29th November 2009

Assassin’s Creed 2 An Historic Adventure

Assassin's Creed 2The CaveChild and I have been playing Assassin’s Creed 2 almost non-stop since release day, and in my opinion, this is truly the best IP sequel title I have yet to play. Yes, it trumps Modern Warfare 2 in my game selection. We both appreciate the incredible amount of historical research and accuracy that went into Assassin’s Creed – right down to the speeches delivered by the heralds. I am probably one of the few people who actually pays attention to the entire ambience of a game’s environment and utterances of the NPCs. Mike covers much of the game play in the accompanying review video, but there are a few areas I wanted to touch on as well, so we decided to do a joint game review. He has completed the game, whereas I am about 80% complete on the storyline.

While there are small parts of Assassin’s Creed (both iterations) that are less than my favourite things to do in the game, they are inconsequential to the overall player experience. I have never been a fan of the race events, although I found the “collect the flag” races in AC1 easier than the gateway races in AC2, this is simply because the flags were easier for me to see on rooftops than the swirling white light effects used in AC2. I could make more use of Eagle Vision during these races, but that seems to add to my mild vertigo reactions to the speed and heights experienced in Assassin’s Creed 2. There have been a few times when I’ve experienced that “roller coaster feeling” throughout the game.

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My favourite part of game play in Assassin’s Creed 1 were the missions and stealth tactics – and I was well pleased to see this not only continued but built upon in Assassin’s Creed 2. The new assassin abilities and weapons which have been given to Ezio added so much depth to his forays into a corrupt and dark Renaissance Italy, that I keep being disappointed when I run out of Assassin Contracts to fulfill for Lorenzo. For some reason, I find the combat skills in Assassin’s Creed 2 easier to use than when I played through Assassin’s Creed 1, but I’m not really sure why, considering that they are pretty well the same Eziobuttons. At times I do get frustrated with movement control, because it seems that Ezio is not wanting to do as he’s told, he’d rather move in a different direction or grab onto something I didn’t want him to, but all is overcome with perseverance – in my opinion it’s better to have to work at something and practice to get it right than for it to be too easy.

Speaking of practicing and levels of difficulty, the many puzzles in Assassin’s Creed 2 range from easy to OMG am I ever going to solve this one or beat the timer. It took a fair bit of work to earn those Assassin’s seals to gain Altair’s armour – but it was quite satisfying when I did it, and now Ezio gets to honour Altair by wearing his armour and brandishing his sword.

One of the new features in Assassin’s Creed 2 which I really like is ownership of the villa. I enjoyed restoring the town, collecting weaponry, artwork and armour. I only wish that there had been more to do with the villa and town, because I had all of the town’s upgrades completed by the time I had finished the Tuscany map. I also like the addition of the merchants – the doctor is a very welcome NPC and the ability to easily replenish my stocks of poison, medicine, throwing knives, bullets and smoke bombs. I really, really like the smoke bombs. I like being able to swim as well – and I think that the canals of Venice are now a little shallower due to all of the dead guards I’ve sent to their depths. Being able to dive into the water has also save me from countless guard attacks, and also that one time when I couldn’t see if there was a wagon of hay to leap into from the top of a church tower – so I dove into the water instead. Definitely like the non-drowning death improvement – now I just need to work on not falling to my desynchronization from great heights while climbing things.

Two of the challenges that I really had fun with were the wild carriage ride and flying on da Vinci’s wings. I only killed Leonardo once on the wild chase through the mountains, and really it’s not my fault that he leaned too far over and tipped the carriage over. My speed and cornering abilities had absolutely nothing to do with it. Flying was a challenge on a whole different level. It only took me a few attempts to get the hang of it and make it to the palace on time. Sort of.

