Winnipeg, Canada- December 29, 2010 - Indie game developer Tomkorp announced today that a retail version of their PC puzzle/strategy game Clones will be published by Lace Mamba Global, a European based game publisher, and is anticipated to be released worldwide before summer 2011. “We are very excited to have partnered with Lace Mamba Global and will be working with them over the next few months to ensure the retail version of Clones is absolutely clonesational!” said Ryan Tomko, co-founder.
"Clones is the latest addition to our portfolio of independently developed, high quality games. Its highly addictive gameplay is a mixture of old gaming classics and new, innovative ideas, that will appeal to a large audience of core as well as casual gamers. We're looking forward to bringing Clones to the retail stores in Q2 2011", says Jason Codd, European Managing Director of Lace Mamba Global.
Clones was released digitally on Nov. 19th 2010 and is on sale at 50% off over the holiday season, available from Steam, Direct2Drive, and the official Clones Store. On Dec. 22nd the first “Clones Multiplayer Jam” event was held and over 240 matches were recorded on the game’s official website, www.ClonesGame.com. “The Multiplayer Jam was a great success. We were very pleased with the number of gamers that participated in online matches and we plan to bring the community together like this more often.” said Tom Kaminski, co-founder.
Clones is a friendly, fun, and engaging evolution to the classic Lemmings puzzle genre that includes robust internet-multiplayer with team play, different game modes, powerups, and leaderboards. The built-in level editor was used to create the singleplayer campaign of over 150 clontastic puzzles spanning 11 CloneMaster bosses over 5 regions of the Clones Planet.
In Clones, the player controls cute alien “clones” by telling them when to morph their bodies in order to overcome obstacles in the landscape and complete the level objective. This can include beaming up a minimum number of clones, leading a special clone to an exit, or reducing all opponent clones to bits. Each puzzle has a leaderboard on the ClonesGame.com website that ranks all solutions based on stats like the number of morphs used, and the time to complete the level.
In a recent review for MashThoseButtons reviewer Rob Allegretti had this to say about Clones: “I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this redux of sorts, and would gladly recommend it to any fan of the original or of puzzle games in general.” giving the game a 4.3 / 5 score.
Clones is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB. For more information on Clones or to download the demo, please visit ClonesGame.com, or become a fan on ClonesGame Facebook
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ClonesGame
Website: http://clonesgame.com/
Demo: http://clonesgame.com/download-demo
Buy: http://clonesgame.com/buy-game
About Tomkorp:
Tomkorp Computer Solutions Inc. is an innovative software development company established in 2004 in Winnipeg, Canada to facilitate the developers’ dream of bringing Clones to your PC. Visit Tomkorp at http://tomkorp.com
Contact:
info@tomkorp.com
Tom Kaminski
Tomkorp Computer Solutions Inc.
(204) 294-7973
Complex Games, Winnipeg’s premiere interactive development firm, is thrilled to announce that we have just received the award for Best Web-Based Game at the 10th annual Canadian New Media Awards.
The Award was given in recognition of the One Ocean Online project, developed as an online interactive companion to the CBC documentary mini-series of the same name starring David Suzuki, and produced by Merit Motion Pictures.
“We are thrilled that the One Ocean project is being recognized for this award,” said Noah Decter-Jackson, Complex Games president. “The web games were designed to help communicate the theme of the documentary, engaging players about the threats that exist to our Ocean Biosphere and the importance of conservation ”
Complex Games partnered with Tactica Interactive Communications, a web developer also based in Winnipeg to produce the One Ocean Online experience. A video of the gameplay can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfQFdG8QByw
The Canadian New Media Awards began 10 years ago as a way to recognize ground-breaking Canadian media companies. As technology has grown over the years, so has the award ceremony with the winners receiving attention both nationally and across the globe.
Complex Games, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is an independent game development studio. Since its inception in 2002, it has worked with established brands and companies focusing on providing interactive design in a variety of fields.
Save The Date!
New Media Manitoba and the Manitoba chapter of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada are joining forces to celebrate two momentous and milestone occasions, with a holiday party that will simultaneously celebrate NMM's tenth – and GDC Manitoba's twentieth – anniversary of representing creativity, ingenuity and innovation in Manitoba. The uncanny symmetry of these occasions more than aptly reflects the two associations' ever-growing relationship as they work together to serve and promote Manitoba's prospering design and new media industries.
