Village Gamer

Victoria – Anti-spyware giant XoftSpySE has been completely refitted by its technical developers at ParetoLogic. The new upgrade provides a brand new scanning engine, advanced tools, an enhanced user interface and the same fast scan time that characterized the earlier version of the program.

XoftSpySE Anti-Spyware 6.0 Start Page

XoftSpySE, with users numbering in the millions, has been a popular anti-malware choice from its inception. The program stressed a fast, efficient scan and removal, with a small footprint that didn’t bog down the user’s system or hog resources. These elements have been retained, but improved, recharged, and stepped up to face the changing world of malware. Malware, once limited to annoying pop-up ads, has evolved into a wide array of dangerous niches. Keyloggers, spyware, botnets, rootkits, Trojans and more can cause a slow computer, annoying pop-ups, put personal and financial information in jeopardy, and expose users to fraud.

According to Tim Lefler, Security Development Team Leader at ParetoLogic, “XoftSpySE 6.0 dramatically raises the standard for threat detection and malware removal. We’ve created the best anti-spyware tool available.” ParetoLogic built XoftSpySE’s new scanning engine with state of the art anti-malware technology, providing reliable and thorough detection and removal of spyware, adware, Trojans, keyloggers and other threats. The state-of-the-art scanning techniques promise to provide unparalleled detection and removal rates. The scanning engine has been supplemented with new spyware removal tools, including a Startup scan and BHO scan. The first allows the user to disable adware, other malware or unneeded items that run at Startup, while the second checks for Browser Helper Objects – these are typically unwanted toolbars or ads that can clutter up the user’s internet browser and cause errors.

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Surrey BC – Independent game developer KrabbitSoft has returned to its origins with the release of this Gothic Fantasy 3D Action RPG. Defined by its players as having the charm of a wonderland and the bizarre quality of a nightmare, this great psychedelic gothic romp will pique your curiosity then capture your heart.

You are a powerful Krabbit, one of a giant humanoid species with a lovable bandity, ferret inspired face and form. You have the huge ears, feet and tremendous speed and jumping ability of a rabbit. You are so agile that gravity itself cannot contain you.

KWO offers 6 playable and customizable characters. Featuring a dynamite colour engine, all 11 character surfaces can be changed at any time at the local Dye Vendor. Be as creative and unique as you can dream.

Each character commands unique ultimate powers:
As Kria – your Heavenly strike soars on golden wings to pounce and annihilate the enemy.
As Krei – your Sonic Boom obliterates every opponent within a 360 degree range.
As Cleria – your Wrath of the Valkyrie descends to hold and destroy.
As Teella Live – your Rain of Fire pounds multiple foes and expels them in all directions.
As Ogre – your Yorg dispatches a cyclonic whirlwind of your bugbear self spinning and slaying many hostiles one after the other.
As Teella, the fallen – your Wall of Fire incinerates all adversaries crossing its path.

About the story:
KrabbitWorld, lush and fertile, is home to Krabbits from eight different Realms. Following the Great Guardian War, your adversaries the Necrotechs, who resulted from a vindictively motivated combining of technology and magic with Krabbits must be stopped from endangering the Celestial Shard and returning Chaos to the land.

Key features:

* Engaging Hack n’ Slash Combat: The combo hud allows players to increase damage with every strike based on timing and accuracy.
* Choose from 4 Henchmen: Utilize RTS style Henchman hud to command your assistant.
* Character Building: Build your character to level 99 while continuing to build your unique ultimate powers to 999.
* 3D Inventory and Paper Doll System: Drag n’ drop from 3D inventory to 3D paper doll window to equip items.
* Linear & Sandbox Gameplay: The linear gameplay reveals the lore through quests but you can continue to play sandbox style by exploring forests, caverns and beaches. The Land of the Dead, coinciding with The Land of The Living, mirrors its maps.
* 6DOF Camera: Camera and character controls allow the player 6 degrees of freedom and movement abilities akin to superheroes.

Krabbit Online which is playable on either Max OSX or Windows PC offers a free demo and the full version is available for purchase via digital download for only $14.95. Krabbit Online also invites you to check out their informative and fun interactive game features page located on their site, but note that the free Unity Web Player is required for this website, which involves a very fast and easy one-click installation process.

Vancouver – Ian James Corlett, Skywriter Media and Entertainment Group and Atomic Cartoons have teamed up to develop the new animation property, Elliott & Lucy for a major Canadian broadcaster.

Ian James Corlett

“Creating an animated property is a little like giving birth. I’m thrilled to have Atomic Cartoons and Skywriter right there beside me as midwives!” said series creator and executive producer Corlett. “This project and my latest characters, Elliott & Lucy, are very near and dear to me so choosing the right partners was essential. Skywriter, Atomic Cartoons, our broadcaster and Elliott & Lucy are all “family” now.”

