Village Gamer

THQ has announced that industry heavyweight Patrice Désilets has joined the THQ studio system as a creative director, working out of its Montreal video game development studio on a yet to be created title. Fresh off a yearlong break from the industry, Désilets will be charged with leading a dynamic team that will create and develop original intellectual properties for THQ.

“The creative freedom that THQ gives its artists and developers–and their willingness to make games that truly reflect an artistic vision–really drew me to THQ,” said Désilets. “I plan to build an incredibly talented team at THQ, and am very anxious to get started on creating a new project.”

“Working with the top talent in the industry is one of THQ’s key strategies for creating bold, original, and high-quality games,” said Danny Bilson, THQ’s Executive Vice President of Core Games. “Patrice Désilets is one of the most innovative minds in games, and has proven it by leading the teams behind some of the most influential games of the past and current consoles. Needless to say, THQ can’t wait to unleash his talent.”

Patrice Désilets will join THQ’s already impressive roster of notable industry artists, including Double Fine’s Tim Schafer, Guillermo del Toro, who is teaming with THQ’s Volition, Inc. to develop inSANE, and Valhalla Game Studio’s Itagaki-san as he develops Devil’s Third.

Before joining THQ, Désilets served as a creative director on the Assassin’s Creed franchise, as well as Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Désilets holds a bachelor’s degree in film studies from the University of Montreal and he is represented by the Creative Artists Agency.

Canada’s relatively low number of people with advanced qualifications— such as PhDs—could be contributing to our failing grade on innovation, according to The Conference Board of Canada’s latest How Canada Performs analysis.

“The education and skills of the labour force are the underpinnings of innovation. Canada gets excellent results from its education system as a whole. However, Canada’s performance begins to slip as we climb the educational ladder. Indeed, Canada falls to the back of the pack when it comes to advanced knowledge and skills, such as graduates from PhD programs and science and engineering disciplines,” said Michael Bloom, Vice-President, Organizational Effectiveness and Learning. “Our analysis finds a link between a country’s innovation performance and the number of PhDs and science and engineering graduates.”

Canada ranked 14^th out of 17 peer countries in overall innovation performance in the Conference Board’s How Canada Performs Innovation report card (published in 2010). Moreover, Canada has obtained consistent “D” grades in innovation performance since the 1980s. Yet Canada is a consistent top performer overall in the Education and Skills report card, ranking second only to Finland in the most recent release. Canada’s ranking slips, however, as we move from high-school completion (second) to university completion (fifth) to PhD graduates (last of 17).

The Conference Board found a positive relationship between higher PhD graduation rates and a country’s patenting activity. Patents are a commonly used measure of innovation activity, tracking how knowledge is being transformed into invention. Countries that rank high on patents – such as Switzerland, Sweden and Germany – also have high PhD graduation rates. Canada ranked 14^th out of 17 countries on patents by population and last on PhD graduates. Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

Today’s federal budget confirmed the Government of Canada’s commitment to young entrepreneurs through a continued confidence in the work of the Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF).

With today’s budget, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty confirmed $20 million over two years in CYBF funding, an investment that will help the national charity continue to expand in order to meet the growing demand for start-up assistance. CYBF provides character-based start-up financing and world-class mentoring from business expert volunteers to young Canadians, enabling them to launch more than 1,000 new businesses in the next two years. These businesses are expected to generate more than 6,700 new Canadian jobs, reinforcing both short-term recovery and Canada’s long-term economic growth.

“We are grateful for the ongoing partnership we have forged with the Government of Canada, in this, the Year of the Entrepreneur,” explains Vivian Prokop, chief executive officer of CYBF, widely considered the go-to organization driving youth entrepreneurship in Canada. “This contribution will allow CYBF to continue to support the ideas, the innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit of Canada’s youth, ultimately creating jobs and strengthening our economy.”

Earlier this year, The Government of Canada designated 2011 as Year of the Entrepreneur, in recognition of the critical role that entrepreneurship plays in building a strong and competitive economy. The organization will also rely on funding from non-federal government sources in the public and private sectors in order to help meet the ever-increasing demand for its programs from coast to coast to coast.

Skills/Compétences Canada, a not-for-profit organization that actively promotes careers in skilled trades and technologies, announced today the results of the 17^th Skills Canada National Competition, which took place June 1-4, 2011 in Québec.  The national Competition brought together over 500 competitors, 3,000 delegates and over 150 industry Sponsors and Partners.

