Village Gamer

Bioware has announced that the first seven pages of the new Mass Effect 2 comic from Dark Horse is now available on the Bioware blog. Written by ME2 lead writer Mac Walters, the comic’s storyline is independent of the upcoming Mass Effect 2’s story and follows Dr. Liara T’Soni on a dangerous and important mission to Terminus System in the Milky Way.

Bioware has also released more information about Dragon Age Journeys, a browser-based chapter of the Dragon Age franchise currently in development at EA 2D. According to Producer Ethan Levy’s blog post, “Dragon Age Journeys has been a collaboration between EA 2D, BioWare, and some of the hottest indie talent from the flash developer community. We broke ground on Journeys back in November 2008, and after so many months of blood, sweat and tears, we can’t tell you how excited we are to finally start talking about the game.”

“We have some big plans for Journeys. The first piece that we are currently building is a 3 chapter, single player, tactical rpg delivered in Flash. Right now we’re hard at work finishing the first chapter, Dragon Age Journeys: The Deep Roads”, continues Ethan. “The game will introduce you to the dwarven city of Orzammar and the Deep Roads surrounding it where the dwarves face a persistent threat from the darkspawn hordes. The Deep Roads features character classes, talent trees, sound effects, music and user interface taken directly from Dragon Age: Origins. Thanks to all these resources and input from the BioWare team, it will serve as a solid introduction to the world of Dragon Age.”

I started reading Dragon Age The Calling two nights ago. The Calling is the second book in the Dragon Age novel series penned by Bioware Lead Writer David Gaider – I highly recommend the titles to all of those who enjoy reading books in the Fantasy genre. The EB Games store where I regularly pick up all of my new addictions is already taunting those of us waiting for Dragon Age. They have two shelves of empty Dragon Age Online covers sitting on display behind the service desk. Want.

Microsoft is looking for gamers who would like a chance to preview the next installment of Xbox Live improvements and changes. Those who Silver or Gold XBL memberships are welcome to register – you will need some advance information when you fill in the form, such as your Xbox serial number, ID number, make and model of the TV hooked up to your Xbox, your router make and if you use wireless, the type of wireless connection you have. We participated in the last update preview, and have registered again for this one.

Best Buy Canada has joined the list of retailers who now accept game trade-ins. “Gaming enthusiasts are encouraged to bring in their previously played video games and trade them in for up to $40 in store credit, which can be used toward anything in the store, including a new game!”

Have you braved the battle and won the war in Star Wars: Battlefront? Unsure of what to do with that copy of Final Fantasy collecting dust in your basement? Has your “Need for Speed” suddenly come to a grinding halt? “With Best Buy’s gaming trade-in program, gamers of all types can bring in previously played games to any participating Best Buy location*, where they will receive a Best Buy store credit based on the assigned value of the games.

“We have been testing this program in our Edmonton stores and it has been so highly successful that we decided to extend this offer across Canada, said Paul Fisher, Director of Merchandising, Entertainment, Best Buy Canada. “Gaming now reaches a wider group of Canadians, including women and boomers. This program will enable gamers of all types to trade in for other titles or new technology.”

Trade-in is available on more than 2,500 current game titles and games from the following consoles: Nintendo DS & DSi, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360. As part of program, Canadians can also purchase previously played titles in-store for less than the cost of a new version of the game.

Calgary – Ph03nix New Media Inc. has announced the launch of the first Canadian-based iPhone Fund: the iPhoenix Fund. The fund will be used to develop 133 Apple iPhone and iPod Touch games over the next 5 years.

The iPhoenix Fund is both Canadian AND accessible. According to Lam, “We really wanted to make this investment accessible to the average investor. The iPhone is game-changing not only for the mobile industry, but for handheld gaming as well, and the iPhoenix Fund is the only vehicle available for investors like us to get in on the action.”

The iPhoenix Fund will be uniquely structured will a maximum of 400 Units costing $5,000 CDN each. Investors will get paid 50% of revenue and recoup 100% of the development costs first. The Fund already has commitments over the minimum required and Lam anticipates that the Fund will close in November 2009.

Last month at GDC Austin, Lam ran through his slide deck for interested investors and a unique feature stood out – all investors get access the iPhoenix Fund’s very own app that reports real-time data on the Fund and how the portfolio of apps are tracking.

