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  • INPlay Opens for Registration, Fuel Industries Looks Back at 2009 and Dragon’s Lair on DSiWare

18th December 2009

INPlay Opens for Registration, Fuel Industries Looks Back at 2009 and Dragon’s Lair on DSiWare

Interactive OntarioTorontoInteractive Ontario today announced that registration is now open for INplay 2010. This two-day conference, taking place at the Liberty Grand in Toronto, is designed to bring creators of kids interactive properties and developers together to explore inspiring ideas for the future.INplay 2010

“ INplay promises to bring cutting edge research, innovation, market strategy and inspiration together in this one-of-a-kind conference,” said Ian Kelso, president and CEO of Interactive Ontario. “ IO is proud to collaborate with such great partners, many of whom are global leaders in the kids media entertainment business.”

“With all the changes happening in content creation and delivery, INplay is a huge opportunity for inspiration, to hear some of the latest research, and connect with potential partners in the kids interactive market,” said Ted Brunt, VP Interactive Production, marblemedia.

Early bird pricing ends February 25, 2010. Members of Interactive Ontario receive a further discounts on tickets. For registration, press accreditation and to sign up for the INplay newsletter, visit their website.

INplay is for game developers/publishers, broadcasters, content producers/distributors, interactive/mobile/social media developers, toy/game manufacturers, book/magazine/comic publishers, marketers, researchers/child psychologists and all businesses with interest in the kids’ interactive media.

This project is spearheaded by IO in partnership with industry leaders including: Astral Media Inc, Bitcasters, Blue Print Entertainment, Breakthrough New Media, Capybara Games, CBC, Corus Entertainment, Decode Entertainment, Earth Rangers, Kids Can Press, marblemedia, Meridian Artists, Portfolio Entertainment, Spin Master Ltd., and zinc Roe Inc.

Fuel IndustriesOttawaFuel Industries has had a very busy year, it seems – in a summary of 2009 projects, Fuel released information about their work with EA, Intel & Dell, Microsoft, Toyota, MTV and Screenlife. For the record, I want that screen used in the Intel 360 “Future of the Data Centre” project. Some of Fuel Industries’ work can be found on Facebook in the way of EA Pogo Puppies, an interactive application that allows Facebook users to adopt and care for cute little puppies. The studio also created the SceneIt! Online Facebook App, bringing Screenlife’s interactive trivia games to the masses. Meanwhile, Pogo PuppiesTwitter users were invited to learn, compete and create haiku pieces extolling the virtues of Microsoft’s Windows Server 2008 R2.

Fuel also worked with MTV, Verizon and Electric Farm Entertainment to create a growing online, interactive property for Valemont University through the use of blogs, websites, alternate reality and social media. Toyota and Fuel worked together to build excitement and adventure for Facebook users with their Adventure Finder App. This App, built to promote the new Toyota 4Runner,  uses interactive quizzes to generate possible off-road adventures.

Digital LeisureGormleyDigital Leisure has released a new trailer for the DSiWare version of Dragon’s Lair, which will be available from the Nintendo DSiWare download zone this coming Monday (December 21st).

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16th December 2009

Ubisoft Announces Details for Assassin’s Creed 2 DLC and Splinter Cell Conviction LCE

UbisoftMontrealUbisoft has just announced further details on the earlier announced upcoming downloadable content for Assassin’s Creed 2. Each DLC expansion requires ownership of an Assassin’s Creed 2 disc copy for either the PlayStation 3 or the Xbox 360 as well as 1.0 GB of available memory for each chapter.

The Battle of Forli expands the Assassin’s Creed II Sequence 12 experience by delivering a missing piece of the storyline. Join Machiavelli and Caterina Sforza to defend Forli from the Orsi Brothers. Accomplish a daring rescue and prevent the Piece of Eden from falling into the hands of the Templars. Uncover new depths to the historical conspiracy by gaining access to six challenging new memories including the opportunity to pilot Leonardo’s flying machine across Romagna. The Battle of Forli will be available towards the end of January 2010.

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Assassin’s Creed II Sequence 13: Bonfire of the Vanities continues to expand the addictive AC2 universe. Work with Machiavelli to free the city of Florence from the grip of the mad monk Savonarola by targeting influential citizens under his control. Battle, sneak and free-run your way through more than ten challenging new memories. Discover a new district of Florence, and utilize Ezio’s brand new move: the spring-jump.

Splinter Cell ConvictionUbisoft® has also announced (via Ubisoft UK) a few details about the Limited Collector’s Edition of E3® 2009 Xbox 360 most awarded game, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction™.

The Splinter Cell Conviction team also invites everyone to connect to the Xbox LIVE® on the 16th of December at 9:00:00 AM PST (12 noon EST) for the worldwide premiere of the multi-player modes.

