Village Gamer

TransGaming Inc. has announced the three finalists of the GameTree Developer Competition, which offered game developers worldwide the opportunity to submit their games for the chance to win a $50,000 grand prize. The finalists will be distributed on the GameTree TV platform, immediately delivering them to the forefront of the Smart TV gaming revolution in consumers’ connected living rooms. The three finalists in alphabetical order are:

The winner of the GameTree Developer Competition and the $50,000 grand prize will be determined by a panel of celebrity judges including actor, director, producer and writer LeVar Burton, President of Development at Jerry Bruckheimer Games Inc., Jay Cohen, and Lorne Lanning, Co-founder of Oddmobb, Inc. The winner will be announced at the industry-leading Casual Connect Seattle conference during the Minna Mingle on Wednesday, July 20th.

“The incredible response to the GameTree Developer Competition affirms that the game development community views our cloud gaming platform, GameTree TV, as a top choice for the distribution of their games on Smart TV”, commented Vikas Gupta, CEO & President of TransGaming. “GameTree TV provides an unparalleled market opportunity for game developers worldwide to directly reach a rapidly growing audience.”

Taking note of the commercial and critical success of the Indie Game Uprising last winter, a Summer Indie Uprising has been declared. Several Xbox Live independent developers have banded together to again promote some of the most outstanding titles which best represent their platform. Immediately following Xbox Live’s Summer of Arcade, gamers will have the opportunity to play some of the greatest titles to grace the platform.

The group’s goal is clear – just as the previous uprising had successfully done, they are raising consumer awareness of the platform by showcasing some of the most creatively diverse titles offered on XBLIG. There will be a total of 8 developer-voted titles released each business day beginning on  Monday, August 22^nd and ending on Wednesday, August 31^st.

Community input is requested, for  in addition to the developer selected titles, the gaming community will have the opportunity to vote for their two favorite candidates from the 70+ developer submissions on the IGSU Facebook page from August  1^st until August 15^th. The community favorites will be released at the tail end of the promotion on Thursday September 1^st and Friday September 2^nd. The winners will be announced at the IGSU Developer Twitter chat, which will occur the day after the polls close on Tuesday August 16^th – 8PM EST, using the hash tag #IGSU.  Moreover, the chat will offer the community a chance to communicate directly with all of the developers in a creative and immersive environment.

Indie Games Uprising Summer Schedule:

July 4th – July 18^th: Developer voting for 8 titles to represent the platform
August 1st – August 15^th: Community voting for 2 additional titles they would most like to play
August 16^th – 9PM EST: IGSU Developer Twitter chat, community winners announced
August 22nd – September 2^nd: Promotion and release of 8 developer and 2 community voted titles

Visit the new Indie Games Uprising web site for a full list of candidates, trailers, screenshots and more.

Anne Sado, President of George Brown College, has announced that the college will be increasing its commitment to the digital media sector with its gaming development and design programs in a new learning environment at 333 King St. E.

The facility will also feature an industry incubator to bring together video gaming and digital media startups in Toronto with George Brown College students. Scheduled to open in September 2011, the incubator will provide 10 offices, between 100 and 150 square feet, for startups and small companies looking for a platform to grow their business in the heart of the city. By including industry innovators alongside students, the college hopes to create an environment that helps its learners experience real-world engagement to better prepare them for future employment and help emerging companies leverage the student resources to help them grow.

“The research we conducted on the feasibility of a video gaming incubator reveals a real need for more applied research and innovation – something our students and faculty have clearly been able to provide in other industries,” said Sado. “With the growth rate in the gaming sector in Ontario predicted to reach 31 per cent over the next three years, according to the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, George Brown College is an a perfect position to provide a leadership role in nurturing the talent in this industry.”

As part of George Brown College’s effort to contribute to the expansion of the digital media industry in the city, the George Brown College School of Design will take on the leadership of Digifest, a Toronto-based international festival celebrating innovation and digital creativity that was previously managed by the Design Exchange. The festival will run from October 26 to 30 and will be held in central locations throughout the city.

Today’s announcements are based on a feasibility study conducted by George Brown and funded by the Ontario Media Development Corporation and the City of Toronto. The research conducted by the college and its partners uncovered a need for a video gaming incubator, which would provide:

• Improved access to video gaming technology for small businesses and start-ups
• ffice space in the downtown core, helping to create a gaming community within the city
• nd applied research and field placement opportunities for George Brown College video game design and development students

“An innovative economy requires planning and support that builds on four strategic pillars – infrastructure, a well trained workforce, knowledge and expertise, and strong partnerships,” said Councillor Shelley Carroll, City of Toronto (Ward 33 Don Valley East), and Vice Chair, Economic Development Committee. “The new video game incubator at George Brown College will support these pillars and accelerate the growth and development of the digital media cluster in the City of Toronto.”

