Village Gamer

The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence; Blake Goldring, Chairman of Canada Company and Chairman and CEO, AGF Management Limited; along with Rear Admiral Andrew Smith, Canadian Forces Chief of Military Personnel; today presented scholarships to eight surviving offspring of fallen Canadian Forces personnel.

The scholarships are provided as a tribute to fallen Canadian Forces personnel by a charitable business group called Canada Company. Each recipient will receive up to $16,000 each – up to $4,000 per year for up to four years – to help defray the costs of their post secondary education.

The third annual awards ceremony was conducted aboard the HMCS Frederiction. The Halifax-based frigate is currently on a five-week Canadian tour, including seven port visits along the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes.

“The HMCS Fredericton is a fitting backdrop to honour these fine students,” said Blake Goldring. “Their parents made a commitment to serve our country and today our commitment is to help them pursue their education. Canada Company provides the means for both businesses and individuals to support our military and their families to ensure they are taken care of with ongoing initiatives like these scholarships.”

“The Government of Canada recognizes and deeply appreciates the ultimate sacrifice these families have paid for their country,” said Minister MacKay. “The Canada Company Scholarship helps the deserving children of our fallen to pursue post-secondary education and start on the road to their future careers.”

“The families of our fallen remain an important part of the Canadian Forces family who need our support,” said Rear Admiral Andrew Smith. “The Canadian Forces greatly appreciate the support that Canada Company and Canadians from coast to coast to coast have shown to the families of our fallen soldiers.”

The 2010/11 recipients of Canada Company’s educational scholarship fund awards are:

* Robert Girouard of Orillia is studying Law and Justice at Laurentian University.
* Kirsten Hess-von Kruedener of Burlington is studying at the RCC Institute of Technology Interior Design.
* Sheralynn Kennedy of Winnipeg is attending the University of Winnipeg working towards a doctorate in Psychology.
* Matthew Mellish of French Lake is attending the University of New Brunswick.
* Myriam Mercier of Quebec City is studying Nursing at Cegep de Sainte-Foy.
* Adam Naismith of Moose Jaw is studying Arts and Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan.
* Jocelyn Ranger of Pembroke is studying business at Algonquin College.
* Natasha Roberge of Hamner is studying English and Music at Laurentian University.

The Canada Company Scholarship Fund provides $4,000 per year, for up to four years, to support the post-secondary education for children who qualify. Children of Canadian Forces members who have died on duty while serving in an active role in a military mission of the Canadian Forces or reserves since January 2002 are eligible to apply. The Canada Company Scholarship Fund will provide scholarship grants to children dating back to January 1, 2002.

Canada Company scholarships have received leadership funding in the amount of $1 million from CIBC. Additional financial support was secured from Power Corporation; Peter Munk, Founder and Chairman of Barrick Gold Corporation; Jim Balsillie, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Research In Motion (RIM); RBH Inc.; The W. Garfield Weston Foundation; The TD Bank Financial Group, BMO Financial Group; Scotiabank; Standard Life; Laurentian Bank of Canada / B2B Trust and AGF Management Limited. Canada Company is calling on other members of the corporate community to contribute to this important initiative.

Canada Company oversees the fund through an independent committee, along with members of the Canadian Forces, to ensure that bereaved children have the opportunity to receive this scholarship.

One way which you can show your support for Canada Company Scholarships is to take part in the upcoming North American Van Lines Tour de Force, an exhilarating cycling trip through southern Ontario and Quebec. The bike/run will kick off at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto with celebrities in attendance including players from the Toronto Maple Leafs and former NHLer’s and will last for seven days ending in beautiful downtown Montreal. The trip will be broken down into seven 85-kilometre intervals. Cyclists can register for the entire trip or certain legs of the journey. At the end of each leg of the trip there will be a celebration in the evening.

