Village Gamer

From the organizers of the very popular GamerCamp comes GamerCamp Jr. Toronto developers Mark and Jaime want to help the next generation of designers become more games literate and support any games-related ventures to express themselves whether it be as an enthusiastic player, a creative developers, or a thoughtful part of the media.

GamerCamp Junior offers a three part program to this venture for creative youngsters:

Game kits—We’re really excited for the game kits, which focus on critically thinking about why a game works or doesn’t work and then attempt to inspire remixing of the game to guide children in making their own games. For example, we took the beloved game Scrabble and created an entirely new game using the same board and pieces—this is one way to demonstrate to children that creating games isn’t bounded by programming experience or access to materials. We wanted to focus on kits that could be accessed from anywhere, so that children from across Canada can check us out. There are three kits right now spanning digital, physical, and board games: each are free to download on our website and come in a handy PDF.

Website—The Gamercamp Jr website will be the hub for all activity. We’ll be working with more game makers to create new kits to add to our library and as we find more information on helping children learn about making games we will post them to the website. We’d love to do a video on how games are made and are currently looking into resources to help accomplish this. The website is also where information about the meet-ups will be posted and you can also learn other ways to get involved with Gamercamp Jr!

Live Meet-ups—We think building a community is pretty amazing stuff—so having children and parents come together to work on games and meet other interested children and parents seems like a no-brainer. We know parents love making games too and trying out cool activities so Gamercamp Jr meet-ups requires both the child and parent/guardian to show up. Geared for kids 9 -13, the first GamerCamp Jr. Live Meet-up happens September 10, 2011 and is completely free. We’ll be working through the activities in the kits and more. Register now to participate.

By the way, the next regular GamerCamp takes place on November 25th through 27th. Tickets go on sale next month.

Squamish-based Tiipz has been selected from hundreds of start-ups across Canada to present its social new approach to market research today at Launch @GROW,happening at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Launch @GROW, an important platform for emerging companies, selects four brilliant new ventures each year to present their stories to more than 600 investors and influencers from Canada and Silicon Valley.

Explains Jason Cyr, who co-Founded Tiipz with partners Mark Nickson and Gesvyn Tjandra, “Today we have an exciting opportunity to explain how Tiipz will define a new approach to market research in the age of social media.”

Tiipz hasn’t yet officially launched, and already the company is working with clients including Westbeach, Kokanee, and Budweiser. Through a partnership with brand.LIVE, brands including Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Sennheiser and Mattel will be using Tiipz to undertake interactive customer research at the Live at Squamish concert happening this weekend.

Says Jason, “As a research tool, Tiipz is based entirely on engagement. The consumer benefits from a fun experience and a tangible reward for participation; they can share their opinion with others and possibly change the course of action for a business.”

“The business benefits from stronger market insights and increased brand loyalty. There’s no other research tool that’s nearly this engaging in the marketplace!”

According a recent study, 97% of non-profit organizations are using social media, where 40% of corporations use social media to engage and connect with their communities and raise cause/brand awareness.

The Learning Disabilities Association of Toronto District (LDATD) is one of the non-profit organizations going through a communication shift by creating an online presence through social media, connecting with members and the outside community through blogs, facebook and twitter and also undergoing a website refresh to facilitate sharing, community building and easier navigation.

“We are slowly and gradually noticing increased traffic to all our sites,” says Mimi Hoffman, Executive Director of the LDATD. “This translates to more of our population receiving much needed programs and services. We intend to continue our social media campaign to reach as many as possible,” Hoffman adds.

Noticing the misconception of learning disabilities both on and offline, the LDATD understands that reaching out to people through social media platforms is a good way to inform about learning disabilities and to clear the stigma around it.

Slowly, the LDATD is embracing social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, as well as blogging to over 200 fans and followers about the LDATD. These social media outlets will help children, parents and adults with learning disabilities, and give a clearer sense of what learning disabilities are.

With just seven weeks left until the Ontario election, Damian Sommer, a student at George Brown College, has developed a video game where the player must dodge obstacles like tuition fees, debt and apathy to tackle a ballot box. The game is part of the Canadian Federation of Students – Ontario ‘Take It Over‘ campaign and can be played online.

“Drawing on the skills of our members, this game was designed to be a fun way to engage Ontarians about voting on October 6,” said Cindy Brownlee, Director of Education and Equity for the Student Association of George Brown College. “George Brown students, like students across Ontario, are struggling to pay high tuition fees and high levels of debt, so it’s important for us to encourage students to vote.”

“As students face another year of a five per cent tuition fee increase, we decided to offer them some relief from the stress that growing student debt causes through this game,” said Sandy Hudson. “The ‘Take It Over’ campaign has several components that are interactive and we hope that Ontarians will take the  chance to tackle the ballot box through our game, and then vote in the fall.”