“As a long-time supporter of the digital, interactive media industry in Ontario, OMDC has had a keen interest in the video game programs George Brown College has been delivering and the strong relationships the college has with its industry partners,” added Karen Thorne-Stone, President and CEO of OMDC. “We felt it was important to fund this research that added to our understanding of the needs of the video gaming community. We are excited that George Brown College has taken a leadership role in addressing the study’s recommendations. This will enhance the vibrancy of the video gaming cluster in Ontario.”

The introduction of the gaming incubator coincides with the addition of approximately 310 students in the video game design and development programs at George Brown College over the last three years. Once renovations are complete this summer, the video game design students and the businesses using the incubator will have access to industry leading facilities, including development kits for major video game consoles, hand-held devices and other peripherals and a three-dimensional scanner and printer. This technology will be introduced to the incubator a short while after its launch.

I only have a few minutes left before I have to head off for work, so here is a quick rundown of event news:

* If you haven’t yet registered for SIGGRAPH 2011, you should do so now, because ticket prices go up at midnight on June 18th.  Having the conference in Vancouver this year is a huge opportunity for our many-faceted digital media industry, and I hope that you all take advantage of it. We’ll be at the show, and we really hope to see you there, too.

* The Full Indie Game Jam that is happening this weekend at the Centre for Digital Media is sold out, but there is a waiting list. Registration is also now open for the June 23rd Full Indie meetup event, and with limited space available, I suggest signing up now. Games from the jam will be featured at the meetup.

* SIGGRAPH Vancouver Chapter presents The Art of Lighting and Rendering Rio next week at District 319. Jim Gettinger, Lighting Supervisor, will discuss lighting and lighting design as it pertains to the overall aesthetic of Blue Sky Studios’ latest animated hit, RIO. This talk will explore the developmental work pursued by Jim and his team taking the listener through many stages of the production process at Blue Sky. Lighting and lighting techniques will be presented from concept art, through pre-visualization, master lighting, and compositing.

* The next Women In Games Vancouver Martini Night is June 23rd at Guilt & Company. Ladies, come out for a relaxing evening of socializing with other women from the interactive media industry. RSVP on the event’s Facebook page.

* Annex Pro is hosting three (and free) software events in Vancouver; please click the event links for more information and to register. The first is happening tomorrow – Test-Drive Native Performance with new Avid Pro Tools|HD Native will be held at Annex Pro. Don’t Just Edit. Finish. Autodesk Smoke for Mac OS X takes place at Vancouver Film School on June 22. On June 28th, you can spend An Evening with The Foundry: Nuke 6.3, NukeX 6.3, Mari at Rainmaker Entertainment.

* New Media Manitoba presents iPad User Interface Design on June 21st. Chris, Olga, and Lee of Velocity Branding will guide you through their methodology for project management and designing for Tablets. This is a free event, and will take place at the NMM offices from 5-7pm.

* Interactive Ontario presents Interact Networking Mixer: Special Documentary Edition on June 29th at The Annex Live from 6 – 8pm. This event is free for DOC & IO Members or $10.00 for Non-Members. You are invited to come out and mingle with professionals in the interactive and documentary media industries, with the opportunity to uncover new possibilities for creative and business partnerships. This event is co-presented by docSHIFT (an initiative of the DOC Toronto) and Interactive Ontario.

* Tech Cocktail is coming to Vancouver on July 9th. The event will be very much focused on the future as we partner with Futurists:BetaLaunch as part of the World Future Conference by the World Future Society, a 45-year old non-profit organization dedicated to advancing ideas of the future. We’re also looking to engage with the local Vancouver tech community, inviting them to participate in this exciting event.

* Amazon invites you to come out and meet the Amazon Vancouver team, where you can learn about all the job opportunities at one of Amazon’s newest Software Development Centers in Canada. Meet and mingle with all the different teams that are growing and hiring at the new office. This will be a great opportunity to meet our engineers, learn about our culture, and find out about the exciting opportunities Amazon Vancouver has to offer. Have a drink and appetizers on us, but don’t forget to bring your resume. RSVP through LinkedIn required.

* The nationwide DEMO Innovation tour is back – it will be in Vancouver on June 23rd, Toronto on June 26th, and Montreal on July 15th.  Matt Marshall, DEMO Executive Producer and the DEMO team will travel around the country to connect with the DEMO community in search of the best innovation to showcase at DEMO Fall 2011, and they invite you to submit an application for a 30 minute private meeting with the DEMO team and leading Venture capitals in a city near you. There are ten spots available per tour stop. Each company selected will also have the opportunity to address a larger audience at the DEMO Tour party in the evening open to the entire DEMO community of VCs, investors, media and PR professionals.

