Village Gamer

San Francisco-based social game developer TheBroth announced today that Victoria, BC mobile and social media game monetization company Playboost, a subsidiary of NeverBlue, has developed Gamebar, a custom game-play monetization toolbar for Barn Buddy, a top game on Facebook with 1.8 million monthly users and the #1 game on Hi5. The new Barn Buddy “Gamebar” toolbar was officially launched on September 3, 2010. The toolbar is uniquely designed to add new income streams for TheBroth beyond revenue share off of search feeds, plus increase Barn Buddy’s user engagement.

“With Barn Buddy, TheBroth is clearly at the top of their game and has captured the imagination and market share of Facebook fans,” said Chris Dykstra, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Playboost. “It’s exciting to work with a group of individuals that challenges us to find new solutions for revenue and user engagement. Their attitude and drive underscores why TheBroth is a leader in Facebook farm games.”

The newly created Gamebar is even further engaging its most avid fans. “I find even I‘m playing the game more! We look forward to increased monetization with Playboost’s Gamebar,” said Markus Weichselbaum, CEO at TheBroth.

In addition to Playboost’s successful Gamebar product, the studio recently launched their Mobile Offer Platform which allows Android and iPhone game developers to monetize their free to play games.

The bookshelves at 155 public school libraries across Canada will now receive a much needed boost in books through the second annual Indigo Love of Reading Foundation Adopt a School program. From September 12th to October 2nd, Indigo, Chapters and Coles stores across Canada “adopted” public schools in their communities. Through the generous donations of customers and employees school libraries were rejuvenated with funds raised by in-store activities and donations.

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Ahoy, mateys! Global video game publisher 505 Games and developer Artificial Mind & Movement (A2M) today announced the latest downloadable chapter for Naughty Bear is available now for Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PlayStation® Network. The new pirate-themed Chapter 9 pits the naughtiest bear around in a bid to lay siege to the Island of Perfection with even more mischievous action, including all-new characters, costumes and challenges.

Filled with exclusive hidden treasures, deadly weapons and brutal buccaneers, Chapter 9 serves up four new challenges to swashbuckle while taking up arms against baddie bears and their leader, Admiral Giggles, as well as The Pirates and their leader, The Great Bear Beard.

To commend their efforts in combat, Chapter 9 players can dress Naughty in his own version of the Pirate Bear costume or even assume the identity of The Great Bear Beard, find two new hats and collect the lethal cutlass, with unique ultra-kill capabilities.

Naughty Bear is available now for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and also for iPhone & iPod Touch through the Apple App Store for $2.99 CAD. The downloadable Chapter 9 is available now on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 400 MS points and on PlayStation Network for the equivalent of $4.99 USD.

Sierra Wireless today announced a multi-year strategic agreement for the company to provide M2M (machine-to-machine) Services Management for Telus. Telus will integrate the Sierra Wireless AirVantage™ Services Platform into their network operations to provide M2M customers with online access to a comprehensive suite of M2M service creation, delivery and management capabilities, making it simpler and faster to bring M2M services to market and opening new service opportunities for Telus and its partners.

ABI Research forecasts M2M connection revenue in Canada to grow at a rate of 26 per cent per year from 2010 to 2015, to a total of $575 million (M2M Market Forecasts, ABI Research, Q3 2010, Total Cellular M2M Connection Revenue by Region, World Market Forecast 2007 – 2015 ). M2M services cover a wide range of applications, including remotely collecting vehicle data, remotely monitoring equipment such as pipelines and wind turbines, wireless point-of-sale devices, and connecting innovative consumer devices such as e-book readers, personal navigation devices, and cameras. Read the rest of this entry »

Waves: Survivor, the first game released by independent developer Renown Entertainment, is now available for US $1.99 on the Apple App Store for the iPhone® and iPod touch®, also compatible with the iPad®.

Help our hero Johnny Calm survive the perils of being lost at sea. Armed with only a paddle and bucket in his trusty rowboat, Johnny must fend off deadly sea creatures and overcome huge waves to make it past each day. Not everything is as grim as it seems with mermaids to befriend, deep-sea treasures to collect, big combos to score, and a special power up to extend his life. Stay alert or you’ll find Johnny swimming with the fishes! Can you survive?