To jump-start the fund, Lam also announced that Ph03nix New Media has acquired Blue Unit Studios – a Calgary iPhone Game Studio created by Craig Rushforth and Dan Kratt. Rushforth and Kratt are the brains behind the popular iPhone game Sally’s Spa which knocked off EA’s Sims 3 last summer to become the #1 in the App Store. Quite the accomplishment considering The Sims is the best selling PC game franchise in history.

Investors interested in finding out more details on the Fund are invited to an office tour at 4pm, Oct 13th, at the company’s headquarters.

Montreal – Hot off the news desk today is the announcement that Ubisoft has acquired development studio Nadeo, creator of TrackMania®, the cult multiplayer car racing video game.

Set up in 2000 in Paris and comprising a highly talented team of developers, the Nadeo studio has won acclaim for the quality of its multiplayer technology which offers one of the best available on-line gaming experiences and has already notched up 10 million registered players. Its flagship game – TrackMania® – has 700,000 unique players a month and is a pioneer in the sharing of creations (almost 15 million custom tracks created since 2008). It is also the first eSport franchise for racing games.

“The acquisition of Nadeo is an important step in our expansion within the on-line gaming sector”, said Yves Guillemot, Chief Executive Officer of Ubisoft. “Through Nadeo, Ubisoft will gain an expert team, one of the best on-line technologies around as well as a flagship multiplayer game that enjoys an unrivalled reputation among a loyal and committed community. We are excited about the idea of introducing TrackMania® to an ever-wider audience and sharing the expertise of Nadeo’s teams with our Group’s other developers”.

“Joining Ubisoft is a huge opportunity for us to develop and innovate and take Nadeo to new horizons”, said Florent Castelnérac, Chief Executive Officer of Nadeo. “Nadeo’s team was keen for this acquisition to happen. Like players in a community, we see ourselves as being a complementary fit with Ubisoft and believe that we can share and quickly move ahead together”.

On the home front,  Ubisoft Montreal has released a question and answer session with Avatar game script writer Kevin Shortt.

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Vancouver – Mingleverse Laboratories Inc. has unveiled its state of the art Mingleverse MingleRoom communications service for public preview.

“Today marks the beginning of the new era of live social communications, said Ron Stevens, co-founder. “MingleRooms were developed to replace old-fashioned and disjointed telecom services and legally-embroiled Skype with a service that scales and lets socially connected people mingle live from almost anywhere for any reason. And even get paid for it,” he said.

Based on innovative 3D voice and immersive visual web technology, the Mingleverse MingleRoom service allows up to 50 people to meetup and mingle instantly in a secure and interactive online environment that feels as real as being there.

“World of mouth marketing has arrived and is opening up 100s of new live communications business models, giving you the opportunity to earn money online. Imagine that, a communication service that pays you back!” Stevens said. “You can mingle with friends for free or engage a paying worldwide audience. This is going to change the way we engage in online teaching, online learning, online training, and online events. Bring your voice, your talent and your events to people anywhere instantly.”

MingleRoom hosts can allow free admission to their online events, or they can charge admission using Mingleverse’s exclusive Mingle Ticket system. Fully integrated into the Mingleverse platform, Mingle Ticket initiates and handles all transactions between participants and hosts. Leveraging PayPal’s™ worldwide payment processing network, the Mingle Ticket system ensures hosts get paid directly and instantly by participants and only paid participants can access the event.

“We’ve all heard about ‘social networking’,” said Stevens, “but sending short text messages to someone is nothing like meeting with them in person. Mingleverse is about live social communications, the ability to meetup and engage with real people in real-time rather than with clunky software and old-fashioned telephony.”

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Vancouver – Via NMBC – Twenty top Canadian Digital Media companies will present their latest ventures at the Fusion Venture Forum 2009 before Google and other top Silicon Valley investors, the only Western Canadian financing forum dedicated to digital media content and technology. The annual event will showcase early and growth stage companies that are original games, mobile & Web 2.0 and new platforms & applications ventures, on November 12, 2009 at Robson Square in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Register today for the Nov 5th Fusion Entrepreneur Boot Camp and the opportunity to be one of the 20 selected to pitch before top tier investors at the Forum including Google Ventures, Google Inc and SoftTech VC, one of the most active Angels in the Digital Media Space. If you have a new digital media venture seeking financing, please sign up early, as places are limited.

