Giving Away Advance Screening Tickets For Act of Valor

By Paul Hunter

It's that time again! I have been given 25 double pass movie tickets to see an advance screening of Alliance Films' new movie, Act of Valor.

The double movie passes are for Ottawa (10), Halifax (10) and Winnipeg (5) on February 23rd at 7:00pm. I'll be distributing tickets on a first-come-first-serve basis. Here's how to claim your tickets:

Method #1: Enter via Twitter

1. Follow @NextGenPlayer on Twitter.
2. Simply tweet “@NextGenPlayer I want to see Act of Valor in [choose Ottawa, Halifax or Winnipeg]”

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Method #2: Enter via Facebook

1. Like NextGen Player on Facebook.
2. Simply post on the NextGen Player Facebook wall “@NextGen Player I want to see Act of Valor in [choose Ottawa, Halifax or Winnipeg]”

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Here are the locations/times:

Ottawa
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Show Time: 7:00 PM
Empire 7

Halifax
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Show Time: 7:00 PM
Empire 8 Park Lane

Winnipeg
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Show Time: 7:00 PM
Empire Grant Park 8

Act of Valor stars an elite team of real U.S. Navy SEALs who embark on a covert mission to recover a kidnapped CIA agent.

Here's a trailer:



The tickets are compliment of Alliance Films.

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So What Can The PS Vita Do?

By Paul Hunter

Excited gamers who pre-ordered the PS Vita First Edition Bundle have likely received their shipment and are busy exploring Sony next-generation portable system. For the rest of us, we have to wait until the national release date on February 22. With only three days to go, you may be asking yourself, what can the PS Vita do for me? The short answer, is lots.

Before getting into all the exciting features of the PS Vita in detail, I thought I'd start off this article by showing you the features. As a general overview of what this portable device is capable of doing, have a look at this features launch video produced by Sony:



The PlayStation Vita looks quite similar to the first generation PSP models, however without any doubt it's a much sleeker and more elegantly designed piece of hardware. Immediately noticeable is the crisp 5" OLED screen capable of displaying 16 million colours with 960 x 544 qHD display resolution. The results are impressive, with graphics that come close, but not quite a good as those seen on the PS3. Still, coming so close to PS3 quality in your hands is a remarkable feeling.

First-person shooter fans have been asking for dual analog sticks for many years now and finally Sony is delivering this with the PS Vita. Whereas the PSP had one left-stick analog nub, the PS Vita has two full-sized analog sticks that feel responsive and comfortable during extended play.

The device is quite large for a portable, measuring 182 x 84 x 19 mm in size. As a comparison, I placed my iPhone 4 on top of the PS Vita and it doesn't even fill the OLED screen -- that's huge. With that said, with it's curved form factor and light weight (only 260 grams) the PS Vita feels very natural in your hands.

Control inputs for the PS Vita are diverse. For starters, the handheld sports a front multitouch screen and a rear multitouch pad, which opens up a range of possibilities. iPhone or Android users will feel right at home with the touch screen actions such as pinch-zoom, double tap, and flicking motions. The rear multitouch pad is more interesting since it allows you to use hand gestures to perform actions, while keeping the OLED screen completely visible.

Taking a page from the PS3 controller, the PS Vita also includes a Six Axis motion sensor (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer) enabling you to tilt, shake and steer your PS Vita.

Other notable features include:

- WiFi for download and online play (a 3G version with GPS capabilities will be available in Canada later in the year)
- Bluetooth 2.1+EDR connectivity
- built-in Microphone
- Front & Rear Facing Camera
- 512 MB of system RAM and 128 MB of VRAM, which will allow for cross-game chat
- quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 MP Core processor (3 of the 4 cores will be usable for applications) and a quad-core SGX543MP4 + GPU
- built-in battery with 3-5 hours of gameplay, 5 hours of video, and up to 9 hours of music with the screen off
- proprietary PS Vita memory card slot (cards come in 4, 8, 16 or 32GB)
- fully backwards-compatible with PlayStation Portable games digitally distributed via the PlayStation Network

So, there you have it. Quite a bit of features packed in, but the main question will be quality of the software. Stay tuned for reviews in the coming weeks!

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]
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4 Theories On Who The Misters Are

By Paul Hunter

While there are several layers to the mysteries surrounding the Canadian gaming website Tsilon.ca, none is more confounding than the identities of the founders, known as Misters.