The announcement from Ubi UK states that the Limited Collector’s Edition will be available on February 26th in all European, Middle Eastern, Asian and Pacific territories, for both the Xbox 360™ and the Windows® PC games and will include:

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15th December 2009

Highlights from Harlequin, Bioware, AfterCAD, DigitalLeisure, BCTIA and Cloud Slam

This post was updated to include further IGN Award Winners.

HarlequinTorontoHarlequin Enterprises Limited, the global leader in series romance and one of the world’s leading publishers of women’s fiction, and Big Fish Games, the multi-platform developer, publisher and distributor of casual games, today announced the launch of Harlequin Presents: Hidden Object of Desire. The hidden object game with a romantic storyline is the first game release following the announcement of the companies’ partnership.Big Fish Games

Inspired by The Royal House of Karedes, a Harlequin Presents® Mini Series, Harlequin Presents: Hidden Object of Desire features Allie, a reporter on assignment covering the 30th birthday of the Prince of Aristo. Following her arrival in the Kingdom of Adamas with her photographer, a series of events occur and players assist Allie in her quest to solve the mystery by finding hidden objects and solving puzzles.

“We are thrilled to be working with Big Fish Games to introduce our readers to this new interactive experience,” said Donna Hayes, publisher and CEO of Harlequin Enterprises Limited. “Our partnership reinforces our commitment to brand innovation and we anticipate great success with Harlequin Presents: Hidden Object of Desire.”Harlequin Presents Hidden Objects of Desire

“Big Fish Games and Harlequin are wonderfully aligned as our audiences are global and largely female,” said Jeremy Lewis, president and CEO of Big Fish Games. “The games we develop together – starting with Harlequin Presents: Object of Desire – will appeal to romance readers and casual gamers alike. We anticipate the partnership will lead to audience expansion for both companies.”

Harlequin Presents: Hidden Objects of Desire will be sold online for $6.99 USD exclusively at Big Fish Games. Players who download the game within the first year of its release will also receive a free digital edition of the first book of the miniseries.

BioWare CorpEdmontonDragon Age Origins has won four more awards, this time from online game magazine IGN. Congratulations to the studio for their Best Xbox 360 RPG, Best PC RGP, Best Story and PC Game of the Year awards. Dragon Age Origins has also been nominated in several categories capybarafor our own Readers’ Choice Awards. Nominations for our awards close on December 31st – be sure to let us know which Canadian titles and studios you think should be in the running.

Congratulations are also extended to Capybara Games, whose new Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes won IGN’s Best DS Stragety Game Award and for Critter Crunch, which won for Best PS3 Puzzle Game.

EA Canada’s FIFA 10 has taken top spot for IGN’s Best PS3 Sports game and Best Xbox 260 Sports Game, while Ubisoft Montreal’s Assassin’s Creed 2 won Best Xbox 360 Action Game and Xbox 360 Game of the Year.

OntarioOntario – Ontario is helping to drive innovation and stimulate economic growth in the creative sector by supporting early-stage development for television, film, mobisodes, webisodes, video games, internet properties and more. The Intellectual Property Development Fund is a one-year pilot programme administered by the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC). An extensive list of guidelines have been posted on the OMDC’s website.

The province is investing $10 million to support screen-based companies in moving ideas from the development stage into production and marketing. By providing funding for development expenses, the McGuinty government is promoting the continued growth of Ontario’s creative sector and helping businesses thrive as they develop new and innovative products.

If only there was this much support for the interactive industry in every province – we have the unique position of having a massive talent pool in this country, and yet there are many companies struggling to stay afloat. The Province of BC government would do well to take a serious look at what’s going on east of the Rockies in regards to the interactive and creative sectors.

Ontario’s creative sector is now the third largest source of employment in North America, following California and New York, and according to OMDC, total direct employment in Ontario’s cultural industries (businesses whose main purpose is to create and distribute arts and entertainment) was about 202,000 people. This sector was also responsible for generating almost $12.2 billion of Ontario’s Gross Domestic Product through film and television production, interactive digital media, music recording, commercial theatre, magazine publishing and book publishing.

Digital LeisureGormleyDigital Leisure is excited to announce that arcade classic “Dragon’s Lair” will soon be available on Nintendo’s DSiWare™ service.Dragon's Lair

No quarters needed! You’ll soon have your chance to take on all the “Lair” has to throw at you, right in the palm of your hand. For the first time on any handheld Nintendo® system, you’ll be able to play Dirk in his original animated form – no pixel graphics here!

On December 21st in North America and January 1st in Europe, you’ll take on the role of Dirk the Daring, a knight on a quest to rescue the fair Princess Daphne from the clutches on an evil dragon – Now using your Nintendo DSi! Dragon’s Lair is rated E10 by the ESRB forAnimated Blood, Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes.