Make plans to join GDC Manitoba and New Media Manitoba for an anniversary-themed holiday get-together extravaganza on Thursday December 16! Be a part of one memorable evening, as some of the most creative minds in the city and province converge on Winnipeg's Luxalune Gastropub. With fabulous door prizes, music, mingling, merriment (Luxalune boasts 140 kinds of beer!), networking, reminiscing, toasts and cheers, the co-hosted 20/10 celebration promises to be an entirely unforgettable time.
Write it down. Clear your schedules. Circle December 16 on your calendars, and come join us for a party 10 and 20 years in the making. Keep your eyes glued to your screens big and small, for further details coming very soon!
In collaboration with Film Training Manitoba, the Transmedia Production Lab (TPL) was designed to explore the creative challenges of developing multiplatform content from the ground up. Trainees and their mentors will be immersed in an intensive week of practical transmedia production, culminating in the creation of a series of new multiplatform prototypes. Fundamental concepts underlying transmedia production will be explored, such as:
- how to manifest a story on different platforms using different strategies
- the role of the audience and how they experience interactive media
- the pipeline and workflow of how successful teams work together
- the important elements of successful convergent media
Facilitator
Ryan FitzGerald (ROGUE NATION STUDIO) has taught convergence media (aka; transmedia) nationally for the Cultural Human Resource Council, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network and most recently at Melting Silos for the National Film Board. Ryan is the recent winner of the 2010 Rogers and Manitoba Film & Music $15,000 Pitch, presented by On Screen Manitoba.
What's invovled
Sixteen individuals will be selected to participate in a six-day training lab. The 16 selected participants will be formed into two teams; a mentor team and a trainee team. Each team will envision, produce and give life to five short form transmedia projects. Teams will work collaboratively during pre and post-production, providing mentors the opportunity for one-on-one consultation with the trainees. Each day will flow in the following way: delivery of an in-class learning component, planning, shoot, post, and review of each project.
Important Dates
- Application deadline: Thursday, September 2, 2010
- Lab dates: October 15-21, 2010 (Fri. Oct. 15th and Thurs. Oct. 21st are evenings. Oct.16th – 20th are full days, 9am - 6pm)
Application Criteria
This competition is open to residents of Manitoba only. Previous experience with transmedia is not required.
Mentors
We are looking for experienced directors, writers, producers, project managers, graphic designers, programmers, and actors from film, television, and new media, who are open to working collaboratively on cross platform content. Mentors will be selected according to each applicant’s demonstrated level of expertise in their field. The mentors will be required to work with, share skills with, and impart knowledge to their equivalent role on the trainee team. The mentors will be required to sign a letter of agreement, and 1-2 page-training summary upon completion of the lab. Mentors will receive an honorarium. Please contact us for details.
Trainees
We are looking for emerging film and television and new media professionals looking to gain the knowledge and skills to work on Transmedia projects.
Course fee
The trainees registration fee is $200, payable upon acceptance into the program. This course has been valued at $2000. We're thrilled to offer our training at a subsidized cost for New Media and Film and Television Industry.
Application Process
All applicants must submit a complete package (see application form) by September 2, 2010. A jury of industry professionals will review the application packages and select candidates for both teams. All applicants will be notified of their acceptance status by
email.
For More Information
Read more on the FTM Transmedia Production Lab website.
Contact Rose-Anne Harder, Training Coordinator, Film Training Manitoba
Phone: 204-989-9663
Email: rharder@filmtraining.mb.ca
Why become a member? New Media Manitoba's annual membership only costs $35 a year, and gets you in on:
- Amazing discounts on NMM events and access to some of the worlds lowest priced certified application training.
- Entry to win great prizes at all NMM events you attend.
- Support an amazing organization that represents what you do and advocates on your behalf to the government and community.
How to become a member
- Register for a free account on NMM's website.
- Once you have a free account, you can purchase a paid membership by clicking the "Become a Paid Member" button at the top of our website, or contact us if you need another method of payment.
Here it is, the social media events that started it all back in Summer 2009. We are bringing you TWO half day sessions this August from our "Beat to Tweet" series that will rejuvenate, renew, and reload your social business strategy in 2010. It's like Hot Yoga for your social media mojo. :)
Our trainer, Lloyd Hannesson, recently returned from the Mashable Media Summit in New York featuring some of the most notable social media speakers across North America including CNN, Starbucks, College Humor, Mashable, The Onion, and actor/activist Edward Norton. For those of you that have seen Lloyd present in the past, you know that his classes are always entertaining and easy to follow.
A lot has changed since we offered our Beat to Tweet series last year, but what hasn't changed, is the need to grow the social media strategy for your business beyond what you were doing in 2009 for increased connection to your customers and increased profitability.
