Xbox 360 Indie Games Get More Visible With Dashboard Update

Xbox just updated their dashboard software to ensure that their indie games would still have a place in front of the eyes of gamers. The dashboard’s last update in November had the indie games hidden behind a separate game type. However, the new dashboard update is only being rolled out in North America, and critics like Tim Schafer have mentioned that it may be to late for XBLA as a platform for indie games. Other services like Steam, the Apple App Store, and the Android Marketplace have stepped in to fill the void with superior patching capabilities more transparent approval processes.

Source:Eurogamer.net.

Carpenter’s Union Protests Sakuracon

This odd scene came in courtesy of 4chan, and if it weren’t for the supporting documentation (see gallery) I would have assumed it was another photoshop.
Apparently, the contractor responsible for the booths at Sakura-con, DWA Trade Show and Exposition Services, is in the middle of a labor dispute with the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters. According to the union,

DWA does not meet area labor standards on all of their projects, including providing or fully paying for family health care and pension, for all of their carpenter craft employees on all of their jobs

It’s pretty bizarre a Union go after an employer’s customers rather than the employer itself. Then again, Sakura-con is a high profile event, so the sign probably makes for a more effective protest. Sakura-con publicity had this to say about the situation.

Our position is that we are willing to hear out their copmplaints, but they have done next to nothing to explain themselves. They finally sent us a letter just a couple of weeks ago, far too late for us to make a change. We told them last year to contact us early before we make any hiring decisions, not weeks before out event when we can’t really do anything to make a change.

It seems this union is using our well respected, 100% volunteer, 501c3 non-profit event to garner more publicity for themselves more than they seem to be serious about working with us. It’s very disappointing. They are giving out a personal cell phone number on their flyers and unfairly maligning us to the public.

BC Film Production Keeps on Growing

Despite a US Dollar at par, increased competition from neighbours to the south and an overall economic downturn, film production facilities just seem to keep growing in BC’s Lower Mainland. Sony Imageworks doubling the size its CG production facility in Vancouver to over 32,000 square feet. The building will be used to add post-production special effects and 3D conversion to Sony’s Blockbuster and Animation projects. Randy Lake, the executive vice president of Sony Imageworks cited Vancouver’s talent base and government incentives among the reasons for expanding the facility.

If that wasn’t enough, Capilano just opened the $31 million Nat and Flora Bosa Centre for Film and Animation. The 69,000 square foot facility will house  film and sound editing bays, 3D production equipment, animation labs and 8,000 square foot sound stage.

Source: Vancouver Sun.

Couples Renew Vows At Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City Event

Wedding nuptials were served with brains at San Francisco Tournament to promote Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. Boys and Ghouls dressed in full zombie regalia to renew their vows in unholy matrimony in the eyes of God, the Umbrella Corporation, and the Bay Area Zombie Rights Commission.

Source:Unleash the Fanboy.

GameStars Hosting Open House on Saturday and Sunday

Langley’s Largest Gaming store is hosting an open house on February the  18th and 19th at their Langley Bypass Location. Festivities include an all-day Warhammer 40k Apocalypse Tournament on Saturday, Warmachine/Horde Demo tables, a Magic: The Gathering for beginners class and tons of demos for card games like Fluxx and Nuts. There will be door prizes of paint, booster packs and more! Gamestars is located on 19860 Langley Bypass. Turn right on the Fraser Highway for the get there quickly!

 

Source: www.gamestars.ca

Kristin Kreuk to star in Beauty and the Beast

The CW has announced that Kristin Kreuk (Smallville‘s Lana Lang) will star in their Beauty and the Beast pilot. The show is a reboot of the 1980’s Beauty and the Beast TV series starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman. I know the show’s probably going to be set in Seattle, New York, or some other non-descript state, but it would be awesome to have it set Vancouver. Can you imagine having a Beast around to clean up the Downtown Eastside?

Source: The Daily What

Penny Arcade’s 2012 ESRB Campaign

Penny Arcade has teamed up once again with ESRB to create a series of print and online ads informing parents about game rating systems. The caricatures in the ads are based on real parents and their kids, and they highlight new features like the ESRB ratings summaries and the ESRB mobile app.

According to the ads page, the last time Penny Arcade worked with the ESRB was 2006. So much has changed since then. Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube have practically become fixtures, and almost everyone with young children these days have grown up with video games. It makes you wonder if this moral panic over video games has passed.

Source: The Escapist

Washington State Senate Passes Film Production Bill


Seattle may once again be able to play itself in TV and Film thanks to Senate Bill 5539, which extends a tax credit for film companies operating in Washington State. The program has already resulted in $72 million worth of economic activity. It appears to be an uphill battle from here on out, with competitive bids coming from Idaho, Oregon, and Hollywood North itself, British Columbia. There are more factors to this issue than just tax incentives. Would production in Seattle benefit from experienced crews and production facilities in neighbouring Vancouver?

Source: NWCN.com.

The CW’s Arrow Pilot Casts Katie Cassidy

The CW’s Arrow has cast Katie Cassidy as Dinah Lance, better known to comic book fans as the alter ego of Black Canary, the on/off love interest of the Green Arrow. This will be the third time Black Canary’s been portayed on televison, the first being on Birds of Prey and the second was on Smallville. Katie has starred in the recent Melrose Place reboot and Supernatural. Arrow will start shooting soon in Vancouver.

Source: KSiteTV

Prototype 2 gets Blackwatch Collector’s Edition

Activision has released a trailer for the Collector’s Edition of Prototype 2. The $80 Blacknet Edition contains the game, the Radnet content, an artbook, a digital version of the darkhorse comic, a soundtrack CD, and a coupon for Prototype merchandise. The only thing missing is one of those foam armswords they were handing out at PAX.

Source:VG247.