Elliott and Lucy is based on the characters created by Corlett in his book, E Is for Ethics: How to Teach Kids About Morals, Values and What Matters Most. Set for release by Simon & Schuster’s Atria Books this December, Elliott & Lucy follows the adventures of a young brother and sister as they learn the universal principles and values needed to cope with life while having fun in the process.

Vancouver – It is safe to say, I believe, that every Canadian gamer is very familiar with Greedy Productions, the company behind the very popular TV shows Electric Playground and Reviews On The Run. It is also safe to say that everyone knows the face behind the studio – Victor Lucas. But what many may not know is that Greedy Productions is also responsible for many of the “Behind The Scenes” extra features available on game discs.

Greedy Productions has created and produced documentaries for such games as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots, Batman Arkham Asylum, The House Of The Dead: Overkill, Iron Man and more. Now Greedy Productions is giving fans and future clients the opportunity to look at all of their their “Behind the Scenes” documentaries in one place with the launch of their new site, Greedy Docs. Visitors to the site can also get the lowdown on many of the key people who work on the front lines at Greedy Productions. We have visited the Vancouver studio, and we can safely say that Greedy Productions is staffed with some great people – it’s no wonder that they continually produce awesome shows, including the longest running video game review show in the world.

Behind the Scenes documentaries are more than just a chance to learn more about the development of a game; they also offer excellent insight into the industry itself and the motivations behind a game’s development. Greedy Docs also serves to show yet another aspect of game production work which could be a career choice for those who want to work in the game industry but are not artists, designers or programmers. To everyone at Greedy Productions, congratulations on the new site!

Vancouver – Wired Woman is pleased to present a series of four Professional Development Workshops featuring Heather White. These seminars are designed to assist you with such areas as assigning action steps to goals, defining the skills that will set you apart, gain a clear vision about your professional reputation and understand the power of a professional network. Tickets to the entire series are currently available for the special rate of $50.00 each for members and $65.00 for non-members. Members can also save even more with a four-for-three package at a cost of $150.00.  The seminars will be held at Campo Verde, 1600 Cypress Street in Vancouver.  Seating is limited, so register soon.

Seminar Topics:

Personal Professional Goal Setting – Tuesday, October 6th 2009 6:00 pm
Building a Powerful Professional Network – Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 6:00 pm
Developing a Specialized Skill Set – Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 6:00 pm
Developing a Bullet Proof Reputation – Tuesday, December 1st, 2009, 6:00 pm

Wired Woman also held its Annual General Meeting on August 31, and the Network is pleased to announce the addition of five new directors to our National Board:

– Maureen McKinnon
– Doneen Swart
– Mojgan Fay
– Dina Grskovich
– Karen Olsson

Membership for Wired Woman is free, and with so many great events such as the Professional Development Series, it makes sense to join the network and meet some really great women while having fun, socializing and learning. To learn more about Wired Woman, please visit their web site.

Burnaby – Electronic Arts Inc. today announced the track list that will propel players to the finish line in Need for Speed™ SHIFT when it hits retail stores in North America on September 15 (in stores across Europe on September 17, 2009). The SHIFT soundtrack features some of today’s most influential hip hop and rock artists including Kanye West, The Prodigy, Kasabian, and MSTRKRFT. Each song was hand selected to provide a pounding score that matches the intensity and bone-crushing power of this year’s Need for Speed.

The game has already received several positive reviews including one from Official Xbox Magazine which referred to Need for Speed SHIFT as a “brilliant turn in a new direction” and “deep and addictive.”

“Intense music has always fueled the sound of Need For Speed,” said Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Music Marketing at EA. “For SHIFT, we truly went underground to bring together some of the edgiest new tracks in electronic music, hip-hop and rock from around the world. These artists are the radical equivalents of real outlaw racing. The result is a white-knuckle soundtrack of pure global adrenaline.”

The complete soundtrack is listed below. To hear samplings of each song, please visit EA Trax.

Need for Speed SHIFT is the first racing game that accurately reproduces the intense physical and emotional experience of being behind the wheel of a race car. SHIFT’s true driver’s experience redefines the racing genre with the combination of real world physics and perception based G-forces including the brutal first person crash dynamic, to create a cockpit view that is easily the most realistic and intensive racing perspective ever.

Need for Speed SHIFT will be available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PC and PSP® system and is rated “E” by the ESRB.

Vancouver – New Media BC has announced that the following 12 digital media companies were selected for the Digital Springboard Mentorship Program, a 4 month free advisory service for emerging companies facing technical and business challenges in their development (listed alphabetically):

1. Arcana Studios
2. Bradfield Productions
3. Crazed Coders
4. Ecobuddies Interactive
5. Ethical Entertainment
6. Firm Applications
7. Foulplay Entertainment (Watershed Creative Inc)
8. MotionSoup
9. My Wedding Match
10. Old Skool Studios
11. Overinteractive Media Inc
12. Tactica Interactive Communications

The pilot program that was introduced last year by the National Research Council IRAP and administered by New Media BC, was able to support twice the number of companies this year due to additional support provided by Telefilm Canada. The companies were chosen out of a total of 24 applications received. Mentee companies will be matched with Mentors based on their specific technical and business problems identified in their applications. The mentorship program will last from September 2009 to January 2010.