_{editor’s note: While this article may not be directly related to Canada’s digital media industry, it is directly related to a game we all play every day: life. As a military family and supporters of our Canadian Forces,  from time to time we carry related stories. We hope that you will join us in supporting those who serve our country now and in the future, and in remembering those whose patrol has ended.}

EA Black Box and Dolby Laboratories, Inc. today announced that Need for Speed™ World, the massively multiplayer online action racing game will incorporate Dolby® Axon voice chat technology before the December holiday season. Need for Speed World combines the rush of illicit street racing, deep RPG style progression, and vehicle customization into an immersive, socially connected experience. The game will be featured at the Penny Arcade Expo in Dolby’s booth, number 612.

“In Need for Speed World, we’re able to continually update the game with new technology to provide the best MMO racing experience for our players,” said Stephane Grefford, Producer, Need for Speed World. “Working with Dolby Axon, we can give gamers a seamless channel of communication enabling in-game collaboration towards becoming the top racer. We’re excited to be the first title in North America to incorporate Dolby Axon to help enhance our players’ overall racing experience.”

“Dolby Axon helps ensure that communication among team members happens clearly and quickly when racing at over 100 miles an hour in Need for Speed World,” said Matt Tullis, Marketing Director, Games, Dolby Laboratories. “We’re really excited to be working closely with EA in bringing a new level of voice chat to their game.”

By integrating Dolby Axon into online game titles, game developers can provide players with a new level of realism in online gaming:

* Improved audio chain processing (noise suppression, echo suppression) for clear voice communication
* Surround sound voice chat over stereo headsets, stereo speakers, and 5.1 playback systems delivering realistic and exciting in-game communication with teammates
* Compatibility with any stereo headset, enabling gamers to experience clear, crisp voice quality without specialized equipment

Hothead Games is also down at PAX, featuring their two latest video games at the Penny Arcade Expo. You will find them giving hourly live game play demos of Swarm and DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue at their Sky 1 booth on the sky bridge. Hothead’s PAX booth will also contain kiosks where show attendees can play the newest DeathSpank adventure and enter to win a number of prizes including limited edition Hothead merchandise.

“We’re really excited to be at PAX to show off Swarm and DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue,” said Ian Wilkinson, President of Hothead. “PAX has always been a show for gamers and we appreciate the opportunity to connect directly with fans.”

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Hg0bVLdRgA]

DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue is Hothead’s all new rapid-fire action-RPG game and is the perfect companion to Hothead’s original hit game DeathSpank that launched in July 2010. In the continuing story of venerable hero DeathSpank, players must recover six mystical thongs and bring balance and harmony to the universe. Thongs of Virtue launches on September 21 on PlayStation Network and September 22 on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

Swarm is an action platformer like no other. Players control a herd of fifty daft, pudgy and utterly fearless Swarmites, driving them through an intense and often suicidal gauntlet of death and destruction. The game features innovative mass character control, fast-paced action and comic mayhem, offering players a unique experience that will keep them playing again and again.

Congratulations to Big Blue Bubble, whose iPhone/iPad application Thumpies won the award for Mobile Entertainment of the Year at the Mobile Content Awards 2010 in Seoul, Korea.

Facing some stiff competition that included more than 110 companies from 15 countries, Thumpies emerged victorious against semi-finalists Fallen EP-1 from 7th Sense Studios in the United Kingdom and UBC Mobile from UBC in Korea. Present to accept the award and the prize money, Big Blue Bubble CEO, Damir Slogar stated “After receiving nothing but absolutely glowing reviews from the media, Thumpies reached another milestone – formal recognition from industry professionals. This will just fuel our enthusiasm to bring the game to many new platforms.“

Thumpies is a unique rhythm-based music game for players of all ages. By correctly matching the beat of bouncing Thumpies the player progresses through a song. Unlike typical rhythm based games, Thumpies uses a mechanic of bouncing in time instead of just a series of notes. The quirky art design of Thumpies XL is accompanied by a unique musical score composed by award winning, industry veteran David Kerr. The music was crafted with game play in mind, giving the player a harmonizing experience.