There is a maximum of 45 seats for each event!
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Beat 2 Tweet: RENEWED & REJUVENATED August 10, 2010
Our first in the series is meant as an introduction (or refresher) for aspiring social media managers to help you learn the terminology and building blocks of using the two heavy social hitters in your business: Facebook and Twitter...
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Beat 2 Tweet: RELOADED August 24, 2010
This is a session for people who are already comfortable with the social networking basics, but would like to grow their social networking toolbox. We'll briefly review the significant social networking sites out there and how they've...
We hosted two introductory sessions last year that sold out in a day and a half so I encourage you to register as quickly as possible so you don't miss out. Due to an aggressive training schedule there is a good chance we will be unable to repeat these courses this year.
All the best,
Kevin
We want to hear stories about your business. We're looking for personal stories, stories that excite, touch, inspire, make people want to follow their passions and become part of the New Media business community in Manitoba.
if you attended last year's New Media Showcase at IMAX you'll remember that it was the most significant New Media event we've ever hosted bar none.
8 companies and 8 Industry leaders were featured during a 43-minute video showcasing some of our brightest and most innovative new media superstars. Since screening that showcase and marketing it to businesses across North America, the individuals and companies that participated have generated an additional $551,000 in new business for themselves over the past 7 months.
We'd like to do it again.
We want to hear stories about your business. We're looking for personal stories, stories that excite, touch, inspire, make people want to follow their passions and become part of the New Media business community in Manitoba.
You may not think you even have a story but we're betting you do! It doesn't matter if you're a big company, or just a one person operation, you have something unique about you to share.
Start by sending us an e-mail and answering the following questions:
Who are you?
What does your business do?
What is exciting, touching, inspiring about your business?
Do you have any unique stories or events that have happened at your business?
How has the New Media business community in Manitoba and/or NMM helped your business?
Include full contact information (phone number, email, website) and links to projects, if applicable.
Deadline for applications is 5pm June 30th, 2010. You can send your email with the above links to iamasuperstar@newmediamanitoba.com
If you are selected you will need to be available for the month of July to be filmed. You'll be responsible for sharing support graphics, videos, and animations with us to include in the profile.
One small caveat I'll mention is that we're still working on getting all the resources in place to shoot the videos and have a similar IMAX event like last year. It costs a fair bit of money to host an event of this size so we're seeking sponsorship. If you know of someone that can help support this initiative with some investment please let us know.
Don't forget you only have until June 30th to submit your story!
Posted on Jun 28, 2010
Anyone that says Manitoba appears to be immune from the recession is mistaken.
To begin on a positive note we were happy to see that all of industry’s recommendations to improve the Manitoba Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit (MIDMTC) in the 2010 Provincial Budget were passed. Some of the improvements include:
- the length of the Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit was extended to December 31, 2013
- tax credit certificates can be issued on an annual basis instead of at the end of a project (you get your money quicker)
- government assistance from other funding programs will no longer grind down eligible labour costs
What we were uneasy about in the 2010 Budget was the noticeably absent reference to the Manitoba Interactive Digital Media Fund (MIDMF), a $300,000 program meant to support new application development in the Interactive Digital Media sector. This past Tuesday, the Department of Innovation, Energy and Mines (IEM), confirmed our fears that MIDMF has indeed been eliminated. This means that Manitoba New Media Producers no longer have a program specifically designed to create innovative new products like Video Games, and Mobile Applications, or the support to attend new markets for training and trade show
This news has been sobering to say the least.
When we compare what has happened in Manitoba to the rest of Canada we see a disconnect. The Canada New Media Fund (CMF) which was just announced last week enables Canadian New Media Producers to access 27 million dollars for project funding in the Experimental Stream (almost double what it was a year ago). There is also a CMF Convergence Stream of $277 million dollars, which will support the creation of television shows and related digital media content. The CMF requires a substantial portion of the Convergence Stream be used to create rich content such as videogames, podcasts, webisodes, mobisodes, and interactive web content - a great opportunity for Film/TV and New Media Producers to collaborate together.
Several other provinces like Ontario, which just invested 26 million into their provincial digital media sector, are creating more incentives to organically grow their industries which begs the question: Why, when every other province is providing incentives to a growth sector like interactive digital media, is Manitoba's only digital media fund being terminated?
To help balance this latest announcement we need to state a few facts:
- When the budget was handed down, Innovation, Energy and Mines had the largest cuts to their programs.