With Waves: Survivor, the team at Renown seamlessly combined old school game play with new school technology [water physics] for a truly innovative and unique experience. Whether you play to beat your own score or compete against friends and the rest of the world for bragging rights, it can become very addictive. The team hopes that gamers everywhere have as much fun playing it as they did creating it.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHDKaVCs6-4]

Guest stars Carolina Stephanie and Alicia Meek provide the look and voice acting for the mermaids in addition to a dramatic music score by Hollywood composer Jason Livesay.

Waves: Survivor features leaderboards (via Facebook and Twitter), interactive water physics, continuous survival gameplay, touch and accelerometer controls, collectible items and many more.

Toronto’s BlueCat Networks, the IPAM Intelligence™ company, has won a prestigious Pilot Award at the 2010 American Security Challenge (ASC). Under the auspices of the National Security Initiative (NSI), the ASC is the largest U.S. competition devoted to bringing the latest and best security technologies to market for homeland security – making it the center of gravity for security technology stakeholders looking to improve long-term U.S. national security. Pilot award selection by ArcSight, a leading global provider of cybersecurity and compliance solutions, underscores BlueCat Networks’ position as the IP Address Management (IPAM) leader in the U.S. government sector.

The ASC is focused on increasing the visibility of innovative technologies so that they can more quickly reach both the public and commercial marketplace. The ASC Pilots provide challengers with the opportunity to have their technologies thoroughly tested by qualified potential customers who have ready contract vehicles and funding. These customers may include various groups within the Department of Defense, Fortune 500 and members of the Intelligence Community. By quickly identifying solutions to mission critical and highly visible issues, the ASC public/private partnerships are helping to secure U.S. citizens, U.S. assets and the U.S. economy.

“BlueCat’s innovative solutions are exactly the type of technology the customer believes can deliver real and immediate security advancements today,” said ASC Chairman Roger London. “We don’t simply award demos just to benchmark technology performance, but rather we set up true pilots with qualified and engaged customers to accelerate the introduction and ultimate deployment of valuable technology by connecting innovative vendors like BlueCat with legitimate customers who might not otherwise meet,” London continued. “Technology is wasted and our national security is unnecessarily exposed if great technology stays on the shelf – so, expediting the adoption and deployment of valuable security technologies, such as BlueCat’s, helps safeguard our technology networks protecting America’s citizens, assets and economy.”
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Electronic Arts Inc. announced today that EA Sports™ NBA Jam from EA Canada is now available in stores worldwide. Available for the Wii™, EA Sports NBA Jam is a revival of one of the most popular and culturally influential arcade basketball games ever made. EA Sports NBA Jam delivers vintage NBA Jam gameplay, combined with all-new features that deliver a fresh new take on the classic game.

“We are really excited about the launch of NBA Jam,” says Peter Moore, president, EA Sports. “This is one of the most anticipated games of the year, and judging by the overwhelmingly positive reactions of the people who have played it, as well as the great critical acclaim it has already earned, NBA JAM is on fire.”

With two distinct game modes: Classic Campaign and Remix Tour, EA Sports NBA Jam offers something for everyone. In Classic Campaign, players can take a trip down memory lane, individually or cooperatively with a friend, as they play through all the teams in the NBA in a worst to first ladder tournament. In Remix Tour, players will be faced with a new twist on the traditional NBA Jam experience. From boss battles against some of the NBA’s greatest legends, to half-court game modes with distinct challenges and winning conditions, players will be taken through an NBA Jam experience that, while completely unique to the basketball videogame genre, is classic arcade hoops at its best.

EA Sports NBA Jam has been rated E for Everyone. In addition to the Wii version, EA SPORTS NBA JAM will be available as a standalone product for the Xbox 360® and the PlayStation®3 in time for the holidays.

Electronic Arts Inc. is also very pleased to announce that EA Sports™ FIFA 11 has once again experienced a record-breaking launch. Based on internal estimates, FIFA 11 has shattered sales records for the title with 2.6 million copies sold through at retail in Europe and North America through Saturday, October 2. FIFA 11 is the fastest selling sports game ever and the title is off to its best start ever in markets around the world, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and North America.