Cloud SlamToronto – The Cloud Slam Conference, which brings together leading companies and visionaries in business, technology, and cloud computing to showcase the hottest opportunities for driving profitability through sustainability, today announced their call for proposals. Taking place March 23-25, 2010 as virtual event , the conference is also proud to announce it has gathered hundreds of attendees passionate about cloud computing. These announcements reflect a growing trend involving companies that have committed to developing best practice cloud strategies for the emerging global economy that requires innovative, viable and profitable models for business success.

You are cordially invited to participate in Cloud Slam 2010 through paper submission, a workshop or a special session organization, a tutorial, an invited speech, a demo, a poster, an exhibit, a panel discussion, whichever sounds more appropriate and convenient to you. There will also be tutorial sessions, workshops, special sessions, demos, posters, panel discussions.

The conference will include invited presentations by experts from academia, industry, and government as well as contributed paper presentations describing original work on the current state of research cloud computing, their use in business, their design, performance and use, and their applications.

To encourage media coverage of the Cloud Slam 2010, the conference provides up to 2 free press credentials to verified media representatives from each organization. Media partnerships are also welcome, please send cross promotion proposals to media(at)cloudslam(dot)org.

Conference sponsorships are welcomed. To sponsor Cloud Slam or get additional information about event, contact Khazret Sapenov at 510-984-2312 or at sponsors(at)cloudslam(dot)org.

afterCADVancouverAftercad Software is pleased to announce that Novedge LLC, a leading online CAD/CAM store, has become a distribution partner for Aftercad’s new 3D collaboration service Renderjam.com.

Renderjam.com is a Software as a Service (SaaS) offering that allows businesses to view, mark-up, manage and publish 3D assets onto the web, without the need for proprietary viewers, providing easy and instant access to project information by all stakeholders.

“Renderjam offers a new lightweight and very easy to use visualization product that enables anyone in the organization to access digital 3D assets. Being distributed as a service it has a very low impact on IT overhead and it is easy to deploy. Renderjam is the ideal tool for architects and industrial designers that need to share their project data.” said Dr. Cristiano Sacchi, CEO of Novedge.

Novedge will offer the Renderjam.com service through its successful Novedge.com portal. “Our partnership with Novedge gives us invaluable exposure and access to market” stated Chris Boothroyd, CEO of Aftercad “and we look forward to marketing this product with Dr. Sacchi and his team.”

BCTIAVancouver – The British Columbia Technology Industry Association (BCTIA) is pleased to announce the launch of PODIUM, their 2010 business outreach programme. The PODIUM program is designed to connect guests and media of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games with technology sector business partners and media stories while visiting BC.

The centre-piece of the programme is the PODIUM digital guide, an e-book illustrating the talent and ingenuity that makes British Columbia a great place to live, work, study and invest. The PODIUM guide profiles over one hundred world-class companies and includes a number of companies whose technology is being used to power aspects of the Games. The digital guide will be distributed to thousands of contacts, including International Business Development offices, Olympic Sponsors and hosting organizations, Federal and Provincial governments, and media. The PODIUM guide will continue to evolve right-up to the opening ceremonies. The more great companies we have participating, the more buzz we’ll create.

To help guests and media connect with innovative BC companies, the BCTIA will be providing meeting concierge services – coordination services to facilitate introductions before, during and after the games. With non-stop activity during the 2010 Games, we are working to ensure that international business people and media call upon us to connect them with business introductions and unique media stories. Interested parties need only send an email to podium[at]bctia[dot]org.

Alliance-numeriqueMontreal – ELearning Alliance invites you to reserve April 14, 2010 to attend the event eLearning Montreal. This day is specifically aimed at training officers, human resources and people who have to acquire content and e-learning tools. Meet the leading Quebec companies active in this area and to attend lectures offered by industry experts. The location and details of that day will be announced in January.

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14th December 2009

Activision and United Front Officially Announce True Crime

United Front GamesVancouver – It’s time for gamers to take on a new undercover assignment with Activision Publishing, Inc.’s announcement of True Crime® – an all-new open-world game inspired by classic Hollywood and Asian cinema style action thrillers. Built from the ground up by developer United Front Games to look, feel and play like a true Hong Kong action flick, True Crime follows the story of detective Wei Shen as he infiltrates one of Hong Kong’s notorious Triad crime syndicates. The title was revealed exclusively this past Saturday, December 12th during Spike TV’s 7th Annual “Video Game Awards 2009” show.True Crime

As a newly hired thug within the Triad organization, Wei must do whatever it takes to stay undetected and survive, balancing his moral duty as a cop with the objectives of the assignment. In order to ascend the ranks of the underworld, gamers will engage in visceral, fast-paced martial arts combat and explosive gunfights, along with high-octane driving sequences and acrobatic free-running chases as they go deeper and deeper undercover.

