Village Gamer

We are going to be at Merging Media 2103, which is being held at the Granville Island Art’s Club in Vancouver this November 6th and 7th, and we would like to see you there. The organizers over at Merging Media would like you to answer a somewhat easy, although possibly tricky, trivia question about the conference’s speakers correctly in order to be entered in a random draw to win one of three conference passes. The contest begins today and runs until noon PDT on October 30th 2013. The winner will be announced November 1st. Send your entry, along with your contact information, to contest-at-villagegamer-dot-net. Please use “MM13 Contest” in the subject line. One entry person, winners will be notified via email. To enter, answer this question:

There’s a great lineup of over 50 speakers featured at The Merging Media 2013 Conference – Global Edition. How many countries do they represent?

Enterprise Information Management (EIM) developer OpenText announced it has been recognized by Mediacorp Canada, Inc. as one of the “Top Employers in Canada” for 2014. As part of the “Canada’s Top 100 Employers” project, the national competition awards Canadian employers for their leadership in the creation of exceptional workplaces for employees. OpenText’s selection as one of the Top 100 Employers in Canada was announced in a special section of The Globe and Mail today. Read the rest of this entry »

Telefilm Canada continues to support emerging feature film talent through its Micro-Budget Production Program for a second year. Through this Program, Telefilm will support between eight to ten projects through the Main Component, and up to three projects in the new Aboriginal component. This Program also seeks to stimulate the use of digital distribution platforms and increase audience access to the works of new Canadian talent, aiming to increase support and visibility for Aboriginal creators through the Aboriginal component. Read the rest of this entry »

Visual display solutions provider and LED gaming monitor expert BenQ America Corp. has announced a partnership with Evil Geniuses (EG), a world-leading pro gaming team and new media agency. The partnership will equip the pro gamers at EG with the latest display solutions from BenQ’s gaming-centric XL and RL series of monitors built specifically for eSports, and will further the team’s ability to travel the world competing in the most famed gaming tournaments.  Read the rest of this entry »

International developer Superhippo gives buccaneers and aspiring sea captains a new reason to set sail, announcing today that Pirate Legends is available for free on iOS devices. Traverse the Seven Seas as you fend off attacks from the British navy, cannibal tribes and even the undead. For a limited time, download Pirate Legends for free from the iTunes App Store. Read the rest of this entry »

With a console in 61% of households, Canada’s gaming industry is the third largest in the world – and with $1.7 billion spent annually, consumers are shelling out to get in on the action, according to Secor Consulting Group’s Canada’s Entertainment Software Industry In 2011 report. A RateSupermarket.ca poll finds 37.6% of respondents allocate a portion of their budget to video games – with 16.4% admitting to buying an average of 15 new games each year. The study illustrates the affordability of upcoming Generation 8 consoles such as the Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One, along with their Generation 7 counterparts. Titled The Cost of Video Gaming In Canada, the infographic shown below depicts an average depreciation of console cost of $311.95 from launch date to present day, and indicates which new console offers the best bang for gaming bucks. Read the rest of this entry »

Join the Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH chapter as Spark CG proudly presents an evening session on “Elysium” by the Image Engine team. The presentation, which takes place on Wednesday, October 23rd at the Vancouver International Film Centre, will be followed by a technical preview by Side Effects Software. Beginning at 7:00pm, the presentation will focus on a key droid sequence and highlight how multiple departments came together to create one of the film’s most dynamic scenes. Read the rest of this entry »

Healthy and vibrant entrepreneurial communities at a local level are the heart of supporting and driving the growth of startups.  Startup Canada Communities is a pan-Canadian network to provide entrepreneurs with a single doorway to enter their local entrepreneur community to access mentors, space, funding and support to start and grow their businesses and to connect with other startup founders online and on the ground. This initiative is a response to the call-to-action from more than 20,000 entrepreneurs in 40 communities who made their voices heard during the Startup Canada National Tour last year, calling for stronger, more connected and more active local startup communities to accelerate entrepreneur success. Read the rest of this entry »

Hollywood next-generation production company Hooked Digital Media has premiered Haunting Melissa, a horror story shot in Calgary. The mobile movie is now available exclusively on iTunes for iOS devices – the first chapter is a free download. Designed specifically for a new generation of connected viewers, Haunting Melissa reinvents storytelling to engage audiences and keep them on the edge of their seats. The Haunting Melissa App takes viewers into the world of Melissa, a teenage girl who believes her recently deceased mother is haunting her. Read the rest of this entry »

With just over a week until the launch of Batman: Arkham Origins, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has unveiled the game’s TV spot and confirmed the mobile game is available now in the App Store for iPad, iPhone and iPod. The Batman: Arkham Origins spot will be running on broadcast TV from 22^nd October.  The emotional piece depicts the transformation from Bruce Wayne’s dark childhood to his position as the feared crime-fighting hero. Read the rest of this entry »