Instead of collecting area or faction specific flags as in Assassin’s Creed 2, players now collect the six seals of the Assassin’s Tombs to gain Altair’s armour, the Codex Pages to gain knowledge and weapons in partnership with Leonardo da Vinci,  and the feathers which Ezio’s younger brother Petruccio treasured. Ezio must also find glyph symbols hidden around the towns in order to find out more information about the mysterious Subject 16, and taken piece by piece the video clips really don’t make much sense – until you get the big picture. The puzzles attached to the glyphs and Subject 16 are incredibly imaginative, and some of them have taken a lot of hit and miss guessing to solve. No matter their difficulty, though – each one has something of historic value to teach, which I do appreciate.

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28th November 2009

NFS Nitro Facebook Edition In Public Beta

Need for Speed Facebook EditionVancouverEA has announced the online beta version of Need For Speed Nitro – Facebook Edition. Developed by Vancouver social media studio Ayogo, this new addition to the NFS Ayogofranchise features car collecting, sharing, and competing with your friends to see who will be first to win the Bronze, Silver and Gold Cups. Ayogo and EA are looking for beta testers who can provide feedback which can then be used to improve the application. All you need to do to get involved is give the Need for Speed app access to your FaceBook profile, hit the track to rack up points and then report back to the app’s FaceBook page with feedback about your game play experience.

Vancouver – Congratulations to Adrian Crook on the release of Disney Interactive’s The Princess and The Frog, a title The Princess and The Frogwhich he helped design for Amaze Entertainment’s Wii and PC iterations. In this new title, players can experience Tiana’s exciting world set in the jazz-infused era of 1920’s New Orleans with the official video game inspired by the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures release of The Princess and the Frog, which opens everywhere on December 11th. Celebrate favourite moments from the movie and take on new challenges with Tiana, as she pursues her dreams in a fun adventure. Meet favorite characters from the film and new friends, triumph over enemies, play frog games in the bayou, create music, cook New Orleans style and so much more. Along the way, discover what it takes to make Tiana’s dreams come true! This game is also available for the Nintendo DS.

Nintendo Wii™ Key Features

* 30 replayable Wii-exclusive mini-games for 1-4 players
* Play & move to music, cook New Orleans cuisine, and try on multiple outfits with Tiana & her friends
* Collect Mardi Gras beads to trade for new dresses, fabrics, ingredients and recipes
* Explore quest hubs with drop-in/drop-out Multiplayer
* Discover five beautiful New Orleans hub locations including the French Quarter and the Bayou
* Have fun with eight playable characters and multiple NPCs

Vancouver Interactive Night OutVancouver – Thank you to everyone who came out to our first Vancouver Interactive Night Out at Yagger’s on West Pender – it was a great social evening, and we’re looking forward to the Holiday Event on December 18th. We hope you can join us in the back room at Yagger’s and share the holiday cheer. In celebration of our first event we held a business card draw for two Canadian-made game titles. (We may continue to do this at future events, as well).

Congratulations to our winners:

Dragon Age: Origins (360 version donated by Village Gamer) went to Roger Mitchell from Dropship Studios
FarCry 2 (360 version donated by Wendy Boylan from Ubi YVR) went to Stéphane Morichére-Matte from Catchy Consulting.

Music In Media AwardsLos Angeles – Congratulations to all of the Canadian Studios, Projects and Artists who won awards at the recent Hollywood Music In Media Awards, which were held on November 19th at the Kodak Theatre Complex in Hollywood.

Best Original Score – Video Game: Jesper Kyd – “Assassins Creed 2” (Ubisoft)

Best Original Song – Video Game: “I Am the One” from Dragon Age: Origins (Bioware) Written by Inon Zur and Aubrey Ashburn / Performed by Aubrey Ashburn

Best Original Song – Commercial Advertisement:2 Scoops” (Canada Credit) Written by Peter Holmes / Performed by Michelle Harding

Outstanding Music Supervision – Video Game: Simon Pressey – Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)

Best Contemporary Christian Song: This Day Is Mine (remix) – Janyse

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27th November 2009

Village Gamer Readers’ Choice Award Nominations Open

OrbyAldergrove – Village Gamer is holding its first Readers’ Choice Canadian Video Game Awards and we’re now open for nominations. More than one Canadian property or component can be nominated on each form, as we’ve allowed for multiple text lines on the nomination form. You can make nominations for one category or all of them – the choice is yours. Help us recognize the incredible talent and creativity of the Canadian video game industry.

