Jason Della Rocca DIG Keynote and Blog

Jason Della Rocca taught game developers the importance of failure at the DIG 2010 Game Developers Dinner.  Aptly timed, Della Rocca gave his speech following dinner and a few glasses of wine giving his presentation an air of authenticity as he struggled with drawing straight lines on his tabloid.  The audience appreciated his casual candor and ability to relate the game development process to broader processes of innovation. 

Check out Jason's blog and photos of DIG2010
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Sponsor Profile: Tech Alliance

Tech Alliance are a company aimed to empower London and Southwestern Ontario's technology sector. They prepare today's entrepreneurs to launch new ventures, provide education and networking opportunities to accelerate business growth for small-to-medium enterprises, and serve over 150 members as advocates for Southwestern Ontario's thriving technology, life-sciences, and advanced manufacturing companies. Working in conjunction with the prestigious Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, Tech Alliance offers a host of innovative programs to get local minds both informed and motivated, including in depth entrepreneurial workshops, their Speaker Series of seminars, their Breakfast Club, and their annual 60 second pitch contest. Tech Alliance represents an invaluable resource to furthering the growth of digital media locally and we are elated to have them participate in this years DIG Conference! Pin It

Speaker Profile: Vikas Gupta

Vikas Gupta is the CEO and President of TransGaming Technologies. Vikas leads TransGaming's strategic endeavours and has negotiated some of the company's most strategic agreements with customers such as Electronic Arts, Activision, Turner Broadcasting, Ubisoft. TransGaming Inc. is a leader in the development of unique software products that facilitate the deployment and distribution of games across multiple platforms. 

TransGaming's continued success is fueled by: Cider, a product that enables PC games on the exploding Mac market; Cedega, a product that enables PC games for the Linux market; GameTree, TransGaming's comprehensive suite of Mac gaming products and services for retail and online game releases; SwiftShader, a proprietary ultra high-speed software 3D rendering product which exploits the move to multi-core CPUs and the convergence of CPU and GPU technologies; TransGaming's Development Studio, creating original video game content. 

TransGaming's customers include some of the largest and most influential content creators around the world ranging from EA, Ubisoft, Activision, NCSoft, CCP, Oberon Media, just to name a few. TransGaming also has strong partnerships with Apple, Intel, AMD, Nvidia. With an undeniable passion for video games and unsurpassed technologies, TransGaming has worked on some of the biggest video game franchises on the planet ranging from The Sims 3, SPORE, Prince of Persia, Shaun White Snowboarding, Kung Fu Panda, City of Heroes, and many more. 

In addition to his passion for TransGaming, Vikas enjoys immersing himself in the advisory and mentoring of emerging organizations. Vikas is the Chair of the non-profit organization, The McLuhan Festival of the Future, and sits on the Board of Directors of Interactive Ontario. He is also an advisor to N4 Systems, Interscope Directories, and was a Director on the Board of Simply Audio Books. Vikas is a frequent speaker and lecturer at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Business and Ryerson University's Business and Technology program. In 2008, Vikas was the recipient of the Indo-Canadian Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year Award and has also been featured in a broad range of print and television media. Vikas is a graduate of the University of Waterloo, Canada's premier high-tech educational institution.

Here's video of Vikas giving a keynote at the Intel Developer Forum last year, an example of the awesome content that he will be providing at this years DIG Conference!

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Sponsor Profile: Fanshawe College

Fanshawe College is one of the premier design colleges in not only Ontario, but Canada. One of their most exciting programs, and one that would primarily interest DIG attendees is the Multi Media Design and Production program. According to their website "If you like movies, websites, and games that blow you away with special effects and animation, you'll be right at home in the Multi-Media Design and Production program. Take your creative skills to the next level and gain experience in computer-based web design and programming, 3-D, special effects, animation, game design, effects for film and video design for print. You'll get hands on, practical training from industry professionals and have the freedom to create you own visual and audio masterpieces."