EA Sports also announced that FIFA 11 Ultimate Team, one of the most played, dynamic and connected modes within the FIFA franchise, will now be available for free (Restrictions and conditions apply. Please see back of pack for details) on the PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360® this November. Read the rest of this entry »

The federal government’s use of handheld communications devices and its practices for disposing of unneeded paper documents and surplus computers could expose the personal information of Canadians to unauthorized disclosure, Privacy Commissioner of Canada Jennifer Stoddart has warned.

The findings, stemming from two separate privacy audits conducted by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC), were highlighted in the organization’s 2009-2010 annual report on the Privacy Act, tabled in Parliament today. The Act applies to federal departments, agencies and Crown corporations.

“Our audits turned up some disturbing gaps in the privacy policies and practices of government institutions,” Commissioner Stoddart said. “Whether they’re using a BlackBerry, shredding old papers or disposing of outdated computer equipment, public servants need to know that the security of people’s personal data is a top priority.”

The annual report examines how the government’s holdings of personal data are affected by technology and considers the impact of full-body airport scanners and other national security measures on the privacy rights of Canadians. The report also summarizes key investigations into privacy complaints and data breaches that the Office conducted under the Privacy Act in 2009-2010.

“Considering the vast amounts of personal information on Canadians that the government holds, problems are relatively rare,” the Commissioner acknowledged. But, she noted, the data that the government collects, for purposes such as taxation, income support, the correctional system and international travel, is highly sensitive. Any unauthorized collection, use or disclosure of such data could therefore have serious consequences.

“When it comes to safeguarding the personal information entrusted to it, the government of Canada must always be held to the very highest standards of account.”

Here are some highlights of today’s reports:

* Wireless audit: Of five federal entities examined, none had fully assessed the threats and risks inherent in wireless communications. Gaps in policies and/or practices resulted in weak password protection for smart phones and inadequate encryption for Wi-Fi networks and data stored on mobile devices. Shortcomings were also noted in the disposal of surplus handheld devices and the use of PIN-to-PIN messaging, a form of direct communication between two smart phones that is vulnerable to interception. Read the rest of this entry »

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) today announced the appointment of Catalina Briceño to the position of Director, Industry and Market Trends. In this newly created role, Ms. Briceño will ensure that the CMF’s policies for supporting the production of Canadian television and digital media content are aligned with emerging trends and developments in the industry in Canada and internationally. She will monitor key trends and developments in terms of emerging technologies; business models and production financing; and regulation in order to provide the CMF with market intelligence to develop effective policies.

With over 13 years of experience in the audiovisual and new media industry, Ms. Briceño comes to the CMF from Salambo Productions, where she helped build the strategy and business model behind the internationally acclaimed, multiplatform project Têtes à claques as Producer and Director of Operations. She began her career in 1997 when she founded Caliope Communications Inc., which developed, coordinated financing for, and produced audiovisual content using evolving new media technologies, from digital visual effects to 3D animation to convergent web applications. Over the years, she consulted for various private and public funds and instructed a number of workshops through INIS on new media financing for audiovisual students and professionals. She is regularly invited to speak at conferences about the challenges and opportunities linked to using web and interactive applications in the entertainment sector.

Until joining the CMF, Ms. Briceño served as Vice Chair of the Board of the Regroupement des producteurs multimédia (RPM). In 2008, she received the Prix Séville de la Relève from the Association of Women in Film, Television, and New Media.

Ms. Briceño will join the CMF on October 25, 2010.

Nintendo’s Wii™ system continues to offer millions of North Americans a fun way to come together for fun times. Now, with the Oct. 3 launch of the game Wii Party™, Nintendo is kicking the revelry into overdrive with a wild new set of party games, minigames and group activities that instantly turn any social gathering into a laugh-filled celebration. Wii Party gives players new ways to interact with the Wii Remote™ controller and their personalized Mii™ characters, featuring unique activities that spread the action from the TV into the living room. Whether you’re planning a Halloween party or a New Year’s bash, this season’s hottest party game is Wii Party.

There’s never been a game quite like Wii Party. In addition to fresh takes on favorites such as bingo and board games, players can experience interactive challenges that leap right off the screen. For example, Animal Tracker asks players to grab the Wii Remote controller that is emitting the correct animal sound, while Hide ‘n’ Hunt will have them hiding controllers around the room and scrambling to find them before time runs out. A total of 13 party games and more than 80 minigames are included for limitless social entertainment, and no matter what the occasion, Wii Party keeps players in the spotlight by putting their customized Mii characters at the center of the action. (Some activities require more than one Wii Remote controller; additional controllers are sold separately.)