The rules are few and simple:

* Nominated titles must have been released between January 1 and December 31 2009.
* Nominated titles must have been developed by a Canadian studio.
* Components for a Foreign Title means levels, features, audio or world object designs made in Canada for a title by a non-Canadian developer – please name Game, Studio and Components developed.
* Nominations close at midnight on December 31 2009.
* Round One Public Voting for the Top Ten begins on January 1 2010 and closes on January 15 2010.
* Final Public Voting begins on January 16 2010 and closes January 31 2010.
* Winners will be announced on February 1 2010.

Good luck, everyone!

Readers’ Choice Canadian Video Game Awards

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27th November 2009

WaveFront Seminar, Another G4Box Update and a Studio Anniversary

wavefrontVancouverWaveFront is holding an Introduction to Nokia platforms and OVI Services seminar session on December 9 at the 2010 Commerce Centre from 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM. This seminar is free, but with limited seating it is recommended that you register as soon as possible.

Attend this interactive seminar to receive an end-to-end overview of Nokia platforms and OVI services. Nokia and its OVI Services offer the largest global reach for application developers with more than one billion people in over 150 countries placing their trust in Nokia devices and services each and every day. Developers will learn about the latest Nokia OVI business opportunities and receive practical advice on how to develop and port your mobile application on Nokia platform and publish it to the OVI Store, an easy way to distribute and monetize your applications and content to Nokia users all over the world.

This is a must attend for wireless, new media and content application developers with an opportunity to network with business and technical specialists from Nokia and local developer peers. You have an opportunity to set up a one-on-one engagement meeting with Nokia business and technical specialists after the seminar at Wavefront’s office from 12-5pm, so please also let us know if you would like to set-up a meeting when you register.

G4BOXToronto – Game Publisher G4BOX Inc., has launched an exciting new update and a store-wide sale for its free military FPS, Cross Fire. The update includes a new Search and Destroy map, three new weapons, limited time Thanksgiving-themed items, and a major anti-hack update.

Just in time for the  American Thanksgiving weekend, Cross Fire and G4BOX have released an exciting new free update! The patch, which is available now, features the all-new Search and Destroy map, “Downtown”, a sprawling urban environment in which players must race to defend or destroy key strategic positions throughout the city. The update also includes three new weapons: the classic CrossFire Holiday ItemsWinchester Rifle, a Thompson SMG and an M16 Scope-Camo. Each of these weapons are available via Black Market GP crates, purchased for free with Cross Fire in-game currency. Finally, in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, players will find a Turkey helmet and Turkey backpack available through the Z8Games Item Mall. These two limited-time items will be sold separately or as part of a bundle at a special price. All of these updates come in addition to a major upgrade to Cross Fire’s anti-hack protection.

Also, in the tradition of Black Friday, and as a special thank you to the ever-expanding Cross Fire community, all Cross Fire items in the Z8Games online item mall are on sale at 20% off. The sale will begin November 27th 2009 at 5PM EST and will end on November 29th 2009 at 11:59PM EST.

Cross Fire is a free online military first-person shooter for Windows PCs supporting Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Players assume the role of either a Black List or Global Risk operative and compete in various modes of play including Free-for-All, Team Death Match and the exclusive stealth-action ghost mode. Cross Fire includes a military ranking system, in-game friends lists, an integrated clan system, and deep character customization options. Cross Fire is part of the Z8Games platform of free-to-play games.

Mike Efford Motion DesignToronto – Mike Efford Motion Design celebrates 15 years of creating 3D animation for some of the country’s most successful marketing campaigns. This animation studio has created 3D magic for marketers since 1994, and now predicts vigorous growth in the utilization of computer animation to bring advertiser’s visions to life.

Mike Efford, a 19 year veteran of Toronto’s advertising and graphic design industry, felt that in the future, 3D animated graphics would become a key marketing medium for everyone from retailers to manufacturers to health organizations and more.