Here's a video that gives a first hand account from the students about how Fanshawe was the perfect choice for them

One of these industry professionals, Dan Rickard, will be on hand at this years DIG conference. Having worked on dozens of games including Batman Arkham City and Arkham Asylum, Borderlands, Army of Two 40th Day, Hulk, Wanted, Blacksite, Sacred 2, and most of the Battlefield series, Dan's experience speaks volumes as to the kind of quality instruction and expertise that Fanshawe provides its students.

In his session, Animation Workshop: Character Creation Dan will use game development tools Mudbox, 3ds, and Photoshop for character creation.  Delegates will learn to develop a high poly sculpt, a low poly mesh, map creation and texturing, Lip Sync animation, and full body animation of biped characters interacting in a fight sequence.  The workshop will take place Friday November 19th as part of the DIG 2010 Conference. You can register online for the conference workshop!

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Speaker Profile: Dr. Sam Trosow

Dr. Samuel Trosow is an Associate Professor at the University of Western Ontario teaching in both the Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS) and the Faculty of Law.

Focusing primarily on law relating to the digital environment and copyright issues, professor Trosow is currently the principal investigator on a research project at FIMS titled "Mobilizing User-Generated Content for Canada's Digital Content Advantage" In his presentation at DIG 2010 he will be reporting on the work done in the advantage study and its implications for future public policies.

Dr. Trosow also serves as the Network Investigator and Project Leader of the GRAND-NCE in Vancouver, a comprehensive research program headed by a board of leaders in both business and academics whose goal is to understand the underlying technologies of new media, animation, and games, in order to better understand how these high growth industries can lead to social, legal, economic, and cultural benefits for Canadians.

Here is an example lecture of Dr. Trosow's involving copyright law, an issue sure to be touched on as he speaks at this year's conference!

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Speaker Profile: Tonya Constant

In 2007, Tonya was working as a QA tester for game developer Beanbag Studios when she was promoted to head of the writing department, working on projects such as EA's "For Dummies" series of games fot the PC and Nintendo DS

After leaving Beanbag in 2009, Tonya, along with colleagues Hayley Patterson and Melanie Lagrou, founded The Ant Firm, a video game testing company based in London, Ontario, where she focuses mainly on the business development and marketing of their products. With her background in both QA and game production, Tonya has an appreciation for the "art of games testing".

According to her Ant Firm profile, Tonya is an avid gamer obsessed with zombie franchises, underwater dystopias and the actress Sada Thompson.

Tonya is just one of many local London game developers that will be at this years DIG Conference, sharing their insight on not only the gaming industry, but why they choose to call London home. Pin It

Sponsor Profile: OMDC

OMDC is the Ontario Media Development Corporation, a branch of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture responsible for recognizing and fostering growth in numerous forms of media in Ontario. In recognition of the growth potential in the digital gaming industry, especially for the province of Ontario, OMDC have made available a number of tax incentives and partnership grants all in an effort to support those who are looking to establish Ontario as a leader in the digital and interactive media industry. Their sponsorship of this years DIG conference serves as another example of their commitment to driving Ontario's talent to the forefront of their fields, with DIG acting as a forum for them to gather and share their knowledge and experience. We thank OMDC for their continued support! Pin It

Speaker Profile: Wolfgang Hamann

Wolfgang Hamann is the President and CEO of Koolhaus Games Inc, producers of the record breaking Madden NFL 11 game for the Apple iPad, the first game on iTunes to top both the Games Chart and All Applications Chart. This represents only his most recent achievement, with an impressive production resume that includes work with both of EA's NCAA Football and NHL franchises, and the legendary Simpsons brand. Asked to speak at multiple GDC's along with gaming conferences in both Korea and Germany, Wolfgang is bringing a wealth of knowledge to his seminar at DIG 2010

Here's video of Madden 11 for the iPad in action

In his 40 minute Discussion, Wolfgang will be disclosing some of the joys and challenges of bringing an established franchise to a new hardware platform. Some of the topics will include

1. Game Design - The challenges of improving on an already successful title 
2. UI Design and Graphics - Bigger screen brings bigger concerns 
3. Technology - Is the iPad just a souped up iPhone?
4. Innovations - The process of bringing innvoative features to an established title on a new platform 
5. New Features - Multiplayer and Vintage Voltage: Challenges in design, technology and QA

This is one you do not want to miss!

