nGen News

Brock's Biosciences Business Incubator Gets Cash Infusion From Ottawa

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:27:00 EST

Brock University’s leap into biomanufacturing jobs got a jump-start to the tune of more than $800,000 from Ottawa.

Government of Canada Invests in Bio-manufacturing Business Development in Niagara

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:35:00 EST

The Government of Canada has made an investment in Brock University that will help it to partner with regional supporters to kick-start bio- manufacturing businesses in Niagara.

RIM changes a wait-and-see for Niagara techies

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:16:00 EST

The new leader at Research In Motion said on Monday seismic change was not needed at the BlackBerry maker, but it’s uncertain what that could mean for Niagara’s tech sector.

Sing a song of Niagara

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:34:00 EST

A newly-launched contest is looking to send its contestants lyrically viral while selling Niagara a little along the way.

Harnessing the Power of ONE nGEN's latest partnership bodes well for local entrepreneurs.

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:42:00 EST

Another feather in nGEN’s cap is officially becoming a regional innovation centre as part of ONE (Ontario Network of Excellence) last May

Raccoon stars in new game

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:33:00 EST

Somewhere in the forest there lies a sleepy raccoon. Just days after this raccoon’s iPhone game was released, however, he was quickly leaping into action against an army of enemy robots, and had Raccoon Rising leaping up the charts to become one of the iPad’s top-30 adventure games.

Game Development Gets Easier

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:40:00 EST

Technological advancements are making it easier -- and cheaper -- for smaller gaming companies to get that human character experience.

Animating Niagara

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:34:00 EST

morro images is a young digital media company that is winning new customers with a combination of talent, skill and leading edge technology

CDMN family member profile: Jeff Chesebrough from nGen - Niagara Interactive Media Generator

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:45:00 EST

The CDMN's success lies with the contributions of our national partners. Each month, we will profile one of the nine nodes that make our national family stronger.

The Government of Canada Highlights the Contributions of Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs to the Economy

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:23:00 EST

Today, the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario was at the Niagara Interactive Media Generator (nGen) in St. Catharines to help celebrate the substantial economic contributions being made by small business owners and entrepreneurs across the country. He was joined by Rick Dykstra, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines.

From Garden City to gaming city

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:34:00 EST

St. Catharines rebounds from GM layoffs to transform from an automaker town into a video game and digital media hub.

High-Score to Ontario for Its Game-Winning Incentives on Offer to Expanding Digital Entertainment Companies

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:19:00 EST

Ontario's Technology Corridor Is Attending the World's Largest Gaming Gathering to Showcase the Province's Talent and Incentives for the Global Gaming Industry

Celebrating the war that helped shape Canada - Niagara Closeup

Sat, 18 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EST

Sometimes, myths are born of great moments. Sometimes out of need. Sometimes to make a buck. Nearly 200 years ago, it was all three.

Selling Niagara to the world

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EST

What makes Niagara a perfect place to live, work and play? The Niagara Social Project is hoping to answer that question and share it with the world.

Bringing Avatar alive on the screen

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:38:00 EST

The result was a planet with blue humanoids, bizarre beasts and a tropical lushness that blended effortlessly together. But the technology behind the film Avatar was complex, grinding work that required a huge crew to make it work.

Interactive digital media industry in Niagara to benefit from Brock's $220,000 award

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 09:59:00 EST

Brock University recently received a $220,000 grant from the Ontario Media Development Corporation to pursue a project that will provide a significant boost to the interactive digital media industry in Niagara. This funding will be used to create the Ontario Augmented Reality Network (OARN), a project with a total budget of $360,000 that will have its headquarters based out of nGen’s facility in downtown St. Catharines.

Digital graphic firm joins nGen family

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:55:00 EST

A regional start-up in the video game industry has moved to nGen in St. Catharines. PixelNAUTS, a high-end art production studio, becomes the seventh tenant at the expanding Niagara Interactive Media Generator on St. Paul St.