Remember this is just a very small sampling of upcoming events – visit our Events Page for more listings.

Dragons vs Spaceships is a new project from Game Production Studios for Microsoft’s Dream Build Play competition. According to the game’s web page, Dragons vs Spaceships uses the XNA platform, with all engines developed by Game Production Studios excluding the Easy Storage engine for data management, developed at CodePlex and used under their license.

Dragons Vs Spaceships seeks to capture the essence of the genre, while putting a new spin on old conventions. Travel across many worlds destroying the enemy, using three weapon types that combine for a total of six special weapons. Fun and challenging, players will quickly master the controls, but will have a more difficult time downing the legion of Spaceships that stand in their way on the path to victory. There’s no telling who will lose the war, but Game Production Studios says the winner will be the player.

[youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf7zp5e4EkQ]

The game’s premise, again from the official web page, is as follows:

Other Ocean Interactive is proud to reveal that Sir Patrick Stewart, the acclaimed TV and film star, will be lending his voice talents to The War of the Worlds, its upcoming cinematic side-scrolling platformer, coming to Xbox LIVE®Arcade and PlayStation®Network later this year. Based on the classic novel by H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds showcases Stewart’s distinct voice as the narration for the game, which follows one man’s experience in 1950s London during a decimating alien invasion.

Known to millions for his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the popular TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation, as well as his performance as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film franchise, Stewart has enjoyed tremendous success over his decades-long film career including several Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.  However, providing narration for The War of the Worlds is an experience that hearkens back to Stewart’s childhood.

“As a young boy, I remember watching the The War of the Worlds so many times I was quoting the lines,” said Stewart. “The alien invasion both terrified and fascinated me and the movie has stuck with me since then. Now, being part of this project will provide a new way for gamers around the world to experience a fresh new take on a classic.”

The War of the Worlds is a dark and breathtaking new vision inspired by the classic H.G. Wells novel, retold as a single player, 2D action-adventure. The gameplay narrative parallels the timeline and events from the 1953 movie adaptation, but introduces a new story arc, characters, locations, and sub-plots.  With gameplay paying homage to classic cinematic platformers such as Flashback and Out of This World, players follow the exploits of an unknown everyman struggling to escape the Martian invasion of London and rescue his family. Forced to think through insurmountable odds, players will outsmart an army of alien tripods, spiders and drones as they make their way through a landscape of total devastation.

The first of today’s Wild Games Studio video releases features the five minute E3 trailer for Dhaila’s Adventures, which focuses on the games’ three open worlds and the dungeons.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph_jhLS8n18]

The second trailer, also from E3, introduces the studio’s new IP World Circus, an innovative and original game that allows players to build and manage their own circus. World Circus is scheduled for release in 2013 and offers 3 game modes – career, simulation and multi-player.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZxoU3-un1I]

The third and final E3 video presents Wild Games’ new iPhone game Kung Fu Lobster, a colourful undersea world where you control a well-armed lobster and take on other denizens of the deep to prove that only the strong survive.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spg71sOkYDM]

XMG’s Style Studio has hit its one millionth design milestone. Since its release in May of 2010, Style Studio has remained the only app that allows you to create, customize and share your own original fashion designs. A player can choose between colours, prints and styles, and superimpose them onto one of many articles of clothing. If there’s something they want to change, the designer also has the option of making alterations. For anyone hoping to bring style into their life in a fun, portable way, the app is perfect. Now, less than one year after its launch, more than 1 million items have been designed in Style Studio.

“Style Studio has the most extensive customization engine for clothing design ever seen on the iPhone” said Ray Sharma, Founder of XMG Studio. “While there are a few apps out there that allow you to apply colors to pre-set clothing items and mix and match them, Style Studio is the first app that actually allows the designer to choose different materials, make alterations, customize prints and apply add-ons or decorative elements to each piece of clothing.”

Style Studio is available in the iTunes app store for $2.99 for any Apple mobile device running OS 3.0 or higher.

Vancouver’s Full Indie developer community is holding its first ever Game Jam this month at the Centre for Digital Media campus. Taking place over the June 17th weekend, the Jam has had 30 spots available. As of this very moment there are 11 spots available. The entry fee is $25.00 and will cover food, refreshments and space rental – although you are also welcome to bring along your own tasty snacks. WiFi access with loads of sockets will be available; all you really need to bring is your own computing device and imagination.  There will be reserved parking for participants, so long as you get a parking pass when you check in.

The Jam will officially begin at 5pm on Friday evening and run until 8pm Sunday. Jammers are not required to spend every hour at the event, and are in fact encouraged to go home for some sleep if possible. This would obviously be a bit of a challenge for those coming from outside of the city. We’re definitely looking forward to seeing the end products that result from the Jam – those of you who are devs and would like to participate – go register now before those last few spaces are gone.