Vancouver Film School’s Game Design Expo 2011 is now accepting speaker proposals from game industry professionals who have a passion to share their expertise. Past speakers at the consistently sold-out Industry Speaker Day at Game Design Expo have included the makers of games such as Dead Rising 2, Halo, Mass Effect, ModNation Racers, and Saints Row 2 (amongst many others). The deadline for submissions is October 4th 2010, so download the Speaker Proposal Package (PDF) today and send your completed proposal in as soon as possible.

Telefilm Canada announced today a streamlined approach to submitting corporate information as part of an application.

Previously, four documents were required in order to provide all required corporate information with an application; now only one is required. The new Canadian Status of Corporation and Corporate Information Affidavit (doc file) now online replaces the following forms:

* Corporate secretary’s certificate naming the shareholders and the number of shares held by each
* Corporate secretary’s certificate naming the officers and indicating their signing authority
* Declaration of Corporate Information
* Canadian Status of Corporation Affidavit

Telefilm Canada is committed to providing effective and efficient service to its clients and as such continuously works to provide new ways in which to work with the industry.

The Mobile Institute, a Canadian organization that supports global mobile innovation, has officially announced (we first told you about it last week) the return of MOBILEINNOVATIONWEEK, a week-long series of events that explores mobile trends and advancements from around the world. Between September 13-18 more than 150 mobile industry experts will present at various events around Toronto, making it one of the most significant mobile industry events globally.

“For one week, Toronto will be the centre of the Mobile universe,” said Michael J. O’Farrell of The Mobile Institute, founder and co-producer of MOBILEINNOVATIONWEEK. “Canada is a mobile industry powerhouse, but Canadian talent and innovation are rarely exposed to local and international audiences. MOBILEINNOVATIONWEEK 2010 will showcase our mobile prowess together with global mobile industry leaders, while also giving Canadian organizations the tools and information they need to take advantage of the emerging mobile universe.”

MOBILEINNOVATIONWEEK 2010 will feature more than 150 speakers and over 100 interactive presentations, moderated sessions and workshops. More than 2,000 are expected to attend from Canada, the US, the UK, Germany, Brazil and other international locations. MOBILEINNOVATIONWEEK 2010 includes featured presentations by Adenyo, Bell Mobility, the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC), comScore, Deloitte, Ericsson, Google, IDC Canada, KPMG, Microsoft, MyThum Interactive, OCAD University, RBC Financial, Research In Motion (RIM), Rogers Communications, Samsung, Sybase, Sympatico Mobile, The Globe and Mail, Visa, Yellow Pages Group and more.

Anchor events include: Read the rest of this entry »

New indie house Wild Games Studio Inc. has announced the title and genre of their first game in production, an open-ended RPG/Adventure game. The game, which will release a trailer in October, will be set in third person view. Dhaila’s Adventures will be a game for PC, Mac, PS3 and Xbox 360, with a playable demo coming soon.

Featuring Dhaila, a young fairy whose powers are bound to nature, the game will rely on gameplay taking place in an open world where the player will update the origins of Dhaila and help fulfill her destiny. In addition to the main quest, Dhaila could fill hundreds of side quests depending on the choices and actions proposed. Puzzles and large dungeons filled with traps and monsters will be part of her adventure to enhance the gameplay. Furthermore, Dhaila will be accompanied with a friend that can be controlled by another player to help Dhaila during certain puzzles through teamwork.

Orphaned in the fantasy world of Martania, Dhaila possesses unknown extraordinary powers. She has special skills, including one which can absorb the energy of nature directly through its DNA. She can also absorb the DNA of other creatures, making the heroine able to acquire their shape at any time. Living in one of these valleys, the village seems protected by an unknown magical force, more powerful than in other villages. Dhaila will leave to research her origins, while trying to release Martania of the influence of Dysan, a tyrant who has subjugated the people, forcing them to labour under the threat of the dragons he also holds sway over.

