New directory listing: Antic Entertainment, Parallel World Labs, United Front Games

First off, sorry for the lack of updates. I’ve just been lazy. No excuses, just lazy. There are a few events that I’ve missed posting on here so I’ll try and keep up with current events better. No promises though. Anyway, on to the updates.

Thanks to Mark for emailing me about Antic Entertainment out of London, Ontario. They are a casual games developer working on their first published title, Junk Wars.

 

Another company added to the site is Parallel World Labs in Toronto. They’ve been around since the early 1990s when they were known as Immersion Studios. Parallel World Labs creates interactive exhibits for museums and similar public venues.

Yet another BC company is United Front Games. Out of Vancouver, United Front Games is currently working on projects for both PS3 and Xbox360. UFG is comprised of many industry veterans from nearby Vancouver development studios.

CanDevs

BC News: Cosmic Logic, Big Park

Here is some recent British Columbia video game news:

Andrew Roberts, President and CEO of Cosmic Logic recently sent me word of his new company. Launched approximately one year ago, Kelowna’s Cosmic Logic is a self-published indie developer focusing on digital distribution platforms such as XBLA, PSN, WiiWare, PC and iPhone.

Here’s wishing Cosmic Logic much success and exposure!

Other news has Microsoft acquiring Vancouver-based Big Park. Not much is known about the deal but it’s rumoured that Big Park is working on an exclusive Xbox360 title.

CanDevs

New directory listing: Reverie World Studios, Smoking Gun Studios, WishboneX Creations

Reverie World Studios is based in Ontario. They are currently in development of Dawn of Fantasy, a real-time-strategy game set for release on PC and Xbox360.

Smoking Gun Studios is composed of industry veterans. Based in Vancouver, they are currently developing their first major console title.

WishboneX Creations is developing Pro Wrestling  X, a wrestling game for PC. They are located in Burnaby, BC.

CanDevs

New directory listing: Streaming Colour Studios, Spongelab Studios, Vive Technologies

The following developers are all located in Toronto, Ontario.

Thanks to Owen from Streaming Colour Studios for informing me of his new company. Streaming Colour Studios is a small, independent video game development studio. Streaming Colour was founded with the goal of developing fun, non-violent, creative, casual games. They currenty develop games for computer and mobile platforms.

Spongelab Interactive is a developer of educational games. They create interactive simulations focusing on cell biology. Spongelab also provides educational game design and production services.

Advised by PhDs, MDs, and educators Vive Technologies is a developer of educational and serious games. Vive strives to use computer gaming technology to create innovative teaching tools.

CanDevs

New directory listing: SomaTone, Utherverse Digital, and Vinland Studios

Thanks to Micah from SomaTone Interactive Audio for informing me of this busy company. SomaTone has offices in North America and Europe, with the Canadian office located in Vancouver. Having literally worked on hundreds of games, SomaTone provides music, sound effects and voice over services to the video games industry.

Vinland Studios is located in Miramichi, New Brunswick. They have been around since 1995 and help develop games for both console and personal computer.

Utherverse Digital Inc is the developer of the adult-themed The Utherverse, Red Light Center, and Virtual Vancouver massively multiplayer online games. Their headquarters are located in Vancouver.

CanDevs

New directory listing: BigPark, CGTV, and Medmay

Thanks to helpful visitor Jason, and to Tony from Medmay for passing on this info!

BigPark is located in Vancouver. They are developers of online interactive entertainment.

Out of Vancouver, CGTV Games delivers products and services for online gaming solutions.

Medmay Studios is a new developer working on creating products for mobile platforms like the iPhone. They are located in Vernon BC.

CanDevs

New directory listing: Little Boy Games, Odd Thought, and OmniG

Little Boy Games out of Vancouver is an independent games develoment studio. Their latest release is Go! Go! Break Steady for Xbox Live Arcade.

Odd Thought Inc. is an independent developer of online multi-player games such as Dope Wars, Global Conflict, and Free Markets. They are located in Markham, Ontario.

OmniG Software is a provider of graphics development tools and mobile games. They have games like Snow Rally Canada, Super-G Stunt, and Mini-TransCanada. They are located in Toronto.