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Speaker Profile: Bryce Hunter

Bryce Hunter is a producer at the game developer Big Blue Bubble Inc., where he currently specializes in the casual, social and mobile gaming spaces. In 2008, Bryce graduated at the top of his class with majors in both highly competitive business and sociology programs at the University of Western Ontario. It was at UWO that he focused his passion for technology while mentoring professors on the benefits of implementing technology into their daily lectures.

Through the collaborative effort of Bryce and the incredibly talented team at Big Blue Bubble, he is proud to be responsible for designing, producing, and fostering the product life of numerous titles including M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender (PC), iCarly: iDream in Toons (PC), and Home Sweet Home (Wii). Bryce currently lives in London, Ontario with his beautiful wife, Sarah. Pin It

New Release From Howling Moon!

Lee Ing's  Howling Moon Games, participants in last years DIG Conference, are proud to release their newest game Bloodline of the Fallen: Anna's Sacrifice. According to the Howling Moon site, Bloodline of the Fallen is a hidden object game. "After the loss of Anna's father, she learns about a dark family secret. Her travels take her around the world trying to reveal clues of an evil cult. Eventually, her dark destiny is revealed. Sacrifices and confrontations are made to fend off the evil that may consume her soul" Featuring 24 levels, multiple mini games and a dark an intriguing storyline, Bloodline of the Fallen: Anna's Sacrifice certainly sounds like a great title to check out. It is available for download here! Pin It

Speaker Profile: Claudette Critchley

Claudette Critchley graduated at the top of her class in university and obtained both her Computer Science and Education degrees. After university, she taught Computer Science at a private college and quickly advanced to the position of Regional Education Manager. 

Although she had a great passion for education, she found that programming gave her even greater professional satisfaction. In 2000, she left her teaching career to pursue a career in video game development at Sandbox Studios/Digital Illusions. During her time there, her knowledge of gaming and the industry grew as she took on the role of programmer/lead programmer on several of their hit titles.

Her versatility and continued drive for excellence led her to co-found Big Blue Bubble in 2004. As COO, she has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of the company. Claudette will be on hand at his years conference to lend her unique insight into both the business and education sides of the gaming industry, along with joining the rest of the Big Blue Bubble team in showcasing some of their latest and greatest creations. 

Here's an interview our good friends at Games Day Podcast put together to give you a better idea of what Claudette and Big Blue Bubble do in the gaming industry. Enjoy!

Interview with Claudette Critchley from Big Blue Bubble from gamesdaypodcast on Vimeo.

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London kicking a$$ in digital media content

London companies Voices.com and Big Blue Bubble are finalists in the Canadian New Media Awards (CNMA).  CNMA acknowledges and celebrates the accomplishments of Canada's most successful digital media companies.

Voices.com is a finalist in the Digital Media Technology of the Year  category that recognizes Canadian technology that will most radically change the media landscape.  Voices.com has created technology that allows producers, casting directors, and businesses to negotiate directly with the voice over talent without an agency intercession.  The Voices.com marketplace enables people to post a job, and then receive responses based on their specific project requirements.

Big Blue Bubble is a finalist in two categories!  Best Mobile Application  category for it's game  Thumpies  and the game's demonstration of excellent functionality, innovation, audience reach and frequency, and its excellent use of capabilities of the mobile medium.  Best Web-Based Game category acknowledges innovative games that are playable in a web browser.

Both finalists will be joining us at DIG 2010 as speakers!  Look forward to hearing from Canada's best! Pin It

How Games Motivate People

A recent article by Adam Dole (twitter.com/adamdole) talks about how to turn gaming into a source of social change.  Dole argues that companies can adopt game-like mechanisms to satisfy user needs.  "Users" here referring broadly to consumers, customers, clients, etc.  Check out his idea of "Game Changing Benefits" Pin It

Speaker Profile: Sean Murch

Sean produced his first video game, Grid Runner, for Radical Entertainment in 1994.