“We’ve been waiting for the right story and opportunity to bring True Crime to a new generation of gamers in 2010,” said Maria Stipp, EVP and GM of Owned Properties, Activision Publishing. “United Front Games has the vision to bring this new undercover game experience to life, where fans will play out their own epic Hong Kong action thriller!”

“We’re excited about the opportunity to deliver a complete reboot of the True Crime experience,” said Stephen van der Mescht, Executive Producer at United Front Games. “As our Spike TV VGA reveal trailer shows, we are dedicated to creating both an exceptional open-world gameplay experience through our combat, free-running, shooting and driving mechanics, as well as a rich story with memorable recurring characters. We want players to feel like an undercover cop experiencing the moral dilemmas and life and death situations of the HK underworld.”

Set in Hong Kong, True Crime takes gamers through diverse neighborhoods, ranging from the high class Central HK to the bustling fish markets of Aberdeen and beyond in a wide variety of story missions and sandbox activities. The game also introduces handfuls of intriguing characters for gamers to interact with as they navigate through a truly unique and dangerous city.

Gamers can go undercover and “become one of them” when True Crime arrives in Fall 2010 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Games for Windows®. The game is currently rated “RP” (Rating Pending) by the ESRB.

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14th December 2009

Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands Details From Ubisoft Montreal

UbisoftMontreal – Today Ubisoft Canada announced that Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands™ will ship May 2010 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system Prince of Persia Forgotten Sands Interiorfrom Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, the Wii™ system from Nintendo, the Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DS™ systems, and Windows-based PC. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands™ will expand the Prince of Persia universe with a new storyline, the introduction of new characters, and new powers over nature and time. The game takes place between Prince of Persia® The Sands of Time and Prince of Persia Warrior Within™.

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Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is the next chapter in the fan-favorite Sands of Time universe. Visiting his brother’s kingdom following his adventure in Azad, the Prince finds the royal palace under Prince of Persia Forgotten Sands Palace Exteriorsiege from a mighty army bent on its destruction. When the decision is made to use the ancient power of the Sand in a desperate gamble to save the kingdom from total annihilation, the Prince will embark on an epic adventure in which he will learn to bear the mantle of true leadership, and discover that great power often comes with a great cost. Game features include:

Classic Gameplay Reinvented: From huge-scale multi-enemy combat to dizzying feats of acrobatic prowess in gigantic environments enhanced by the Prince’s ability to control nature and time, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands will push the Prince’s Prince of Persia Forgotten Sands Gate Fortressprodigious abilities to unseen levels.

A Blockbuster Experience: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands will offer players unforgettable set pieces made possible by the advanced technology offered by the award-winning Anvil engine. With all-out war at the gates of the kingdom, the Prince’s abilities will be challenged like never before through the course of epic wow moments.

Mastery Over Nature: Wielding powers of nature and time, the Prince will have unparalleled mastery over his environment and his enemies. The Prince will discover that harnessing the forces of nature itself will prove to be a devastating companion to his ability to rewind time.

Return of a Fan-Favorite Franchise: Set between Prince of Persia The Sands of Time and Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands will provide fans a new chapter in the Prince of Persia universe and deepen their understanding of the Sands of Time series.

The versions for Wii™, Nintendo DSi™ and DS™ as well as the PSP® system will feature a different gaming experience from the versions for Xbox 360 and PlayStation®3 system. More details will be unveiled in the near future. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

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14th December 2009

Tron Evolution Officially Unveiled after Spike Trailer Debut

Propaganda GamesVancouver – The digital world of TRON is awaiting a new participant. Disney Interactive Studios today announced the development of TRON: Evolution, the video game (ESRB RP). TRON: Evolution is an action-adventure game being created for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. Developed in Vancouver by Disney Interactive’s Propaganda Games, TRON: Evolution is scheduled for release in Holiday 2010 before the Disney Interactive Studios“TRON: Legacy” film arrives in theaters.

Set during the era between the two TRON films, TRON: Evolution conveys the story of significant events within the TRON mythology. The game features an epic adventure across a massive digital world filled with high-mobility disc-based combat and advanced light cycles.

TRON: Evolution is one of the keys to unlocking the TRON mythology. The game’s story takes place before the “TRON: Legacy” events and provides insight into the film’s past. As an integrated entertainment experience, the film will reference elements of the game’s story. Fans will want to play the game to learn more about the TRON mythology seen in the film, but each entertainment experience will stand on its own.

Tron Evolution“We expect TRON: Evolution to be a premier action-focused game that both stands on its own and supplements a major event film,” said Dan Tudge, vice president and general manager, Propaganda Games. “Because Propaganda Games is based in Vancouver, which was the site of the film’s principal photography, we were able to leverage the proximity to continuously collaborate with the filmmakers and ensure authenticity between the two projects.”

