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Game On In Vancouver: Videogame Industry Finds Comfort In Hollywood North

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Posted by Elliot Chan on Mar 14, 2014
Formerly published in Techvibes Media.
For a while there, it seemed as though BC’s insubstantial tax credits and the immergence of the mobile gaming industry were causing many Vancouver-based video game developers to lose their jobs. Big name developers such as Microsoft, Radical Entertainment, Walt Disney Co., Propoganda Games and Rockstar Games were rather laying off employees or relocating.

But now in 2014, the digital industry fostered by “Hollywood North” is ready to win back game creators.

Earning the trust of Japan and Silicon Valley was the key to Vancouver’s come back. The exodus of some big name console developers made room for external developers to move in, namely from the East—no, not Toronto, but Japan. In the past year, more than a handful of the top Japanese game developing companies took up camp in Vancouver, including Namco Bandai, Capcom and DeNa Co. These foreign gaming giants are claiming that Vancouver is a perfect hub to do domestic and international business.

For one thing, Vancouver is in the same time zone as San Francisco, another location teeming with videogame innovation and talents. That made communicating between headquarters more convenient—while a non-stop flight from Japan to Vancouver was only a mere 10 hours—thus establishing a global network of gamers and developers.

The second is the consolidation of console games and the “freemium” model of mobile games had forced many gaming companies to seek assistance from local developers. Japanese developers aren’t exactly coming in and rehashing their successful products to the North American market, no, in fact, the objective is to take what has been working in the East and build upon it here and market it in a different way to an audience that has their own distinctive gaming culture.

The accessible geographical location and the healthy breeding of skilled gaming contractor have made Vancouver a hotbed for an industry constantly adapting to new technology. At the end of 2013, Entertainment Software Association of Canada reported that there were now 67 video game companies in British Columbia, behind Quebec and Ontario by approximately 30. British Columbia has 5,150 employees, in relation to the 16,500 that work in the country. With earnings of $2.4 billion annually, Canada holds the spot for the third largest video game industry, behind, you guessed it, Japan and the United States. Famous game developer Namco Bandai announced, after establishing The Centre of Digital Media in Vancouver, that it will strive to develop new online social games.

With all that being said, videogames in Canada are neither a dying art nor a dying industry. Gamers want more and developers want to create more. Studios, both local and international, are constantly seeking talented people with video game design and development, 3D modeling, animation, computer graphics background to help shape the future of video games.

Yes, that landscape of games is indeed changing. But whether it is on the plasma screen or on the smartphone screen, Vancouver is right in the mix in terms of innovating, developing, and influencing the next phase of gaming.

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Cauldron

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By Elliot Chan

Formerly published in MeetVanCity.com. 

courtesy of BBC

courtesy of BBC

In 2010, all eyes were on Vancouver as it hosted the 21st Winter Olympic Games. Fans, athletes and everyone else crowded the downtown core celebrating and enjoying the event. In preparation for the grand occasion, Vancouver went through upgrades, introducing new sport complexes and public spaces and a safer highway to Whistler. Most of what was created for the Olympics is still in use today, such as the Convention Centre and Richmond’s Olympic Oval. While those locations became a regular part of the city’s landmark, the Olympic cauldron is still able to spark memories of the crowded streets and national pride.

Since the day it was unveiled, the cauldron has been a famous icon in Vancouver. So much that organizers were unprepared for its popularity during the two weeks event in 2010. A fence had to be constructed to keep spectators back, until a viewing spot can be built on higher ground. Today, the best spot to see it would be on the upper level of the Convention Centre.

Built to resemble five pillars of ice leaning against each other, the Olympic cauldron is now accessible for anyone eager to get a closer look. During the night, the transparent pillars will illuminate blue and green. Set in the centre of a fountain, against the Coal Harbour backdrop, the cauldron is a photogenic image of the city.

On special occasions, the cauldron would be re-lit. But the initial lighting is what most people remember. During the opening ceremony in BC Place, there were two Olympic cauldrons, the one we know now outdoors and another one in the stadium for the show. At the end of the ceremony, four famous Canadian athletes were supposed to light the pillars of the BC Place cauldron and have the flames travel up to the top of the bowl, but due to mechanical issues, one of the pillars did not rise. It was embarrassing for the organizers and awkward for the audience. Having two cauldrons meant that there would be two lightings. So a pick-up truck transported hockey legend, Wayne Gretzky with the Olympic flame from the stadium to the site of the outdoor cauldron. There, he fulfilled one of the greatest athletic honours in all of sports — lighting the Olympic Cauldron.

Zipments.ca Turns Everyday People Into Couriers to Get You What You Need When You Need It

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Admit it, our busy schedules stop us from getting stuff done (I know—the irony!).

