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  • Cerebral Vortex Games Releases Word Burst and Sonus on iTunes

23rd November 2009

Cerebral Vortex Games Releases Word Burst and Sonus on iTunes

Cerebral Vortex GamesThorold, ONCerebral Vortex Games is pleased to announce that the games Word Burst and Sonus are now available for download on the iTunes App Store for $2.99.

Word Burst is the on-the-go version of the company’s popular word/action Flash game. Gamers are presented with a grid full of random letters while a timer ticks down. Players spell words by rapidly clicking on letters. Creating a word and making it “burst” will award you points and more time—the longer the word, the better!

“Word Burst is a maddeningly addictive game,” said Keith Makse, President of Cerebral Vortex Games. “We’re very excited it’s now available for iPhone users. We know it’s one app you’ll go to again and again.”

A high-tech variation on a classic memory game, Sonus challenges players to study a pattern of musical tones and multi-colored lights. They must repeat the pattern back by touching the correct buttons on screen. The stakes get higher as the pattern gets longer!

“Think you’ve got a good memory? Prove it with Sonus,” says Mr. Makse. “We have two awesome modes available: Repeat After Me and Reverse. We’ll be adding more cool modes for Sonus in the future,” added Mr. Makse. “So stay tuned.”

Cerebral Vortex has also announced two upcoming titles:

Ghost Breaker: Battle murderous phantoms using your iPhone camera, powered by a mystical artifact that drains specters of their essence. The spookiest part is not the ghosts, but the fact that you battle them in your own home, literally!

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20th November 2009

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Party

The Cavechild and I have been playing Assassin’s Creed II for the 360, and our playing experience has been great thus Assassin's Creed 2far. We’re working on an in-depth review, but in the meantime, a glitch has been experienced. In the wee hours of last night and once I gave up possession of the disc, Mike continued working his way through the main missions. He was working his way through Sequence 09, Memory 08 – Having a Blast. The trouble began when he tried to eliminate a small group of rooftop guards. As he states in the video, he thankfully passed a checkpoint before the fun started, as the game froze. In many hours of game play, this is the only problem that has been encountered.

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20th November 2009

2010 Global Game Jam Registration Opens This Weekend

Global Game Jam 2010The Global Game Jam™ (GGJ) an IGDA event, today announced that registration for the 2010 Global Game Jam will begin this Saturday, November 21st, allowing interested people to secure their spot at one of more than 90 locations worldwide. The 2010 GGJ will take place January 29-31, 2010 and is expected to eclipse last year’s success which saw 1,650 participants across 23 countries and 54 venues.

“The 2010 Global Game Jam is a truly global event and the growth in venues is a great sign of the growing recognition and popularity of GGJ,” said Susan Gold, founder of the Global Game Jam. “There are still a limited number of sponsorship opportunities available for companies wishing to participate and have exposure to thousands of game developers and enthusiasts around the world.”

Confirmed Canadian locations where the Global Game Jam 2010 will take place include the following:

Ottawa – Carleton University during GameDay Weekend
Vancouver – UBC
Calgary – Creative Calgary
Hamilton – Nomnomnomnomers

Game Jams foster innovation and experimentation. If you have ever wanted to make a game, be a part of a team, or go outside of your usual working method, then a game jam is for you. It’s all about making games and in the GGJ you’re part of a global experiment in creativity. A game jam is not for the faint of heart though. It’s two days of hard work, experimentation, little sleep, collaboration, cramped quarters, new friends, great idea, laughs, technical issues and the time of your life.

Everyone is given similar constraints and rules to make their games, it is amazing how different and culturally diverse the games will be. The Nordic Game Jam has honored GGJ with being the flagship Game Jam. The goal is to provide a vehicle for professional developers, students and hobbyist to come together and have an incredible experience in collaboration and inventiveness. The GGJ works perfectly into the mission of the International Game Developers Association, “Connecting members with their peers & promoting professional development.” A Game Jam is not a competition, it is unique “idea space” where sometimes things work and sometimes they don’t.