“TRON: Legacy” film director Joseph Kosinski consulted on the vision for the debut video game trailer, which includes computer graphics that were created by the same company that will provide the film’s CG animations. Kosinski will advise on the game’s vision during 2010 to ensure accuracy with the film. In addition to directing “TRON: Legacy,” Kosinski is renowned in the video games industry as having directed prolific feature film-quality game trailers for major product releases.

“The collaboration between the video game development studio and the film creators is exceptional,” said Sean Bailey, producer, “TRON: Legacy.” “From the ongoing discussions between the filmmakers and Tron Evolutionthe game developers, TRON: Evolution should enhance and expand the mythology and the world of ‘TRON: Legacy.’”

As part of the connection between the game and film, actress Olivia Wilde stars as Quorra in TRON: Evolution. Wilde’s voice and likeness as Quorra will provide players with another direct link to the film as they discover how earlier events within the world of TRON shape her character’s future.

“TRON is the most revered video game-inspired film property of all time,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “TRON: Evolution, the video game, will enhance the TRON experience for existing fans of the franchise as well as an entirely new audience.”

TRON: Evolution and “TRON: Legacy” are brand new entries in the TRON franchise, updating the unique world for this millennium. The cross-platform franchise being created around the “TRON: Legacy” film will transcend media platforms throughout Disney. The revolutionary 1982 film “TRON” catapulted video games into mainstream consciousness and contributed to the industry’s rapid growth and global success. The original film inspired arcade games and video game releases, making TRON a highly successful multi-format franchise.

“TRON: Legacy” is a 3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world that’s unlike anything ever captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the digital world of TRON where his father has been living for 25 years. Along with Kevin’s loyal confidant Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey of escape across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous. “TRON: Legacy” is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 17, 2010.

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11th December 2009

New Titles, Contests And Jobs

Hothead GamesVancouver – A whole new audience of gamers will be able to unwrap Braid soon! Hothead Games proudly announced today that Jonathan Blow’s beloved indie title will arrive in the European PlayStation®Network on Dec. 17 for only €9.99, offering current and soon-to-be PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system owners a little extra holiday cheer this season.

Players will explore the human condition and manipulate time with our hero Tim in the lush, painterly world of Braid. An Independent Games Festival winner, this puzzle-platformer takes you from a house in the city on a journey through a seriesBraid of worlds to solve puzzles and rescue the princess. In each world, you have a different power to affect the way time behaves, including the ability to rewind, create parallel realities and utilize time dilation to overcome the many obstacles in your path. There is no filler in this game; every puzzle shows you something new and interesting about the game world.

Key Features:

Non-traditional platforming: You can never die and never lose, but challenge is always present and focused on solving puzzles, rather than forcing you to play and replay tricky jumps.
• Puzzle-rich environment. Travel through a series of worlds, searching for puzzle pieces and solving puzzles by manipulating time: rewinding, creating parallel universes and setting up pockets of dilated time. The game play is always fresh and new and the puzzles inspire new ways of thinking.
Aesthetic design: A painterly art style and lush, organic soundtrack complement the unique game play.
Nonlinear story: A nonlinear fiction links the various worlds and provides real-world metaphors for your time manipulations; act out these themes at your own pace, exploring playful “what if” universes.
Forgiving game play: The game doesn’t force you to solve puzzles in order to proceed. If you can’t figure something out, just play onward and return to that puzzle later.

Complex GamesWinnipegComplex Games Inc. is proud to announce their first self-published game for the iPhone and iTouch.  Skipping Stones is currently in production and will be soon be available for sale on the iTunes store. Slated for a mid-December 2009 release date, Skipping Stones is a casual recreational game that you can play on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

“Skipping Stones is going to make a splash on the iPhone”, said Noah Decter-Jackson Co-founder and Project Director at Complex Games, “the game combines relaxing gameplay mechanics that simulate actually skipping stones across the water in several beautiful settings. Skipping Stones will instantly appeal because of its lush environments and enjoyable music. Players can just relax or challenge themselves and their friends to make the longest skip!”

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Walk down to the beach and toss your cares away with the simple motion controls, or compete against other players online to make the most skips. Skipping Stones offers the gamer several beautiful landscapes, three different challenge modes and the ability to compete online against other players via Open Feint.

Stir Fry GamesGuelph – Independent game developer Stir Fry Games is proud to announce the Windows version of SFG Soccer is now available online. SFG Soccer is the arcade-style indoor soccer game whose short game times, easy-to-learn controls, and fast-paced gameplay have made SFG Soccerit a smash hit on the Xbox Live Indie Games platform. In it’s first month on Xbox Live, the game has already been featured in the Top Rated, Top Downloads, and the Top IGN.com Picks lists. SFG Soccer is currently one of the top-rated games on the service, with a 4-star rating in the United States, and an astounding 4 1/2 star rating in the United Kingdom.