The solution: We share resources and help each other. Vancouver-based Zipments.ca is making it happen with a selected group of “lifestyle couriers” that retailer, customers and normal-every-day-busy people can trust.

Forty-eight hours after Zipment.ca launched in November 2013 (hailing from New York-based Zipments), they’ve received over 200 applicants wanting to be “lifestyle couriers.” It goes to show that there is indeed a market in a sharable economy, one where we don’t always have to rely on postage stamps, tracking numbers and expensive charges. Perhaps the public is starting to have trust in the real world interaction, especially as they hear more talk about people staying in companies such as AirBnB, and see more people driving Zipcars.

“The sharing economy is brought to us by the 2008 recession quite frankly,” CEO of Zipments, Robert Safrata told Techvibes. “People were starting to ask themselves, ‘instead of using more, how can I use what I got?’ And that is one of the reasons why I believe the sharing economy has blossomed.”

Unlike the big players in the delivery industry, Zipments.ca operates nights and weekends. Which means there are less chances of a sticky notes appearing on your front door, informing you that there had been a failed delivery. In those cases you either have to call in, reschedule or pick up the item at your local post office. Not a big deal, but a hassle nonetheless. But Zipments.ca’s flexibility enables both the courier and the customer to live their life and make the exchange at their leisure, thus allowing 100% success.

“Someone made an order out in UBC,” said Safrata, “they wanted to receive the delivery between seven to eight at night. [The item] was available to be picked up at a store at four-thirty. Now there is a big gap where the professionals will say they can’t do that or it’ll be very expensive. But with the lifestyle courier, using Zipments, they can look at the job and say, ‘I can do it.’ One did, and went and picked it up, kept it safe in their car—like the Fedex guy would in his truck—went to yoga (only in Vancouver) and then delivered it out to UBC.”

Every city and community is unique and Vancouver is a city of obstacles. Bridges, constructions and mountains make for some beautiful architecture and scenery, but commuting is often a time consuming pain. Vancouverites, like people anywhere simply want what they need without disrupting the flow of their day.

“People in Vancouver tend to feel that if you pass one bridge you’ve really gone out into the country, and if you pass two bridges you are in another country,” said Safrata. “I see that as a great opportunity for [Zipments]. If someone doesn’t want to cross a bridge they’ll get someone else to do it for them.”

As Canada Post gradually phases out home delivery, many are savouring the last days of waking up to a mailbox full of correspondences, subscriptions, and bills (mostly bills). While Canada Post has their plans, Zipments.ca also has much to consider in the future. The trends are definitely changing and what was once considered to be a luxury for businesses is now becoming a service anybody can have.

“People have done without [couriers],” said Safrata, “yet people are getting busier and getting used to having stuff come to them. And they are valuing their time.”

Smartphones and the advancement in app technology have offer users a convenient solution to most of life’s problems. Chances are, you’ll have one weather app, one map app and one banking app on your phone. Well perhaps it’s time you also include a delivery app.

Soldiering on

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15-Army

Canadian army should not be mocked for civil service

By Elliot Chan, Opinions Editor

The city of Toronto has been the butt of jokes for far too long now (though some might say not long enough): their uproarious mayor, Charlie Sheen; the Maple Leafs double-dribbling to the playoffs; and, of course, the freeze storm. Yes, it has been an ice age of comedy for the centre of the universe, but I will not poke fun at Toronto for sending in the army to battle Mother Nature, that cold-hearted bitch.

While we’re living in Vancouver, where anything below 10-degrees Celsius is considered cold, people in Toronto have been pouring cups of hot water outside and watching it turn to ice before their eyes. The sight gave me chills (remember the 1997 movie, Batman & Robin, where Arnold Schwarzenegger a.k.a Mr. Freeze kept making cold puns? I do). I know people in the Prairies are laughing at Toronto for their dramatic call to arms, but let’s be honest, if they weren’t laughing at Toronto, they would probably be shivering. Toronto is a big city that can only function when people are able to leave their households. As someone who has all-season tires on my car for, well, all seasons, I know what it’s like to be stuck at home. So I’m a little surprised that calling in the troops for reinforcement isn’t more common—after all, why shouldn’t we use our resources?

Weather is one of the most devastating forces in the world, and having the military around to back up normal people is a morale boost a country like Canada should have. We are a peaceful nation and we should lead by example. For many in the United States, the idea of sending in the troops for anything but war is still a highly debated proposition. Citizens just don’t want to see the army cruising down the streets—that is not encouraging for a healthy morale. Recent hurricanes have since changed the minds of many, but others are still convinced that a country should not rely on their army for domestic reasons. But as the world continues to face the fury of Mama Nature, it seems that the army lending a hand may become a common trend.