The Nintendo-style game launched this morning as a browser game and will be available as a mobile app in the next few weeks. To date, students have released seven videos, held actions across Ontario and talked to hundreds of students about the importance of voting and the promises being made by the political parties to reduce the costs of college and university education.

The Canadian Federation of Students – Ontario unites more than 300,000 college and university undergraduate and graduate students studying at post-secondary institutions in all regions the province.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has released Navigating Convergence II: Charting Canadian Communications Change and Regulatory Implications, a compilation of independent research and views obtained from CRTC stakeholders, including consumers, public-interest advocates and members of the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors. The first edition of the report was published in February 2010. A PDF version of the latest report is also available.

According to the report, the development and adoption of new devices, products and services is accelerating in Canada. Canadians are rapidly embracing the global digital environment and making their choices and voices known. The evolving environment is also creating opportunities for the communications industry to provide services and content in new and innovative ways.

In 2010, 24% of anglophones and 20% of francophones watched some of their television programming online, including newscasts, sports clips and shows, which were offered by Canadian and foreign services. This trend is expected to continue as these services give consumers the flexibility to catch up on the television shows they have missed, at a time and on the device that is most convenient. As consumers access more online content and services, traffic over Canadian Internet networks is projected to quadruple from 2009 to 2014.

Canadians are also increasingly adopting mobile devices, which can connect to the Internet and deliver content, information and social media services. Between 2010 and 2014, the number of wireless subscribers is expected to rise from 25.8 million to nearly 30 million, with half of them owning a smartphone. At the same time, mobile Internet subscriptions in Canada are predicted to increase significantly from 5.5 million in 2011 to 14 million in 2015.

The report also notes that consolidation has increased in the communications industry. Despite this trend, the introduction of new services, such as those that deliver television programming online or through phone lines (known as Internet Protocol television), and the emergence of new service providers in the wireless market create competitive options for consumers.

Desktop and Asset Management software specialist NetSupport has announced the immediate availability of the NetSupport DNA mobile console app – giving your IT support team and field engineers continuous access to essential customer PC data via their mobile devices.

Delivering a wealth of data for the target machine, NetSupport DNA is recognised as providing one of the most comprehensive and detailed hardware inventory modules available on the market today. Compatible with Android phones and tablets, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, the new DNA mobile app connects with your central DNA inventory database, giving you access to accurate, up-to-the-minute asset management data wherever you are.

Key features include the ability to instantly call up the current hardware inventory for the target machine; view a detailed list of any historical changes to the hardware and software, and assess the cause of any logged PC alerts.

Expanding on the latest release, NetSupport’s Development Director Rob Hawkins explains: “Knowing the inventory of your IT assets is essential to the successful day-to-day management of any IT infrastructure. By making this data available on the move with our new mobile console, support engineers can now provide a much more effective service to customers while improving their own productivity.”

The NetSupport DNA mobile console app can be downloaded for free from the Android Marketplace, the Apple iTunes App store, Ovi and will soon be available for BlackBerry. The NetSupport DNA mobile console app is for use in conjunction with the NetSupport DNA Asset Management suite. Net Support is a UK-based company with an office in Markham.

Frima Studio has acquired Volta, a visual development studio dedicated to the creation of high-end concept art for video games and film. Established in 2006, Volta has quickly become one of the most respected names in the industry. The acquisition expands Frima’s portfolio of services to high-end concept art capabilities for AAA games, film and television projects. Volta will remain an independent studio in its own Quebec City offices.

An international team of 20 experienced professionals; Volta’s expertise includes the production of concept art, visual development, storyboards, and marketing materials. Since 2006, they have delivered projects to major entertainment companies such as Sony, Disney, Microsoft, and Warner Bros. Recent AAA gaming projects include Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, Deus Ex Human Revolution, F.E.A.R. 3, Mortal Kombat 9, Rage, and Red Faction Armageddon.

“The acquisition of Volta advantageously expands each of our three lines of business,” explains Frima CEO Steve Couture. “Volta’s services add to our robust client offerings, their expertise in AAA game art strengthens our capacity for Frima’s own upcoming original IP, and synergy between Frima FX and Volta will complement the development of concept art and 3D modelization for the movie/cinema market.”

Claude Bordeleau, CEO of Volta, explained their reasons for joining forces with Frima as a desire to harness Frima’s experience managing growth as well as create new opportunities between Frima’s partners and Volta’s areas of expertise. “Frima wanted to offer a new service with an existing, intact and fully functional team. We’re excited to explore the advantages of the new partnership while we continue to produce high quality work for our current clients.”

More children in southern Ontario will be able to experience real-world scientific issues and innovations thanks to an investment in Actua announced by Peter Braid, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Waterloo, on behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

“Our Government recognizes the importance of preparing young people for today’s high-tech economy,” said MP Braid. “By developing our next generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians, we can help drive innovation and keep the economy growing in southern Ontario for years to come.”

