Active Gaming Alternatives Exhibit Healthy Potential

Lawson Researchers Examine Active Video Games for Childhood Obesity Prevention

17% of children ages 2-19 are affected by youth obesity. The rate has quadrupled since the 1980s. What’s more, the repercussions are frightening: hypertension, type II diabetes, fatty liver disease, and a host of other “adult” illnesses are now emerging in children.

With research suggesting that 83% of American youth have a t least one gaming console in their bedroom, many attribute these growing risks and growing waistlines to the popularity of screen-based activities.

However, I-THINK researchers at Lawson Hleath Research Institute are now suggesting video games may provide a strong platform to promote youth physical activity and nutrition.

With the emergence of games like Dance-Dance-Revolution and the Wii system, gaming entertainment has shifted towards more active alternatives, and the I-THINK team members believe this growing popularity may be leveraged to target obesity prevention and self-care.

To determine the healthy potential, researchers at I-THINK conducted a systematic literature review of active video games. Between 1998 and 2011, they identified a total of 34 studies across two categories: physically active video games, or “exergames,” and interactive video games that don’t necessarily include a physical activity component.

Although the metrics used in each study were different, the I-THINK team consistently noted that children playing active video games experienced a light to moderate increase in physical activity. Increases in exercise expenditure, heart rate, and step counts were also noted, as well as decreases in waist size, weight, and BMI. Pin It

Digital Extremes to Receive $2.5 million Grant from the Province

London's Digital Extremes will receive a $2.5 million grant from the Province of Ontario.

The grant will allow the London-based video game studio to create 30 new jobs and protect 53 existing jobs, with more than 150 people currently working at the studio.

Digital Extremes is developing a "3D Evolution Game Engine," that automates programming work required to create a new 3D video game. The technology will reduce the time and cost involved in bringing new games to market.

"We believe the 3D Evolution Game Engine we're developing here in London will provide an enhanced platform allowing other video game developers to fully leverage the creative talents of their team. This investment signals an exciting new phase for our company," Michael Schmalz, President, Digital Extremes. Pin It

London’s Digital Extremes Celebrates Launch of Homefront

London video game developer, Digital Extremes, launched its new PC game, Homefront, with a party held at 29 Park on Talbot St., last week.

Homefront is a first person shooter video game with a narrative that allows players to walk in the shoes of resistance fighters in 2027 America, who are trying to topple the Greater Korean Republic occupation of the United States of America.

THQ Inc. hired Digital Extremes to bring Homefront to the PC platform in the best form possible.

375,000 copies of the military-themed video game were sold on the first day of sales in North America.

Frank De Lise, executive producer at THQ, commented that “PC players will be able to set up and host Homefront dedicated servers and enjoy additional community features including clan support. We believe the core PC first-person-shooter fan will really appreciate these features, which are becoming increasingly rare.”

http://www.thelondoner.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3038496

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Canada’s Digital Media Opportunities Touted at GDC San Francisco

International entertainment companies are flocking to Ontario’s collaboratively linked technology regions of London, Toronto, Waterloo Region, Niagara and Ottawa. At the 2011 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, executives from Ontario's talent-rich tech cities promoted Canada’s “pixel-perfect business conditions” for expanding digital media companies.

With 22 universities and colleges pumping out more than 18,000 graduates per year, Ontario’s Technology Corridor (OTC) has a deep talent pool to draw from. Graduates come from 174 specialized digital media programs including 3D animation, film studies, advanced computer programming, math, and hardware engineering.

Canada pushed past the UK last year as the world’s third largest centre for videogame development talent, in part because of Ontario’s deep talent pool and targeted tax incentives.

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.

Ontario's Media Development Corporation (OMDC) is the central catalyst for the province's cultural media cluster - to date the OMDC IDM Fund has contributed $7.7 million to support 76 projects with budgets totalling $32.7 million - and continues to offer the following incentives, including:

• Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit -- refunds 35-40 per cent of eligible production costs

• Ontario Computer Animation and Special Effects Tax Credit -- refunds 20 per cent of labour costs

• OMDC Interactive Digital Media Fund -- up to $150,000 in project production funding, up to a maximum of 50% of the project budget. So far in 2011, the OMDC has announced $2.0 million in funding support. Pin It

Big Blue Bubble Nominated for Three Canadian Video Game Awards

Big Blue Bubble 's Burn The Rope (released in December, 2010) has been nominated for three Canadian Video Game Awards: Best Game on the Go,  Best Game Design and Best Visual Arts.

