23rd October 2008

Softimage Acquired by Autodesk

Acquisition to Accelerate Autodesk?s Games Strategy; Complements Digital Entertainment and Visual Communications Offering; Lets Artists Choose their Passion

Montreal – Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) and Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID), announced that they have signed a definitive agreement for Autodesk to acquire substantially all of the assets of Avid’s Softimage business unit for approximately $35 million.

Softimage was founded in 1986 by Daniel Langlois and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Softimage develops 3D technology for the film, television and games markets. Its flagship product is SOFTIMAGE|XSI, an extensible 3D animation software solution used by leading media and entertainment companies, including Digital Domain, Ubisoft, SEGA Corporation, CAPCOM, Animal Logic and The Mill. Autodesk Media & Entertainment provides animation, visual effects, editing/finishing and color grading solutions for the 3D market, including entertainment and design industries.

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22nd October 2008

SIGGRAPH Vancouver Hosts Another Winner

This past Wednesday evening ACM SIGGRAPH Vancouver members and supporters were presented with an informative and entertaining panel discussion on the Nuts and Bolts of Iron Man. The panel featured Vancouver VFX studio The Embassy, whose designers were responsible for the Iron Man Mark I suit, along with California’s The Orphanage, who designed the Mark III suit. The sold-out audience was treated to a frame-by-frame discussion on how the CG work was accomplished, along with the software used.

The SIGGRAPH board, volunteers and sponsors are to be congratulated for their efforts in continuing to provide educational platforms such as these panels. The opportunity to meet these incredibly talented developers, designers and artists who are more than willing to share their experiences and knowledge is well worth the annual membership dues and ticket prices. The Nuts and Bolts of Iron Man was sponsored by: 1337 Recruiters, VANarts, Sophia Books, Davis LLP, Stash Media, Big Fish Games and Annex|Pro.

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21st October 2008

Slick Entertainment Announces New Title

Vancouver – Slick Entertainment has announced their next game project – Scrap Metal will be a fast-paced, top-down arcade style racing game. Judging from the game’s preview, the graphics, effects and audio are going to be top-notch. Racers will have the opportunity to not only own the track in head to head competition, there will be the option to shoot your opponent off the track or blow their vehicle into tiny little pixels. With so many destructible objects and vehicles which range from chunky to sleek, Scrap Metal looks like it will offer many playable and replayable hours of entertainment. Slick Entertainment, along with partner Metanet are the developers of the 2008 PopVox Award-winning game N+ for best Console or PC Game. No release date has been announced for Scrap Metal.

images property of Slick Entertainment

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21st October 2008

LucasArts and BioWare Reveal Star Wars: the Old Republic

LucasArts and Alberta’s BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc., today announced the development of Star Wars®: The Old Republic™, a story-driven massively multiplayer online PC game set in the timeframe of the Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™ franchise. Star Wars: The Old Republic, being developed and published by BioWare and LucasArts, represents an innovative approach to interactive entertainment, featuring immersive storytelling, dynamic combat and intelligent companion characters.

In Star Wars: The Old Republic, players will explore an age thousands of years before the rise of Darth Vader when war between the Old Republic and the Sith Empire divides the galaxy. Players can choose to play as Jedi, Sith, or a variety of other classic Star Wars roles, defining their personal story and determining their path down the light or dark side of the Force. Along the way, players will befriend courageous companions who will fight at their side or possibly betray them, based on the players’ actions. Players can also choose to team up with friends to battle enemies and overcome incredible challenges using dynamic Star Wars combat.

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21st October 2008

Penny Arcade PS3 Version Game Launch Confirmed

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Oct. 21, 2008 – Anxious fans and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system owners, the wait is almost over! Hothead Games today announced that its well-received Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One will arrive on the PLAYSTATION®Network for download on October 23 in North America (other regions to follow shortly thereafter).

The PLAYSTATION Network version of Episode One features newly-implemented PLAYSTATION 3 system features such as trophies, score ranking and background music (BGM) support and

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19th October 2008

NFB Celebrates World Animation Day with Tour

October 28 is World Animation Day – and Canada is getting animated. The National Film Board is celebrating this special day with a 13-city tour of Get Animated!, a series of free public screenings from the NFB’s Oscar-winning animation studios. Get Animated! will showcase amazing new creations from Canada’s public producer, for young and old, from October 22 to November 9, 2008.