The Skills Canada National Competition is the only national, Olympic-style, multi-trade and technology event of its kind for young students and apprentices in the country. The two-day competition took place at the Centre de Foires, ExpoCité where 40 different events were showcased in six major trades and technology categories: transportation, construction, manufacturing, information and technology, service and employment.

“Industries that depend on skilled trade workers are key drivers of our economy and contribute over 50% of Canada’s GDP,” said Shaun Thorson, Executive Director, Skills/Compétences Canada. “The Skills Canada National Competition is a unique event that helps showcase and raise awareness for the broad range of opportunities to be found in the trades, while demonstrating the depth of talent within the skills movement in Canada.”

The Competition featured 40 different assigned projects created by industry and education representatives of the Skills/Compétences Canada National Technical Committee. Competitors were evaluated by independent judges from the respective industry sectors, who based their decisions on industry standards and established work practices, including such criteria as quality of work, safety, cleanliness, skill level and creativity.

“An event like the Skills Canada National Competition gives me great encouragement about the future of skilled trades and technology careers in Canada. I am so proud of the caliber of projects showcased at this event, and I look forward to continuing to support unique programs and competitions that promote skilled trades to young people.” said Mike Holmes, Canada’s Most Trusted Contractor and host and creator of Holmes on Homes™, who was but one of the numerous special guests and dignitaries attracted by the event. Read the rest of this entry »

An invitation has been sent out by the BC chapter of CanWIT for a special opportunity to participate in the Circle of Wisdom – Raise The Bar event. This is an evening of dialogue designed for CanWit members or interested members of the community to come together in an intimate setting to connect with experience.

• Hear from 3 women who are successfully operating in a Senior roll (VP or Senior Director)
• Hear first hand personal stories about how the Mentor’s reached senior levels and what made a difference in their careers
• Network with BC tech women who are looking to advance their careers
• Enjoy a rich exchange of wisdom

Speakers:

• Robin Jones – Vice President, Marketing at Active Network
• Molly Mason Boulé – Director of Content Development for EA Sports
• Tabitha Creighton – VP, Services at KnowledgeTech Consulting, Inc.

Your hostess for the evening will be Felicia Bochicchio – VP of Sales, Active Network.

This event will be held at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club from 6:00 – 8:00pm on June 23rd. Tickets are $50.00 each, and the registration deadline is June 9th.

AceTech Ontario has started a new Roundtable Group in Ottawa, expanding its mandate to help Technology CEOs in Ontario become better at their jobs through professional development and peer mentoring.

The Ottawa group will be led by Don Chapman, Corporate Director and AceTech Ontario Board Member and will be supported by AceTech Ontario sponsors in the Ottawa area, including Gowlings.  Says David Pamenter, Partner at Gowlings and Leader of the Technology Industry Group “We already have a strong group of experienced and enthusiastic CEOs signed on, eager to begin experiencing the value of AceTech Ontario.”

Programming for the Ottawa group will include the Annual Retreat (this year in Blue Mountain Village from May 31st to June 2nd), and all the Quarterly Dinners and Power Sessions in Toronto, together with the members located in the GTA.  The backbone of the programming will be the Roundtable Sessions held monthly in Ottawa.

Roundtables are discussion groups formed by CEO peers committed to helping diagnose and resolve real-life questions, problems or issues, without any fear of being judged. Roundtables offer an ideal environment for CEOs to really understand what the “best” looks like and work with a trusted group of peers to identify how to get there.  CEOs who commit to the Roundtables form a trusted environment that is supportive, yet challenging, without being confrontational. The result is real-world solutions to today’s problems and tomorrow’s opportunities.  The results are remarkable! Roundtables are the most valued benefit of AceTech Ontario membership.

“AceTech Ontario is growing rapidly due to the real need for Technology CEOs to have a trusted network of experienced and supportive peers to bounce ideas off of and to learn from” says David Nyland, CEO of Blueprint and Chairman of AceTech Ontario.  “We are proud to be expanding into the vibrant Ottawa Technology Community and we are looking forward to having these CEOs join us for our events and become valued contributors to our network”

One of Canada’s leading Web conferences, mesh, has come west by way of a one-day event in Calgary on June 8 at the MacEwan Conference & Event Centre at the University of Calgary. Tickets are $ 279.00 each and can be purchased online.

Like mesh, meshwest will focus on providing insight and stimulating conversations around four streams – media, society, marketing and business. Led by opinion leaders and entrepreneurs, meshwest will provide the opportunity to have thought-provoking and engaging conversations in which the attendees are involved as much as the speakers.