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26th November 2009

News From The West

Inspirado GamesVancouverInspirado Games has opened their Competition Sunshine for entry. Competition Sunshine is an opportunity for the Game Development community to give a voice to individuals passionate about video game design, through a fun and worthwhile game design competition. To enter, participants must make a donation to the Child’s Play Charity of $20 (USD) or more (100% of entry fees go to charity) and conform to the design criteria. Finalists will be judged by a panel of experienced game design professionals – with winners receiving prizes and, of course, bragging rights.

This competition is intended to give individuals in the gaming community an opportunity to showcase their talent. A profile will be written about the winner (with their permission) and published online for all to see. Please note that all Intellectual Property Rights (copyright) of the submitted design concept will remain the sole property of the entrant – and who knows – entrants may get their game developed! Entry deadline is December 13th, so get that design concept in now.

F5 ExpoVancouver – The F5 Expo has opened its site for the April 7 2010 conference in Vancouver. F5 Expo is a forward thinking resource meant to jump start businesses into “the know” on future trends within the online space.

The event converges interactive exhibits, peer idea-collaboration amongst fellow Owners, Executives and Buyers, and edge-of-your-seat conferences into one explosive day. The focus is on refreshing business strategies through captivating content and storytelling with an “AHA” factor on such topics as mobile apps, search marketing, business blogs/webinars, social media, web 2.0 and more.

I’ve visited previous F5 expos (under the Massive Technology incarnation), and have always come away with new insight into business and technology – I highly recommend attendance.

knowledge.caBurnabyKnowledge.ca has launched a new, interactive space for British Columbians. With a fresh look and creative design, Knowledge.ca extends the television experience by streaming full length programs and promos, motivating interaction with programming, and providing new revenue opportunities. For users of all ages, Knowledge.ca offers exceptional functionality, navigation and search capabilities for an intuitive and easy-to-use experience.

“Knowledge.ca is an experience that will deepen user engagement with our broadcasting service”, says Rudy Buttignol, President and CEO of Knowledge. ”By delivering digital broadcast content in an interactive environment anywhere, anytime, Knowledge is connecting British Columbians to local and global perspectives, and most importantly, to each other.”

Knowledge.ca offers a compelling new design and content showcasing Knowledge programming. Key features include:

* View program schedules integrated with on-air video promotions
* Rate and comment on specific programs
* Browse upcoming programming and sort by title, topic, video or viewer ratings
* View a selection of full-length programs online
* Set email reminders for upcoming Knowledge programs
* Donate or renew your partnership with an improved donation process
* Design complements the broadcast experience of Knowledge

Today Knowledge also entered the world of social media with the launch of its Facebook and Twitter pages. Both are accessible from Knowledge.ca. Fans and followers can receive the latest news from the public broadcaster and interact by sharing ideas and comments. Mobile applications are currently in development.

Knowledge partnered with Vancouver digital agency Work at Play to build Knowledge.ca. Work at Play specializes in digital strategy, design, development, social media and applications for the music, gaming and entertainment industries. Working with major brands and entertainment properties around the world, they offer clients strategic consulting, website design, online development and user experience services. Work At Play built the site using several open source software products and is powered by Drupal, a content management system.

“We are very excited about the new Knowledge.ca and we are honored that Knowledge has chosen Work at Play to be their partner during this transformation,” says Jordan Willms, Digital Strategist for Work at Play. “Through this new website, Knowledge is able to service their existing audience better and truly capture the engagement-generation via interactive features and full length online programs.”

elluminateCalgaryElluminate, Inc., a leader in web, audio, video and social networking solutions that support 21st century teaching, learning, and collaboration, announced today that its Fire and Ice initiative was awarded iNACOL’s Best and Most Innovative Online Learning Practice award, which was announced at the organization’s annual Virtual School Symposium held November 15-17 in Austin, Texas. The award recognizes an individual, team, or program whose innovative practices or policies have ultimately led to student achievement and serve as a model for other K-12 online learning institutions.