A little deep freeze is far from a humanitarian emergency, but it would be comforting to know that the military would be able to help when disaster strikes. A soldier assisting shouldn’t be something we laugh at; it should be something we expect and respect.

Taking a look closer to home, we wonder what might cause Vancouver to send in the army. How about an earthquake? What they call the inevitable “Big One” could literally happen at any moment. I sure hope and expect someone to help me deal with that crisis, especially if I get stuck on Granville Street when the city shakes.

We can mitigate disaster, but we can never really avoid it. So, let’s use all we have when things get bad and build upon that for when things get worse.

Fringe Bar

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The Watering Hole for Vancouver’s Wild Festival
by Elliot Chan
Formerly published in Discorder Magazine. Sept. 3, 2013

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An actor, a musician, and a dancer walk into the Fringe Bar — the rest is unpredictable.

Before you judge this article based solely on my poorly crafted joke, know that the Vancouver Fringe Festival is all about experimenting. And when it comes to conducting experiments and exploring the chemistry of “us,” there is no better place than the social laboratory a.k.a. the Bar.

The Fringe Bar is the watering hole for the festival’s wildlife before, in-between, and during shows. The St. Ambroise Fringe Bar has fostered some of the city’s most creative live performances over the years, and still nobody knows what to expect this time around. Dramatic routines, balloon animal gymnastics, or banjo-playing burlesque dancers; it’s always a mystery bag of entertainment.

“It constantly re-invents itself every year,” says David Jordan, Executive Director of the Vancouver Fringe Festival. “We can’t get stale because of the way we program the festival. When you’re drawing artists out of a hat, you’ll never get stuck in a rut.”

The festival’s evolutionary tree has branches sprouting in every direction, with one attractive limb being the Fringe Bar. It accommodates performers, spectators, and anyone else seeking a thirst-quencher and an experience.

“Fringe Festival in Canada is very artist-centric and there are a lot of touring artists,” said Jordan. “So we needed to give these people some place to hang out — and beer was a natural fit.”

The Fringe Bar humbly began at Planet Bingo and the Legion on Mount Pleasant. In 2007, the Fringe community moved outside and incorporated live music to the social heartbeat. Dan Mangan performed that year and since then the Fringe Bar became a permanent fixture. It got spectators moving and offered an experience that extended beyond the theatre seats.

“It’s amazing playing for theatre people, because they like to get theatrical,” said Tristan Orchard, a local DJ and musician. “They’re pretty much my favourite audience to play for, because everyone is performing and they have that post-performance good vibes.”

photo by Lachlan McAdam

photo by Lachlan McAdam

In 2009, Railspur Alley became the festival’s central hub. Outdoor stages and bright lights fashioned onto the tree canopies created a starlit atmosphere down the promenade. Festival goers, performers, and passersby alike can enjoy the high calibre artists, while getting a little pick-me-up at one of Granville Island’s outdoor patios.

Outdoor patios? In September? Is that another joke?

Weather-pending is something Vancouverites hear often, but anything goes during the festival. The outdoor components for the Fringe Bar were incorporated in 2010, after witnessing other successful beer gardens at Fringe Festivals across the country.

“I was always a little wary,” said Jordan. “It’s September. Can we get people to be hanging outdoors? It’s going to rain. But it’s awesome.”

Curse the rain all you want, but one of Jordan’s favourite Fringe memories happened during a rainstorm. It was 1 a.m., a cabaret show just ended, and a torrential shower had the city drenched. Undaunted, Jordan accompanied by his Fringe confidants, in true West Coast spirit, dove into the bar with a splash.

“There was a huge puddle, 12-feet long,” said Jordan, “and a foot deep at some places. I looked at it and was like ‘We are going to be dancing in that puddle for sure.’ And within 20 minutes, everyone was in that puddle. It was a great time. There was a kind of spontaneous exuberance to that.”

“It was a monsoon,” said Orchard, who remembered performing during the storm. “It was just a great experience where people decided to forget about the rain, dance in puddles, and slide across tables. Everyone was completely soaked. It was just a beautiful moment where everyone lost themselves and it was just a wonderful time.”

Promoting impulsiveness and spontaneity is all part of the Entertainment Coordinator’s job. Taking the helm at this year’s Fringe Festival is Corbin Murdoch, who knows that first-class preparation is foremost when it comes to quality improvisation.

“We anticipate spontaneity and we anticipate a diverse crowd each and every night,” said Murdoch. “On the back end, we need to be as organized as possible so that we can be quick on our feet.”