CanDevs

New directory listing: Acronym Games, Anomalik, Everywhere Games

A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. Games out of Vancouver is an independent games develoment studio. Their latest release is  Rocketmen: Axis of Evil, available on both Xbox Live Arcade and the Playstation Network.

 

Anomalik is a casual games developer for both the Mac and PC. They are located in Montreal and their latest release is Age of Tesla, a rhythm based game.

Everywhere Games develops games for the cell phone market. Included in their inventory are text-based adventure games, arcade games, strategy games, and many more.

CanDevs

New directory listing: Pitch Mobile

Pitch Mobile is an independent game developer located on the east coast in Moncton, New Brunswick. They are relatively new, having been founded in 2006. Pitch has already developed a few flash games and has several other games in development, including music games for the Nintendo DS.

You can try out some of their flash games for free on their site. My favourite of the freebies is called Shield Defence. The object of the game is to basically defend your base from attacking enemy tanks. You use a force shield to block enemy fire, and hopefully deflect the incoming shells back towards the enemy. Again, this is one of those games that’s easy to pick up, but hard to put down.

Visit Pitch Mobile.

CanDevs

New directory listing: Gnosis Games

Gnosis Games is the casual games division of Threewave Software, an FPS content developer. Gnosis Games is located in Vancouver, and has released several titles including Paprazzi, Private Eye, and Candace Kane’s Candy Factory. In addition, Gnosis has started to move into online social networks making their games available on sites such as Facebook.

Gnosis’ games look fun and colourful. Since they are casual games, they can be picked up and played at any time without having to specifically set aside game time. They have demos of their games avaiable on their site to try out.

Visit Gnosis Games.

CanDevs

New directory listing: Ingenuity Works

Ingenuity Works is a company that develops and distributes educational software and Internet programs aimed at students from Kindergarten to grade 12. Used in more than 40,000 schools, their award-winning titles cover subjects ranging from math, social studies, language arts, computer technology, science, and keyboarding. Ingenuity Works has been developing products for more than 20 years and is located in Vancouver.

 

Visit Ingenuity Works.

CanDevs

Neotronic Arts

Neotronic Arts located in Burnaby BC is now hiring! Click the links on the main page to apply for current openings.

One of NA’s current projects is a new type of skateboarding game called BoardX. BoardX is an original intellectual property that’s set to introduce a new experience to the skateboarding genre. It’s set for a late 2008 release on Xbox360 and PS3.

In addition, if you sign up to be a game tester, you can play some of NA’s other games online. You can check out Insectoid Invasion (a sci-fi shooter), Keyboard Hero (a computer version of Guitar Hero), Vansterdam (become a kingpin in Vancouver), and Claim & Conquer (a turn-based strategy game).

Go to Neotronic Arts.

CanDevs

New Directory Listing: Other Ocean Interactive & Sculpin QA

 

Other Ocean Interactive was originally known as Backbone Charlottetown, part of the the Backbone Entertainment group of studios under Foundation 9 Entertainment. The studio became independent in May of 2007; and is located on Prince Edward Island. Games worked on by Other Ocean include Tron/Discs of Tron (XBLA), Ultimate Mortal Kombat (DS), and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (XBLA).

Normally I would write one separate blog entry per new directory listing. However, in this entry I have written about two companies because both companies are related. In fact, Other Ocean Interactive and Scuplin QA are sister companies. They not only share the same office space, but the founder is the same for both.

Sculpin QA is a professional video game testing and quality assurance studio. It provides testing services to Other Ocean Interactive, as well as to publishers and developers throughout the industry. Sculpin QA is relatively new having just opened its doors in December of 2007.

 Check out Other Ocean Interactive and Sculpin QA.

CanDevs

New Directory Listing: Xtreme Prototypes

Xtreme Prototypes is a game studio based in Montreal. They specialize in creating very high quality 3D add-on models for the Microsoft Flight Simulator game series.

Their current offerings are several versions of the X-15, a high-altitude experimental rocket plane from the 1950s and 60s. The X-15 model is very highly detailed, both from inside the cockpit to its sleek exterior.