These individuals, which I've been told could be male or female, are the "worker bees" according my source, Mister C. During my conversations with him, he's hinted at several other Misters, including A, B, and D. Another known founder from the site, Mister E, was the one who originally contacted me back on December 14, 2011, and periodically sends me email updates.

Suddenly though, Misters are coming out of the woodwork at a furious pace. Just who are these people?

The short story is nobody really knows. There are four possible theories I've come up with:

Theory 1: The Misters are from Greedy Productions

It's no secret that Victor Lucas loves the G-List. The website was first announced at the 2011 Canadian Videogame Awards show, and event run and hosted by Victor Lucas. Furthermore, having a look at his Twitter account reveals a mention of the G-List, raising obvious questions to his connection to the group. Adding to the evidence is the community forums first rule, which is "don't be a dick", coincidentally mirroring Victor's theme at his recent TEDx Vancouver speech. As if that weren't enough to postulate a theory, the latest Media that appeared on Tsilon is a video of Victor telling G-List members they can expect some exclusive content soon. Let's also not forget that Victor is one of the most vocal supporters of the Canadian video game industry, and this site is currently Canada-only, featuring mostly Canadian content. Coincidence?

Theory 2: The Misters are from Future Shop & Best Buy

Let's get one thing clear. Yes, I am the Future Shop Gaming Editor, and no, I have no indication of their business association with Tsilon. What is clear is that all retail perks have thus far been redeemable at futureshop.ca, and there was also a CinemaNow perk which is a Best Buy online property. Is FF/BB merely the retail partner, or are they playing a larger role here? I threw the question over to Mister C and he responded with "C'mon -- you're sharper than that...no they're not!"

Theory 3: The Misters are from Canadian, or Canadian divisions of, major game Publishers/Developers

Similar to theory 2, it could be argued that Canadian-based, or Canadian divisions of, major game publishers/developers are backing this website. Perhaps Ubisoft, EA, Rockstar Games, Sony, or Nintendo, or a combination of the bunch. We've seen perks for a Nintendo 3DS, the PlayStation Vita and 3D TV, as well as an exclusive Assassin's Creed: Revelations DLC code given away, presumably through Ubisoft. There are also videos in the Media section for Rockstar Games' upcoming Max Payne 3 (being developed out of Rockstar Vancouver) and EA's Mass Effect 3 (developed out of their Edmonton-based BioWare studio).

Theory 4: The Misters are a collection of benevolent and wealthy entreprenuers

It could also be argued that the Misters are not related to the above three groups and are simply benevolent and wealthy entrepreneurs. I've heard many stories similar to this one on NeoGAF "This site has saved me 170 dollars so far. Whoo!" which makes you wonder how the founders of this site can continue to give away so many high value perks. There is obviously a lot of money backing this website, and could it be at the hands of some wealthy entrepreneurs? Looking into the site, there doesn't appear to be a strong monetization strategy present, there are no ads or banners and it's an entirely free website. The only possible revenue streams I see could be from potential sponsors such as Future Shop or Ubisoft, who pay the Tsilon founders to have their content on the site.

So those are the theories, which one(s) are most plausible? Well, I'm firmly in the camp that it's a combination of #1 and #4. I've seen too much evidence pointing at a connection to Greedy Productions, yet unless Victor has hired a whole new team to manage this project, it just seems too large in scope for his existing team (who are focused on TV production) to manage. This site seems to have many hands on deck and large reach across the country and I believe there simply has to be more partners involved. Theory #2 seems far-fetched to me simply because I don't see how this site could contribute to bottom-line retail sales when everything is so heavily discounted, or flat out given away. I suppose it can be argued that this site's funding could come from Future Shop's marketing budget, but even that seems unlikely since retailers tend to focus on mass promotional marketing. Theory #3 also seems unlikely since if one or more of these publishers/developers owned the website I doubt we'd so much content from their competitors.

What do you think? Any more theories out there?
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PSN's The Tester Season 3 Contestant Impressions

By Paul Hunter

PlayStation Network's reality series The Tester has officially kicked off its Season 3, giving twelve lucky gamers the opportunity to become a Production Associate at the world-famous SCE Santa Monica Studio. It's sink-or-swim as each contestant competes in a series of grueling physical and mental challenges to further their hopes for working at the studio known for creating the God of War series.

