Village Gamer

Distribution360 has sold three properties to UK-based CSC Media Group at the Banff World Media Festival. CSC owns and operates several television channels in the UK: Tiny Pop (geared to kids 4-6) will air This is Daniel Cook and This is Emily Yeung, and Kix (geared to boys 7-12) will air Ambition Skatecamp.

Tiny Pop is a popular channel for kids 4-6 years old, which features a fun mix of educational, entertaining, and inspiring programming. Starting later this summer, the channel will broadcast:

• This is Daniel Cook (65 x 6′ Episodes): An educational adventure where children join six-year-old host Daniel Cook on all of his exciting adventures, whether he is learning with Olympic gold medalists and zookeepers, or creating with award-winning musicians. Preschoolers learn, create and explore with Daniel, a preschooler himself, who shares their interests and curiosity.
• This is Emily Yeung (65 x 6′ Episodes): Sunny six-year-old Emily Yeung is host to a whole universe of discovery and adventures that capture the imagination of preschoolers. Children tag along with Emily as she explores, learns and creates with everyone from painters and musicians, to politicians and rocket scientists.

Kix is the UK’s only channel devoted to boys 7-12 years old. It features a mix of gross-out comedy, action-packed animation, and high energy sports programming. Starting later this summer, the channel will broadcast:

• Ambition Skatecamp (8 x 30′ Episodes): Eight talented young skateboarders go head-to-head for an intense week of skateboarding competitions. The contestants compete for a profile in SBC Skateboard Magazine and a chance to participate in the Maloof Money Cup worth $450,000 in prize money.

“We’re very pleased to be bringing these great kids and youth properties to audiences in the UK,” says Stéphanie Röckmann-Portier, Managing Director/Head of Sales, Distribution360. “The CSC Media Group boasts an exceptional variety of programming on its channels,” continues Röckmann-Portier.  “Daniel Cook, Emily Yeung, and Ambition Skatecamp will be great additions to the company’s lineup.”

Sonomax® Technologies, Inc. has announced that their award winning sculpted eers™ custom earphones will be available to Canadian retail customers this week. The highly acclaimed custom molded earphones will be premiered on Wednesday, June 15^th at Boutique Tone in Montreal, at HearAtLast in Ottawa (Orleans) on Thursday, June 16^th and on Friday, June 17^th at HearAtLast in West Edmonton. The Ottawa (Orleans) HearAtLast is located at 3900 Innes Road and the West Edmonton HearAtLast is at 18521 Stony Plain Rd. N.W.

Sculpted eers, the revolutionary custom earphones which can also be pre-ordered at the sculpted eers website for delivery in August, are molded to the unique shape of an individual’s ear canal in just four minutes. They provide maximum comfort, exceptional sound, and a secure fit even during vigorous activity. Additionally, the acoustic seal delivers a total audio immersion experience so consumers can safely enjoy the highest quality music at a fraction of the volume required by generic earphones.

“I’m thrilled to offer sculpted eers custom earphones to my customers, ” said Boutique Tone Owner and CEO Jeremy Stern. “They’re amazing. I’m always looking for the newest and coolest products on the planet and that’s exactly what sculpted eers are. I saw how people reacted to them at the NAMM Show earlier this year and now that I’ve been using them, I’m even more of a believer. My customers are going to love them.”

Nick Laperle, Sonomax Technologies’ President and CEO will attend the official product launch, which will be from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m. on June 15^th at Boutique Tone, 4292 Saint-Laurent in Montreal. “Boutique Tone is Montreal’s premier specialty music store for guitar and bass players. They are perfect partners for sculpted eers custom molded earphones,” Laperle said. “I’m delighted that I’ll be on hand for the launch and am looking forward to personally introducing sculpted eers to Boutique Tone’s customers.”

Laperle will also be present for the sculpted eers launch at two HearAtLast locations. The Ottawa (Orleans) sculpted eers launch is set for Thursday, June 16^th and on Friday, June 17^th the West Edmonton HearAtLast store will introduce the sculpted eers product. Launch time will be from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at both locations. HearAtLast, a store-within-a-store at various Walmart locations throughout Canada, sells state-of-the-art hearing aids, earphones and other assistive hearing devices. Read the rest of this entry »

Going Loud Studios, creators of Zombie Accountant, has announced that “Lair of the Evildoer” has gone gold will be released on Xbox Live Indie Games this Friday, June 17th. Gamers will be able to download it from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for only 80 Microsoft Points.

“We’re using the latest in cutting-edge set-your-release-date technology,” said Ben Kane, founder of Going Loud Studios. “It gives us an unprecedented level of control over when the game comes out.”

“Oh and the game’s pretty good too,” he continued, when asked to say something relevant.

