Village Gamer

Vancouver – Pixar Studios has announced that they will be opening a new 20 000 square foot Vancouver studio this fall. Pixar President told The Hollywood Reporter that the new studio will focus on the production of Pixar’s short films and other non-feature projects based for the most part on “legacy characters”, such as the characters of Toy Story.

“The operation will be small in size and dedicated to producing short-form quality computer animation for theme parks, DVDs, television and theatrical exhibition… for several different divisions of The Walt Disney Company”, he continued, while General Manager Jim Morris stated that “the studio plans to hire 75 – 100 employees, with the majority of them being Canadian.”
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2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., announced today that it has signed a partnership with Digital Extremes to develop the multiplayer experience for BioShock® 2. Under this partnership, Digital Extremes is working closely with the creative team at 2K Marin to develop a new and substantial element that enhances the lore and fiction of the BioShock universe.

“The fans asked for a multiplayer experience and we answered,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “With Digital Extremes delivering a multiplayer experience for BioShock 2 that features all of the things that make BioShock unique, we’re holding ourselves to a high standard so that we can deliver the depth and variety that fans of the BioShock universe demand.”
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Toronto – TransGaming Inc., announces a partnership with Tale of Tales to bring their biggest project to date: a highly original, artistic, horror game, entitled ‘The Path‘, to the Mac. The Mac version of The Path was enabled by TransGaming’s Cider Engine and will be digitally distributed globally. Available immediately, The Path for Mac can be downloaded by the Mac community for $9.99 US at Tale-of-Tales.com, GameTreeOnline.com and other GameTree Network sites.

“The Path is a unique and intriguing journey designed to encourage inquisitiveness and adventure. As an Indie title that has received broad acclaim, The Path is a natural fit for the Mac,” commended Vikas Gupta, President & CEO of TransGaming. “With most of the gameplay being entirely optional, the player has all the freedom in the world, an aspect we believe is very well aligned to the essence of the Mac community.”
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Toronto – Creativeworks Productions is proud to announce they have won platinum for the GreenPrint animated video in this year’s Hermes Creative Awards competition. Hermes recognizes outstanding work in the industry, attracting thousands of creative artists from around the world. Their annual creative awards are judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP).

The GreenPrint animated video was created for the Town of Markham, known for embracing new technologies and innovative approaches in communication. Markham’s GreenPrint sustainability plan targets residents of all ages, including youth. The GreenPrint video, targeting the difficult to reach 11-18 youth market, was created to generate excitement for Markham’s new youth website, www.markham.ca/greenprint, and to create a buzz in the youth market.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiKQ1h4u_M0]

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Vancouver – Nitobi Inc. announced today that RobotReplay — its website session recording technology — has been acquired by ForeSee Results, an online customer satisfaction measurement company based in Michigan. ForeSee Results modified and enhanced RobotReplay and has integrated the technology into its suite of predictive customer satisfaction analytics tools.

RobotReplay first launched at Web 2.0 Expo in 2007. It was designed to record and play back visitor sessions for any website. It showed mouse movements, keystrokes, where users clicked, how far they scrolled down a page, and more. RobotReplay was a natural extension of Nitobi’s research and development program. It supported the company’s mission to find new ways to build better user experiences on the web.
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Vancouver – DOXA 2009 will screen 75 films during the expanded ten-day festival. This year the festival offers the most diverse and innovative programming to its widest audience yet, with the majority of films offering upliftment through intimate and inspirational stories.

Afghan Girls Can Kick is one of the most powerful stories of this year’s festival. It tells the story of the first ever Afghani women’s soccer team. Not only is it the first women’s team, but the athletes are extremely passionate and skilled at their sport. These women fought to form a team and they keep on fighting for what they deserve, including a chance to play their first international tournament.
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Vancouver – Tonight’s AnnexPro informational session, Discover How to Make Better Games + Animation with Autodesk DEC Tools, has been cancelled due to Game Four in the Vancouver Canucks – Chicago Blackhawks play-off series. AnnexPro encourages those who were planning on attending this session to please register for the AutoDesk Virtual Event on May 19 instead.

Also, please note that the May 14th event, Up Close + Personal: Autodesk 3ds Max 2010 with Louis Marcoux may be postponed due to further Canucks play-off action. Please check the event page for further information.

Go Canucks Go!

Edmonton – Computer games are a major economic force in the burgeoning interactive entertainment industry. In the past, computer graphics was used to differentiate products but recent hardware advances have leveled the playing field. Today, the savvy consumer looks beyond the mere appearance of a game to the quality of its content. Artificial intelligence (AI) is seen as the next leap forward in technology, attempting to create game characters that behave and converse as realistically as possible. Come hear how progress in this seemingly narrow topic will impact your daily lives in the not to distant future. Read the rest of this entry »

Banff – Featuring top television program creators, broadcasters, and executives in children’s and animation television industries, Kids and Animation Day includes sessions, networking opportunities, broadcaster briefings and spotlights on high-profile players in the industry.

Network with and hear from:

Brown Johnson, President, Animation, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group
David Levine, VP, Worldwide Programming Strategy and Windowing, Disney Channel and Jetix
Agnes Augustin, President, Shaw Rocket Fund
Joan Lambur, Executive Producer, Breakthrough Entertainment
Matt Hornburg, Partner/Producer, Marble Media
Vince Commisso, President and CEO, 9 Story Entertainment
Toper Taylor, President and COO, Cookie Jar Entertainment
Stuart Snyder, President and COO, Cartoon Network, Turner Broadcasting
Frank Saperstein, SVP Animation and Children’s Programming, E1 Entertainment
Joe Godwin, Head of News, Factual and Entertainment, BBC Children’s
Beth Stevenson, Executive Vice President, Production and Development
Ira Levy, Executive Producer, Breakthrough Entertainment
Finn Arneson, SVP Original Animation and Acquisitions, Cartoon Network
Jocelyn Hamilton, VP Programming and Production, Corus Kids

Sessions will run concurrently with the regularly scheduled sessions on Tuesday, June 9.
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Montreal – Today Ubisoft® announced that their E3 press conference will be held at the Los Angeles Theatre on June 1, 2009 at 5 pm local time (doors open at 4 pm). The press conference is by invitation only to Ubisoft partners, investors, retailers and select media. It will also be broadcast online for the public the following morning Ubisoft’s web site.

During the press conference Ubisoft will unveil its line-up for Holiday 2009 and beyond including a demonstration of the eagerly anticipated new comedy-adventure Rabbids Go Home®, and exclusive reveals of Red Steel® 2 and the massively popular Assassin’s Creed® II, as well as other unannounced titles and special guests that are certain to thrill attendees and web viewers. The event will be hosted by actor and comedian Joel McHale, writer, producer and star of E!’s The Soup and star of NBC’s upcoming comedy series “The Community”.

Ubisoft’s website will host select information direct from Ubisoft’s booth at E3, giving fans access to exclusive interviews and trailers of Ubisoft games.