Prior to working in games, Sean enjoyed a successful career as a writer, producer and development executive in the film and television industry - most notably as Head of Development and Sales for Nelvana Enterprises, a $550M entertainment company focused on children and youth programming. Sean has also worked as a development producer for director Francis Ford Coppola.After shifting permanently to the video game sector, Sean worked at Electronic Arts, where he designed, built and managed a department of over a hundred content creators, tasked with providing character models, textures and rigs for all fifteen of the EA Sports line of products. Sean now holds dual roles as Head of Business Development for independent game developer, Next Level Games and CEO of Playful Entertainment, an independent publishing label based in Vancouver, BC. He is also a founding board member of BC Interactive. 


Sean is one of many industry leaders that will be lending their expertise and knowledge to DIG 2010. Click here to see a complete list of this years speakers!

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Digital Extremes Wins Ontario Chamber Award!

London's own Digital Extremes have won a Business and Export Excellence award from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. Specifically being awarded the OBAA Royal Bank Award for Small Business, this is yet another example that proves London's digital gaming industry not only competes with sectors within Ontario, but exceeds them. As in previous years, Digital Extremes will have strong presence at this year's DIG conference with president Michael Schmalz confirmed as a speaker along with a number of Digital Extremes projects making their way to the show floor. Be sure to come meet not only Digital Extremes but the rest of London and Canada's gaming industry elite.

Congratulations Digital Extremes!

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Can gaming make a better world?

Jane McGonigal argues that games like World of Warcraft give players the opportunity to save worlds, learn the habits of heroes and experience "epic wins" - an experience that motivates the next generation to tackle tough problems. Check out her TED Talk Pin It

Side Effects Software @ DIG 2010

Dr. Salvini, Side Effects Software

Chief Technology Officer and VP of Canadian Operations for Side Effects Software, Dr. Paul Salvini has joined the DIG 2010 lineup of speakers. Side Effects software has been a global leader in the development of 3D animation and visual effects software.  The company's Houdini software has been used in hundreds of blockbuster films including Terminator Salvation and nine of the past eleven films to receive the Oscar for Visual Effects. Dr. Salvini leads a two-time academy award winning team of computer scientists and mathematicians who are passionate about advancing the art and science of computer graphics.

Sife Effects Software in Terminator franchise

Salvini's session Going Proceduaral: A Better Way to Make Better Games will talk about how Side Effects Software's approach has made it possible for movies to achieve more realistic effects and improve efficiency and the management of digital assets.  Salvini argues that with next generation games on the verge of achieving feature film quality within the game engine, procedural techniques will offer a new way of thinking that could revolutionize the game development process! Check out the DIG 2010 program for more information Pin It

Big Blue Bubble Thumps the Competition

Game developer Big Blue Bubble won the Mobile Entertainment of the Year award of the Mobile Content Awards in Seoul, Korea. 

BBB's lovable Thumpie!

Facing some stiff competition from more than 110 companies in 15 countries, their game Thumpies bounced to the top spot.  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 the mechanic of bouncing in time instead of just a series of notes.  The quirky art design of Thumpies is accompanied by a unique musical score composed by award winning industry veteran David Kerr.  You can watch the Tumpies in Action on You Tube, or check out their iPad trailer or visit www.Thumpies.com

With over 50 high profile games in its portfolio, Big Blue Bubble Inc. is one of Canada's leading video game developers.  Each of the company's three divisions (iPhone, Console, and Casual) is dedicated to making the best possible games by combining innovative designers with top artistic and industry leading programmers. Big Blue Bubble is a London based company.  Founder and CEO Damir Slogar will present at DIG 2010.  Maybe he'll give us some insight on developing games to thump out the competition! Pin It

Dan Rickard Leading Animation Workshop at DIG 2010

Dan Rickard is joining the DIG 2010 line-up to provide delegates with an Animation Workshop.  Dan is an accomplished 3d artist specializing in animation and character design.  He has worked on dozens of games including Batman Arkham City and Arkham Asylum, Borderlands, Army of Two 40th Day, Hulk, Wanted, Blacksite, Sacred 2, and most of the Battlefield series.