Fusion ’09 is organized by New Media BC and is designed to bring Canada’s hottest digital media ventures to the attention of local and international investors, provide valuable insights into key issues in the industry and become a premium networking opportunity for digital media investors and entrepreneurs alike. For more information, please visit the event’s web site or contact Fusion’09’s Director Christine Lim-Labossiere.

St. Catharines – MP Rick Dykstra is thrilled to announce that nGen, Niagara Interactive Media Generator, will receive over $3 million from the Federal government’s Community Adjustment Fund.

The Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) is part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada’s strategy to ensure a quick recovery from the current economic downturn. By focusing on the creation of short-term employment to support communities and the sectors that contribute to their viability, CAF will play a distinctive role in relation to other economic stimulus measures included in Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

“This strategic investment is further proof of our government’s commitment to helping St. Catharines adjust to the economic realities of our time,” said Dykstra. “This money will help nGen continue to attract and retain much needed new media enterprises to our community, creating new jobs and supporting the growth of a knowledge-based economy for Niagara.”

The funds received will be allocated toward the much needed expansion of nGen, which would further capitalize on the expansion of the industry, making St. Catharines and Niagara an even more dominant player in the sector of digital interactive media. Since nGen’s inception, its programs have rapidly exceeded capacity and the initiative has now found itself in need of expansion in order to meet the needs of its emerging cluster. Through increased incubation and access to new technologies, nGen will be able to strengthen its sustainability as a hub for digital interactive media development in the St.Catharines and the Niagara Region. This is the vision of the Niagara Economic Development Corporation (NEDC) Strategic Business Plan and the St. Catharines-Thorold Prosperity Council’s Paths to Prosperity Report, to define new media as a pillar for economic growth and expansion in Niagara.

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Toronto – CSA Standards, a leading standards-based solutions organization, today announces the launch of a suite of interactive solutions that harness the power of eLearning gaming technology to teach emergency preparedness, safety and a variety of essential skills that could mean the difference between life and death on the job for many Canadian employees.

Canada alone experiences as many as 315,000 reported time-loss injuries and 1,055 workplace fatalities in a year . CSA’s new tools for business are designed to enhance the abilities of employers, employees, students and consumers to prepare for threats and emergencies of all sizes, by giving them the ability to experience them in realistic virtual scenarios – before they happen in real life.

“To reduce injuries, workplace training must teach best safety practices and change behaviour,” says Suzanne Kiraly, President, CSA Standards. “These new interactive modules go well beyond the simple transfer of knowledge and engage users in making decisions in the workplace that are linked to real-world standards and safety guidelines. From handling hazardous materials to assessing risks to prevent major disasters, preparing workforces with safety and emergency response skills in a virtual environment could mean the difference between life and death on the job.”

CSA Standards recently purchased the assets and intellectual property created by Ottawa-based Distil Interactive, an award-winning developer of eLearning products. This expansion of its interactive online portfolio of offerings, as well as the hiring of new development staff, will drive CSA’s transition to the next level in fully interactive online learning environments. The purchase represents a significant milestone for CSA and a commitment to utilizing technology and developing products to ensure that standards for safety, health and the environment are understood and applied.

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Vancouver –IUGO Mobile Entertainment has announced that all three chapters of the Toy Bot Series are now available in one convenient download in the iTunes App Store. IUGO’s hit series and one of the first iPhone exclusive titles are now bundled for hours of platforming fun. The Toy Bot Diaries Compilation containing Toy Bot Diaries 1,2 and 3 is available for $3.99 US while individual chapters are now on sale for $1.99 per title. Toy Bot Diaries follows the adventures of Toy Bot who, in Chapter One, needs to recover his memory. The Toy Bot titles is one of the few iPhone/iPod games which uses fully blended controls – its tilt and touch features makes this game one of the best mobile titles ever. Add to this the high quality graphics and excellent audio for a winning combination that results in a high quality IUGO title which provides above-average amusement return for the investment.