Actua, a national science, engineering and technology youth outreach network, will receive up to $1.25 million to enhance its customized programming designed to engage youth who are typically underrepresented and underserved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. This includes Aboriginal youth, girls, underprivileged youth, at-risk youth and youth living in remote areas or inner-city neighbourhoods. The funding will help Actua create more spaces in southern Ontario for children to participate in summer camps, classroom workshops, clubs and community outreach activities. These are delivered by university undergraduate students in science, technology and engineering programs who are instructors for Actua network members.

“We are extremely pleased to have this opportunity to grow our southern Ontario members’ capacities to deepen the impact and broaden the reach of our STEM programming, especially for youth who are underserved and underrepresented in STEM. This FedDev Ontario contribution will enhance Actua’s significant contributions to building the next generation of Ontario innovators!” said Jennifer Flanagan, President and CEO of Actua.

The investment is provided through FedDev Ontario’s Youth STEM Initiative, aimed at encouraging students in kindergarten through grade 12 to pursue an education or career in the STEM fields. For more information about the program and Actua, please refer to the backgrounder.

FedDev Ontario was created as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan to support businesses and communities in southern Ontario. Now in its second year of operation, the Agency has launched a number of initiatives to create a Southern Ontario Advantage and place the region in a strong position to compete in the global economy. These initiatives are designed to support businesses and other organizations through partnerships and investments in skills and training; innovation; research and development; and increased productivity. To learn more, please visit the web site or call 1-866-593-5505.

The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, announces that Youth Employment Services (YES) will receive $1,012,022 in non-repayable funding to continue financing its Entrepreneurship program for a three-year period ending March 31, 2014.

“The Government of Canada is proud to support Youth Employment Services, which plays a crucial role in encouraging young members of the Greater Montréal English-speaking community to go into business for themselves,” said Minister Lebel.

This assistance will enable YES to continue offering services, including personalized counselling, business management training, networking and mentoring programs, to help the region’s youth in their efforts to start up a business.

In 2009-2010, some 2,200 young clients availed themselves of the organization’s services, for a total of nearly 9,000 visits. Each year, YES lends its support to the creation of about 200 small and medium-sized enterprises. This funding has been granted through the Community Diversification program.

Bell Media has shared preliminary findings from its fourth annual Canadian Mobile Media Snapshot. The 2011 research illustrates the strong link between mobile media use and brand awareness, favourability and purchase intent.

Among the key findings:

• 82% of mobile media users agree that mobile media is a good way to learn about new products and brands
• 80% of mobile media users agree that mobile media can influence them to investigate a product or service
• 71% of mobile media users agree that mobile media can change the way they think about a product or service
• 65% of mobile media users agree that mobile media can influence them to buy a product or service

“The importance of mobile in daily life has already been well established. What these findings underline is a clear opportunity for brands to impact their key metrics by using mobile media and advertising,” says Jonathan Dunn, Associate Director, Mobile Sales and Marketing, Bell Media Digital. “We are seeing increasingly positive attitudes towards mobile advertising from consumers with nearly 30% of mobile media users citing excellent experiences with mobile ads.”

Of those surveyed, over half had purchased their phone in the last year leading to a smartphone penetration percentage within the survey sample of 56%. This is consistent with the Canadian Wireless and Telecommunications Association’s recently published figures for Smartphone use among key urban demographics in their 2011 Cell Phone Consumer Attitudes Study. These figures align with carrier device sales and widely available projections for Smartphone adoption in the next 6-12 months.

“Conscious of the dramatic acceleration of Smartphone adoption in Canada, the research we released provides much more than a trailing view of the market,” says Dunn. “The 2011 Canadian Mobile Media Snapshot was structured to ensure our sales teams and agency partners have access to data that can be confidently applied to proactive campaign planning.”

Canadian mobile users are also issuing a call to action for Canadian brands to make more content mobile friendly. When asked what would encourage them to use the mobile Internet more, the top reasons respondents gave all spoke to issues solved by more mobile-optimized sites including: sites better designed for mobile browsing; easier to use mobile sites; and more mobile sites.

“The feedback is significant in that it provides clear indication that Canadians have an appetite to engage with brands on mobile but are frustrated by web experiences designed exclusively for desktop,” said Dunn.

The Canadian Mobile Media Snapshot researched consumer use habits and preferences by device, operating system, content consumption and time and place-based use amongst Canadian mobile owners aged 16-64 across Canadian provinces. Age, gender and geographic lenses have been applied to the data to ensure brands working with Bell Media Digital Sales have access to highly relevant and actionable data about their target customer segments in a way that is consistent with existing planning practices.