Games Montreal

MEGA Brands Gives 12 Online Flash Games to Webmasters for Free

Chris — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:21:16 PDT

MEGA Brands Inc – a worldwide leader in toy design and development, announced today it is giving access to 12 of their widely popular online flash games for kids, including Battle Strikers Online (over 130,000 monthly hits), to Webmasters and Bloggers for free.

"By giving free access of our online flash games to webmasters and bloggers, we can not only increase MEGA Brands’ online visibility but also bring to these other websites the traffic of countless gamers and fans of MEGA Brands online video games and toys." – Etienne Laurent, Web Manager at MEGA Brands.

IGDA Montreal: WET: The Soap Opera

Chris — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:18:44 PDT

From IGDA Montreal:

The average game development cycle involves a client, concept and production period followed by the game release. WET however has been anything but this clear cut. If WET were a human being, she would be as incredibly resilient as her heroine, Rubi, considering all that she has gone through to finally appear on shelves. Taking a look back at the long history of this project, one must admit that it has been a complex and interesting journey.

Event Details:

When: Wednesday, November 4th @ 7:00pm
What: IGDA-Montreal Presentation Night
Where: The SAT, 1195 St.Laurent
Why: Stéphane Roy discussing production of Wet
Who: All game developers, and those related to the game industry
Entry: free for IGDA members; $5 for non-members

Bell, Telus to sell iPhones next month

Chris — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:35:23 PDT

From CBC.ca:

Good news for Montreal iPhone game developers, if you don’t already have one with Rogers!

Bell and Telus have reached agreements to sell Apple’s iPhone in Canada this November.

The iPhone addition was long rumoured to be a part of the next-generation high-speed network that the two companies have been building together.

Late Monday, the two companies announced that the network, originally expected to be ready in time for the Winter Olympics in February, would be ready months ahead of schedule.

The new network will offer mobile internet speeds up to 21 megabits per second, with more than 20,000 towns and cities covered, they said.

On Tuesday, both Bell and Telus confirmed they would begin selling the popular iPhone as early as November as part of the new network.

Polytron Details Upcoming iPhone Game ‘Power Pill’

Chris — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:27:37 PDT

From TouchArcade:

Independent developer Polytron (from Montreal) recently released details of their first iPhone game that’s in the works. Polytron is best known for their work on the innovative, and as yet unreleased game, Fez, a 2d/3d platformer (video). Well, no, Fez is not coming to the iPhone (as far as we know), but Polytron is working on an iPhone-specific multi-touch game called Power Pill.

At Pecha Kucha, Phil Fish presented the idea behind Power Pill which places you in control of a super medicine that is working its way through a human body. The medicine is so powerful that it can’t touch the sides of the body without causing damage. Your job is to squeeze, pull and morph the pill into different sizes and shapes in order to properly navigate the levels.

IGDA Montreal: Games in the New Social Media Era

Chris — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:25:36 PDT

From IGDA Montreal:

The GameCafé concept is a discussion format with an emphasis on intimate interactions in a casual setting. For our next GameCafé we will focus on the intersection of games and social media. Social media isn’t just limited to Facebook and iPhone. It’s actually a lot broader: Xbox Live, Home, achievement systems, sharing videos the Spore way, creating game modules and rating them, promoting your game via Twitter and recruiting via LinkedIn, etc… All of that is part of using social media and networks within the games world.

When: Thursday, October 15th, 6:00pm dinner / 7:30pm discussion
What: IGDA Montreal Chapter "GameCafé"
Where: Hurley’s Irish Pub (upstairs room), 1225 Crescent Street
Why: Lively discussion with your peers
Who: All IGDA members
Entry: free for members, must RSVP

Ubisoft Acquires TrackMania Developer Nadeo

Chris — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:07:29 PDT

From Gamasutra:

Ubisoft on Monday said it has "positioned itself in the multiplayer segment" with the acquisition of Paris-based developer Nadeo, developer of the popular online multiplayer racing game TrackMania.

"The acquisition of Nadeo is an important step in our expansion within the online gaming sector", said Yves Guillemot, CEO of Paris-based Ubisoft. "Through Nadeo, Ubisoft will gain an expert team, one of the best online technologies around as well as a flagship multiplayer game that enjoys an unrivalled reputation among a loyal and committed community."