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20th November 2009

DreamCatcher Games To Release Yoga for the Wii This Month

DreamCatcherToronto – Still looking for that perfect holiday present? Dreamcatcher Games has the perfect gift idea: “Yoga”, the world’s first true Yoga game for Wii™. It helps you focus on your spiritual and physical well-being, balance and serenity, right in your own living room. A wonderful gift for young and old – and perfect for people who want to stay fit and healthy, and relax at the same time. Yoga practitioner Anja Rubik, one of the world’s top models, will guide you through the game, which is available now for Pre-Order.Yoga

In late November, DreamCatcher Games and JoWooD will release the first true-bred, 100% Yoga game. This unique game offers interactive Yoga training sessions in seven huge levels showing authentic Asian locations and buildings. No matter if you’re an experienced Yoga practitioner or new to this practice, Yoga for the Wii system will help you understand each Asana in detail and help you create your own individually customized training plan. An interactive Yoga Guru will support you throughout your training efforts, and famous Yoga practitioner Anja Rubik – ranked #3 in the world’s top model list – will guide you through the central parts of the game and tell you some of her personal Yoga secrets. Using the Balance Board, players also receive important feedback on how well they’re doing in Balance and Breathing exercises. (Of course, Yoga can also be played without a Wii Balance Board.)

“Yoga for the Wii System” as a holiday present:

With the new Yoga game (retail price set at an affordable $39.99 USD) you not only get a great game presented by one of the world’s most successful models. She is also an experienced Yoga practitioner herself and has provided a plethora of useful hints and tips on Yoga. “Yoga” is a completely new way of gaming suitable for all the family: Soothing and strengthening the body, spirit and mind, and relief from the stress of everyday life – who could refuse such an offer in today’s fast-paced world? You won’t even have to leave your home – and explore beautiful Asian locations while learning Yoga.

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19th November 2009

BioWare Announces Return to Ostagar DLC for Dragon Age Origins

BioWareEdmontonBioWare™ has just announced that the Return to Ostagar downloadable content (DLC) for Dragon Age™: Origins will be available for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC versions this Holiday season in North America and Europe. The DLC pack, Return to Ostagar, allows players to exact their revenge and embark on a quest for the mighty arms and armor of the once great King Cailan when they revisit Ostagar, the site of the Grey Wardens’ darkest hour, to reclaim the honor and learn the secrets of Ferelden’s fallen king. Ostagar

“We are very proud of the phenomenal launch of Dragon Age: Origins and we’re pleased to announce the next installment of downloadable content that will be available to fans of the game,” said Ray Muzyka, Group General Manager, RPG/MMO Group of EA, and Co-Founder, BioWare. “The Return to Ostagar DLC pack is a prime example of BioWare’s commitment to give fans a game that continuously offers new experiences and further enriches a storyline that has already received critical acclaim and positive feedback from the players.”

Return to Ostagar, BioWare’s next thread in the Dragon Age: Origins tapestry, summons players to a new quest in which they will return to the fateful battleground in Ostagar where the Grey Wardens were nearly wiped out. Players will discover King Cailan’s top-secret political agenda and go behind enemy lines to revisit a place that many feared had been lost to history.

Return to Ostagar will be available for $4.99 on the PlayStation® Store, for 400 BioWare Points on the PC and 400 Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360 in North America. Return to Ostagar will be released this Holiday season worldwide on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation®3 console and PC. Dragon Age: Origins is rated M by the ESRB.

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18th November 2009

Event News From Coast to Coast

Alliance-numeriqueMontrealAlliance numérique has just announced the resignation of Alain Lachapelle, Director of International Game Summit Montreal. In the official announcement, Alliance numérique CEO Peter Proulx stated that “Alain was a real force within the team. He led Summit to a new level and I want to thank him for his work and wish him the best in his future endeavors.” Alain has left the organization to pursue new professional challenges. His replacement will be announced shortly by the Alliance numérique Board of Directors.

AnnexProVancouver – Our friends at AnnexPro invite you to attend their upcoming series of events:

Nov 18 – From Art to Animation Webcast– The latest in a series, in this Autodesk webcast you’ll learn how to layout animation storyboards using Autodesk’s modeling workflow and UV layout tools. Then detail the finalized concept, and rig, animate and render your design.