For those among us who are awaiting the release of Thief 4 which is currently under development at Eidos Montreal, Mastertronic has released Thief – The Complete Collection for PC, which contains all three original Thief titles. Defining stealth adventures, including the ultra-rare Gold edition of the first Thief game, the Thief franchise puts the player in the silent shoes of acolyte Garrett as he prowls his way around the City, treating gamers to an astounding visual experience. Thief – The Complete Collection retails at £9.77 on Mastertronic’s retail site. I did check several Canadian game retail sites, but could not find any listings for this compilation for sale on this side of the Atlantic.

According to a statement on Eidos Montreal’s site, General Manager Stephane D’Astous says that, “Eidos Montreal is in the early development stages for Thief 4, but this is an incredibly ambitious project and a very exciting one. It’s too early for us to offer any specific game details, right now we are focused on recruiting the very best talent to join the core team at the studio and help us make, what we believe will be one of the most exciting games on the market.” To that end, there are several job openings listed on Eidos Montreal’s web site for both Thief 4 and Deus Ex 3.

By all accounts, Klei Entertainment had a very successful presence at PAX 2009, thanks in part to the promotional efforts of Carolyn Carnes of Flash Fire Communications, who conducted a unique and intriguing marketing campaign prior to the expo. There are few details being released about Klei’s upcoming game Shank, but we can tell you that it’s a 2D side-scrolling action adventure title featuring a hero named… Shank. It appears that there will be a wide variety of weaponry, moves and enemies in the game and it’s perhaps scheduled for release in 2010. Klei has not confirmed which platform or platforms the game is being developed for, but they did hint at a possible Mature rating due to levels of violence and splattering of blood which occurs during gameplay.

BattleGoat Studios has released a demo for its upcoming war strategy title, Supreme Ruler 2020 GOLD which will give players the opportunity to engage in three different scenarios including “California Dreaming”, “Ethiopian Empire”, and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Additionally, strategy fans will have the opportunity to play up to four in-game months at a time.

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Vancouver – Vancouver Film School has officially announced the dates for their very successful Game Design Expo. Version 4 of GDX will take place April 10 and 11, 2010.  GDX will again feature a day of industry sessions on April 10, followed by an open house and more sessions on the 11th at Vancouver Film School. Featuring guest speakers and panels with the leading minds in game design and development, representing some of the industry’s top companies, the Game Design Expo is a must-attend event. Last year’s sold-out event featured a very entertaining and informative keynote address given by Ubisoft Montreal’s Creative Director Clint Hocking. The entire expo is full of opportunities to learn from and meet with some of the top people in the game development industry, and GDX certainly tops our list of well-produced events.

VFS is now accepting submissions from game industry professionals wishing to present at Game Design Expo 2010, so if you have something to say and have a desire to share that knowledge with industry peers and up-and-coming talent, download this PDF form for more information.

For companies and individuals interested in becoming a sponsor of Game Design Expo 2010, please download the PDF sponsorship kit here. In my opinion, participating in the Game Design Expo as either a sponsor, speaker, volunteer or attendee is time and money well spent. GDX is an investment in the future of our game development industry, and the quality of the event’s speaker roster, topics and organization is reinforced by the fact that GDX has been completely sold out for each of its first three years.

Please contact Event Manager Shira Gordon at 604.630.3562 (local), or 1.800.661.4101 (toll-free in North America) for further information about Game Design Expo 2010.

Burnaby – EA Sports today announced that the Live Season premium service has been expanded into a new game mode for FIFA 10 enabling subscribers to feel the weekly pulse of football with dynamic updates of real-world information to make the game as close to real life as possible.

The new My Live Season premium service in FIFA 10 will feature weekly updates of player form, transfers, injuries, suspensions, fixtures, results and league standings, creating a mode that mirrors the real world, where gamers play their favourite real-world teams’ games in complete authenticity in any of the following leagues: Barclay’s Premier League, La Liga BBVA, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Serie A and Mexican Primera Division. The game mode enables you to visually track your results against real life as you progress.

“Every Wednesday is Live Season day where dynamic real-world data and analytics will be updated in FIFA 10 to match the weekly rhythm of real-world football and subscribers will have the chance to rewrite their clubs’ history,” said David Rutter, producer of FIFA 10.

My Live Season is available for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The service is valued at a recommended retail price of £3.99* for the ongoing season on PlayStation Network and 400 points on Xbox Live Marketplace for each individual league. A package of all leagues will be available for the recommended retail price £7.99* for the ongoing season on PlayStation Network and 800 points on Xbox Live Marketplace.

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