He added, "We are excited about the idea of introducing TrackMania to an ever-wider audience and sharing the expertise of Nadeo’s teams with our company’s other developers." Ubisoft did not disclose the terms of the acquisition in a press release.

The acquisition of Nadeo is the second Ubisoft acquisition in the past several months in which the publisher was particularly interested in multiplayer technology. When Ubisoft announced the acquisition of World in Conflict developer Massive Entertainment, Guillemot said the buy would help Ubisoft get its foot into the MMO space.

VMC Game Labs Opens Center In Montreal

Chris — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:12:32 PDT

From Gamasutra:

From a few months ago, but still worth mentioning.

VMC Game Labs, a video game testing and quality assurance firm, has announced that it will open up a development and testing center in Montreal. The new center will create approximately 165 new jobs for the city.

“We received a warm welcome and unfailing support from our local partners, and that played a big part in our decision," said Steve Fowler, head of product development for VMC Game Labs. “Investissement Quebec and Montreal International helped us at every key stage of our project. This support, together with the strategic advantages of Montreal, will help us reach our growth objectives in a highly competitive sector.”

Line Beauchamp, the Minister of Culture and Communications and Minister responsible for the Montreal region, pointed out that Quebec’s success in this video game development sector is largely attributable to a qualified and creative workforce, commenting: “There is incomparable talent in Quebec in every sphere of multimedia. The 3D special effects industry was born in Montreal and the city continues to dazzle the industry.”

Funcom cuts staff, Secret World delayed

Chris — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 06:37:24 PDT

From CVG:

Age Of Conan developer Funcom will reportedly cut 20 per cent of its workforce and delay the release of its new PC and Xbox 360 MMO, The Secret World, by several months.

The news was revealed in a stock exchange announcement on Tuesday, according to a Google translation of an E24 report. The site said that the Norwegian developer’s stock fell 18 per cent following the announcement.

Founded in 1993, Funcom currently employs over 320 staff across its offices in Norway, the US, China, and Switzerland. It has developed over 20 titles but is perhaps best known for its MMO Age Of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, which shipped over 1.2 million copies to retail in 2008.

In early September Funcom announced that it would be opening a new studio in Montreal, Canada to "take advantage of the great incentive programmes offered by the Quebec region". E24 says that Funcom invited its 220 Norwegian employees to move to Quebec where up to 37.5 per cent of game development salary costs are reimbursed, and that the company plans to hire 100-150 people in Canada over the next 18 months.

Canadian Vortex Game Competition Launches Submissions

Chris — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 06:33:51 PDT

From Gamasutra:

The Toronto, Ontario-based McLuhan Festival of the Future announced the launch of this year’s The Vortex Competition, which revolves around aspiring game entrepreneurs and companies across Canada.

A judging panel will review submitted concepts and prototypes of games in two respective categories. The competition, now in its fifth year and open to entrants across Canada, will take place on November 4 and 5. Judges for Vortex 2009 include software entrepreneur and star of the TV show Shark Tank Kevin O’Leary, Ubisoft Canada CEO Yannis Mallat, GameTap founder Blake Lewin, and game columnist and TV personality Marc Saltzman.

"We have a very big hub of video game developers involved in the competition," said Val Dooley, founder of Toots Capital in a phone call. She’s helping organize the competition, which has strong representation from major Canadian cities Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto. "Some of the people [in past Vortex Competitions] have developed companies that are very successful," she added.

NextGen Player Interviews 3Pod

Chris — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 06:29:23 PDT

From NextGen Player:

The video game industry in Canada has been growing tremendously over the past few years. With hotbeds such as Montreal and Vancouver leading the way and with Toronto as the next emerging Canadian gaming city, it’s no wonder Canada continues its strong presence in gaming. With this growth means opportunities in the form of jobs.

Understanding this growth, Canadian based 3Pod was formed to address the needs by both gaming companies and those looking to work in the industry. 3Pod was founded by Frederick Brassard and along with Pierre-Luc Labbée, the two provide a unique offering as a recruitment agency specializing in the gaming industry.

I had the opportunity recently to interview Pierre-Luc Labbée, Partner Recruiter at 3Pod. Check out the interview below.