The game has an extensive multi-season 64-team career mode, complete with a custom team & player editors, playoffs and an RPG-style skill improvement system. The Windows version also includes new features requested by fans including individual player stats, higher difficulty settings, league leaders, and the ability to edit and share your league easily using external programs such as Microsoft Excel.

Light Switch StudiosVancouver – A team of Art Institute Vancouver students have published their latest game on the web. Light Switch Studios is proud to announce their single player PC 2D side-scrolling platform title Fotagogos, which will officially release on FotagogosDecember 15th. Gamers will play through the game as Phil, a young miner who is sent out by his family to gather the light crystals they need to survive. As Phil gathers the light crystals using his special light-switching helmet, he used one of three colours to help him defeat the enemies and find his way through the dark caverns. Phil can use the powers of Red, Green or Blue light to speed through dangerous territory while Green light will help Phil leap to high ledges. Making use of the Blue light will help Phil defy gravity and float to a safe landing. Fotagogos is a tool-based game which the team built from the ground up, and they have included level editing tools for players to mod and expand their game experience.

Swim RecruitingVancouverSwim Recruiting has posted the following career position for a Technical Lead in PHP Games at a Vancouver development studio:

• High level technical direction and low level coding participation
• Entrepreneurial, growing, and action-packed environment
• Lead a talented and experienced development team

Do you have strong leadership skills combined with expert knowledge of the LAMP stack and software development best practices at both the architectural and code level?

A Vancouver ‘home grown’ organization based in funky Gastown is on the lookout for an experienced and knowledgeable Technical Lead to direct and lead a professional, fun, and dynamic software team. This team will develop and enhance new and existing games for social network platforms such as Facebook and iPhone applications.

Working closely with the Studio Producer and Creative Director, you will be charged with establishing high level technical direction and supervision as well as ‘rolling up the sleeves’ and developing code. You will lead and motivate the team to release up to 8 multiple titles on various platforms per year. As well as excellent communication and documentation skills, you must have expert LAMP stack skills and knowledge combined with the ability to direct, lead and motivate a small group of open-source developers. You will also be highly competent at setting up and establishing development policies, frameworks, and best practices to ensure a fast paced, action packed, rapid prototyping, iterative model in a social and collaborative team orientated environment.

In order to be considered for this role you must be able to demonstrate the following:

• Expert proficiency (7+ years) in all areas of LAMP development at the architecture and code level
• Flash/flex development skills and solid Unix based tools and system administration skills
• Experience setting up and establishing software development frameworks, policies, and best practices
• Be a natural leader and manager with the skills and track record to motivate and grow the development team
• Passion for a wide variety of Gaming technologies and methodologies
• Graduation from a four year college or university, a degree from a recognized design school, or two to four years of related experience and training.

This is a fantastic opportunity to lead a modern, fast paced, innovative, fun and dynamic development team working on some of the latest games and applications with bleeding-edge open source technologies – apply by sending your resume to Brian Thompson at Swim Recruiting.

Blue Castle GamesVancouverBlue Castle Games has the following career positions open for local candidates:

Rendering Software Engineer
Senior Technical Artist
Senior or Franchise Project Manager
Producer
Environment Artist (Contract & Full Time) – DEAD RISING 2 (new listing)
Contract Compliance/Online/Gameplay QA Tester (6 months) – DEAD RISING 2
Lead Level Designer
Online Software Engineer

Please visit their Careers page for more details.

Pareto LogicVictoria – Most people are careful to shred their financial documents and keep a careful hold on their personal paperwork, but what about online and on their PCs? With the ever-present threat of spyware and identity theft, ensuring that personal details remain safe should be a top priority for all computer users. The latest version of ParetoLogic’s Privacy Controls software aims to make this task easier, and a lot more thorough.

Every action taken on a PC is recorded. Downloaded programs, visited websites, opened files, entered passwords and even instant messages are locked deep in a computer’s memory. A clever hacker who Privacy Controlsinfiltrates a computer may copy online banking information for illegal transactions, steal personal data for identity theft, hijack email accounts for spamming, or snoop on the user’s private life.

Norman Eldridge, Technical Product Manager at ParetoLogic, said that “even with security software protecting against malware, people need to consider other methods that their personal data may be compromised: selling their used PC, having their computer stolen, or even being spied on by people who share their system.”