Dec 5 – ZBrush Vancouver User Goup Meeting – Sponsored by Annex Pro, this is an exciting opportunity for students, hobbyists and professionals to rub elbows with fellow ZBrushers, as well as learn from some of the very best ZBrush artists around, including Pierre Bourgeot, Jeff Feligno and Chris Nichols. Attendees will also be the first to see some exciting new features that are on the way for ZBrush and take advantage of attendee-only special discounts. Live demonstrations will be followed by a mix + mingle reception! . Registration opens Nov 20

Dec 9 – Autodesk Softimage 2010 Vancouver Event – 3D Evangelist Mark Schoennagel from Autodesk will take you on a “deep dive” to unlock secrets of Softimage 2010. Learn tips and tricks, best practices and get your questions answered live. Save the date, registration opens soon

Dec 10 – Autodesk Maya 2010 Vancouver Event – Games specialist Steven Rosellle from Autodesk will demonstrate secrets of using Maya 2010 in game development. Learn tips and tricks, best practices and get your questions answered live. Save the date, registration opens soon

digital albertaCalgaryDigital Alberta will be holding a networking night in Edmonton on Tuesday, November 24th with free entry, free bevvies and free food. We will also delve into the world of digital media and web video, and learn about Statusfirm – an Edmonton-based technology company – as they officially unveil their new Core Catalyst digital media communications platform. Speakers include Kieron Quigley, Statusfirm’s Chief Technology Officer, who will explain how Core Catalyst makes it easy for organizations to use web video and rich media in every facet of their daily business; and David Nedohin, Statusfirm’s EVP of Government Relations – explaining how Core Catalyst can be used within various industries, including business, government and health.

Digital Alberta will be holding their Christmas Shaker event on December 1 with event partner the Canadian Marketing Association – Calgary Chapter as the marketing world and the digital media worlds collide. Enjoy a panel presentation from some of Calgary’s top branding dogs while we wet out whistles with libations and tantalize our palettes with an amazing spread of Chef Rusty’s cuisine at Seven Restolounge. There will also be a Silent Auction to raise money for HYTES.

VIATeCVictoriaVIATeC would like to remind members of the tech industry that their annual Food Bank Challenge was launched at Island Tech on November 13th where $3100 in donations was collected. Running until Dec 11, 2009, the Challenge involves more than 50 high-tech companies who will strive to see who can donate the most to needy families with all proceeds going to the Mustard Seed Food Bank. To the victors go the bragging rights!

The VIATeC Food Bank Challenge is entering its 7th year running. Each year more local technology companies are showing that they care and are committed to giving back to their local community. In order to heat up the competition there are going to be a number of awards presented at the VIATeC Christmas Party. VIATeC will be recognizing the company that donates the most food overall as well as the company that donates the most per employee.

There is still time to join the fun! If you would like to participate in the challenge, then all you need to do is nominate someone from your office to coordinate the efforts. For more information please contact Michelle Gaetz.

Wired WomanVancouverWired Woman will be holding a network social at Moxie’s Classic Grill (800 Bute Street Vancouver) on Monday November 23rd, where you are invited to connect, network and mingle with other women working in the local technology sector.

GamerCampTorontoGamerCamp v1.0 will be taking place at the Lower Ossington Theatre at 100A Ossington Avenue in Toronto. This one-day event celebrates the creativity, art, and history of video games with guest speakers, demos, and a free-play arcade filled with rare and classic games.

Raigan Burns and Mare Sheppard of Metanet Software Inc. will be delivering the event’s keynote, and will be discussing the rock band approach to game development. Michael Todd will also be delivering an address and speaking about his game-a-week experiment and Broken Brothers Deluxe.

Between sessions, work from the Toronto indie community will be showcased. These include demos, early builds, and various pixel art. The event organizers have teamed up with the Replay Arcade Museum (which will open to the public soon) for the closing party, 1UP, which will feature unlimited free play of 25 classic arcade cabinets. Tickets for Gamercamp are $15 and can be purchased online and includes both dinner and the unlimited arcade free play.

VINOVancouver – The first Vancouver Interactive Night Out (VINO) will be held at Yagger’s (423 W. Pender Vancouver) on Friday November 27th. Come out and socialize with others who work in the interactive digital media industry at this informal networking evening. VINO’s second event will be held on Friday December 18th, also at Yagger’s.

AutodeskMontrealAutoDesk invites you to join them for 3December™ – their annual worldwide celebration of 3D computer graphics and the artists who create them. On its 11th anniversary, 3December aims to unite thousands of artists across three continents at live venues and through 3December Online. Please check the event page for details on how you can get involved either online or in person at their Montreal event.