In “Lair of the Evildoer”, players will attempt to escape the lair of mad scientist and all-around evildoer Dr. Odious. They’ll fight over 30 types of monsters as they explore the procedurally generated levels hunting for the best loot. Their only allies are the 25 varieties of weapons, each with dozens of variations. Fortunately, players will gain experience and spend stat points to improve their character and better their odds of making it out alive. They’ll need all the help they can get.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1JLIGP7TIM]

01 Communique Laboratory Inc. and Wi-LAN Inc. have entered into an agreement that will see WiLAN assist 01 Communique in the licensing of 01 Communique’s patents related to remote access technology for a number of specified licensees.

“Having signed technology license agreements with hundreds of companies, including Broadcom, Intel, LG, Motorola and Samsung, worth many hundreds of millions of dollars, WiLAN has demonstrated superior licensing capabilities,” said Andrew Cheung, President and CEO, 01 Communique.  “WiLAN’s proven track record and its strong financial position makes WiLAN an ideal choice to help maximize the revenue that we anticipate can be generated from our patented technology.  We are very pleased with the opportunity to work with WiLAN.

Added Cheung, “We have a complete suite of products in the remote access marketplace that have been built using our patented technology and we believe there are companies that are using this patented technology to compete against us.”

“WiLAN has been aware of the 01 Communique patents for some time and believes these are extremely important patents,” said Jim Skippen, Chairman & CEO, WiLAN.  “This partnership  is very significant to WiLAN and we are confident that we will be able to develop a licensing program that will benefit both 01 Communique and WiLAN.  This is especially exciting for WiLAN since it will bring us into new markets.”

Under the terms of the agreement, WiLAN’s subsidiary Gladios IP will have day-to-day responsibility for developing programs aimed at licensing 01 Communique’s patents.

The emergence of digital markets can help Canada’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) sell internationally by increasing access to foreign customers and improving the quality, speed, and cost-effectiveness of transactions.

Despite the potential benefits, Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are hesitant to sell online because they lack the knowledge of how to do so effectively, according to a Conference Board of Canada report, Building International Sales in a Digitized Economy: Best Practices for SMEs. The report identifies three main factors that contribute to success in international digital markets: a favourable online reputation, strong online technological capabilities, and an engaged online brand community.

“Most Canadian small and medium-sized businesses use the internet, but online selling is not yet widespread,” said Rebecca Reuber, co-author and Professor of Strategic Management at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. “Many small and medium-sized businesses do not know how to reach foreign customers online or how to adapt their business model to take advantage of digital markets.”

“Although greater internationalization provides growth opportunities, doing business in foreign markets can be difficult and costly for resource-constrained SMEs, and most of them operate solely in the domestic market,” said Eileen Fischer, co-author and Max and Anne Tanenbaum Chair of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise. “One particular hurdle for some firms is the investment that’s required in technology to sell effectively online. ”

A Statistics Canada survey reported in 2008 that only 36 per cent of Canadian private sector organizations believed doing business over the Internet would allow them to reach new customers. And a 2010 Statistics Canada study found that only seven per cent of small enterprises and 13 per cent of medium size enterprises were selling online in 2007, about the same percentage reported in 2001.

The Conference Board report shows that the competitive context for SMEs in international digital markets differs from that in traditional markets. Online buyers are more apt to imitate the purchasing behavior of other customers, technological capabilities increase in importance, and online buyers are interested in participating in online communities. As a result, three main factors that affect company success are:

• A favourable online reputation – elements include visibility, trustworthiness, and signals of high product or service quality.
• Strong online technological capabilities – the CEO and other top managers must champion technological development, rather than delegating responsibility.
• Engaged online brand communities – buyers increasingly want to become involved with firms, so companies should invest resources in monitoring a range of social media and interacting with customers.

The research also identifies three major challenges. First, SME owners need to be cautious about relying exclusively on online contact with customers. Second, entering foreign markets haphazardly – or as market pioneers – can lead to costly mistakes that could be avoided with a deliberate and coherent strategy. Third, SME owners need to think about how “Canadian” they want their image or brand to be, as there can be advantages in making borders as invisible as possible.

The report concludes on a series of eight policy-related implications, including:

• foster offline interactions between buyers and sellers;
• focus on foreign markets with high growth potential instead of simply responding to unsolicited online requests;
• ensure access to high capacity Internet and wireless networks;
• ensure banks and government agencies are able to assess intangible resources, such as a firm’s reputation and online community;
• provide more recent data about the international activities of Canadian SME in digital markets;

This report is publicly available at www.e-library.ca and was produced by the International Trade and Investment Centre for the Conference Board’s CanCompete program. CanCompete is a three-year program of research and dialogue is designed to help leading decision makers advance Canada on a path of national competitiveness. The International Trade and Investment Centre also published Canada’s Trade in a Digital World in April 2011.