“When people get together for the holidays, they look for things that everyone in the family can enjoy,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “Wii Party delivers hours and hours of fun for everybody in the household, from the kids to grandma and grandpa. It’s yet another way in which the Wii system offers maximum entertainment at an unbeatable value.”

The games in Wii Party are divided into three categories. Easy-to-learn Party Games offer family-friendly amusement for up to four players. Pair Games include both cooperative and competitive activities for one or two players at a time. And House Party games spread the action throughout the living room, challenging players to interact with the Wii Remote controller – and each other – in new and imaginative ways. Additionally, more than 80 inventive minigames are peppered throughout Wii Party to keep players on their toes.

Sundays on TELETOON At Night – a programming block for older teens and adults – gets an extra punch of hilarity and absurdity this fall with the launch of TELETOON’s first-ever hosted block, Fred At Night. Featuring host Fred Kennedy, Fred At Night airs every Sunday beginning Sunday, October 17 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

The post-10 p.m. block will include a series of eight hosted segments throughout TELETOON At Night’s exclusive Sunday night programming line-up of Robot Chicken, The Dating Guy, Archer and the TELETOON At Night Pilot Project. Fred will be hanging out with viewers over the course of the two-hour block, introducing series’ episodes for that night, sharing his views on the animation style, characters and storylines, and providing commentary on his many passions from music, comics and movies to technology, celebrities and current events. Periodically, Fred will also interview various show creators, fans and voice actors during the block.

“Fred At Night is a dream gig for me. It’s hard to believe that I actually have a job where I can rant about the things that I absolutely love like cartoons and comics,” said Fred Kennedy, Host of Fred At Night on TELETOON At Night. “I can’t wait to give my take on the Sunday night line-up, women I’d like to date like Tifa from Final Fantasy V11 or the life lessons I’ve learned from Star Wars.”

With a succesful career in radio and concurrently the host of the afternoon drive show on Toronto’s 102.1 the Edge, Fred makes his debut as a television host on Fred At Night, bringing with him his love of cartoons, superheroes and comics.

Born and raised in Nova Scotia in a military household, Fred spent his pre-teen years in Belgium and lived in a number of different cities across Canada. During his adolescence in Edmonton, Fred would tune in to Drive Time with Matt and Jake on 100.3 The Bear on his way home from school. Eight years later he wound up hosting that same time slot and renamed it Fearless Fred’s Radio Extravaganza, a radio show which won him the Steve Young Broadcaster of the Year Award in March of 2009. The attention he earned from the award led to an offer of hosting afternoon drive on 102.1 the Edge and he made the move to Toronto in fall 2009 with his wife and cat.

Fred has not only been dissecting cartoons since he was five years old, but he is an avid reader and writer of comic books, loves playing video games, has a very respectable t-shirt collection, enjoys cupcakes, and even trains his cat to rob banks.

“The TELETOON At Night viewer craves edgy, smart comedy and wants to interact with people who share their appreciation for this kind of programming,” said Alan Gregg, Director, Original Content, TELETOON Canada inc. “Fred is the archetype of the typical TELETOON At Night viewer and along with his amazing store of animation, superhero and cartoon knowledge, he makes the perfect host to connect with this programming block’s audience and develop a community of like-minded viewers – both on-air and online.”

In addition to the on-air content, Fred At Night will produce and offer exclusive online content for teletoonatnight.com to further engage with TELETOON At Night viewers. Fred will create blog posts weekly; topics will include a regular video review of TELETOON At Night’s upcoming Saturday Night Movie, a “Top 5” video segment featuring a different theme each week, a blog series titled “She’s Too Good For You” focusing on Fred’s object of affection for the week and Fred’s review of the series’ weekly episodes. Viewers will also be able to follow and interact with Fred through social media networks including Twitter and Facebook.

Woozworld, a virtual world powered by tweens, announces today it now has more than 1 million avatars created in over 80 different countries, and 2 million user-generated virtual spaces in just over eight months since its late December 2009 launch.

“We are extremely proud of what Woozworld has accomplished in just eight short months,” said Eric Brassard, CEO of Woozworld. “Through our highly engaging worlds that offer relevant user experiences to our tween and teen audiences, a safe online environment where parents can let their kids have fun and learn at the same time, and a smart business model, we’ve made Woozworld a success in less than a year.”