“It’s an incredible honor to be selected for the iNACOL Best and Most Innovative Online Learning Practice award,” said Stace Wills, Elluminate’s Fire and Ice Global Coordinator. “It validates the tremendous impact that collaboration technologies (such as Elluminate Live!) and school-to-school collaboration projects (like Fire and Ice) can have on development, particularly in rural and remote areas restricted by bandwidth limitations and unstable internet connections.”

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26th November 2009

News From The East

audiokineticMontrealAudiokinetic Inc., the leading audio solution provider for the video game industry, released today the latest version of Wwise, its award-winning audio pipeline solution. Wwise 2009.3 introduces new features and enhancements, including access to two McDSP plug-ins. Audiokinetic also unveiled a new pricing structure that will allow customers to save up to 20% on purchase of the company’s product families.

Wwise 2009.3 includes the following new features and enhancements:
• McDSP effects: ML1 and FutzBox
• Peak meters on limiter effects
• Vorbis: major memory optimizations
• New & improved file packager
• Profiler data statistics

Audiokinetic and McDSP had announced a technological partnership a few months ago, and the ML1 and FutzBox plug-ins are the first results of this collaboration.

Audiokinetic also gave a sneak-peek of its roadmap for Wwise for 2010, and revealed that new features will include a convolution reverb. “We’re pursuing our goal to see Wwise become a comprehensive platform for sound design, while answering our customers’ needs,” said Simon Ashby, VP Product Strategy, Audiokinetic. “Our users asked for more high-quality effects and a convolution reverb, so we’re delivering these, and more.”

In parallel, Audiokinetic revealed a new pricing structure based on a “buy more – pay less” approach. The pricing structure allows game developers to qualify for discounts if they purchase several products developed by Audiokinetic.

• Purchase of 2 products grants a 5% discount;
• Purchase of the Power Pack – the combination of Wwise, Wwise Motion, SoundSeed Impact, SoundSeed Air, the 2 McDSP effects and the upcoming convolution reverb – grants a 20% discount.

“Our products are powerful yet affordable, and this new pricing structure offers a great value for money,” said Geneviève Laberge, VP Sales, Audiokinetic. “For example, purchasing the Power Pack for 1 title on 2 platforms now costs $33K – that’s an economy of $8,250 compared to the individual price of these 6 valuable products.”

Wired WomanTorontoWired Woman Toronto is in need of businesswomen who are interested in joining their mentorship programme as mentors. Wired Woman’s Mentorship programs run in both Toronto and Vancouver, and are for women entering or re-entering the work-force and targets women requiring career guidance. This career mentorship experience is enhanced with networking events and education workshops. Applications for prospective mentors and mentees are accepted all year long.

UbisoftMontreal – At some time overnight, an (apparently Russian) hacker took over the official site for Splinter Cell, replacing at least the home page (I didn’t venture through bookmarks to test the other pages) with a black and grey static page and message in Russian, which roughly translates to:

Occasionally the security system will be switched off for planned work and data protection. During such work may be a breach in security from external threats. Thus, all off would be a random character in accordance with a random pattern of Delta-3-6-OscarAvatar the Game

The crest, which first appears on the hacked site and then in a text image makes use of the Romanov double-headed eagle, and the GPS co-ordinates in the lower right corner relate to Saint Petersburg in western Russia. The hacker left a message in the replaced source code, including his hacker handle in order to claim his conquest.

Hopefully the web teams at Ubisoft will be able to reclaim the Splinter Cell site soon and plug the holes which allowed outside access soon.

Still over at Ubisoft, the latest Dev Diary blog has been posted for Avatar the Game; today’s topic is Conquest, which is a real-time strategical mini game in which players must capture and hold territory for their chosen Faction, ultimately gaining control of Pandora.

National Film BoardMontreal – The National Film Board of Canada is proud to release the DVD box set Jacques Drouin: Complete Pinscreen Works as of December 2, 2009. Drouin’s name is inextricably linked to the legendary Alexeïeff-Parker pinscreen, with which he produced a unique and poetic body of work.