Over the past 11 years Dan has worked at every artistic stage of game development with DICE Canada and has also been Art Manager and Animation Lead at Redjade. While freelancing through contract work Dan has recently begun instructing at Fanshawe College where he teaches introductory and advanced 3d Animation and Character Design.  His course focuses on modeling, texturing, and animation.

In his session, Animation Workshop: Character Creation Dan will use game development tools Mudbox, 3ds, and Photoshop for character creation.  Delegates will learn to develop a high poly sculpt, a low poly mesh, map creation and texturing, Lip Sync animation, and full body animation of biped characters interacting in a fight sequence.  The workshop will take place Friday November 19th as part of the DIG 2010 Conference. You can register online for the conference workshop. Pin It

Ontario - a video-game player

Check out the article in the London Free Press today that notes how Ontario has become a hub for video-game development in Ontario.  For those of us working in the industry, we have seen the steady increase is studios and talent producing triple A, mobile, and console games- this news is no surprise to us!  But, it's great to see London companies like Digital Extremes recognized for their talent and clout they bring to the industry. Pin It

Video Games Lead to Success in the Workplace?

In his article "How Playing Video Games Can Boost Your Career", Oliver Chang of Forbes.com makes some very interesting connections between success in the virtual realm and the tangible benefits it can have in the corporate workplace. He talks with Elliot Noss, the CEO of a major domain provider, who personally uses characteristics and strategy of online MMORPG's to better not only himself, but his workforce as well. 


"In World of Warcraft, each action, even a small task like hunting an animal, has a purpose and fits into a broader framework. Similarly, Noss has set up frameworks at Tucows that allow employees to understand how day-to-day tasks impact the company."


There has been no shortage of talk on the internet of how efforts like the Xbox's Achievement system have revolutionized the way people look at gaming. The idea of chasing the elusive high score in the Arcade has now been translated into players trying to not only attain high scores, but think and perform in novel ways to attain small goals eventually benefitting their overall ranking. The generation of gamers that have grown up with this sort of goal oriented game play have been recognized in industry as able to translate their skills to achieve real world business goals as well. 


"We're finding that the younger people coming into the teams who have had experience playing online games are the highest-level performers because they are constantly motivated to seek out the next challenge and grab on to performance metrics," says John Hagel III, co-chairman of a tech-oriented strategy center for Deloitte


Definitely some interesting ideas challenging the traditional way people look at video games. If you're interested in hearing about more innovative ways to think about gaming, or maybe a chance to put those skills you have learned from gaming to the test, be sure to check out DIG London 2010!

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Mark Mikulec Keynote Posted!

Mark began developing professional-quality sci-fi themed computer games in his spare time during the mid 90's, distributing them through the Internet.

During university, Mark founded his first company, Iron Fusion Inc. and developed a fully featured multi-media/game engine and an online project management system. Iron Fusion's products catered to various academic institutions across North America, including Niagara College and the University of California at Berkeley.  In 2003, Iron Fusion won the McMaster University Campus Incubator grand prize of $25,000 for best business startup.

After joining Digital Extremes in 2004, Mark was a major contributor to several games, including Pariah and Dark Sector. He left in 2008 to co-found Antic Entertainment to execute his vision of creating casual games for the hardcore player. Antic won first prize in the Venture London Business Competition earlier this year.  Junk: Battles, Antic’s first browser-based, "casual-core" title, went live in August 2009.
Check out the video at our youtube page here and don't forget to subscribe to be kept up to date on all new posted content! Pin It

Ernst & Young have recognized Ontario highest-achieving entrepreneurs who make a difference in the global economy. Based in London and a DIG collaborator, game developer Digital Extremes have made the short list. Not only is this a huge honor for the company, but it is a recognition of our local talent on a national and global scale. This is more great news about where the digital gaming industry in Ontario is headed. The names of the Ontario winners will be announced at a gala banquet in Toronto on October 13th and the overall winner will represent Ontario at the national banquet in Toronto on November 17th. The original article and a full list of all nominees can be found here, and examples of games Digital Extremes have developed along with members of their staff will all be a part of DIG 2010.