- The Manitoba Interactive Digital Media Fund was under-subscribed in previous years (with the exception of 2009).
We at New Media Manitoba are extremely disappointed with the elimination of the MIDMF particularly because there was no prior indication this program could be cut. We have made recommendations this past year to improve MIDMF's guidelines and have helped 5 companies successfully achieve funding to build their projects. With the momentum that was built, we projected over 15 companies would successfully receive MIDMF product assistance and access to markets in 2010.
With the reduction to IEM's budget and a history of new media companies not applying for the fund, we can understand the challenges protecting MIDMF amidst budget cuts. As new media producers we need to take responsibility for how we approached the fund and for not utilizing it to its fullest potential.
We want you to know that IEM has told us they will do everything they can to help new media producers access other program funding to attend new markets or help with project investment. We still have the interactive digital media tax credit that supports production labour.
Over the next while we will be calling on you to help provide vital statistics for our industry. We need to better understand the size and economic data of our own industry in order to help our province better understand us. If you believe in growing the interactive digital media sector in Manitoba then we ask you to be forthcoming with your time when we launch our survey in the coming months so we can build better programs and support for new media producers in this province.
Questions about this latest announcement can be directed to:
New Media Manitoba's Business Director: Louie Ghiz
or, to Innovation, Energy and Mines: Doug McCartney douglas.mccartney@gov.mb.ca (204) 945-6298
This event is SOLD OUT. Thanks to everyone who registered early!
On Tuesday, March 23, 2010, New Media Manitoba presents "Putting your Type on the Line," a creative's guide to fonts on the web.
Fonts and typography on the web can be a complicated, hacky, and limited affair. Most designers and developers are stuck with about four useful fonts out of tens of thousands that are available to print media. BUT, with the advent of new browser technologies, type and typography on the Web is about to change dramatically.
This event is SOLD OUT. Thank you to everyone that registered in advance!
With the flurry of iPhone training heating up we thought we'd score a bonus round with our next iPhone maverick Nick Campbell.
This event is SOLD OUT. Thank you to everyone that registered in advance!
ALL ACCESS: The Digital Incubator is a daylong interactive digital media forum that will bring together the 3 C’s—computing, communications and content to highlight the interlocking of traditional film & television with interactive digital media. The day will consist of a keynote speaker, a panel discussion, guest speakers, round-table meetings, one-on-one meetings and networking opportunities.
Over the next three months Winnipeg is hosting the most incredible series of iPhone events.
January 22: Adam Saltsman, Developing and Marketing iPhone Games
February 3: Nick Campbell, Designing iPhone Applications and Getting Paid
March 25: Jeff Hughes, Getting your iPhone App on Apple's Top 100 List
March 1 - 5: Big Nerd Ranch, 5-day iPhone Development Bootcamp
From January - March 2010, we're hosting 4 events for designers, developers, entrepreneurs, and businesses to create their own iPhone application and sell it to the world starting with:
GAME GOD
Our first iPhone event begins on January 22, 2010 with the much celebrated pixel game designer Adam Saltsman. Adam has developed and co-created over 13-games both online and for the Apple iPhone and has stirred a media frenzy in such publications as Edge Magazine, IGN, Kotaku, MTV Multiplayer, Boing Boing, and PC Gamer.
On January 22, Adam will share his methodology for creating successful iPhone games that have netted over $500,000 in independent sales. He will describe how he conceptualizes and prototypes games, and his chronic attention to design and sound.
Adam will present a case study for the 2009 hit "Canabalt" that earned him no less 650,000 players in less than 5-days and how his iPhone game "Wurdle" became a top-10 classic on the iTunes Store. He will also share the social media strategy that has attracted oodles of ravenous players from around the world to his gaming multiverse.
This presentation is ideally suited toward game developers, students and educators, ad agencies, creatives, and programmers interested in game development for mobile devices.
Adam's flixel API, an open source flash game library, has been embraced by both beginners and veterans and earned Adam a place on Game Developer Magazine's inaugural Top-50 Developers list alongside Apple's Steve Jobs and Will Wright (Creator of Spore & The Sims).
Cost: $49.95 and includes breakfast.
Time: 9 am - 4 pm
Place: 1000 Waverley St., Winnipeg, MB
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DESIGN AN iPHONE APP AND GET PAID
On Wednesday, February 3, Nick Campbell will spend the day deconstructing how to design and get your app started, develop a user interface, find a programmer, and market and sell your iPhone app. Nick will deconstruct how he created a business plan for ShakeItPhoto, an App Store Staff Favourite which turns your iPhone into the perfect Polaroid.