The box set will be launched at a tribute to Jacques Drouin at the Sommets du cinéma d’animation, at the Cinémathèque québécoise, on Saturday, December 5 at 5 p.m. The event will include a screening of the documentary portrait Jacques Drouin en relief, by Guillaume Fortin.

“Jacques Drouin is a major figure in NFB history,” said Julie Roy, producer of the box set. “For three decades, he was the only filmmaker in the world who was working with the pinscreen, the incredible “dream machine” invented around 1930 by the Russian-born French filmmaker Alexander Alexeïeff. With his high-quality oeuvre, constant experimentation and eminently personal vision, Drouin proved that the pinscreen could express the imagination of people other than its inventor.”

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25th November 2009

Seasonal Promotions, New Apps and Scrapbooking Software

G4BOXToronto –  G4BOX Inc. has some exciting American Thanksgiving promotions for its popular free to play action-MMORPG, Metin2.  “It’s that time of year again when we want to say a special thank you to our Metin2 community,” said Howard He, Chief Executive Officer of G4BOX, “We wish everyone a very special and happy Thanksgiving and hope they enjoy the special events and promotions we have in store for them.”

Here’s a preview of what’s in store for Metin2’s American Thanksgiving celebrations:

Part 1: 50% Bonus Experience
Event Duration: November 27th~December 4th, 2009 Players can level up and buy the gear they need faster with 50% bonus experience. The Metin2 special bonus metin2events will take place on November 27th, and last for one week. Metin2 players who are online during the event week will receive 50% EXP. Don’t miss this chance!

Part 2: The Special Thanksgiving Package Promotion Period: November 26th ~December 10th, 2009 A new Thanksgiving Package will be added to the Metin2 item shop. The package includes three of the most popular in-game items priced at 35% off on the regular price! Players should hurry to stock up on the favorite items since it is a limited time offer!

The Thanksgiving Package Includes:

. Enchant Change Scroll 3+1 Package
. Enchant Scroll 3+1 Package
. Hermit’s Advice

Liberty MobileToronto – Ever wonder what you would call your alter ego? Liberty Mobile Inc has released a unique iPhone app called The Name Game which is available in 3 different editions: Stage Name Edition, Rock Star Edition, and Gangsta Name Edition. Each version of the app is simple & fun. All you have to do is answer 3 outrageous questions to generate your very own personalized Rock Star, Gangsta, or Stage name.

Spin the wheel to reveal your own super cool & unique name, or “Mix it up” by shaking your iTouch/iPhone to generate random names. Each edition has over 100 funny & original names for plenty of laughs. So, if you’re looking to be the life of the party or just want to break the ice – this app is for you!
Each application can be downloaded for $0.99 now from the iTunes app store.

Winnipeg – The new Scrapbook MAX 2.0 School Bundle is the first digital scrapbooking software package designed specifically for school use, both in and out of the classroom. Developed in consultation with professional educators, the Scrapbook MAX 2.0 School Bundle includes the award-winning Scrapbook MaxScrapbook MAX 2.0 digital scrapbooking software (compatible with Windows 7, Vista and XP), plus a collection of digital scrapbooking kits and templates created specifically for school-themed scrapbooking projects. The collection gives parents a creative way to scrapbook their children’s school years, and offers students an edge in school assignments.

Scrapbook MAX gives students the freedom to combine digital photos and text with creative templates and scrapbooking embellishments, all in a visual drag-and-drop environment. The software offers a variety of publishing options, allowing students to share their pages in high-quality print and digital formats. With 125 school-themed template pages and over 1000 embellishments, parents and children can choose from a variety of styles and themes to create beautiful school memory books and enhance everyday school assignments.

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25th November 2009

New Scholarships Available for Graduate-Level Games Programme

Algoma UniversitySault Ste. Marie – More financial aid opportunities will be available next year to students studying computer games technology in Sault Ste Marie. Beginning in 2010, Canadian students entering the Master of Science in Computer Games Technology program at Algoma University will be eligible to receive up to $10 500 in scholarships from Algoma University.