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18th November 2009

New Developments From Digital Leisure and Tickle Tap

Digital LeisureGormley ON – Digital Leisure has released new screenshots for their upcoming DSiWare titles Sudoku Challenge and Word Sudoku ChallengeSearcher. With Sudoku Challenge, players have access to over 100,000,000 unique Sudoku puzzles, never seeing 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 Word Searcheryou can conquer!

With Word Searcher, a sharp eye and a quick mind will be needed to complete the 100 themed word search puzzles. Word Searcher contains fun words from multiple categories including anatomy, world cities and U.S Presidents. Packed with a huge assortment of subjects to choose from, there’s sure to be a puzzle anyone will enjoy. Help improve your vocabulary, memory and problem-solving skills with these addicting puzzles. Keep track of, and try to beat your own play through times again and again as words are scrambled every time you play.

Tickle Tap AppsToronto – Parents are discovering the iPhone is a terrific platform for preschoolers because of its simple touch interface and its play anytime, anywhere convenience. But it’s hard to find high-quality, age-appropriate apps that are engaging and rewarding. With this in mind, zinc Roe created Tickle Tap Apps, a new app series developed by child gaming experts, vetted by educational researchers and tested by kids.

Tickle Tap Apps are designed to help children ages three to five practice key skills and learn about sounds, numbers, colors, patterns and shapes. These apps help children improve concentration and motor skills via simple tap and touch controls. This tactile element is what gives the iPhone an educational advantage over TV.

“Developmental research shows the iPhone is an excellent platform for preschool learning,” says Jason Krogh, zinc Roe’s founder and director. “Children need easy-to-use apps that take advantage of the unique features of the iPhone. Tickle Tap Apps address the need for simple, attractive and entertaining educational apps for this age range.”

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Tickle Tap Apps feature four adorable characters—Jinja the cat, Harvey the dog, Robin the bird and Fins the fish—for humor and encouragement. The games, including the first three apps in the series below, inspire preschoolers to learn and laugh at the same time!

Sound Shaker is a delightful and hilarious sound-making game. Children create and play with chime, whistle, drum, barnyard animal and mystery sounds simply by tapping and tilting. Robin the bird makes a special guest appearance.

Count Caddy makes counting rewarding. Children count by ones with Jinja the cat and quickly progress to counting by twos with Robin the bird and counting by threes with Harvey the dog.

Sort Slider is a mesmerizing shape matching game. Children tilt the device to match objects with silhouettes while Harvey the dog pops up for plenty of encouragement.

Tickle Tap Apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch retail for $1.99 each on the iTunes App Store.

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18th November 2009

ActiveState Introduces Firefly Hosted Project Management and Collaboration Solution

ActiveStateVancouver – Today, ActiveState, the dynamic languages company, launched Firefly, a hosted project management and collaboration solution for managing commercial software development projects. As a turn-key solution, Firefly comes pre-configured with integrated source code revision control and code hosting, project management, issue and time tracking, and collaboration tools like wikis, blogs and forums. Firefly eases administrative pain that goes hand-in-hand with software development and makes it easy to share information between team members and customers.

With Firefly, software and web development teams in large enterprises and small-to-medium sized businesses can become more productive, more efficient and deliver higher quality software projects on time. Firefly simplifies project management with built-in systems to track and manage features, bugs and team tasks. Managers can set clear priorities, understand dependencies and gain visibility into project status and progress.

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“Putting a project management system in place can be challenging for small development teams,” said Shane Caraveo, Firefly Product Manager. “Nearly 20% of small development teams report they do not use a solution for source code hosting, project management or collaboration according to a recent survey. Free solutions can take significant time, knowledge and effort to install and configure while commercial solutions may lock you in. As a commercial solution built on the open source Trac system, Firefly gives you the best of both worlds providing you with a reliable, easy to use solution without any contract.”

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17th November 2009

Telefilm Canada Seeds Mingleverse for Intimate Live Online Entertainment Venues

mingleverseVancouverMingleverse Laboratories Inc., just six weeks after a very successful consumer launch of it’s Mingle Room service, today announced it has already hosted over 10,000 live mingles with participants from Canada, USA, Europe, and Asia and has just received a seed investment from Telefilm Canada for its upcoming uVenu project for entertainment based Mingles. Mingle Rooms are a youthful new audio/visual Telefilm Canadacommunications platform and an alternative to telephones that can easily connect 2 to 50 people instantly from around the world for live meet–ups using innovative 3D high quality voice within a web-based 3D visual environment.