Nick is a regular speaker on the Web 2.0 lecture circuit and maintains a popular blog and podcast at greyscalegorilla.com. Over the course of the day he will unveil a wealth of knowledge that any new or seasoned producer can use to sell their iPhone application including:
- picking a development team if you're a non-programmer
- dealing with contracts
- usability that makes you an Apple staff favourite
- making an app for an international audience
- establishing buzz before launch
- testing and tweaking
- supporting your app after launch
- dealing with Apple
- getting paid
This presentation is ideally suited for designers, recent graduates, and entrepreneurs that have an iPhone idea and are looking for a place to start.
Nick Campbell is a motion designer, and photographer from Chicago. He graduated from the Illinois Institute of Art with a degree in Design and Fine Art. He spent three years at Digital Kitchen, where he animated and designed titles for shows such as True Blood and Dexter and with such clients as HBO, Showtime, Target and most recently with The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. His creative portfolio can be found at CreamyOrange.com
Cost: $49.95 and includes breakfast.
Time: 9 am - 4 pm
Place: 1000 Waverley St., Winnipeg, MB
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IF YOU BUILD IT, WILL THEY COME?
Everyone has a great moneymaking idea for their iPhone, but in a sea of over 100,000 Apps, how will yours get noticed?
Jeff Hughes brings over 18 years industry passion as a marketer, publisher and keynote speaker. He is the author of 10 technology books and numerous trade press articles on technology and marketing topics and is the author of the upcoming Pearson Education book "iPhone Apps Marketing: Secrets to Selling Your iPhone App."
On March 25, 2010, Jeff will show you case studies for companies and applications he has helped develop iPhone marketing plans for companies that have resulted in hundreds of thousands in sales on the iTunes Store. Throughout the day he will provide step-by-step instruction on how you can achieve similar results including:
- how to get your app into the top 100 on iTunes
- how to define your app's marketing message
- using promos to sell your app
- how to conduct a pricing analysis for your app
- how to measure results with analytics, and,
- implementing a marketing plan & calendar for your launch
This presentation is ideally suited for small, medium, and big business, as well as entrepreneurs, iPhone developers, marketing departments, and ad agencies.
Jeff is the developer and lead instructor for "Intro to iPhone Apps Marketing" a course that has helped hundreds of developers learn how to market their iPhone apps in a very competitive market and is a frequent contributor to popular iPhone sites including 148Apps.Biz.
Cost: $49.95 and includes breakfast and lunch.
Time: 9 am - 4 pm
Place: 1000 Waverley St., Winnipeg, MB
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iPHONE DEVELOPMENT BOOTCAMP
We round out our iPhone Marketing with the most comprehensive 5-day iPhone Developer Course ever offered in Canada from Big Nerd Ranch. Let me speak quite plainly when I say that Big Nerd Ranch's Bootcamp is recognized as the most comprehensive and influential iPhone course in the world. Their list of clients and students include Pixar, Google, and Apple (to name a few).
Our trainer from Big Nerd Ranch will be Scott Ritchie.
Scott Ritchie has been developing and teaching Objective-C since he joined NeXT Computer in 1990. Prior to that time he was an engineer at Sun Microsystems working on window systems. Since 2000 he has held several training and engineering positions with Apple, most recently working with both AppKit and UIKit development. When the Fortune 500 companies of the world need an iPhone trainer, they call Big Nerd Ranch and ask for Scott Ritchie.
This week long course normally starts at $4200 for registration plus flight and hotel. But thanks to the generous support from the Province of Manitoba and Entrepreneurship, Training & Trade, Manitobans can take this course for just $1,495.
We at New Media Manitoba have worked for 2-years to offer this kind of top-tier iPhone development training at little cost. If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me if I knew of someone locally that develops for the iPhone I would be a hundred-naire! :) We are excited to promote you as part of an exclusive group of iPhone application developers in Manitoba.
The course is ideally suited for programmers that already have some experience with Obective-C and Cocoa.
Upon completion of the iPhone Bootcamp, you receive exclusive access to Big Nerd Ranch's private developer board where you have access to all the students Big Nerd Ranch has ever trained (in the thousands) and can ask questions of their trainers. You will also be profiled on New Media Manitoba's upcoming website relaunch as an iPhone specialist.
Cost: $1,495
Time: 8 am - 5 pm, March 1 -5
Place: 1000 Waverley St., Winnipeg, MB
Posted on Jan 14, 2010
