Firstly, congrats to Tenzil Kem for winning our first 'Play with the playWRITErs' challenge! 

Today's challenge is a tone changing/word count exercise!

We asked NSI playWRITErs to come up with 20 'combat barks': 20 byte-sized pieces of dialog spoken by a character engaging in combat in a game:

e.g. I'm gonna make your nose a blood-faucet fool!

We then asked for these barks to

-have their language changed to AO rating

-have their word count cut by 50 percent

-be coupled with rejoiners to those barks by an NPC character

-have the rating of language changed to E for everyone

Now it's your turn!  Submit via private message your answers to the above exercise and you can win one of the four remaining weekly prizes!

Each prize pack contains one game for either PC, X360, Wii, PS2 (a randomly selected title) and a nice little trove of swag courtesy our friends at Radical Entertainment. The best entry will be determined by Z2H staffers. We will be giving out one of these little swag-bundles each day this week!


Good luck and send all answers to me via private msg!

Well, we told you a while ago we were going to keep you folks in touch with events at NSI playWRITE bootcamp as it happened...

Enter 'Play with the playWRITErs!'

This is your opportunity to follow along with some of the same exercises that NSI playWRITers will be partaking in at playWRITE boot camp.

Each day (starting Tuesday May 20th), we'll be posting a new exercise, ask ing you to post your exercise results on the playWRITE blog (http://playwriteblog.zeros2heroes.com). The best exercise response will be chosen every day and its creator will be granted a prize pack containing a game for either PC, PS2, Wii or X360 along with various other game studio goodies!

We're giving away one of these prize packs everyday from the 20th to the 24th, so get crackin' and earn yourself some swag!

And remember, to be eligible, all results must be posted on the playWRITE blog at http://playwriteblog.zeros2heroes.com.

Keep tuned to the playWRITE blog for more details about the prize pack contents. :)

Although this may be old news given the recent revelation of the jury selection process, we would like to formally welcome Next Level Games and Big Sandwich Games to NSI playWRITE!

Both companies have played a role in the jury selection and will be participating at the boot camp in May.

Next Level Games is a third-party video game developer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in October 2002, Next Level Games specializes in creating console video games. Getting their start with NHL Hitz Pro, Next Level now works with Nintendo on the Mario Strikers series and is currently working on the upcoming cross-platform title, Spider Man: Friend or Foe.

Big Sandwich Games (“BSG”) is a game development and 3D outsourcing studio based in Vancouver, BC. They are authorized developers of the Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii and PS3.  As an art outsourcing studio, Big Sandwich Games is dedicated to providing the highest quality in-game art assets to the video game industry. BSG is currently working on upcoming next-gen titles with both Bioware Corp. and Slant Six Sames.

Yet more partners we are proud to bring on board with the NSI playWRITE initiative!

Well, we told you we’d be turning to you for feedback–so here we are again!

Today we’re showing you the curriculum line-up–a syllabus of sorts–to get your feedback on what we have planned as well as your suggestions for what you would like to see! So let your voice be heard and help us shape the program you and/or your fellow community members will be taking part in.

 Check out and feed back on the curriculum right here:

 http://playwriteblog.zeros2heroes.com/

 :)

Ok, so it's not a trivia competition where we pit your intelligence against the soon-to-be announced NSI playWRITE winners, but it is your chance to help shape the NSI playWRITE bootcamp!

Visit the blog at playwriteblog.zeros2heroes.com to feed back on the upcoming NSI playWRITE boot camp at Vidfest as we ask youquestions on what candidates should be playing, what exercises candidates should be taking part in and what aspects of the curriculum are either stellar or in need of your sage advice. 

This week's question is already posted at playwriteblog.zeros2heroes.com so time to get crackin'! 

Along with calls for playWRITE event feedback, we're going to continue updating you on the progress of the event as it develops so keep your eyes grafted to the playwrite blog! 

As promised, we've got studio sponsor news for you this week!

We're happy to introduce you to NSI playWRITE's latest industry partner: Radical Entertainment.

Founded in 1991 Radical Entertainment has developed games for game publishers such as THQ, Microsoft, and Fox Interactive and is responsible for such titles as Scarface: The World is Yours and Crash of the Titans. Radical is currently working on the recently announced game Prototype. Radical Entertainment will be taking part in NSI playWRITE for purposes of jury participation and the development of training camp curriculum.  Radical will also being considering candidates for internship opportunities.

Radical Entertainment brings yet another accomplished Canadian studio to the NSI playWRITE program alongside the likes of BioWare and EA Black Box.

We're also pleased to announce the addition of cognitive-fitness game designer Fit Brains to the NSI playWRITE roster. Both studios will be assisting in jurying and curriculum development for NSI playWRITE's boot camp.

It is an honor for the National Screen Institute, Telefilm and Zeros 2 Heroes  to be teaming up with Radical, and Fit Brains for NSI playWRITE --we're excited to move forward with these and our other Canadian studio sponsors!

Well, it's been a few days since NSI playWRITE's application date came and went...so we just want to keep you up-to-date on the latest happenings.

The jury process has officially commenced and applications are being scrutinized and evaluated by representatives of some of Canada's proudest game studios. We will officially be announcing the winners of the training program spots on May 7th, 2008. If your application/pitch was in the mix make sure to check back and see if you've earned your golden ticket to the NSI playWRITE training bootcamp in Vancouver!

We will also have some more studio announcements for you on Monday so keep your eyes peeled. Details will continue to trickle through.

Although the application phase might be over, the studio partnership announcements continue to flow. This week, we're pleased to inform you of NSI playWRITE's latest studio sponsor: Action Pants Inc.

Based in Vancouver, BC, Action Pants is an independent third-party game developer, specializing in video games for the Xbox 360 and PS3 game systems.An incorporated federal company established in April of 2006 by four industry veterans, Action Pants specializes in all-original IP works. Action Pants will be taking part in NSI playWRITE both in terms of jury participation and the development of training camp curriculum.

Action Pants brings yet another unique complement to NSI playWRITE's curriculum alongside recently announced partners BioWare and EA Black Box.

It is a pleasure for the National Screen Institute, Telefilm and Zeros 2 Heroes  to be partnering with Action Pants for NSI playWRITE and we're excited to move forward with the support of yet another proud Canadian studio.

Last week, we brought you the announcement of BioWare’s recently forged partnership with NSI playWRITE. This week, we’re pleased to introduce our latest partner–EA Black Box!

EA Black Box is a Canadian boutique game studio founded in 1998 responsible for developing the blockbuster franchise, Need For Speed. EA Black Box will be taking part in NSI playWRITE as both an internship provider and an active participant in the training camp curriculum.

The National Screen Institute, Telefilm and Zeros 2 Heroes are proud to be collaborating with EA Black Box for this initiative and we look forward to the subsequent opportunities provided to the successful training candidates through this partnership.

Stay tuned for more studio partnership announcements!

Howdy all,

 Just wanted to announce that the new playWRITE blog is now live and accessible through the user menu under Campaigns-->NSI playWRITE or directly at http://playwriteblog.zeros2heroes.com/ .

We'll be keeping the blog updated with campaign news as-it-happens as well as personal pitch tips and updates regarding events related to playWRITE such as New Media BC's Vidfest '08. 

So come on by!

Cheers