Village Gamer

Toronto – A PayPal survey released today revealed that over half (56 percent) of online shoppers have abandoned their online shopping due to higher than expected shipping charges. The average cost of abandoned goods in Canadian shopping carts is C$156.

The need to be more up-front about the entire online shopping process is of critical importance since almost all the shoppers had the intention of buying the product if their needs had been met. Only three per cent of Canadians (it was the same for Americans) said they had no intention of purchasing the item online after filling up the cart and proceeding to the checkout.

“Transparency is increasingly important to buyers,” said Darrell MacMullin, country manager for PayPal Canada. “One of the main reasons people click on the checkout button is to get information that is not provided by the online merchant such as shipping costs and other important fees such as cross-border duties and handling fees. To reduce cart abandonment, merchants should provide this information sooner in the checkout process.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Hamilton – WeMuv is the new virtual world travel adventure game and social network that keeps you on the Muv! Developed for kids ages 6 and older, WeMuv promotes a balanced, healthy lifestyle while having fun with the technology and gadgets that keep kids excited.

The online multiplayer game promotes physical activity via the use of a specially encrypted pedometer. Kids play the adventure game online but in order to advance to new levels and have their WeMuv character stay healthy, they must leave the computer and engage in physical activity while wearing their pedometer. By getting Muv-ing kids earn steps on their pedometer but they never know how many steps they’ve earned until they upload their pedometer at the WeMuv site. The step “currency” they’ve earned can then be spent to unlock new adventures, advance to new levels and buy nutrition to keep their WeMuv character healthy.

“WeMuv creates what most parents want, balance in their children’s lives and healthier lifestyle habits” says WeMuv Co-Founder and CEO Lisa Savelli who is a family therapist, anti-bullying expert and celebrated children’s book author. On the WeMuv online platform kids travel throughout the real world online and learn about other countries and cultures, making new friends and sharing positive interaction all with the safety and security of parental controls and limits.
Read the rest of this entry »

Ottawa – Today, Corel Corporation announced it has been selected as a 2009 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference Awards winner as Global ISV Consumer Partner of the Year. The company was chosen out of an international field of top Microsoft partners for delivering market-leading customer solutions built on Microsoft technology.

“Corel employees share a passion for finding new ways to expand our customers’ creative possibilities, so we welcomed the opportunity to work closely with Microsoft throughout the development cycle for Windows 7,” said Jimi Duff, Senior Director, Strategic Alliances and Partnerships for Corel. “It’s an honor to receive this award as our team is working on all-new creative products that will showcase the benefits of Windows 7 and Windows Touch and provide consumers with more natural, interactive and enjoyable user experiences. Paint a picture, make a movie, share your snapshots – Corel’s software can help make your PC the creative center of your home.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Calgary – A recent survey of more than 28,000 iStockphoto customers found that search and quality of collection are two of the top reasons for choosing iStock. Enter Best Match 2.0 and the Vetta™ Collection. The Best Match algorithm provides more relevant results and saves people time when searching. Seventy-eight percent of customers found it reduced search times — 20 percent of those said search times were reduced by more than 50 percent. Vetta is a collection of top-quality iStock images hand-selected for exquisite art direction and intelligently executed concepts.

“Part of why we remain the microstock market leader is because we challenge ourselves to do two things: keep iStock’s collection the highest quality in the world, and help customers find the right files faster,” said Kelly Thompson, COO of iStockphoto. “By improving search efficiency and relevancy with Best Match 2.0 while launching the high-caliber Vetta Collection, we’re again improving the customer experience.”

Best Match 2.0

Best Match 2.0 is a new proprietary search technology. As it constantly learns from customer behavior, the advanced algorithm returns some of the most accurate and relevant search results in the industry.
Read the rest of this entry »

Ottawa – Media Awareness Network (MNet), Canada’s leading not-for-profit media literacy organization, is pleased to announce the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has joined the organization’s team of supporters as a Silver Sponsor.

“We are honoured that CIRA recognizes the importance of media literacy in the lives of children and youth,” said Cathy Wing, MNet’s Co-Executive Director. “These funds will help MNet to continue to develop high quality media literacy programs and resources that support the healthy development of young Canadians.”

“As the Internet becomes more integrated in our daily lives, it is now more important than ever to ensure young people are equipped to make safe decisions when using the Internet,” says Byron Holland, President and CEO of CIRA.  “The Media Awareness Network provides an important and necessary service to educators and parents and as the steward of Canada’s domain and Internet space, CIRA is proud to be a sponsor of MNet’s vital programs.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Toronto – Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning has been awarded a $2.3 million grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada’s College and Community Innovation Program to establish a unique new research centre for screen-based industries. NSERC’s funding follows an initial $300,000 grant from the Ontario government’s Ontario Media Development Corporation.

