chief Executive Officer of Standard Life. “We have chosen to focus on the urgent need for new mentors. Big Brothers Big Sisters estimates that some 10,000 young people could benefit from a role model who could help them build self-confidence and achieve their full potential. The situation is urgent, especially when considering how mentoring helps reduce school drop-out rates, substance abuse and bullying.”

In 2009, as a result of the fundraising undertaken by Standard Life, Big Brothers Big Sisters received applications from more than 350 potential new mentors. The objective for 2010 is to receive at least another 600 new applications.

“It is a privilege for Big Brothers Big Sisters to be able to count on a partner as committed as Standard Life,” said Bruce McDonald, President and Chief Executive Officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada. “Standard Life truly cares about the fate of youths in Canada. Its executive team and its staff demonstrate their leadership through their passion and the incredible effort they put forth in order to create awareness for the severe lack of mentors and the benefits mentoring has on young people.”

A recent survey conducted by the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA) for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada revealed that nearly a quarter (21%) of parents in Quebec experienced difficulties when trying to obtain mentoring services for their children. What’s more, the survey shows that 85 per cent of Quebec parents fear drug abuse, depression and lack of interest in school as the top threats to their children. However:

– 97 per cent believe the guidance provided by an adult volunteer can play a decisive role in the assistance offered to troubled children and teenagers.
– 70 per cent believe that it is valuable for children and teenagers in need of guidance to spend a few hours each week with an adult volunteer who provides friendship and support.
– 22 per cent believe that they themselves would have benefited from having a volunteer Big Brother or Big Sister when they were children or teenagers.

The generous donors and businesses participating in Standard Life’s Big Search include Artio Global Investors, CTV Montréal, Rogers Publishing, IQ Business Events, Porter, and Quebecor.