The hugely popular iOS game Burn The Rope is a gravity-based puzzle that requires players to burn ropes in different entanglements. The catch is ropes can only burn upwards. This leaves gamers tilting and turning to keep the flame alive.

With over 60 high profile games in its portfolio, Big Blue Bubble is one of Canada’s leading video game developers. Each of the company’s three divisions (Mobile, Console and Casual) is dedicated to making the best possible games by combining innovative designers with top calibre artists and industry leading programmers.

Big Blue Bubble is a midsized employer and a key player in London's digital media sector. 

Description: In Burn The Rope users have the freedom to set fire without any fire hazard or need for a fire extinguisher. The game involves a mix of strategic planning, thinking ahead, coordination and the ability to stay in deep focus. Users have to feed the fire and burn as much rope as they can in each level to progress.

The challenge is that fire only burns upwards, leaving players to tilt and turn their iPhones to keep the flame alive.

The game features 80 devilishly tricky levels with polished graphics and mesmerizing fire effects. Bugs that crawl along the rope spice things up demonstrating different reactions to the flame from level to level. Ants change the colour of the flame so that users could burn different colored ropes, and the spider shoots out a web bridge providing access to the parts of the level that were beyond players’ reach before.

For more information check out: http://bit.ly/f3eKxw

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London's Antic Entertainment Awarded $1 Million in Development Funding

London’s Antic Entertainment will share more than $1 million in development funding with one2tribe, a Polish development studio, from Nexon America’s Nexon iNitiative. The funding will be used to create new games for Nexon’s worldwide publishing network.

The Nexon iNitiative is a million dollar program started in the spring of 2010 to identify and fund new and innovative video game projects. The program received 115 submissions from developers in 26 countries. After reviewing all submissions, Antic Entertainment and one2tribe were selected as recipients of development funding from the Nexon iNitiative.

Antic Entertainment was founded in 2008 by Fredrik Liljegren, Mark Mikulec and Jeff Evans. Antic Entertainment specializes in developing and publishing casual games for core gamers and will be developing an unannounced social media game for Nexon.

"We're honoured to be collaborating with one of the gaming heavy weights of the world," said Mikulec, co-founder and technical director of Antic Entertainment. "Most people don't know that Nexon invented the business model that most social games use today. Combined with Antic's AAA development experience, we are working together on a title that is truly unique in the social gaming space. I can't wait for people to play it." Pin It

LEDC to Represent London DIG Industry at Digital North Seminar

The London Economic Development Corporation’s (LEDC) Larry MacKinnon, Director of Business Development, Technology, will represent London’s DIG industry at the upcoming “Digital North – Creative Opportunities in Canada” seminar on Thursday, January 27th.

Hosted by the Consulate General of New York, the seminar and networking reception has been designed to strengthen ties between the digital media industry in the New York metro area and Canada.

"The LEDC is excited for the opportunity to represent London's DIG community at the Digital North seminar," said MacKinnon. "We have successfully worked with the Consulate General of New York in the past."

The Digital North seminar will showcase Canadian talent, opportunities and partnerships to New York metro area digital media executives. The one-hour seminar will highlight the differences and parallels between Canada and the Untied States’ digital media environment. The event will also include an overview of Canadian tax incentives and government programs available to companies with international expansion plans.

Industry executives will be given a platform to network and build their cross-border contacts at the reception following the seminar. MacKinnon will be present, pitching opportunities for growth and investment in our city.

“The objectives of the seminar are to create links between Canada and the United States’ industry and to create inward investment opportunities for the Canadian market”, said Karen Kennedy, Consul and Head of Investment at the Canadian Consulate, New York. “Information exchanges and networking forums like the Digital North seminar are excellent ways for U.S. and Canadian companies to interact and explore potential partnerships and opportunities.”

The program caters to companies in the digital media industry ranging from gaming software to animation and post-production film and special effects companies. The content of the seminar will focus on industry-centric topics as well as business information relevant to the digital media industry sector. Some of the featured speakers include Richard Bendis of Innovation America, Tracey Jennings of Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Ricardo Curtis, founder and president of both House of Cool Studios and Red Rover, and Jason Altman of Ubisoft and Longtail Studios. Pin It