Festival Arcadia 2007
When virtuality meets reality!
For immediate release
Montréal, October 23, 2007 - Back at the Uniprix Stadium for its third edition, Festival Arcadia 2007 takes place from November 9 to 11, and this year's theme is a "close encounter of the third kind" with Arcadians who return to Earth after an absence of several millennia. Founded in 2005, Festival Arcadia is the first event for the general public in Canada devoted specifically to video games. The players, whether beginners or experts, young or not so young, male or female, can come and enjoy a unique interactive experience in a multimedia fantasy world designed to look like a space station from another galaxy.
"Montréal is a hub and incubator of talent when it comes to video games," says François Décarie, producer and cofounder of Festival Arcadia. "Festival Arcadia is an opportunity to catch up on all the latest news in the world of video games."
Visitors will be able to experience the latest games being premiered at the event. In fact, several game launches on popular consoles will be held at Festival Arcadia, including Assassin's Creed, Super Mario Galaxy, and Haze (PS3). Players can also test their skills in the many competitions, including the Duracell Cyber Canada Cup, the Amp Energy Guitar Hero III Showdown, and the Old Spice Racing Challenge. In addition, casual gaming will have a strong presence, with games like Mind Habits, winner of the Telefilm Canada Great Canadian Video Game Competition, which caters to a broader public, and is not limited to experienced players.
New for 2007
This year Festival Arcadia features three major new additions:
Machinima, a new form of cinema, which is making its Canadian debut in Montréal. Participants will learn to produce short films where the action takes place in a virtual world, and characters from video games are the heroes. The Arcadia Stage will showcase emerging Montréal bands, with a program of music right out of the concert hall. PL Mafia, Your Favorite Ennemies, Crush Luther, The Mission District, Mobile, which was nominated for a Juno Award, as well as ill Scarlet from Toronto, will be on stage starting at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The five 2007 Miss Video Game finalists will be at the Festival for their competition grand finale. They will go head-to-head on 4 gaming platforms, as well as on Mario Kart in the Flashback Museum and Counter Strike in the Vidéotron Propulsion Module.Festival Arcadia 2007 has an 80,000 square foot exhibition area in Uniprix Stadium called Station Arcadia. Visitors will be encouraged to enter a world where the line between virtual and reality is blurred, and their senses and emotions are heightened. This event is made possible thanks to support from several partners and sponsors, including Vidéotron, Telefilm, Solotech, Tourisme Montréal, and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Regions.
Station Arcadia is divided into two large decks, Starboard and Port, on either side of the Control Tower located in the centre of the virtual spacecraft.
Welcome to the Starboard Deck of Station Arcadia
The area on the starboard side of the Control Tower has the following zones:
· The National Bank Arcademic Zone, which brings together educational institutions and the biggest recruiters in the video game industry;
· The ARCADIA Stage, which will feature emerging bands from Montréal and Toronto every evening (from 7:30 p.m. to midnight);
· The Machinima Workshop where visitors will be able to learn to create their own short films.
Welcome to the Port Deck of Station Arcadia
The Port Deck, which is the largest section of Station Arcadia, has a Gaming Zone where the major game publishers and producers (Ubisoft, Rockstar, Take 2, Beenox / Activision) as well as the biggest manufacturers (Xbox, Sony, Nintendo) will exhibit their products. The Festival is the ideal opportunity for them to publicize their new offerings. Visitors will also be able to discover:
· The Vidéotron Propulsion Module, which provides a high speed connection for all of Station Arcadia;
· The Microplay Compartment, which features all the latest accessories for the various consoles;
· Telefilm Astrolab presented by Z Télé, where you can discover Mind Habits, a game that relaxes the neurons, and winner of the Great Canadian Video Game Competition;
· The Flashback Museum, where the current generation and generations from last century can engage in friendly competition on old consoles;
· Cosmic Cinema, in conjunction with Le Super Club Vidéotron, which features a program inspired by video games.
Very accessible prices and opening hours
Festival Arcadia is open Friday, November 9 (9 a.m. to midnight), Saturday, November 10 (10 a.m. to midnight), and Sunday, November 11 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Ticket prices for adults are $20 daytime and $25 evenings, for teens aged 12 to 17 years, $17 daytime and $20 evenings. Every child under 12 years of age accompanied by an adult is admitted free. A 3-day weekend pass is available at $45 in advance and $50 at the door.
For more information about Festival Arcadia or to purchase tickets, visit the website at www.festivalarcadia.com.
About ARCADIA Production
Creator and producer of Festival Arcadia - the most significant public event celebrating the video gaming culture in Canada - Arcadia Production has vast knowledge in event planning, as well as the video game industry. The Montreal company has established a name for itself thanks in large part to its boldness and vivid imagination, in addition to its versatility.
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Source: ARCADIA Production
Information: Amély Tremblay / Mylène Bélanger
Morin Public Relations
514-289-8688, extension 226 / 231
Cell.: 514-774-8522 / 514-973-2310
amely@morinrp.com / mylene@morinrp.com