Selected as one of the glorious PAX 10, Retro City Rampage from VBlank Entertainment will be showcased at PAX Prime this weekend at booth 3017, where visitors can meet the dev team, play the game and get some fantastic swag.

This unbelievable FREE swag includes:

* Retro cartridge labels (stick ’em on NES carts)!
* Retro game boxes* (stick your cart in it)!
* Retro plastic case inserts (with BLURST processing)!
*Retro game rental case inserts (“INDESTRUCTIONS”)!

As an added Bonus, the team will also be having a daily draw to win a Retro City Rampage cartridge case in the box! The team does caution, however, that due to the indie budget and a recent price increase on Ramen Noodles, the “box” is a cleverly designed and exciting arts and crafts project. Simply cut out and fold it yourself for some analog fun Alternatively, you could frame it and stick it on the wall of your local museum.

Capcom will be taking up residence at PAX in Booth 652, where you can drop by and try out their upcoming lineup of titles including Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Okamiden and Blue Castle Games‘ Dead Rising 2 – shipping on September 28.

Ubisoft will have three booths at the show. You will find them in spaces 632, 622 and 712. Each booth will feature a variety of Ubisoft’s upcoming releases and lots of fun prizes for booth visitors.

For the first time in the U.S., PAX attendees will get to try out various titles from Ubisoft exclusively for Kinect™ for Xbox 360®, including Your Shape™: Fitness Evolved and MotionSports™, in addition to seeing the first public demo of Child of Eden™. Consumers will also get an opportunity to play H.A.W.X® 2 multiplayer, and see a sneak peak of Outland™, one of Ubisoft’s digital games for PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. In addition, Just Dance® 2 will be available to play onsite at the show.

PAX attendees will have a chance to play Assassin’s Creed® Brotherhood, which will be playable on Xbox 360 and the PlayStation®3 at the Ubisoft booth before its November release. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood fans who pre-order the game onsite at PAX will receive an exclusive Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood T-shirt, and there are also opportunities for consumers who fan the Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Facebook page to win Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood posters. Other giveaways include a Just Dance–themed t-shirt for anyone who pre-orders the October release of Just Dance 2 at PAX. Read the rest of this entry »

Vancouver Film School has announced that the 2011 iteration of its Game Design Expo will be held in Vancouver on January 22nd and 23rd. The school has also made exclusive session videos from the 2010 Game Design Expo available online. just made exclusive video from the most recent Game Design Expo available for free online at the Expo’s website. These interviews, panel discussions, and presentations let you hear from the makers of ModNation Racers, Mass Effect 2, Dead Rising 2, and many more.

Autodesk and EA Sports present the Game Developer Webcast, featuring a discussion with Simon Sherr, Animation Director for Electronic Arts Tiburon, focused on how EA Sports MMA heavily leveraged Autodesk® HumanIK® in their production of complex character interaction. In this session we discuss implementation of HumanIK features for EA’s Mixed Martial Arts fighting game including: dynamic Footplanting, Non-Uniform Player Scaling, Interaction-based player scale compensation, and partial body “Relative IK” interactions. This Webcast will take place at 10:00A.M. PDT on September 9th. The one hour session is free, but registration is required.

Attention all of you Mac-using Dragon Age fans: Bioware’s Dragon Age Origins Awakening is now available for your platform over at GameTree Online for $29.95.

“The Dragon Age franchise has been exceptionally well received by Mac gamers and we’re excited about continuing the saga through the release of this expansion pack and all DLC add-on game content for the Mac community”, commented Vikas Gupta, President and CEO of TransGaming. “Our strategic partnership with Bioware provides Mac gamers with some of the industry’s most acclaimed RPG games and illustrates yet another example of how TransGaming’s technology and distribution channels are empowering EA to bring their best games to the broadest consumer audience.”

Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening is available now, plus Mac gamers can also enjoy great DLC add-on content packages such as Return to Ostagar, Darkspawn Chronicles, Leliana’s Song, and many more this year. Players are encouraged to sign up for GameTreeOnline news updates or Twitter alerts, as more great DLC add-on content releases for the Mac will arrive over the coming months, aligned with the PC releases.

Executive producer and Project Director on Mass Effect, Casey Hudson will reveal how BioWare navigated the challenge to create an (even more successful) sequel to Mass Effect in a keynote address at Future Game On. The new conference, which is the new European annual gathering for developers, creators and game and apps researchers in every field, will be held on September 9th and 10th at the Parc des Expositions de Paris – Porte de Versailles, hall 7. Read the rest of this entry »

Longueuil’s D-BOX Technologies Inc. has reached an agreement with Sony Pictures Releasing Corporation to feature D-BOX’s immersive MFX with Resident Evil: Afterlife in selected theatres on September 10. Thus far, the Cineplex Odeon Queensway in Etobicoke is the only Canadian theatre equipped with D-Box’s motion technology.

“The consistent support of movie studio giants like Sony speaks volumes about industry and consumer confidence in our immersive motion technology,” said President and Chief Executive Officer of D-BOX Technologies, Claude Mc Master. “This is our second collaboration and we are pleased to add an exciting, action-packed sci-fi thriller to our growing catalogue of D-BOX Motion Code™supported films.”

Nintendo is dropping the suggested retail price of its Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™ video game systems. Effective Sept. 12, the new suggested retail price of the Nintendo DSi system will be $149.99 USD, while the new suggested retail price for the Nintendo DSi XL system will be $169.99 USD. The Nintendo DS™ Lite model will remain at a suggested retail price of $129.99 USD.

“We know shoppers want to get the maximum value out of every dollar they spend,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Our new Nintendo DSi prices make it easier than ever for consumers to access the tremendous variety of games, applications and social tools on the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL systems.”

Video Games Live has announced several Canadian performance dates for 2011, beginning with Victoria’s Royal Theatre on April 12th followed immediately by two nights at Vancouver’s Centre for the Performing Arts on April 13th and 14th. Video Games Live will then move across the Rockies to perform in Calgary’s Jack Singer Concert Hall on April 17th and the Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton on April 18th.

Moving across the prairies, VGL will perform at TCU Place in Saskatoon on April 20th and Conexus Arts Centre in Regina on April 23rd. Winnipeg will have a matinee and evening performance at the Burton Cummings Theatre on April 23rd before the show moves on to Ontario for four performances. Thunder Bay’s Community Arts Centre will be the first stop on April 25th, then it’s on to Centre in the Square for April 27th in Kitchener. April 28th will see VGL at the Place Theatre in Hamilton and then the Civic Centre Theatre in Ottawa on April 29th. The show will close out April at Montreal’s Place Des Arts on April 30th before returning to Toronto to perform at Massey Hall on May 2nd. VGL’s final announced show will be on May 3rd at K-Rock Centre in Kingston. Visit VGL’s site to sign up for VGL’s newsletter to get the latest news and advance ticket sale notices as well as to volunteer at the pre-show events in each city.

Yahoo! and Canadian real estate search site Zoocasa have partnered for the launch of a new application that enables Canadians to access Zoocasa’s online real estate search service directly from their Yahoo.ca homepage.  The new app will enable visitors to search for a new home, research local neighbourhoods and receive updates about properties that fit their personal profile, all through the Zoocasa.com application on their Yahoo.ca homepage. Combining real-time listing information and mapping technology, Zoocasa.com allows users to personalize their search experience and discover community, demographic and lifestyle information to help them choose the right home.