Kelowna – Cosmic Logic Inc., a new gaming force in the indie revolution, has officially announced details on their first game release: “Cosmic Lacrosse”. A throwback to the days of classic 2D sports games, “Cosmic Lacrosse” is an arcade-style lacrosse game with an emphasis on fun over simulation. With stylized art and sci-fi themes, it’s lacrosse like you’ve never seen it before. “Cosmic Lacrosse” will be available on Xbox Live Indie Games in Fall of 2009.

Some features in this new title include:

· Arcade-style 3-on-3 Lacrosse with fast and furious gameplay
· 3 different player classes with different attributes and unique super abilities
· 2D hand-drawn artwork by Luke Fimio
· Local multi-player and co-op

Andrew Roberts, President and CEO of Cosmic Logic, will be presenting at the Kamloops Canadian Information Processing Society’s monthly meeting, where he will be discussing how radical changes in the video game industry have created new opportunities not available only 3 years ago.

Longueuil – D-BOX Technologies Inc. has been named a 2009 EXC!TE award winner in the Home Theatre category at this year’s CEDIA expo in Atlanta, Georgia for its new Hybrid Motion System, the GPH-120. Due out in the market this fall, the

I Want This Chair

GPH-120 offers motion effects that work in perfect sync with the onscreen action for both video games and movies. A first-of-its-kind in the industry, the GPH-120 offers unmatched, realistic motion effects, creating a unique experience for movie and gaming fans alike. The company was honoured at the awards dinner during the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association’s Banquet on September 10th.

Presented by CustomRetailer magazine, the annual EXC!TE awards honour companies whose products stand out for being innovative, high-performing and solutions-oriented for the custom installation professional. This year’s winners have an important impact on the industry, which is felt in the installers’ productivity, the dealers’ profitability, the clients’ satisfaction and the industry’s vitality.

“It has been an incredible year thus far for D-BOX Technologies,” said President and CEO, Claude Mc Master. “We are proud to be named an EXC!TE award winner at this year’s CEDIA and honored to be recognized by our peers for this new motion technology system. We have participated in CEDIA in previous years and are pleased to have the opportunity to showcase our motion technology for the entertainment industry at the show.”

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Vancouver – It is safe to say, I believe, that every Canadian gamer is very familiar with Greedy Productions, the company behind the very popular TV shows Electric Playground and Reviews On The Run. It is also safe to say that everyone knows the face behind the studio – Victor Lucas. But what many may not know is that Greedy Productions is also responsible for many of the “Behind The Scenes” extra features available on game discs.

Greedy Productions has created and produced documentaries for such games as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots, Batman Arkham Asylum, The House Of The Dead: Overkill, Iron Man and more. Now Greedy Productions is giving fans and future clients the opportunity to look at all of their their “Behind the Scenes” documentaries in one place with the launch of their new site, Greedy Docs. Visitors to the site can also get the lowdown on many of the key people who work on the front lines at Greedy Productions. We have visited the Vancouver studio, and we can safely say that Greedy Productions is staffed with some great people – it’s no wonder that they continually produce awesome shows, including the longest running video game review show in the world.

Behind the Scenes documentaries are more than just a chance to learn more about the development of a game; they also offer excellent insight into the industry itself and the motivations behind a game’s development. Greedy Docs also serves to show yet another aspect of game production work which could be a career choice for those who want to work in the game industry but are not artists, designers or programmers. To everyone at Greedy Productions, congratulations on the new site!

Vancouver – New Media BC has announced that the following 12 digital media companies were selected for the Digital Springboard Mentorship Program, a 4 month free advisory service for emerging companies facing technical and business challenges in their development (listed alphabetically):

1. Arcana Studios
2. Bradfield Productions
3. Crazed Coders
4. Ecobuddies Interactive
5. Ethical Entertainment
6. Firm Applications
7. Foulplay Entertainment (Watershed Creative Inc)
8. MotionSoup
9. My Wedding Match
10. Old Skool Studios
11. Overinteractive Media Inc
12. Tactica Interactive Communications

The pilot program that was introduced last year by the National Research Council IRAP and administered by New Media BC, was able to support twice the number of companies this year due to additional support provided by Telefilm Canada. The companies were chosen out of a total of 24 applications received. Mentee companies will be matched with Mentors based on their specific technical and business problems identified in their applications. The mentorship program will last from September 2009 to January 2010.