The new season is the biggest yet, with larger prizes to be won and an impressive line-up of guest panelists who will judge the competitions. In addition to the role at SCE's Santa Monica Studio, the winner will also receive a $5,000 signing bonus, a 55" 3D Bravia TV, a PlayStation 3, and a 2012 Ford Focus Titanium. Guest panelists include David Jaffe (Twisted Metal), Dylan Jobe (Starhawk), Todd Papy (God of War III), and Nolan North (voice of Nathan Drake).

With the first two episodes already out, I thought I'd take a moment to give my impressions.

For starters, it's great to see Meredith Molinari return as the host, as she did such a great job for the first two seasons. Also welcome returns are panelists Brent Gocke, release manager for Sony first-party Quality Assurance, and Adrianne Curry, winner of the first season of America’s Next Top Model and known to be a serious gamer.

On to the contestants...

burnNibelheim -- this Nevada-born contestant possesses a lot of gaming knowledge and managerial skills which has helped her succeed as a game store manager. She's feisty and determined to win, while not afraid to stand up for herself as a team leader. It'll be interesting to see how her feud with Sukaiden develops over the season.

akilleezmight -- this Brooklyn-born is one of the oldest contestants this season, and his experience shows. He speaks with calm and collected voice which matches his disciplined military background quite nicely. Seems like one to watch out for.


krystipryde -- this opinionated Ft. Lauderdale-born contest stands out with her long jet-black hair and tattooed body. Often heard cussing (with the appropriate beeps), she can be both scathing and sarcastic. Her background consists of fire-breathing, contorting as a carny and gun shooting as a child.

ninjanomyx -- born in Bronx, this rough environment seems to have toughened him up and given him an outspoken personality. Always talking in strange rhymes, it's sometimes hard to make sense of what this jolly gamer saying. What is clear is that he has a thing for the host, Meredith Molinari, and stereotypes all the girls on the show.

Ashichan -- a Northern California cosplayer with a strong connection to the Earth, this bubbly and courageous contestant is not afraid to show off her 70's fashion sense or volunteer herself first for challenges. It's too bad the impression she leaves is a little underwhelming.


J-Tight -- this California-born hardcore gamer claims to spend close to 100 hours a week gaming, his favourite being 3D games and PlayStation Move (note: Is he serious? 100 hours a week would literally be every waking hour). He's certainly a favourite among the group and if Episode 2 is any indication, he'll be picked early on for group challenges. Another one to watch out for.

Kwajamonster -- this Columbia-born contestant seems to have gotten the most face-time thus far and for good reason, her comments are often off-the-wall. Dropping S-bombs one minute and speaking way too much about silent farts the next, you can expect the unexpected with her. Her sniping skills are second-to-none, and while she faltered during the interview period, I think she'll be around for awhile.

Skyd1ddy -- this smooth-talking, Fontana-born contestant has a distinct look with his thick-rimmed glasses and always sporting a fashionable hat. He often talks with imaginative references and with a lot of enthusiasm, e.g. "will they go in my brain? will they lay eggs in my brain? will they create a whole new planet in my head!"

Asuukaa -- this Milwaukee-born contestant isn't your typical girly-girl, with a self-professed dislike for pink and love for women's roller derby. Her PlayStation gaming experience speaks for itself with 29 Platinum trophies (note: that's impressive), and with parents who are police officers she certainly doesn't seem to take flack from anyone.

egoraptor -- this West Palm Beach-born contestant is the only one to be voted into the competition through an online voting competition held by Sony. Naturally the fan favourite, he's got a lot to prove after telling the panelists he's partially there for the fame and notoriety. With a sizable YouTube following, he's got the biggest target on his back and the most to prove.

Suzkaiden -- born and raised in the Dominican Republic, this contestant is easily the most loathed in the house. She's got a big mouth and a confrontational personality which seems to rub everybody the wrong way. Her behaviour is a big erratic too, as she can be seen bouncing on the bunkbeds and generally assuming she owns the place. Also, what's with the carrying around of a lifesize Sackboy doll? Definitely a contestant with a target on her back.

RealityPalez -- this Chicago-born contestant has the ego of a sports star and isn't afraid to gloat about his victories. Fortunately for him, there's the competency to back it up. When he's not impressing the judges with his incredible PlayStation knowledge, he's winning challenges and letting the world know just how proud he is of the accomplishments.

