Welcome to the first edition of nGen’s quarterly e-newsletter. We at nGen are excited to bring you the latest news surrounding the interactive media sector in Niagara, as well as provide you with regular updates on nGen’s current and upcoming projects and events.

nGen’s networking events, known as Interactive Media Mashups, have been a great success. So far we have featured such local interactive media companies as Silicon Knights, Furi Enterprises Inc, Cerebral Vortex Games, Keyframe Digital Productions and Freedom Works Inc. These events will recommence in September. Sponsorship opportunities remain available – for more information, visit (http://ngen-niagara.com/en/asset/776/nGen_Interactive_Media_Mashup_Sponsorship.pdf)

We have also hosted a number of seminars with the purpose of educating project innovators and business start-ups on a wide range of subjects in the areas of business development in interactive media. nGen has previously hosted the following seminars to date: Interactive Property in the Digital Age, Augmented Reality, Managing for Growth, and Goal Setting Mastery Makes Things Happen Quicker.  

We continue to strengthen nGen’s connection with the educational sector, and have recently granted internships to students from Brock University, Niagara College, and from the high-school level.

Over the next few months, we will be accepting applications for fall tenancy and look forward to hearing about new ideas in the interactive media field from members of the community.

Jeff Chesebrough

Executive Director, nGen

nGen’s social networking application for Niagara’s music scene, Noise in Niagara (www.noiseinniagara.com), recently acted as a media sponsor for local summer music festivals S.C.E.N.E. and Cicada Fest, and is currently sponsoring Music Niagara. The site works as a central space for local musicians, promoters and venues to connect, and contains a ‘Now Playing’ section which provides concert-goers with a schedule of upcoming concerts in the Niagara Region.  

Based on prototypes created by students in the Brock University Interactive Arts and Science Program, the Niagara 1812 Interactive experience, a quest that blends the real and virtual worlds, has passed a major milestone and is currently in its first phase of field testing. Tourists will explore the real world environment of Niagara, as well as a virtual space, (complete with historic characters, artifacts and mysteries) by downloading an application onto a smart phone such as the I Phone. It will use the medium of a hybrid reality game to incorporate Niagara’s history and culture – especially those places, people and events connected to the bicentennial celebration of the War of 1812 – into an enjoyable, immersive and enlightening experience for tourists.

The project has received a great deal of positive feedback, and its team of creators now continues to progress toward the game’s final completion.

As part of their give back to cluster development in Niagara, current tenants FourGrounds Media and morro images Inc have created and produced nGen’s newest promotional video, The nGen Experience.

The video was officially launched on June 15, 2009 at Brock University’s Interacting with Immersive Worlds Conference. Along with showcasing local talent, the video highlights the paths of possibilities that nGen presents to current and future entrepreneurs in the field of interactive media.

Watch the video on our homepage