From September 5 to 15, the St. Ambroise Fringe Bar at Argo Café and the green space nearby will be the Fringe epicenter. New additions to this year’s festival include food carts (La Taqueria, Reel Mac and Cheese, Urban Wood Fired Pizza), square dancing, and the Fringe Talk Show hosted by comedian, Riel Hahn, which features candid conversations with Fringe artists.

So what do you think? Maybe you can help me workshop my opening joke: An actor, a musician, and a dancer walk into the Fringe Bar—(insert your own experience here).

_______________________

The St. Ambroise Fringe Bar is open every day of the Fringe Festival, which runs from September 5 until September 15. The bar’s hours are 7p.m. until late at 1363 Railspur Alley on Granville Island.

Here are the Five Innovative Startups That Will Present at Democamp Vancouver 15

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On July 25, Vancouver will hostDemocamp 15, an event that offers five startups the opportunity to showcase their work to a crowd and gain feedbacks and ideas, as well as network with the rest of the local technology community.

The event clearly states that there will be no PowerPoint presentations or droning lectures. Rather there would be a five-minute demo presentation followed by five minutes of audience Q&A. Democamp was introduced as a show and tell platform, which highlights shipped products already in existence, contrary to pitching new products for accelerators.

It has been over a year since that last Democamp and event organizer Ian MacKinnon decided to try something different in order to solidify interest. By using a crowdfunding platform called “Picatic,” Democamp was able to raise the necessary funding as well as sell 50 tickets weeks in advance. And to reward those enthusiastic funders and attendees, the first 50 people to purchase tickets were offered a chance to go online and vote for the demoers they most wanted to see.

Those selected were Perch, Harp Platform, poweredbyDRA/Mall Rat, Øidle and Socualizer.

Perch is an app that turns iOS devices into an always-on video portal. The app is specifically designed to connect two spaces together, which will create a burden-free method of communication unlike other system. The experience of speaking with someone through the Perch portal is second only to having him or her in the room with you.

The developers of PhoneGap created Harp Platform to help web content publishers easily present and develop their works by being integrated with Dropbox.

PoweredbyDRA/Mall Rat was developed to make building, managing and deploying “tailored smart maps” to web and mobile devices easier. They define “tailored smart maps” as a stylized, vector-based map that includes indoor navigation. Their first product, Mall Rat was specifically designed for the mobile shopping mall experience.

Øidle is a quick and easy service that assists those seeking a perfect venue. It turns the time consuming job of finding vacant event space into a simple search, so that event organizers don’t have to settle.

Socualizer is a social media visualizer developed by Google Chrome. It allows event marketers to engage audiences through Twitter and Instagram, by tracking hashtags and mentions.

You can get a chance to see all five chosen startups present their product at Democamp 15 for a general admission price of $10.

Double dare

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DSCF2872

Summer sports you should do

Formerly published in The Other Press. May 8 2013.

By Elliot Chan, Staff Writer

As the snow on the mountains melts away, sporty individuals will now turn their sights on all summer has to offer. For those of us who have spent the winter months hibernating, it is time to shake off the rust and put the rest and training into effect. Now that the city has thawed, grab that bucket list and get to work.

Hiking: British Columbia is home to some of the best hiking trails in the world. From mountain ranges to seascape, we often forget how vast this province really is. Take a drive to the island and embark on the West Coast Trail, a 75-km backpacking route that takes you along the edge of the Pacific. Or challenge the Stawamus Chief, a short two-hour commitment that will lead you up to the peak of Squamish. If nothing more, then try to beat or set your best time on the Grouse Grind.

Whitewater rafting: A roller coaster ride that you can control. If you’re not yet ready to kayak down Hell’s Gate, but are sick of canoeing at Trout Lake then it’s time to see whether you’re made to sink or swim in the world of extreme water sports. All whitewater rafting sites offer different levels of rafting intensity, choosing between a motor-powered raft to a paddle one. If you need a reason to gather a group of friends and head on a road trip up to Whistler or Kumsheen Resort where the Fraser and Thompson rivers fork, let whitewater rafting be one of them.

Bungee jumping: If falling can be considered a sport, then I’m in pretty good shape. I took the dive at Whistler Bungee last year and never regretted it. If given the chance, I would be back on that bridge saying my prayers again. There’s something about taking a leap of faith that is simply unforgettable.

Mountain biking: Biking in any form is a great way to exercise. But why not bombard down a mountain, feeling each stone and root that juts from the earth? Navigating through nature and seeing the world pass you by from the handle bar is one of the most exhilarating things to do. BC is full of trails for all skill levels from beginners to championship-winning professionals. A quick search on the Internet can yield a hundred different paths to bike through.

From spur-of-the-moment adrenaline rushes to weeklong experiences, find opportunities to get outside this summer and try something new.