After celebrating the 65th anniversary of NFB animation, National Film Board studios have found a fresh burst of energy, producing works that have garnered international acclaim, including a record-setting 70th Academy Award nomination last year – more than any production company or organization outside Hollywood – as well as awards across Canada and around the world. Get Animated! is part of a broader commitment at Canada’s public producer and distributor to ensure that Canadians from coast to coast have access to outstanding NFB productions.

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18th October 2008

ACM SIGGRAPH Vancouver Presents Richard Williams

Three-time Oscar winner and Director of Animation for “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” Richard Williams, has now combined his best-selling book ”The Animators’ Survival Kit” with his legendary Masterclasses. He will present the 16-DVD boxed set which was filmed at Blue Sky Studios in New York, inter-cut with over 350 specially animated examples in a mini- Masterclass.

Appearing on Monday, October 27 at the VanCity Theatre in Vancouver, Richard Williams will engage in Q&A presentation with the audience, followed by a book signing (bring your copy for signing if you already have one) and a screening of the feature film ”Who Framed Roger Rabbit”, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The presentation will begin at 7:30pm, admittance is free, but tickets will only be available at the door on a first come, first served basis.

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18th October 2008

VFS Presents An Intensive Training Weekend with Softimage|XSI and ICE


-From VFS– Save on production time and costs by seamlessly transferring your 3D experience to Softimage|XSI in this comprehensive course in the most advanced 3D animation software for games, film, and TV. Guided by 3D expert and teacher Craig Slagel, you’ll also find out how to tap into Softimage’s powerful new ICE (Interactive Creative Environment) and get a running start on using this revolutionary platform to increase production efficiency and consistency. Learn how to code less and create more.

November 22-23, 2008
Vancouver Film School
1380 Burrard Street
9am – 6pm Sat. & Sun.

Price: $795 CAD (includes Saturday & Sunday). Only 20 spaces available and spaces limited to 2 per registrant. Contact softimage@vfs.com to enquire about group bookings.

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15th October 2008

A New Trailer for Prison Tale 2: The Second Enigma

Toronto, CANADA-October 15, 2008- Wicked Interactive, a North American MMO publisher, has released the first official trailer for its upcoming MMORPG, Priston Tale 2: The Second Enigma. The trailer depicts the action and epic feel of the sequel to the popular Priston Tale.

A fantasy-style MMORPG for the PC, Priston Tale 2: The Second Enigma is Yedang Online’s sequel to the wildly popular Priston Tale. This fantasy-style MMORPG boasts high-quality graphics realized through a combination of realistic backgrounds, fantastical characters, and spectacular combat effects – all made possible by the Unreal 2.5 Engine. The game has experienced huge success in South Korea where only three days after it launched its open beta in South Korea, Priston Tale 2’s concurrent online players reached 40,000. The game will launch in the North America later this winter.

The trailer can be viewed at the SUBA Games site.

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15th October 2008

Former US-DHS Cyber-Security Director Joins Wurldtech

Renowned Digital Security Luminary & Cyber-Terrorism Expert Perry A. Pederson Joins Wurldtech™ To Direct Applied Research Activities & Facilitate International Public/Private Partnerships To Improve The Safety, Security & Reliability Of Global Critical Infrastructure

Vancouver, BC, Canada – October 15, 2008 – Wurldtech™ Security Technologies, a leading provider of cyber risk and compliance management solutions for industrial automation industries worldwide, today announced that Mr. Perry A. Pederson, former Director for the Control Systems Security Program at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – National Cyber Security Division (NCSD), has joined the management team as Vice-President of Wurldtech™ Labs, the applied research and cyber threat intelligence division of the company.

In this newly created role, Mr. Pederson will oversee applied research contracts, manage technology partnerships, direct the Achilles™ Certification Program and expand cyber threat intelligence efforts. He will also lead international strategic initiatives to develop public/private partnerships designed to improve stakeholder communication and cooperatively address the evolving cyber-security challenges faced by the entire industrial automation industry.

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