Village Gamer

Vancouver – IUGO Mobile Entertainment has announced another upcoming game title for the iPhone and BlackBerry platforms. Slated for release this fall, Cliffed will allow you to challenge your friends to the most addictive race to the bottom! IUGO presents its latest sensation in casual gaming with this frantic 2D scrolling racer.

Features:

• 10 unique and playful characters to choose from
• Pick up and play! Great for all ages
• Endless game play
• Online multiplayer! Race up to 8 players in real time over 3G and wireless networks
• Local and global leaderboards
• IUGO’s new VIP program: Tell your friends, earn points and unlock an exclusive mystery character sooner
• Stylized, clean graphics
• IUGO’s signature quality and polish

Ubisoft Montreal has released three new videos for their highly anticipated titles on their YouTube channel. Gamers can get their twitch on with a commented walk-through for Assassin’s Creed 2, featuring a variety of game play scenarios with narrative from AC2 Production Manager Jean-Francois Boivin. The only disappointment I have experienced thus far in regards to AC2 is the planned product releases for the Master Assassin Limited Editions. I want the Black version, but it is apparently only being released in other parts of the world, not North America. Those of us in North America are getting the White version, which does not appear to contain all of the same perks as the Black Version, such as Ezio in black and the same number of bonus quests. The North American White version only has one bonus quest while the Black version has three, and at this time it is unknown if the Black version will be region locked. There are also rumours circulating that the Black edition is sold out. Maybe Ubisoft will have a change of heart and at least give those of us in North America the opportunity to obtain the additional two bonus quests.

Shaun White fans can see a new video dev diary for Shaun White World Stage, due for release on November 8. Featuring members of the dev team and Shaun White, gamers get an advance look at how it feels like to be in the boots of a pro snowboarder. After watching the dev diary for Splinter Cell: Conviction, we have added it to our list of “must play” games. The development team gives an excellent explanation of what gamers can expect from the latest iteration for the Splinter Cell franchise, and you can get a look at the dev video on Splinter Cell’s site.

IMC Vancouver – As the Internet grows in importance as a communication channel for business, it’s important to understand how to move away from the diminishing returns that TV, Radio and Newspapers are delivering. IMC Vancouver provides the venue for businesses, government, social activists, agencies, consultants and students to take advantage of the new, and rapidly changing, way media is being consumed. Also economic pressures are making change in the marketing world even more urgent than before.

IMC Vancouver 2009 will cover each of the important methods of marketing online in order to investigate how attendees can attract the highest quality of traffic to their websites. On September 17, Google’s analytics evangelist Avinash Kaushik and author of the best-selling book Web Analytics: An Hour a Day will present insight on how each website visitor should be treated as a valued customer and how to improve the performance of any website.

Then on September 18, Facebook’s newly appointed Canadian representative Louise Clements, will give attendees exclusive insights and knowledge from Facebook’s active, and rapidly growing online community. By understanding how to use Facebook to market yourself and your company, you will have the ability to better leverage this new and exciting social networking channel. Later in the day, Linkedin’s Steve Patrizi will also be giving a keynote address. Steve’s team works with the world’s most widely recognized brands and advertising agencies to help them connect with LinkedIn’s audience of affluent, influential, and ambitious professionals.

IMC Vancouver features in total over top 40 speakers from: Yahoo, Google, Bell Canada, Overstock, Aircell, BazaarVoice, Vancity, Tribalddb plus many more of the Internets top companies. Join the Conferencefor the most exciting line up of speakers, workshops and panelists ever at IMC Vancouver 2009.

Victoria – Skysoft has unveiled inForm 2.0, a software product which allows organizations to create wireless forms, databases, surveys, and applications for the BlackBerry Smartphone line-up from Research In Motion. Applications are built using a simple Microsoft Windows PC based editor and then deployed to any number of devices. Non technical users can create and use their own BlackBerry applications within minutes, with no programming required. The solution offers a cost effective alternative to expensive hosted services, middleware and development tools.

inForm replaces traditional paper based forms and spreadsheets, allowing organizations to streamline data collection and reporting. Examples of applications include retail product audits, customer surveys, expense tracking, invoicing, site and building inspections, product catalogues, job dispatches, service records, and more.

Toronto – Don’t forget to submit your company for the CIX Top 20 search – the submissions deadline is October 2 2009. CIX conducts an exhaustive search for the most innovative ideas, products, services and companies in the country. Each year 20 technology and clean technologies are selected via a qualified Selection Committee to showcase their innovative product and services in front of the CIX community. Each of the selected 20 will be asked to deliver a seven-minute presentation live on stage at CIX.  Recognized industry experts will act as Judges, evaluating the merit of their product or service and giving constructive feedback and guidance. ?The CIX community present at the event will vote for the CIX 2009 Award for “Canadian Innovation Leader”.

The CIX Top 20 is open to all Canadian companies who consider themselves, their product, technology or service to be innovative in the fields of clean technologies, information technology and digital media. Recognition as a member of the CIX Top 20 – Canada’s 20 Most Innovative Companies will provide a major boost to any participant.

Toronto Film Fest – Producer Daniel Wilson of Grand Slam Pictures announced today that the world premiere of The Long Weekend at the Marbella Film Festival (October 1-4 2009), will proceed as planned despite the growing controversy around the movie.

Additionally, Wilson will be selling the American and foreign rights at the Toronto International Film Festival (September 10 – 19 2009), along with his producing partner and the star of The Long Weekend, Peter Bonaventure. Wilson is already in negotiations with Peace Arch Entertainment for the Canadian television rights.

The controversy around the movie stems from the fact that the movie was shot entirely with hidden cameras, unbeknownst to the ‘actors’ in the movie. After five years of legal wrangling, the movie will finally have its world premiere, despite the controversy.

Producer and star Peter Bonaventure says the movie is a revolutionary piece of art, and he’s set up a web site and twitter page to argue his case, while the unwitting star of the movie, Joe Shelton, has set up a competing web site and twitter page to stop the release of the movie. Shelton commented, “How many people have to get injured or even die as a result of reality TV and movies before we realize this is a sickness of our society. It’s turned us all into Peeping Toms.”

Producer Wilson says, “I’m not taking a side. I’m just happy about all the publicity. It’s an entertaining movie so I hope we can sell more rights during TIFF.”