“We think Calgary is a great place to launch meshwest,” said Mark Evans, co-founder of the mesh conference. “There’s a growing start-up and high-tech community, and there are many large companies exploring the use of social media as a new way to communicate, market and sell.”

From Canada’s leading digital marketers to local social media strategists, meshwest will provide an emphasis on exploring what’s over the horizon in the digital world.

Speakers to include:

Tobias Lütke – CEO of Shopify
Stuart MacDonald – One of Canada’ leading digital marketers
Doug Lacombe – Canada’s Internet publishing pioneer
Greg Hounslow – Emerging Media Advisor for WestJet
Mark Evans – mesh Co-founder and former technology reporter with the National Post and Globe & Mail
Leigh Himel – Owner of Toronto-based, Gravity Ltd., a ‘Social Enterprise Design’ firm
Sarah Dickinson – SVP, Strategy at Blast Radius
Tony Rino – Web & Social Media Advisor, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP)

meshwest sponsors include CIRA, Yahoo! Canada, CNW and Hill & Knowlton Calgary.

The secret to finding a suitable job today lies in mastering the digital search environment used by employers, says noted author and managing partner of Perry-Martel International David Perry. Perry, co-author with Jay Levinson of “Guerrilla Marketing for Job-Hunters 3.0“, says that a rapid transformation in hiring practices has gone unnoticed by those looking for work.

“Every year, 50-million jobs are filled in the United States — almost all without a job posting,” stated Mr. Perry. The executive search professional who the Wall St. Journal called the “Rogue Recruiter”, explained that “this is happening because employers can’t deal with the avalanche of resumes they would get. Today, employers are relying on a brand new digital suite of tools and tactics to find the handful of “most qualified” recruits that they want to interview.”

The revolution in recruiting is taking place at the same time as the job market itself is under huge strain, according to Steven O’Hanlon, President and COO of Numerix, an analytics firm headquartered in New York. “The current state of the global job market is more challenging than it has been in over 25 years. The magnitude of job force reductions is unprecedented. Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0 is the most important and critical tool to use as a competitive advantage. When you think about the quantity of people who are vying for the few job openings that might exist, the job hunter must be clever and think outside of the box. This book provides ample ways to stand out head and shoulders beyond all others in a very crowded job market.”

“Because of this, we have shifted emphasis put a booster rocket on our earlier book, going beyond previous book ‘where to look’, to include ‘how to be found’. The market has changed — no one advertises anymore. America is in a revolutionary new era, defined by digital employer searches”, says Perry. “There is no doubt that employers are using radical new search techniques to find their candidates, and if you don’t know how to show up on their radar, you will be looking for a job forever.”

While still addressing the other critical elements of the job hunt, such as resumes, getting past the door keepers, and advice on talking to the hiring managers, Perry and Levinson lay out the digital strategies job-hunters need to light-up employers’ radars. Sub-titled: “How to Stand Out from the Crowd and Tap into the Hidden Job Market Using Social Media and 999 other Tactics Today”, Guerilla Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0 is the first multi-media book for job hunters, and provides the tools and lays out the innovative digital tactics that job-hunters should use.

Stop wasting time with resumes and newspaper searches, advises Perry. “The job-search paradigm has shifted. You need to use a Force Multiplier effect to shine on different social media at the same time.” Guerilla Marketing 3.0 tells precisely how to leverage online resources like ZoomInfo, LinkedIn, and Facebook, to take advantage of “the secret lives of top corporate recruiters”. Job-hunters are advised on little-known search-engine optimization tricks used by those looking for employees.
Read the rest of this entry »

Interactive entertainment company Ludia Inc. has announced that the studio has sold over 10 million games across digital and console platforms since the release of its first title The Price Is Right three years ago. This figure equates to a Ludia game being sold on average every 10 seconds across mobile, PC, and consoles. As of today, four Ludia games have risen to the desirable top 10 Paid Apps spot on the Apple App Store and over seven million Facebook users have installed Ludia’s The Price Is Right and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

“I am very proud of the Ludia team and all we have achieved together to propel us to this exciting milestone today,” said Alex Thabet, Founder and CEO of Ludia Inc. “Our expanded Facebook and mobile strategy combined with our multi-platform console releases will continue to foster years of future growth.”

The second half of Ludia’s 2011 slate includes the release of 11 new games. The company will also expand its Facebook offering to feature a broad range of titles including five new TV game shows, a major film franchise, and an original IP.

To fuel Ludia’s ongoing growth, the company plans to hire 50 new employees by the end of the year.