“We recognize that for prospective students, the financial costs associated with graduate studies can sometimes seem daunting,” says Deborah Loosemore, Algoma University’s Director of Advancement and External Relations. “I’m pleased that over the last several years we have been able to continuously introduce new financial awards, on-campus work opportunities and program-specific benefits for students studying the MSc (CGT) here at Algoma U.”

In addition to scholarships, MSc (CGT) students also have the opportunity to offset the costs of their studies by working on-campus, pursuing internships and participating in the Dare to be Digital international games competition held annually in the United Kingdom.

Other benefits of taking the MSc (CGT) at Algoma U include paid travel and accommodation to the annual Future Play conference in Vancouver, BC and being able to network with invited expert speakers from the games industry on-campus.

Current MSc (CGT) student Eric Stock understands the importance of having different financial aid and on-campus work opportunities available. He received a scholarship valued at $17 300 from the National Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), a $5 000 entrance award from Algoma University and has participated in Dare to be Digital and worked on-campus as a Teaching Assistant.

Says Stock, “The NSERC award, along with working as a Teaching Assistant and being paid during the Dare to be Digital competition, will allow me to finish my Master’s studies with near-zero debt. Also, the recognition of receiving an NSERC will help me to promote the research I am conducting for my Master’s dissertation.”

First offered at Algoma University in 2007, the MSc (CGT) is among the world’s foremost graduate-level programs in the field of computer games. The program, which takes between 12 to 16 months to complete, is offered on the Algoma University campus by the University of Abertay Dundee, Scotland. Classes are taught by Abertay faculty and lectures are delivered in real-time using videoconferencing technology. Students graduate with a Masters of Science Computer Games Technology degree from the University of Abertay Dundee.

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24th November 2009

New Releases and New Records

UbisoftMontrealUbisoft Montreal has announced a record first week sales performance for Assassin’s Creed™ II, with 1.6 million units sold through worldwide according to internal estimates. This represents 32% growth over the first week sales of Assassin’s Creed. Launched in November 2007, Assassin’s Creed remains the fastest selling new video game intellectual property ever in the U.S.Assassin's Creed 2

Assassin’s Creed II has received an overwhelmingly positive reception from gamers around the world and from the video game trade press with to date an average user rating of 94% on Gamespot.com and over 91% average critics score according to GameRankings.com.

Assassin’s Creed II invites players to become Ezio, a privileged young noble in Renaissance Italy who’s been betrayed by the rival ruling families of Italy. Ezio’s subsequent quest for vengeance plunges players into a captivating and epic story that offers more variety in missions, surprising and engaging new game play elements, diverse weapons, incredible depth and lasting appeal and a profound character progression that will appeal to fans of the original Assassin’s Creed as well as entice players new to the brand.

BioWare Corp Edmonton BioWare™ has announced that it has set a new record for site traffic at DragonAge.com and new user registrations at its social networking site, Social.BioWare.com. With the release of Dragon Age™: Origins, the BioWare community has grown to a record 5 million registered users, propelled by outstanding word-of-mouth buzz amongst fans of the Dragon Age Origins90-rated role-playing game. As of October 13, 2009, DragonAge.com became the most highly trafficked web site in the EA network in 2009, including the main hub, EA.com. Dragon Age fans also drove the game’s Facebook® fan page to 30,000 fans since the page launched in June 2009, making it the fastest-growing EA property on Facebook – a remarkable feat for a new original intellectual property. The soon-to-be-released Mass Effect™ 2 saw a 33% increase in site traffic with the announcement of the Collectors’ Edition on November 4th, and a release of a video featuring the enemies of Mass Effect 2 on November 5th. Today, BioWare is re-launching MassEffect.com with a new design and more connectivity to BioWare’s social networking community at Social.BioWare.com, which has registered over 500K sign-ups in just five weeks, since its launch on October 13, 2009.