Best of luck Digital Extremes!

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Here's some more information regarding London's bid for the new Digital Media Centre we mentioned a little while back. One of the key players in the bid partnership is the Tech South East firm based in Moncton, New Brunswick. The organization recognizes that the development of a centre of this caliber would serve as a "significant step in improving the access to commercialization resources for digital interactive game technology developers across Canada." Incorporated in 2009, Tech South East's mission is to accelerate the growth of innovation-based entrepreneurship and economic development, with a vision of a dynamic and growing technology industry driven by effective collaboration and cooperation between the business community, the academic and research community, and the government sector.

Tech South East's membership includes a number of companies from New Brunswick's vibrant digital media, gaming and animation sector. They believe that the development of the Centre in London will "not only enhance the development of these regional partners, but contribute to the broader national objectives of the industry"

Tech South East sees the establishment of the Digital Centre as "an exciting step forward for Canada's digital interactive game development industry and it's future competitiveness". A key component to the development and future success of the Centre in London is the collaboration of industry representatives on a national scale, coast-to-coast. Tech South East's endorsement of the bid is a major step forward in realizing that goal. Pin It

Hugo Morin Keynote Posted!

If you head on over to our youtube page, you can now watch Hugo Morin's keynote presentation from last year's DIG conference. Hugo Morin founded Humagade in April 2003. Humagade, Inc. produces videogames on multiple platforms. Its services included video game production, conversion/porting services, specific programming, traditional art, 3D models and animations, Web design, and music and sound effects. In the years that followed, the company experienced a staggering growth rate, with an 84% increase in sales each year, and a rapid growth in size to over 40 employees. Having produced over 100 games in J2ME/BREW and Flashlite, it rapidly became a key player in the mobile entertainment market. Because of Humagade’s distinctive experience, it has had the opportunity to work with world-class licenses such as Star Wars, Mickey Mouse and the Olympic Games. In February 2008, Mr. Morin became a shareholder in Frima Studio, which acquired Humagade. Today, Frima has over 230 employees and is the second-largest independent studio in Quebec. Mr. Morin has over 15 years’ experience as a manager in the high-tech sector and is actively involved in the Quebec industry. He sits on the Board of Directors of the provincial association for IT entrepreneurs (Voix des Entrepreneurs en Technologie de l’Information de Québec (VETIQ)), on the board of the National School of Interactive Entertainment, on the board of the Plateforme Multimedia, participates in VETIQ’s “Presidents’ Circle,” and gives seminars on his business experience. In 2007–2008, he was selected by the government of Quebec to participate in a training program on IT-business management, given by the prestigious Massachussets Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston. Keep checking back as more keynotes are posted and speakers for this years conference are announced! 

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Ontario Technology Corridor at GDC 2010

The 2010 installment of the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco will have a much stronger Canadian presence than in years past due to the attendance of executives from the Ontario Technology Corridor (OTC). The game development industry in Ontario is booming and the OTC intend on showing conference attendees that the province is an excellent place to expand or relocate their companies. 

Ontario's fast-growing entertainment and creative cluster produces $15 billion in revenue and over 200,000 jobs, contributing $12.7 billion to the province's GDP. In addition, gaming and digital media graduates from Ontario colleges and universities have proven to be prized employees at companies like Pixar Animation Studios, Electronic Arts, Walt Disney and Microsoft.

"Our job now is to add to our tremendous home-grown crop of companies. 35 Ontario gaming companies are at GDC 2010 to showcase their world-class creations, make business connections, and help demonstrate that Ontario is a prime destination in North America for gaming investment" said Larry MacKinnon, Director, Business Development, Technology with the London Economic Development Corporation, host organization of the DIG conference. The list of companies that have previously attended DIG and will be attending GDC 2010 includes Digital Extremes and Ubisoft.
 
Boasting a renowned academic base, skilled workforce, and numerous government tax incentives and grants, the GDC 2010 will serve as an excellent opportunity to showcase our local benefits to the broader gaming industry of North America.

For more information on the Ontario Technology Corridor click here!