“Telefilm is our first outside investment and is very strategic within our plan of providing the newest form of live online and mobile immersive communications to new markets like the entertainment industry where traditional services are not an option”, said Ron Stevens, Co-founder of Mingleverse. “Our uVenu program will allow a wider range of experts, radio and TV personalities, and guests to safely MingleVerse Business Meetingshowcase their talent and interact live using natural voice with an internationally connected audience that is spending more of their time online. We will also go behind the scenes with a movie set service to allow movie fans to interact live with cast and crew.”

The Mingleverse uVenu project will initially provide simple web based venues that look like theatres, sports venues, and talk show studios like the “Daily Show” for up to 50 people to connect and interact live online with each other in a whole new fun and youthful way. “The focus will be on a smaller more intimate group setting that maintains the integrity of the live 3D voice communications“ said Daniel Ruscigno, Youth Marketing Coordinator for Mingleverse. “We have already generated a lot of interest from religious groups, media and sports personalities and we will have some exciting uVenues to announce in the New Year for live singing, comedy and quiz shows. “Mingleverse

“We are very impressed with Mingleverse’s platform and could easily see the potential of uVenu for the entertainment industry which is so important for Canada as well as for many other vertical markets” said Earl Hong Tai, Regional Director, Business Development, Western Region, Telefilm Canada. “Merging entertainment, 3D live voice and social communications technology has never been done before and this is an excellent opportunity to help the growth of the industry and to showcase this country’s talent to a worldwide audience.”

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17th November 2009

Sirius iPhone App and The Kindle Comes To Canada

Sirius CanadaTorontoSIRIUS Canada, the country’s leading satellite radio company, today announced the launch of the first official satellite radio app for iPhone and iPod touch users in Canada.

The SIRIUS App, available for free from Apple’s App Store, will allow subscribers with an iPhone or iPod touch to access SIRIUS Satellite Radio’s unmatched news, sports, entertainment and commercial-free music content on their device.

“We’re excited to launch the first official satellite radio app in Canada and give SIRIUS subscribers a new way to enjoy SIRIUS’ unbeatable content on their iPhone and iPod touch,” said Mark Redmond, President and CEO, SIRIUS Canada Inc. “With the iPhone available from multiple carriers in Canada, this is a great opportunity for device users who are not yet subscribers to sample the incredible range of sports, news, talk, entertainment and commercial-free music programming available on SIRIUS.”

iPhone and iPod Touch users in Canada who are not yet SIRIUS subscribers can sign up for a free 14-day trial of the service. Following the trial, users will be given the option to become a SIRIUS subscriber. The SIRIUS App also allows users to:

Purchase a song heard on SIRIUS while it is being played or “Tag” favourite songs for later purchase from the iTunes Store.

See the current channel plus what is playing on all other available channels via the “Lookaround” function.

Quickly surf through SIRIUS programming on the fly with the flick of a finger using the innovative Multi-Touch user interface of iPhone and iPod touch.

amazonSeattleAmazon today announced that Kindle, Amazon’s most wished for, most gifted, and No. 1 bestselling product, is now available for shipment to customers in Canada. Kindle wirelessly downloads books, magazines and newspapers to a crisp, high-resolution 6-inch electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle utilizes the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so you never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Readers in Canada can order their Kindle today for U.S. $259, Amazon Kindlewith immediate shipment available. I just checked amazon.ca and could find lots of Kindle accessories but not the Kindle itself, so it appears that it can only be ordered from the American site.

“We know that Canadians are passionate about books and reading, and we’re excited to make Kindle available to our customers there,” said Ian Freed, vice president of Kindle. “Kindle enables customers around the world including Canada to think of a book and start reading it in under 60 seconds.”

The Kindle Store offers Canadian customers over 300,000 books, including New Releases and Globe and Mail Bestsellers, which are typically U.S. $11.99 or less.

More than 90 top newspapers and magazines are also available in the Kindle Store for single purchase or subscription. Available for the first time on Kindle are Canada’s national newspapers The Globe & Mail and The National Post. Additionally, all of Canwest’s major daily newspapers will be available on Kindle coming soon. They join top papers such as Le Monde (France), The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, The Times (U.K.), The Daily Telegraph (U.K.) and The Washington Post.

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