“We want to thank our fans for their enthusiasm and ongoing support. The passion within the community is not only helping drive momentum for Dragon Age referrals but our actively engaged fan base is eager for future content releases, which we are committed to deliver,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder, BioWare and Group General Manager of the RPG/MMO Group of EA. “We could not be more excited about the outstanding community growth. The connection we are fostering with our fans is direct and personal. This tremendous community will help set the stage for an incredible Mass Effect 2 launch on January 26th.”

IUGOVancouverIUGO Mobile Entertainment is pleased to announce that their latest title, A.D.D. has finally been approved! After sitting in Apple’s review queue for nearly 6 months, IUGO’s frantic, fun and controversial game is available in the App Store for $2.99usd. A.D.D.’s content has been paired down through several Apple cuts, but still offers over 70 mini games chock full of humor, wit and charm. “We are going to work on redoing most of the A.D.D. Archerymini-games Apple asked us to cut to bring the mini game count back to over 100, “promises Sarah Thomson, IUGO’s Director of Business Development. “We’re super stoked the game is finally available to our users and we hope the wait was worth it!”

Brace yourself for high impact, fast-paced gaming! A.D.D. is just Another Dumb Distraction. Blast through 70+ mini games jam-packed with humor, culture, controversy, and personality. Clean and quirky graphics combined with truly unique games will push your device and brain to the limits.

Features:

* 70+ mini games bursting with character
* 3 gameplay modes: Quickplay, Practice and Hardcore
* Eclectic, entertaining artwork
* Games that will max out the unique controls of your device
* Hours of replayability
* Online worldwide high scores

Digital LeisureGormleyDigital Leisure announced yesterday that their latest WiiWare title, Copter Crisis, will be available in North America on Monday November 30 for only 500 Wii Points.

As an elite Helicopter Rescue Squadron pilot, players are assigned to respond to any type of emergency anywhere at anytime. As the most recent member joining this elite rescue squad, rookies have to Copter Crisiscomplete training missions and become familiar with the latest in helicopter rescue technology. Once the Captain thinks his latest trainee is ready, players are tasked with executing rescue missions all around the Black Wolf Canyon.

The Wii Remote™ becomes the control stick as players guide their copters along the canyons while avoiding falling rocks, severe weather conditions and even anti-aircraft fire! Tasks include rescuing lost hikers, delivering supplies to remote areas, assisting on scientific missions and even blasting your way into hidden underground cavern systems. Complete all of the objectives to rise through the ranks, taking on the toughest of rescues in more than 30 missions. Copter Crisis uses the Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection Pay & Play and can connect up to 10 additional military copters at one time.

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23rd November 2009

Canadian IP Law For Dummies A Must Read

Canadian Intellectual Property LawA few weeks ago I told you all about a special edition book titled Canadian Intellectual Law For Dummies. Written by Henri Charmasson, John Buchaca, Neil Milton and Diana Bryon and published by John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. with support from Export Development Canada, the book is currently available free of charge through an online request at Milton’s IP. After reading this book, anyone involved in creative properties would be remiss in not taking advantage of the information given by the authors.

Many books about law are often dry, tortured reading. Not so with Canadian Intellectual Property Law. The authors have conveyed a massive amount of information in an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand method, interspersed with a sprinkling of humour.

The 119 pages of Canadian Intellectual Property Law covers everything from concept to protection, how to find the right IP legal professional, and addresses the many misconceptions about patents, trademarks, copyrights, industrial designs, trade secrets and contractual rights. Knowing the correct protections to obtain and how to leverage your protection to increase income are also important components in this book. While the authors target Canadian-based properties as their primary subject, they do discuss international treaties and how to obtain IP protections in foreign countries. There are also references for getting more information from government agencies about Intellectual Property, and in For Dummies tradition, there are plenty of clearly marked tips, warnings and reminders. The only addition I would have liked in this book is a quick-reference section listing online resources which are available to the general public.

As with all complex legal issues, it is always best to consult with the professionals in regards to IP protection, this book will give creative companies and individuals a head-start in understanding how to protect themselves, and how to find the best IP professional for the tasks at hand. When all is said and done, not taking advantage of Canadian IP Law for Dummies may cost you and your company money it could have earned – if only you’d been aware.

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