“Our vision is for Yahoo.ca to be the best guide for Canadians for both their online and offline worlds,” said Laurie Maw, director, Business Development for Yahoo! Canada. “The Zoocasa application is an important addition to Yahoo! Canada’s current line-up of online apps that includes everything from Flickr and Facebook, to links to our Sports and Finance channels.”

Zoocasa offers a variety of real estate search options to Canadians, including searches by region, city, price range, number of bedrooms/bathrooms and property type. Users can also enhance their decision making process by learning about their city and area of choice using online guides and maps.

“We are excited to work with Yahoo! Canada to launch a Zoocasa.com app that gives Canadians another great way to streamline their house-hunting efforts,” said Butch Langlois, president of Zoocasa. “From Vancouver and Edmonton, to Toronto and Montreal, Canadians can find detailed, real-time information about the regions, cities, neighbourhoods and houses they are interested in.”

Zoocasa is a portfolio company of the Rogers Ventures Group, a new source of funding for technology start-ups and a support mechanism for Canada’s innovation ecosystem.

The Montreal International Game Summit (MIGS) has announced its keynote speakers for MIGS 2010, taking place November 8th and 9th at the Hilton Bonaventure Hotel in Montreal.

MIGS 2010 will feature two exciting, distinguished main speakers:

* Ed Fries, co-founder of the XBOX project, will discuss beauty, constraints and the Atari 2600.
* Ron Carmel, co-founder, 2DBOY, will examine the crucial steps involved in developing an independent video game – and will also boldly offer a few industry predictions.

In addition to these two inspiring headliners, MIGS 2010 will feature – for the first time ever – a special keynote speaker for each track.

MIGS 2010’s five track keynote speakers include:

Business: David Edery, director, Fuzbi, will explore the life cycle of online distribution platforms, the key challenges involved and how companies can develop practical solutions to succeed in these growing markets.

Art: Alex Alvarez, CEO, Gnomon School of Design, will speak on the importance of continuing education – and how today’s artists can stay inspired and motivated while constantly looking to evolve.

Design: Scott Jon Siegel, game designer, Playdom, will define the notion of success in the world of casual video games development. Siegel will also examine how independent developers can gain a clear competitive edge by not being afraid to innovate.

Production: Tom Wujec, fellow, Autodesk, will carefully examine and offer innovative ways to solve many of today’s visual challenges and issues.

Tech: Ryan Challinor, software developer, Harmonix Music Systems, will explore the exciting process undertaken by the company for developing video games without conventional controllers. This session will include an exclusive look at the multiple prototypes Harmonix has created.

Video game industry professionals can take advantage of a 30% discount by registering online before September 25th.

My 360 is going to be very busy downloading new DLC from Bioware next month. Earlier this week the studio announced The Lair of the Shadowbroker for Mass Effect 2, which is due out on September 7th. Also coming out on the same day is Witch Hunt for Dragon Age Origins. It appears that this DLC chapter will cost the same as Leliana’s Song, 560 MS Points or $7.00.

The dreaded Archdemon has been slain and the advance of the darkspawn halted by a lone, heroic Grey Warden. The kingdom rejoices, but at least one question remains: what happened to Morrigan? The sorceress joined the Wardens cause, but it is said her true purpose was not revealed until the eve of the last battle. She vanished into the shadows, and while rumours claimed she crossed over the mountains into Orlais, no trace of her path could be found. She was never heard from again… until now. Nearly a year has passed since the Archdemon’s death, and word has reached the Wardens that Morrigan has returned to Ferelden. She has been sighted in the southern wilderness where she was first encountered, but is it truly her? If it is, then why is she here and what secret does she carry with her? The Warden heads into the forest to find out and tie up this last loose end once and for all.