Xtreme is also currently working on releasing an add-on of the legendary Canadian Avro Arrow. The Arrow was at the time the world’s most sophisticated fighter-interceptor. Even by today’s standards the Arrow was a very advanced warplane. Unfortunately due to political and other reasons, the Avro project was cancelled in 1959.

Please visit Xtreme for full product details.

CanDevs

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New Directory Listing: Snappy Games

Here’s yet another Vancouver based video games company; Snappy Games. What’s in the Vancouver water? There seems to be a lot of creative talent over there. I don’t know but it’s great for the industry.

Anyhow, Dean, Lead Artist from Snappy gave me the scoop: Snappy Games is an agile game boutique dedicated to creating a versatile, robust game engine technology and top shelf video games for the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360.

Their current project is The Crew – a fast paced platformer that uses their proprietary Toy Factory animation engine which allows for over the top interactions with the environment

Please check out Snappy Games here.

CanDevs

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New Directory Listing: Audiokinetic

Audiokinetic is a Montreal-based middleware company, focused on audio tools for PC, XBox360, PS3 and Wii. They’ve got a few high-profile clients (including well known companies like Pandemic, Bioware, and Silicon Knights) and some very interesting titles coming up using their technology.

I haven’t researched it enough to be certain, but it seems that Montreal is big in hosting middleware and 3rd party service companies. Good to know someone is creating the development tools the industry needs.

Thanks to Martin from Audiokinetic for letting me know about the company!

Check out Audiokinetic here.

CanDevs

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New Directory Listing: 31337 Recruiters

Jared from 31337 Recruiters sent me an email about his company. 31337 Recruiters is a Vancouver, BC based recruitment agency that specializes only in video game jobs.

I think this is a great idea. Although there are existing webs sites that deal exclusively with listing video game industry jobs, 31337 has a much more local feel to it.

Check out the current job listings at 31337.

CanDevs

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New Directory Listing: ETI

The majority of the companies listed on CanDevs are ones that I’ve found through general surfing on the web. The bulk of the rest I list after being contacted directly by the developers themselves. ETI (Entertainment Technologies Inc) I found through surfing the other day.

ETI is based out of Vancouver and I think they’ve been around since the late 90s. Their website is a bit outdated (the last news item is dated 2003) but I think that they may possibly still be an active company – perhaps busily working away on their newest project.

ETI are the developers of Liftoff, a space shuttle simulation game. Liftoff is part of their proposed five part Space Simulation Series – a series of edutainment games that teach life skills through interactive role-play and collaborative problem solving. Players get to fly the space shuttle while learning what it takes to do so at the same time.

Looking at their past products I was surprised that I’ve actually seen most of them in stores. Products they’ve developed include Cosmopolitan Virtual Makeover and Seventeen Style Studio. If I was into make-up and fashion, I’d definitely have those in my collection.

Check out ETI here.

CanDevs

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New Directory Listing: D-Box

While reading a bit about the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held earlier this year in Las Vegas, I found a piece about D-Box Technologies. D-Box is headquartered in Longueuil, Quebec and are the creators of the D-Box Motion Code home gaming systems. These systems create real-life motion that’s synced to the action you see on screen. One system is designed for racing games and comes complete with a racing-type seat surrounded by a steering wheel, gear shifter, and pedals. The other system is for flight games and simulates the flying experience using cockpit controls. Both come with seat harnesses to strap yourself in, so the action must be intense.

D-Box won an award at this year’s CES for their products, so their systems must be good. I don’t have any prices, but full details can be found at D-Box.

CanDevs

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New Directory Listing: Voices.com

Voices.com is an online marketplace that connects businesses with voice actors and voice over talents for all types of media including the video games industry.

I found out about Voices.com while reading a news article regarding the writer’s strike down south. Video game companies rely almost entirely on non-union employees. So the games industry is predicting a boost in sales and attention since there will be no new television shows creeping up from below the 49th anytime soon.

The company is based out of London, Ontario.

Go to Voices.com

CanDevs

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