The ESL Literacy Network at Bow Valley College in Calgary has won the National Adult Literacy Database (NALD) 2011 Innovative Technology Award for providing ESL literacy practitioners with access to innovative online resources that inform classroom instruction and support ongoing professional development.

“The website provides an in-depth look at ESL literacy levels, learning needs, programming considerations, curriculum development and strategies for classroom instruction,” the nominator’s submission reads.

“Finding level-appropriate learning materials for adult learners with interrupted formal education is a challenge that all ESL literacy instructors face.  More than just a website, the ESL Literacy Network is a place for literacy practitioners to connect, share ideas and learn from the expertise that has been amassed at Bow Valley College.”

The content provided on the website is based on years of classroom experience at the college combined with research and feedback from ESL literacy practitioners locally, provincially, nationally and internationally.  The website recognizes that ESL literacy programs are diverse and serve different learner populations in both urban and rural contexts and in part-time and full-time settings. The ESL Literacy Network is funded by the Government of Alberta.

“The ESL Literacy Network responds to the professional development needs of practitioners by providing a forum for ongoing professional growth and development,” said the NALD Board of Directors members who comprised the selection committee for the award competition.  “The innovative website has successfully leveraged technology and the Internet to provide more than an information hub – the website provides opportunities for extensive sharing of resources and in-depth discussion and reflection on classroom practice and research.”

“Educators will benefit from this user-friendly website, which provides a pedagogical approach for curriculum development, along with strategies and resources that support ESL literacy instruction. In this era of economic restraint, educators will appreciate the reproducible photo stories that can be downloaded and used in the classroom. The technical aspects of the ESL Literacy Network’s website – navigation, accessibility, aesthetic and visual appeal – are exemplary.”

With the launch of new clear and simple international travel pricing, Canadians can travel abroad this summer knowing they automatically enjoy Telus’ most affordable roaming rates in more than 200 countries. With the launch of Telus’ new clear and simple international travel pricing, all customers get the same low roaming rates when they’re traveling. Separate bundles and passes are no longer required to take advantage of the lowest rate, making it easy and hassle-free for customers to use Telus wireless services when overseas.

“After the launch of our new HSPA+ wireless network in late 2009, Telus was able to offer our customers a true international roaming capability for the first time, ending Rogers’ monopoly in international roaming for Canadians. We quickly started working with carriers around the world to negotiate reduced roaming rates for our customers and we now want to make it as simple and affordable as possible for our customers to use their smartphones wherever they go, without coming home to a surprise on their bill,” said David Fuller, Telus Chief Marketing Officer. “We understand what our customers want and we’ve been working hard over the last few years to give them exactly what they are asking for – clear and simple rate plans without system access and 911 carrier fees, a device unlocking service, a free SMS data notification service so they know how much data they have used, and easier access to affordable long distance rates through our recently-announced Skype partnership. Today, we are adding clear, simple and affordable international roaming rates for all of our customers.”

The combination of Telus’ device unlocking service, which allows Telus customers to use local SIM cards overseas; the easy experience of using Skype for affordable long distance calling; and now greatly reduced international roaming rates add up to great news for Canadians planning to travel overseas this summer. Telus’ new clear and simple international roaming rates will be available to all Telus customers – business and consumer – in over 200 countries, starting June 27:

Toronto’s Phantom Compass, contributors to the Skatoony Home Game for marblemedia’s Skatoony TV show, among others, has launched their latest project to the masses. Points 4 People is currently in public beta and uses a unique tag to add (or subtract) points for Twitter users.

The premise for the game (as explained on the P4P site), is to provide a global points exchange and leaderboard system for Twitter users like you. Reward your friends, penalize your enemies, or vice versa. Exchanged points are broadcast via Twitter, tracked by Points 4 People and automagically popped into our leaderboards, activity feeds, and profile pages. No additional signup or permission is required. Simply reference someone in your Twitter post, add the hashtag #p4p and a positive (eg. #p4p+56) or negative number (eg. #p4p-42) of your choice.

Phantom Compass Founding Partner & Producer/Director Tony Walsh is currently down in San Francisco, so I conducted a quick email interview with him to find out more about Points 4 People:

VG: How (and why) did you come up with the concept for Points4People?

TW: Our technical director Jos Yule had come up with the idea of Points 4 People as a secret side project. He mentioned the concept to me a few weeks ago while we were on our way to a meeting, and by the time we arrived we decided it had to get made.

As a game company we’ve been following developments in so-called “gamification” for years, and we’re fascinated by how invested people become in reward structures. Points 4 People is an experiment in this area, and we think it’s got a lot of potential for consumer and business use.

VG: How long has Points 4 People been in development?

TW: We’ve spent several weeks on the project but the development time was probably under 40 person-hours. We’re in an ongoing development phase now as we iron out bugs, test new ideas, and implement user feedback.