Well, there you have it. Your twelve PlayStation The Tester contestants. If you've been watching the show, who's your favourite and why?

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]
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Surprise Mention by Marc Saltzman on Yahoo! News

By Paul Hunter

Well would you look at that. I had a surprise mention on Yahoo! News, courtesy of Marc Saltzman, one of Canada's most prolific tech experts who happens to write for major news outlets such MSN.ca, Yahoo!, and Toronto Star.

It seems what started out as a mysterious encounter with the group behind the ARG-style website Tsilon.ca, has since attracted quite a bit of attention across Canada.

Last week, Marc posted on Yahoo! News about this new, secret society of gamers in Canada known as the G-List. In the article, he references a conversation with "Mister A", one of the key architects behind Tsilon, who spoke to Marc over the phone with a muffled voice.

While Mister C had promised me, back at our secretive January 10th meet-up, "exclusive" press rights with the group, it would seem that not all members of this group are on the same page. Upon questioning Mister C about this breach of trust, I was told that he informed Mister A of our "exclusivity deal" and would "sort him out."

An email I sent to Mister A on February 8th has not been responded to.

Be sure to check out Marc's article on Yahoo! News to get more perspective on this mysterious G-List, and to see the shout out to yours truly.

Source: Yahoo! News -- Secret, exclusive club all the buzz among Canadian gamers
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Mister C To Reveal Secrets Behind Area 52

By Paul Hunter

It's Valentine's Eve, and on this occasion I thought I'd take a moment to express my thoughts on a new, secret location on Tsilon.ca called "Area 52". While not much is currently known about this area, or the secrets it contains, my Spider Sense is tingling. Something this hidden has to be good, no?

Mister C has promised me, via text message, that he will soon fly to Toronto to give me an inside look at Area 52. I'll be sure to share the spy story afterwards.

Oh, and about my thoughts on Area 52? Since tomorrow is the day of love, I crafted some poetry. Enjoy!

나는 비밀이 있다 // Written By Paul Hunter

Empty skies frame empty lands
Beneath the surface, the task at hand
You jump in, but do you fall?
Or will you rise above them all
There is a place where chosen play
Basking in the esoteric soiree
Of different worlds with different games
We are Misters, we have no names

Everywhere is our throne
North, south, you are not alone
Our walls are high for the obtuse
But for the enlightened, there's Area 52

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As a special treat, here's a screen cap of my recent conversation with Mister C. This will give you an idea of just how awesome our dialogue is. And by awesome, I mean Mister Awesome.


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Details Emerge For Tsilon Free Video Game Perk

By Max Cole

Remember how the Tsilon.ca founders said there would be a free video game perk for every G-List member in mid-February? While it seemed too good to be true, a founder of the site whom calls himself "Mister C" gave further evidence of the perk via a cryptic message last week.

It seems details of the free game perk have gone live on Tsilon.ca and while it's a bit different than anticipated, it is without question happening. The question is, according to Mister C, "are you on the list?"

For those Canadian gamers clever enough to unlock the codes to enter Tsilon.ca, inside the Perks section of the G-List member area now displays the following card:

As read on the card, the free video game perk goes live this Monday and continues through to Wednesday. In total, 250 free video games will be handed out to members. Clicking on the card to view the requirements of the perk initially presented a bunch of question marks, but has since been revealed:

Presumably, this perk will be redeemable on futureshop.ca; however, at time of writing no online retailer has been identified.

An official thread started in the Tsilon.ca forum by thisAI, the website's "artificial intelligence" administrator, says that the final requirements for the perk may change before Monday.

The codes are redeemable through to February 16th. While it was previously stated in the leaked memo NextGen Player obtained that the codes will not work for limited editions, thisAI said "it is not known at present if the free game codes will work for limited editions or pre-orders," leaving this aspect open-ended.

Addressing concerns from community members that the free game perk was originally stated to be for "all active G-List member", thisAI had the following to say:

"250 total is for current redemption period. A maximum of one game per member per year as there will be another redemption period in coming months."

Furthermore, to reward the most active G-List members with the free game perk, thisAI added:

"A split will occur in this current redemption period based on level to assure the perk to those most active while still allowing opportunity to those coming up. If members do not attain the perk in this current period, the following period(s) will occur for those who missed the first."

Like all the other perks on the website, the free game perk is Canada-only.
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