Key Features:

* Confront Morrigan in this dramatic conclusion to the Origins storyline
* Earn powerful rewards that transfer into your Awakening and Origins campaign
* Import your character from Origins or Awakening or create a new, high-level hero

Witch Hunt will also introduce Ariane, a new character who is a gifted Dalish warrior, and her clan’s best hunter. When an ancient artifact belonging to the clan’s Keeper is stolen, one with a history tied to the very roots of the elven people, Ariane is charged with the task of reclaiming it. She is determined to carry out her solemn duty, and when her task turns out to intersect with the Warden’s quest to find Morrigan she realizes that there may be far more to the artifact’s disappearance than simple theft. There are two more character links, but as of right now they are both “sealed” – perhaps more will be revealed in the coming days?

Unity Technologies has announced that Jesse Schell, CEO of Schell Games, will keynote at Unite 2010. Unite 2010 is Unity Technologies’ fourth annual developer conference for artists, programmers, designers, researchers, publishers and enthusiasts taking place November 10-12 at the historic Marché Bonsecours in Old Montreal, Canada following the Montreal International Game Summit.

Jesse is a lauded author and lecturer on the subject of games design and his Schell Games studio is using Unity to develop ‘The Mummy Online’ in collaboration with Universal and Bigpoint. This Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) is set to launch in Winter 2010.

“I’ve been dreaming for years about a ubiquitous 3D solution for web browsers, and Unity is that solution,” said Jesse Schell, CEO of Schell Games. “It’s changing the face of online game development, and we’re just at the beginning of what is possible.” Read the rest of this entry »

Electronic Arts Inc. and independent Vancouver development studio Klei Entertainment would like to remind you that the highly anticipated downloadable 2D action game Shank, will be available for download today on PlayStation®Network for $9.99 and tomorrow, August 25th, on Xbox LIVE® Arcade (1200 MS Points). At press time, Shank was still showing a release date of “08.2010” on PSN, but the XBLA page has been updated with tomorrow’s release date. With its blend of classic side-scrolling action gameplay and stylized animation set against a modern-Western canvass, Shank tells a bloody story of revenge, penned by award-winning game writer Marianne Krawczyk.

“Our goal with Shank was to create a game that pays homage to the classic 2D brawler, while seeing how far we could push it by melding it with our own pulp-fiction influences,” said Jamie Cheng, CEO of Klei Entertainment. “At the end of a long road that began as an indie dream in 2009, we’ve finally shipped a visually striking, cinematic brawler.”

“With Shank, Jamie Cheng, Jeff Agala, and the team at Klei Entertainment have delivered the game analog of the black comedy symphony of violence dominating today’s indie film circuit,” said Jamil Moledina, Outreach Director at EA Partners. “This exquisitely bloody game conjures memories of the best arcade brawlers of the late 1980s, while delivering the production values and pitch perfect controls of a modern high definition blockbuster masterpiece.”

Shank tells a classic story of gangland betrayal through a violent, pulp-fiction lens. Gamers play as Shank, getting their hands bloody as they uncover the secrets of Shank’s past and the reasons he is hell-bent on revenge. With a deep and intuitive combat system, players unleash a tremendous number of creative combinations as they take down waves of enemies standing in their path. Shank also features a special co-operative campaign, designed to be played with a friend locally, which tells the backstory of the revenge plot. This prequel mission allows players to play as Shank or his partner-in-crime Falcone, with deadly double-team moves and gameplay that encourages teamwork.

Shank is one of the most highly anticipated downloadable game releases of this summer, having been nominated for Excellence in Visual Arts by the Independent Games Festival, as well as multiple “Best of E3” awards, including “Best Action Game” from IGN.com and “Best Downloadable Game” from GameTrailers.com. Shank is rated M by the ESRB.

The McLuhan Festival of the Future’s Vortex Videogame Conference and Competition, an illustrious event designed to showcase Ontario’s undiscovered videogame talent, has announced today that it will be accepting entries for its 2010 edition.

With the mission to create opportunities for emerging videogame companies and individuals to showcase their work locally, nationally, and internationally, Vortex achieves its goal through education, discourse, pitching, networking and, of course, competition. Read the rest of this entry »