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Canada Overtakes UK as Third Largest Game Maker

More good news for the gaming industry in Canada. Yesterdays article at 1up.com reports that "the country has now topped the U.K. as the third largest video game development community in the world. According to data from the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, roughly 14,000 people are currently employed at the over 247 game companies in Canada -- a number surpassed only by the U.S. and Japan" Obviously this is great news for the future of the industry in Canada, especially for South Western Ontario, as 83% percent of Canada's games are developed between the major gaming regions of Vancouver, Montreal, and London/Southwestern Ontario.We are currently in the process of compiling our list of industry insiders that will be attending this years DIG Conference so look for that being posted soon! Pin It

Games Day Podcast Confirmed for Another Year!

Once again the guys at Games Day Podcast will be joining the DIG team, lending their expertise to cover the conference at their site here. The London locals are posting up to 4 shows a week now and giving their own spin on the newest games and trends in the industry. Their most recent episode "Judge A Book By It's Cover" takes an in-depth look at the box art of video games, which you can check out here.
They also have just released three more of their shorter GDP101's, covering online poker, multiplayer appeal, and a new pinball game for the iPad. Make sure you check them out! Pin It

London Gaming Industry in the London Free Press

The city of London has committed to adding $5-million to a bid for a state-or-the-art Digital Gaming Center of Excellence to be built in London's downtown core. London's Digital Extremes, Big Blue Bubble, Fanshawe College, Research Western, LEDC, TechAlliance, and WORLDiscoveries are working together on the application for the Centre of Excellence

Where most people think of digital gaming as strictly a means of entertainment for youth, this Centre would harness the cutting edge technology developed by gaming industry companies, including those in the city of London, to train essential services like doctors and firefighters in a "realistic and risk-free" virtual environment. This is a perfect example of one of the many sectors the gaming industry can benefit in the future and it is excellent to see London's business and education  at the forefront of the trend. Experts asked to comment on the story, Michael Katchabaw of the University of Western Ontario and Michael Schmalz of London's Digital Extremes, both of whom attended last years DIG Conference. Be sure to check out the full story here! Pin It

DIG Confirmed for 2010!

The 3rd annual Digital Interactive Gaming Conference in London Ontario has been confirmed for November 18th and 19th 2010 in London Ontario! DIG is the premier conference for the ever-growing gaming industry in Ontario and central Canada, and serves as a forum for connecting Canada's leading video game developers, publishers, technology companies, service providers and brightest new talent. As in previous years attendees will not only be enlivened by keynote speakers, but a convergence of all aspects and members of the industry, allowing for invaluable face-to-face networking and the sharing of years of collective experience. The last two conferences proved to be great steps forward in the progress of Ontario's position in the North American Gaming Industry. We are already very excited for what's in store for this years event.

New additions for DIG 2010 include

• A partnership with the 5th Annual Vortex Gaming Competition 
• A new Game Expo sponsored by Gaming Union.net
• New engagement opportunities for DIG attendees and community to interact with DIG content and one another

Save the date and look forward to many exciting announcements from the DIG advisory committee as we unveil our program and new features! Pin It

NextGen Player – Canada’s Premier Gaming Blog

If you haven’t checked out NextGen Player, now is the time because this industry blog will be at DIG London.  As one of Canada’s top gaming blogs, NextGen Player is dedicated to informing viewers about the newest game releases, game reviews, and hot industry buzz. The site began in April 2008; managing partners Paul Hunter’s and Andrew Shin’s vision was to create a website devoted to sharing exciting Canadian-centric gaming news with the rest of the world.
From their website:
“Each month tens of thousands of gamers across the globe visit NextGen Player for the hottest Canadian gaming stories. Our site features coverage of breaking Canadian video game news, coverage of live Canadian gaming events, video game previews & reviews, highlights of Canadian game promotions and retail sales, as well as coverage of Canadian game sales data & research.
NextGen Player is a site focused on bringing together gamers and fostering a community that is active and engaging. Our coverage focuses first and foremost on Canadian gaming culture with broad appeal to both the hardcore and the casual gamer.”
Check out NextGen Player Today! Pin It