Village Gamer

Press Release – Toronto, July 29, 2008 – SilverBirch Studios, a member of the SilverBirch Inc. ( TSX-V: SVB ) group of digital media companies, today announced that N+, a DS and PSP game to be released by Atari, Inc. in August, has won two awards at the recently concluded 2008 E3 Media & Business Summit in Los Angeles.

N+ won best PSP game of show awarded by GamingExcellence and separately won the best handheld game of show awarded by the Blast Magazine. N+ is a physics-based platformer in which a player assumes the role of a ninja who by running and jumping has to make his way to a door while collecting gold, avoiding attackers and fighting the clock.

“This is obviously a great honor for us,” said Wojtek Kawczynski, Senior Vice President, SilverBirch Studios. “Winning two awards at E3 further validates the quality of N+ and is a reflection of the passion that went into the making of the game.”
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The leading manufacturer of innovative professional gaming gear, SteelSeries, today announced its acquisition of certain assets in Ideazon, Inc., the Canadian-based developer and manufacturer of gaming peripherals and technologies. This acquisition further strengthens SteelSeries’ peripheral technology and will help expand the company’s broad support within the gaming community.

“SteelSeries has brought together two rapidly growing companies in the gaming space, making SteelSeries one of the fastest-growing gaming peripherals manufacturers globally,” said Bruce Hawver, CEO of SteelSeries. “No other organization works as closely with both gamers, and now software creators, in order to create arguably the most responsive gaming products in the world, optimized for gamers’ preferences, as well as specific gaming publishers and specific titles.”

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Originally Written for KillaNet Community Resource in 2007

Creating Games in C++ : A Step-by-Step Guide
By David Conger and Ron Little
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: New Riders Games
February 2006

Creating Games in C++ : A Step-by-Step Guide has to be the greatest book to use when you want to start learning how to program games for Windows. This book is definitely aimed more towards the users who have not a clue where to begin or even start to learn how to program in C++ to make a game.

As you start reading, David and Ron will begin teaching at the very beginning of everything. Unlike other books, they do not assume you already know how to program fluently in C++. If you don’t know C++, great! This means you will get the full impact of the book. If you know very little C++, great! You can still learn too! By the end of the first few chapters you will feel like a C++ programmer because the book will make you a C++ programmer. Why stop at feeling like a C++ programmer? By the end of the book you will feel like a game developer! Did I mention that by the end of the book you create an actual game? Yeah. It’s true.

I’ve noticed in the book that they explain everything in full detail meaning it does not leave one single line of code unexplained. Also, the book comes with a fully loaded CD-ROM with all the code in the book, all the developing tools, a copy of a game engine that you will learn to use in the book for free, sound editing software, a programming environment, and much more! How can you go wrong there?!

If you take a look at the cover of this book, you see a controller which resembles a fairly popular design. This controller registers in your mind as “Games in 3D” when in fact there is no teaching of 3D game development. Instead they teach you 2D game development which is where you should start. Although the cover of the book is a little misleading, you will still be creating games which are in 2D and they always say you need to build up on top of knowledge and 2D is where you start first.

After you’re done reading the book, don’t get rid of it! There is still a glossary that you can have to always look up a game word that you might not know and need to know. The book also has a full index for reference too.

This book is recommended for people who want to learn C++ game programming and have no idea where to start. Get it. Read it. Make it. Play it. Enjoy it. This book gets a five out of five star rating from me.

Video Games Live: Volume I

After seeing Video Games Live on the stage in Milwaukee, I had to get this album when it was released.

The actual touring show has many of the game’s soundtracks that they play the music from for sale, but this is the first Video Games Live soundtrack that has been released of the actual orchestra and choir performing.

I got it in the mail today and I instantly popped it into my computer to start listening and I was stunned. It’s almost being right there seeing the show — maybe I think this because I’ve already seen it. Hmm… — Well, have a read of the CD’s description and go out and buy it! I have included a sample of Civilization IV at the end of this post. This song made me tear up it was so beautiful live and is by far my favorite video game song that I have ever heard.

Amazon.com says:

“2008 release, the soundtrack to the true gamer’s life! Conductor Jack Wall leads the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra and Crouch End Festival Chorus through many of the most popular video game themes and creates a glorious aural paradise for the gamer in all of us. If you are hooked on the music from video games like Sonic The Hedgehog, Myst, Final Fantasy, Warcraft, Super Mario Brothers and others, then imagine those themes as performed by an orchestra. Yes, it is like heaven without the joystick! EMI.”

Press Release – Paul Thelen, founder and chief strategy officer of Big Fish Games™, the world’s largest casual games distributor, today revealed new research that challenges the conventional thinking about audience profiles in the video game industry. The results of a recent study show gamers can no longer be classified into the traditional archetypes of core and casual fans due to the rapid diversification of the demographics, game styles, business models and platforms in the U.S. games market.