VG: What was the biggest challenge the studio faced in bringing Points 4 People to life?

TW: Time. We burned a lot of midnight oil immediately prior to launch.

VG: Will there be a monetization aspect to this gamification of Twitter?

TW: Absolutely. We’ve got consumer and B2B options cooking. We’re going to be very careful with how we handle the commercialization.

VG: I know you’ve only just launched – but has anyone taken the game too seriously yet? (I was meaning from an over-praising/vindictive perspective, but Tony’s answer is good news, too!)

TW:Yes, there’s already been unofficial interest from one of the world’s largest technology companies.

VG: Where do you see Points 4 People going – what is your hope for the game?

TW: We are paying close attention to what our users want and how they are using Points 4 People. As we plan for a Facebook implementation we’re also getting great feedback on the Twitter-based system and making changes on a daily basis.

VG: Thank you for your time, is there anything else you’d like to add?

TW: #p4p+1000 @villagegamer

🙂

The actors starring in the July 2011 Toronto Fringe Festival production of The Mistress’ Boyfriend – an original play written by DeeJay Dayton – are putting their improv training to work – rather than using the stage to improvise they are using the online world to further develop their characters on Facebook.

The play is the story of a Southern Preacher who has re-written the Bible, his mischievous wife, an anarchist prostitute and her ex-con boyfriend.  Told in reverse order the play is filled with mystery and murder. Each of the actors have created a facebook page and all are interacting on their event page;  posting photos and videos and developing their relationships online. The idea for this character development was the brainchild of Artsy Fartsy PR who are doing publicity for the event.

Alexis Fakouri from Artsy Fartsy PR says: “We created this concept based on the idea that every one of us has an online and a real life persona. Increasingly, people interact more with each other online than they do in person – why should these characters be any different?”

The play is showing at Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace between July 7th and 15th, 2011.  The cast: Mandy May Cheetham, DeeJay Dayton, Amanda Petryschuk, and Oliver Georgiou and directed by Alan Bee – a comedic improviser, director and producer.

The Mistress’ Boyfriend – written by Deejay Dayton and presented by Quondam Dreams of Toronto

An imperious bible publisher, an aspiring anarchist, an ex-con and a woman who will do anything for a thrill get caught up in a whirlwind of deceptions, betrayals, sex games and murder in this darkly comic melodrama. how did it all come to this?

Director: Natasha Booner
Genre: Play, Comedy
Warning: Smoking, Gunshots, Nudity, Sexual Content, Graphic Violence, Mature Language
Show Runtime: 50 minutes

Show Times:

Thursday, July – 7 7:45 PM
Friday, July 8 – 8:15 PM
Sunday, July 10 – 1:00 PM
Monday, July 11 – 2:15 PM
Tuesday, July 12 – 6:45 PM
Wednesday, July 13 – 4:45 PM
Friday, July 15 – 1:45 PM
Saturday, July 16 – 9:45 PM

Toronto studio March Entertainment has released its first Android game to the Marketplace. The bubble-popping puzzler Cranky Cat is a free to try title, with more levels available through in-app purchasing. There are more than 250 hand-crafted levels in Story and Puzzle modes, as well as three variations of “infinite” mode. A free demo can be played on the official Cranky Cat website. An Apple iOS (iPad, iPhone and iPod touch) version will arrive in the coming weeks, as well as full online and downloadable versions.

Fast-paced and addictive, the game features a cantankerous Victorian-era cat trying to create a youth elixir by condensing chemical compounds in a steam-powered centrifuge. Cranky Cat is March’s first game not tied to an existing intellectual property, and marks the company’s foray into “pure” casual gaming just for the fun of it. Cranky Cat is OpenFeint-enabled and was built in the Unity game engine, another first for March Entertainment, which has previously built games primarily in Flash, such as The Great Canadian Trivia Shootout and Dex Hamilton’s Bug Quest.

Last month the studio’s groundbreaking web-to-TV animated comedy series Chilly Beach became available in the U.S. for the first time on Hulu and the Hulu Plus subscription service, via a deal with distributor Duopoly. Originally produced for the CBC, Chilly Beach ran over three seasons and garnered a large and enthusiastic following through a combination of broadcast play and the property’s dynamic, interactive website.

Along with Chilly Beach, two original series-related movies released after the TV series, The World is Hot Enough and The Canadian President are also available on Hulu and Hulu Plus. The series and movies are viewable for free on Hulu.com to U.S. viewers.

“Chilly Beach was the first web-to-TV series in Canada and we are delighted to launch this flagship comedy franchise to U.S. audiences for the first time on Hulu,” said Catherine Tait, President of Duopoly. “We’ve seen impressive viewership numbers for great Canadian series like Odd Job Jack on Hulu and believe it is a valuable option for producers seeking to monetize their content in the U.S.”