Targeted for kids ages nine to 14, Woozworld provides an engaging and interactive experience by letting them create their own world where they can fashion their own characters, make new Woozworld friends, do virtual business, set-up activities and essentially drive the show. All personal information is protected and Woozworld strictly conforms to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection act.

In addition to hitting more than 1 million profiles in eight months, Woozworld has also partnered with some of the leading companies today, including Facebook;  Wallie Card, a payment method card for Internet payments; and Zong, the leading mobile payments platform for digital goods and services sellers.

“We’ve worked with many different companies and we truly believe in our partnerships given what they represent and have to offer,” says Mathieu Lampron, VP of Operations for Woozworld. “In fact, we’ve seen our sales rapidly climb in the last few months; we’re excited to see our business relationships grow.”

Moneyville.ca has opened the town gates to financial empowerment. With Canadian-focused content, interactive tools and an online community, Canadians now have access to everything they need to take control of their finances, all in one place. Moneyville.ca will draw on experts to provide the straight talk on personal finance for Canadians at every stage of life.

“We are overloaded with complicated financial information, and often don’t have the tools available to fully understand how the news of the day will impact personal finances,” says Adam Mayers, editor of Moneyville.ca. “With fresh content offered daily, Moneyville.ca will be a trusted resource giving visitors the tools they need to be successful.”

This week on Moneyville.ca:

• Author of The Wealthy Barber, David Chilton, gives an exclusive peek at his new book, The Wealthy Barber Returns: Significantly Older and Marginally Wiser, Dave Chilton Offers His Unique Perspectives on the World of Money.
• Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty shares five tips he is giving his three 19-year-old sons.
• Mutual fund expert Gordon Pape takes us through the deadly sins of investing.
• Veteran financial journalists Ellen Roseman and James Daw share the most important lessons they’ve learned in 25+ years of covering personal finance.

Moneyville.ca will cover a wide spectrum of personal finance topics, such as budgeting, saving, borrowing, investing, retirement, insurance, tax and real estate in relationship to every stage of life. The “Moms on Money” columnists will arm families with the information they need to nurture the financial health of the whole family. Well-known television personality Alison Griffiths kicks off her new column with a series of videos on investing. And, setting 20 and 30-somethings on the right track to financial know-how, bloggers Adam Goodman and Krystal Yee will share their secrets to turning their finances around.

Whether you’re wondering if your investment philosophy makes sense, or thinking about going fixed or variable on your mortgage, Moneyville.ca will give visitors access to more than 30 tools and calculators.

According to a recent survey conducted on thestar.com, two-thirds of people feel comfortable with their finances, but only one-third feel in control. “I feel passionate about helping people get to a point where they feel they can count on themselves to be in control of their own financial situation,” says Alison Griffiths. “You have to devote a bit of time up front to get the money side of your life in order, particularly with respect to investments, which are a big mystery to most people. But after that it only takes 30 – 60 minutes a month to stay on top of your financial goals.”

Future Shop is using a modern form of recruitment to hire more than 4,000 tech savvy seasonal associates by turning to social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter. Canada’s largest consumer electronics retailer and e-tailer currently employs nearly 10,000 in its 146 stores, meaning its seasonal hiring blitz will add more than 40 per cent more employees to stores across the country.

“To find an educated team of associates to help shoppers find the most exciting gifts this holiday season, Future Shop’s recruitment plans go beyond traditional job postings,” said Chris Taylor, Vice President, HR, Future Shop. “We recognize that most of our customers and associates are social media savvy, so what better way to recruit them through channels they frequently use.”

Future Shop’s hiring blitz begins nationally at the start of October, allowing the company enough time to properly train the thousands of seasonal associates that will support our current full and part-time Product Experts and Associates. The new hires will be in stores until January to help customers find exciting gifts in all areas including Cellshop, appliances, gaming and mobile audio.

“With the holidays being Future Shop’s biggest and busiest season, we’re thrilled that we can create thousands of new jobs for Canadians as we prepare for another successful shopping season in our stores and on our website,” said Taylor. “There are currently nearly two million employees in Canada’s retail trade and we are proud to be a major player in that space.”