In partnership with NPD Group, Big Fish Games surveyed nearly 3,000 U.S. individuals who play games, and matched the results across demographics, game mechanics, and psychographics. The study identified 14 distinct segments of gamers within 39 genres of games. The casual market was segmented into 10 distinct groups, while four segments were identified within the traditional core market. However, the segmentation calls into question the relevancy of the terms casual and core, due to a great deal of overlap and similarity between various casual and core segments once thought to be disparate.
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FIFPlay, a feedback community for FIFA, interviewed David Rutter, the Line Producer on FIFA 09 XBOX 360 and PS3. David Rutter joined EA in August 2007, and is based at Electronic Arts Canada’s Burnaby campus.

FIFlay: Can you please tell us some about the key features of upcoming FIFA 09?

David Rutter: One of the new modes that we are all very excited about is what we are calling Custom Team Tactics. The goal for the feature when we set out to do it was to distinguish the teams in our game by making each of them play differently according to how they play in the real world. In the process of building this feature we figured out that this is something that should also be exposed to the gamers so that they can adjust the way that the team plays to suit their own personal style too.

We put in a set of ‘sliders’ so that you can tweak and tune the way your team plays as if you were the first-team coach or manager. There are 11 sliders and options in the game, broken down into ‘Defending’ and ‘Attacking’ sliders. Attacking is then broken down further into ‘Build Up’ and ‘Chance Creation’ sliders.
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Press Release – Toronto, Canada: JoWooD Productions and DreamCatcher Games, leading publishers of interactive entertainment software around the world, today announced the official website for The Orb and the Oracle has been launched. Fans of the Dungeon Lords fantasy RPG series can access the website to find screenshots, videos, artwork, wallpapers, music and more.

The community based website contains message boards and will be frequently updated with the latest news on the game’s development. Screenshots and videos will provide RPG fans with their first glimpse into the next installment in the Dungeon Lords saga.

Game Features:

• A massive fantasy world filled with non-stop action and meticulously detailed indoor and outdoor environments. Explore shrines, campsites and country cottages throughout the vast rolling countryside, mountains, woodlands, swamplands and more.
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Government of Canada Advances Business Opportunities in Partnership With Emily Carr University of Art and Design

Vancouver, B.C. — The Government of Canada is supporting the Emily Carr University of Art and Design (ECUAD) in its efforts to promote business growth and technology commercialization through an expanded Industry Liaison Office.

Mark Warawa, Member of Parliament for Langley, announced a $100,000 investment today on behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification.

“Long-term economic prosperity requires vision and leadership,” said MP Warawa. “Our government is proud to support the Emily Carr University in its efforts to increase technology commercialization, forge industrial partnerships and drive economic development.”

Funding will help ECUAD strengthen its Industry Liaison Office. The newly expanded office will develop and advance opportunities for technology commercialization across a wide range of industries. The initiative will help develop Intellectual Property (IP) policies and procedures, while an increased emphasis on mentoring will provide opportunities for faculty, staff and students to engage in entrepreneurial activities.

It is expected that the Industry Liaison Office will expand and create new partnerships and collaborative projects through an ECU/Industry partnership program and the “Entrepreneur-in-Residence” program launch. Additional outreach activities will include a feasibility study for a corporate affiliate program and a graduate internship placement magazine.

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Press Release – VANCOUVER — Little Boy Games announced today that “Go! Go! Break Steady” will launch on Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday, July 23, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. GMT (2:00 a.m. PDT). “Go! Go! Break Steady” features an original style combining rhythmic beat-matching with match-3 style puzzle game play. Choose your character and then make them dance to the beat while solving increasingly challenging puzzles. Developed by Little Boy Games, Inc. and published by Microsoft, “Go! Go! Break Steady” will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points and is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

Key Features:

Original game play including beat-matching and puzzle-solving
Unique visual style including over-the-top, hand drawn animation
Multiplayer versus and cooperative local and multiplayer action via Xbox LIVE
Catchy hip hop soundtrack with 20 different songs

“Go! Go! Break Steady” is the debut title from Vancouver-based independent game studio Little Boy Games.

“What really makes this game stand out is its b-boy stylings. The characters are colourful and fun, the animations OTT, and the beat-matching pitched at just the right difficulty. The music is toe-tappingly infectious, with just enough scratching and dope beats to have you popping and locking the hours away.” – X360 Magazine

I know that many of you are eagerly awaiting the release of Dawn of War II, which is currently in development over at Relic Entertainment. Now you can keep on top of the latest development news in the official Dawn of War II community, which recently opened on the game’s official site. According to information on the Dawn of War II web site, community members will get the “first looks at some of the latest videos and screenshots from Relic, regular blog drops written by the team that works on Dawn of War II, extended information reveals on the game, direct access to Relic and forums for all of you to share your thoughts with Relic and each other – exclusively for the community.”

Dawn of War II, the new chapter in the Dawn of War RTS franchise, will launch players into an epic galactic battle the likes of which haven’t been seen before. Following on the footsteps of Dawn of War: Soulstorm, players will have the ability to send their elite forces to battle in the 41st millennium, deciding the fate of the ancient races who inhabit the worlds of Sub-Sector Aurelia. Watch for the battle lines to be drawn when Dawn of War II hits store shelves in the Spring of 2009.