The Digital Media Centre for Real-time Production takes a revolutionary approach to research, technology development, education and innovation, and will be located in the heart of the filmmaking industry in Toronto.

The Centre’s mission is to conduct world-class research into film, digital cinema and high definition imaging technologies in a wide variety of areas from capture to delivery and archiving. It was conceived and launched by Sheridan and will operate in partnership with creative industries and three levels of government.
Read the rest of this entry »

Burnaby – Electronic Arts Inc. and EA Canada announced today that Blake Griffin, former Oklahoma Sooner and the projected top pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, will be the new face of EA SPORTS™ NCAA Basketball 10. Griffin has an explosive presence, exciting college stadiums with massive dunks, huge blocks, and aggressive rebounds, and was a natural choice to represent the college game as cover athlete for NCAA Basketball 10. Griffin is the consensus national Player of the Year, winning the Big 12, Associated Press, Naismith, Sporting News, and John Wooden Player of the Year awards, and led his team to an Elite Eight appearance in the 2009 March Madness Tournament, where they lost to eventual champions, UNC. The 2009 NBA Draft is presented by EA SPORTS.

“Seeing myself on the cover of NCAA Basketball 10 is such a great tribute to my time at Oklahoma,” said Griffin. “I loved playing in front of passionate fans and competing against some of the best schools in the country. Now I am looking forward to competing at the next level against the best players in the world.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Vancouver – A team of four students at the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Advanced Wood Processing has just released an innovative educational “video game” on the basics of CNC technology and tooling. The application allows users to explore a virtual machine shop to learn about topics related to the electrical and mechanical components of CNC machines, as well as tool design, physics, and metallurgy.

While many websites provide technical overviews of CNC technology, it is often difficult to obtain accurate and objective information, and the presentation is typically text-heavy. This video game takes a different approach by using an interactive 3D environment to teach 3D concepts such as tooling angles. The educational content is supported by pictures, graphics, videos, 2D animations, and 3D animations.

The project was developed at the Centre for Advanced Wood Processing at UBC, Canada’s education and training centre for the wood products manufacturing industry. The original concept was proposed by Richard Hewitt, a recent graduate of UBC’s Wood Products Processing program, and Robert Shum, a UBC Computer Science student. The two subsequently hired and managed a team of fellow UBC students to help develop the application, as well as contributing their own animation, video-editing, and programming skills. Funding was provided through BCCampus, a BC government initiative that promotes a fusion of technology and education to create open learning opportunities for students and adult learners.

The educational game is available for Windows PCs and can be downloaded for free at:
http://www.learncnc.org

Montreal – The fight for global supremacy is officially on with the announcement that Transformers™: Revenge of the Fallen game from Activision Publishing Inc. is available now at retail stores nationwide. The PC version of the game was developed by Quebec’s Beenox Studios, and is rated “T” by the ESRB. Based on the blockbuster feature film from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, the Transformers™: Revenge of the Fallen game allows players to become their favorite AUTOBOTS® and DECEPTICONS® and engage in massive single and, for the first time ever, online multiplayer battles as they fight to protect or annihilate all of mankind.

“The Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen game will give fans the chance to experience the most robust and explosive TRANSFORMERS game ever,” said Rob Kostich, head of marketing for licensed properties, Activision Publishing. “Featuring a huge roster of playable TRANSFORMERS, the game delivers massive firepower in a frenetic single player experience, along with several multiplayer modes players can experience with friends online.”

“Because of our close relationship with Activision, the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen game features an unprecedented amount of content to fully immerse players into the TRANSFORMERS universe,” said Mark Blecher, General Manager of Digital Media and Gaming, Hasbro, Inc. “It is amazing how far interactive entertainment has come – the new video game takes the characters we all know and love and allows for even deeper interaction via online multiplayer across the globe.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Quebec – The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), in cooperation with the Quebec-based new media association Alliance Numérique, are pleased to present an information session on the gaming industry in China. Attendees of the webinar will learn the business and revenue models in use in the operation of online video games in China; successful games in China; and criteria to meet in order to success in a video game commercialisation initiative in China.

Date: Tuesday, June 23rd
Time: 13:00 (Montreal Eastern Standard Time)
Duration: Approximately 1 hour

To participate in this live presentation, please contact Neil Swain at the Regional Office in Montreal (neil.swain-at-international-dot-gc-dot-ca) . Note that this webinar will be recorded for viewing after the live presentation.