The latest web browsers have responded to this threat with new privacy options and ‘stealth’ modes. Internet Explorer 8’s InPrivate mode, for example, stores only the cookies and temporarily internet files required to browse normally, and then deletes these files automatically. However, Mr. Eldridge explained that this is not enough. “To fully erase your private details and history, you need to overwrite the data. Otherwise it is recoverable.” Privacy Control’s shred functionality does just that, overwriting browsing history, application history, and user-selected files. This permanently destroys the data, which cannot be restored, even with highly developed data recovery tools.

The most recent version of Privacy Controls upgrades these shred features, enhancing the scanning process to clean personal information from the latest programs. The expansion also adds support for the new 32-bit Windows 7 operating system. “A new operating system does not necessarily provide new security for personal information. If anything, the latest OS has more ways for your data to be recorded,” said Mr. Eldridge. Along with support for Windows 7 32-bit, Privacy Controls also supports Windows Vista and XP.

LogoBeeMontreal – In the spirit of the season, LogoBee proudly announces its fourth annual Logo Design Makeover. Any charity or non-profit organization may enter the contest, and submissions must be received by January 1, 2010.

LogoBee holds the Logo Design Makeover annually as a way of giving back to the community. By reducing overhead costs such as logo design and branding, these organizations can focus funds on the important services they offer. Having a previous logo or brand development is not necessary to enter. Depending on each winning group’s preferences, the LogoBee designers can refine an existing logo, or they can start from scratch. Each winning participant receives custom logo design from logobee.com, as well as professional stationery design complete with letterhead, envelope, and business cards. Contest submission is free.

LogoBee held its first Logo Design Makeover contest in 2005, welcoming any charities and non-profit organizations to enter. LogoBee adds two grand prizes to the contest, among other changes this year. The grand prize winners will receive a BundleBee package from Logobee.com for the deeply discounted price of $500. The package, normally priced at $1199, includes professional logo design, stationery design, and website design. In addition, LogoBee will randomly select 10 entries to receive a Golden package, which includes custom logo design with tailor-made stationery design included. Each Golden package will be offered for the nominal rate of $100, originally priced at $425.

Donating professional design services to charities and non-profit organizations is one important way that LogoBee feels it is important to give back to the community. LogoBee will announce the winners January 8, 2010, and notify the winners via email.

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4th December 2009

New From Digital Leisure and Big Blue Bubble

Digital LeisureGormleyDigital Leisure and EA Mobile have announced that Dragon’s Lair will be coming soon to your iPhone and iTouch. Now Dirk the Daring fans can take their hero on new adventures in a visually stunning hand-drawn animated world adapted from Don Bluth’s original Dragon's LairDragon’s Lair title. Players will be able to guide Dirk through the game’s environment and battle enemies with their trusty sword.

As we reported earlier, Digital Leisure recently released two new titles for the Wii – Sudoku Challenge and Copter Crisis are both available now via WiiWare™ from Nintendo.

Big Blue BubbleLondon ONBig Blue Bubble Inc. is proud to announce that Masters of Mystery: Blood Of Betrayal is scheduled to launch on all major portals and is available now at Big Blue Bubble Arcarde. Blood Of Betrayal is the second in a Masters Of Mystery series of hidden object games that will appeal to fans of the genre and anyone who loves a good murder mystery!

It’s been nearly six months since Carrie Chase solved the Crime of Fashion murders. Since then, she’s Blood of Betrayalenjoyed a nice promotion, better apartment and even had time to mingle with one of the attractive new detectives at the station. Life has been great – until now. It’s late one night and Carrie Chase’s dinner plans get interrupted with unfortunate news… two grisly murders in a nearby condominium penthouse. Taking her new detective with her, Chase begins unraveling the clues behind the deaths of these two men and what she discovers will change her life forever!

Help Sergeant Carrie Chase solve the death at the penthouse and discover how deep betrayal can go. Enter the shoes of Carrie Chase as she works her way through deception, heartache, inter-office romance and a betrayal so deep it will change her life forever.

Game Play Features:

• Photo Realistic Crime Scenes
• Captivating Storyline and Voiceovers
• Countless Hidden Objects to Find
• Super Zoom Technology for Super Hidden Objects
• Crime Scene Mini-games
• Achievements
• Relaxed and Timed Modes

System Requirements:

• OS: Windows XP/Vista
• CPU: 1.0 GHz
• RAM: 512 MB
• Hard Drive: 70 MB
• DirectX: 7.0
• Video Card: 3D Supported

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1st December 2009

News Bytes From Montreal’s Eidos and Ubisoft

UbisoftThis just in – Ubisoft Montreal has announced DLC expansions for Assassin’s Creed 2! Available for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the Playstation 3™ computer entertainment system, the first DLC, entitled “Battle of Forli” launches in January and the second DLC, entitled “Bonfire of the Vanities” in February.

Players must own a disc copy of Assassin’s Creed™ II on Playstation 3™ or Xbox 360™, have an Internet connection to download the additional content and a minimum of 1.0 GB of memory available for each DLC. More info on the DLC to be announced in late December. Time to start hoarding my XBL Points.

Eidos MontrealMeanwhile, Eidos Montreal is looking for a Marketing Manager for Thief 4. Here are the listed responsibilities:

* Assist the Eidos strategy team in the definition of game marketing position from a global scale point of view
* Create and implant a communication strategy adapted to each project
* Be the principal contact for the studio products, and provide client and game market related knowledge to the development teams
* Be in charge of the production and quality of all the marketing images, as well as the communication tools («screenshots», demos, artistic images and trailers)
* Setup and ensure production deadlines
* Be responsible for all the different development stages, and make sure that the marketing choices are represented in the elements constituting the game, such as the universe, the characters, the actions, etc…
* Identify the key success factors for the game, create the final positioning and compare this analysis with customer studies. Defend own marketing choices and achieve final approval
* Establish recommendations about the communicating strategy for the game (public relations, packaging, advertising, Internet, promotion) and be in charge of the creation of the principal game images (trailers, demos, «screenshots»…)
* Efficiently divide the tasks within the marketing team.

Please visit the Eidos job listing to check on the required qualifications and to apply for this position.

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30th November 2009

News From Ubisoft, Digital Leisure and NGRAIN

UbisoftMontreal – Today Ubisoft announced that Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands™ video game is in development and is scheduled to be released May 2010 for consoles and handhelds. This new installment in the critically-acclaimed franchise marks thPrince of Persia The Forgotten Sandse return to the Prince of Persia® Sands of Time storyline. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands™ will feature many of the fan-favorite elements from the original series as well as new gameplay innovations that gamers have come to expect from the Prince of Persia brand. Tune in to Spike TV’s “Video Game Awards 2009” on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 8 p.m. EST for the exclusive world premiere of the Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands™ trailer.

Digital LeisureGormley – Digital Leisure has announced that two of their latest titles are now available in North America. Copter Crisis, a chopper sim which puts you in the pilot’s seat is available in the WiiWare Store for 500 Wii Points. As a member of the elite Helicopter Rescue Squad, you’ll be assigned to respond to any type of emergency anywhere at any time. You’ll have to complete various missions with the latest in helicopter Copter Crisisrescue technology. When you’re ready, you’ll be tasked with executing rescue missions all around the Black Rock Canyon. Your Wii Remote controller becomes the control stick as you guide your copter along the canyons while avoiding rocks, severe weather and even anti-aircraft fire. Rescue lost hikers, deliver supplies to remote areas, assist on scientific missions and even blast your way into underground cavern systems. Complete all of your objectives and rise through the ranks to take on the toughest rescues and unlock 10 bonus missions. Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection Pay & Play allows you to enhance your flight experience with 10 additional copters, which can give you access to unlimited missiles, larger fuel tanks, cargo holds and even mid-air loops.Sudoku Challenge

Sudoku Challenge!, designed exclusively for the Nintendo DSi™ Shop can be downloaded for for 500 Nintendo DSi Points™. With over 100,000,000 unique Sudoku puzzles, you’ll never see the same puzzle twice in Sudoku Challenge! Get started by selecting the classic nine-by-nine Sukodu gameboard or really take up a challenge with Grand Sudoku by completing five intersecting Sudoku boards simultaneously – A first for the Nintendo DSi™! With three difficulty options even the most novice player to complete a Sudoku with ease. It’s time to get your thinking cap on and see how many Sudoku puzzles you can conquer!

ngrainVancouverNGRAIN, a leading provider of interactive 3D equipment simulation solutions for maintenance training and support whose head office is in Vancouver, has announced that the company is opening an office in Richmond, Virginia. The NGRAIN Virginia office will provide direct support to the company’s local and East Coast customers, which include the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security armed services.

“Military organizations are increasingly turning to simulation technology as a way of cost-effectively delivering enhanced maintenance training and support programs. This has resulted in the dramatic growth of our business,” said Paul Lindahl, CEO, NGRAIN. “With the rapid adoption of NGRAIN’s cost-saving Virtual Task Trainer solution and NGRAIN Producer software, the time is right to open a Virginia office. We are looking forward to becoming a larger part of the Washington, DC and Virginia modeling and simulation community.”

Over the past year the United States Coast Guard (USCG), United States Marine Corps, US Army, and US Air Force have continued their commitment to training transformation by selecting NGRAIN® Virtual Task Trainer and NGRAIN® Producer software to provide personnel with enhanced learning and improved maintenance support. In use across the armed services, the NGRAIN Virtual Task Trainer is a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software-based solution that leverages 3D simulation to deliver installation, maintenance, repair and — most recently– medical training.

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