Video game start-up company – PixelNAUTS – becomes a tenant at nGen

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:22:00 EST

nGen – Niagara Interactive Media Generator – is pleased to welcome PixelNAUTS, a start-up company in the video game industry, as a tenant at its downtown office.

Canadian Digital Media Network to Create Collaborative Digital Signage Community

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

The Canadian Digital Media Network (CDMN) recently announced that it has chosen ScreenScape to power a network of screen displays that will span its commercialization centers and form its own place-based media network.

nGen's workload to grow

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 09:19:00 EST

The Niagara Interactive Media Generator is stepping well beyond its niche in the hi-tech world of digital media production. The downtown business incubator has joined a newly formed network of what are called regional innovation centres, which have a mandate to help nurture new ideas and bring them to the marketplace.

Innovation centre coming to St. Catharines

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 07:00:00 EST

Innovation in Niagara got a shot in the arm from the province Tuesday. It was announced that the Niagara Interactive Media Generator (nGen), a hub for digital interactive media projects and business development in St. Catharines and Niagara, has been selected to join the Ontario Network of Excellence (ONE).

Supporting Innovation And Creating Jobs In Niagara

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST

McGuinty Government Supporting Entrepreneurs, Bringing Local Ideas To Life. The Niagara Interactive Media Generator (nGen) has been selected to join the new Ontario Network of Excellence (ONE).

iPhone app guides you through the War of 1812

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

Brock University professor develops GPS-guided interactive tour of sites of interest in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Queenston, Ont., with more on the way

nGen in the news - Federal Economic Development success stories

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST

Fostering innovation.

Generating new business ...and a home life

Sat, 18 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST

It was 2008 and Jeff Chesebrough's early career was at a crossroads.

Recreating Niagara's Economy

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

“As Niagara works to redefine its economy, it too must create these internationally recognizable focal points that characterize the region and its economy.”

Local War of 1812 app released for iPhone

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EST

A locally-developed War of 1812 application for iPhones has been released in Apples' iTunes online store. Titled Niagara 1812: Return of the Fenian Shadow, it showcases people and places key to the nationally-defining war in Niagara- on-the-Lake.

Interactive media centre opens its doors

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EST

On the third floor, a man in a black body suit swings a mock battle axe. Sensors around him connect to a large screen that captures his motion. On the floor below, a device carves out a precise 3-D colour replica of a chain-link image.

High-tech opening generates excitement - video

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:01:00 EST

Watch the video...

High-tech opening generates excitement

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EST

Barely half a year ago, much of the space on the second and third floors at One St. Paul St. was empty. It now houses millions of dollars worth of high-tech equipment designed to propel St. Catharines and Niagara to the forefront of the burgeoning digital media sector. The Generator at one — the name given to the new facility inside Niagara Interactive Media Generator (nGen) — had its grand opening Friday.

Big Boost for nGen - Three new tenants

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EST

Students at Brock University and Niagara College will have access to some of the same technology used on the movie Avatar, as their schools move programs into nGen's offices. The Niagara Interactive Media Generator is celebrating the grand opening of its state-of-the-art digital media facility later this week, coinciding with the welcoming of three new tenants — Brock, Niagara College and the company 211 Interactive.

nGen joins digital media network

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

St. Catharines-based nGen is hoping a new digital network will help rev up its incubating power.

Canadian Digital Media Network adds Niagara Organization nGen to Growing Network

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

The Canadian Digital Media Network (CDMN) announced today that the Niagara Interactive Media Generator (nGen) has joined the CDMN network. The CDMN is working to connect organizations such as nGen in a nationwide network to collaborate and share digital media research, technology development and commercialization expertise.

High school student wins nGen competition

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

A Thorold High School student has won nGen’s first video game pitch competition, which was judged by fourth year Interactive Arts and Science students from Brock.

Thorold student wins video game contest

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

Inspired by the frenetic combat of fighting games like Mortal Combat and Street Fighter, 16-year-old Matthew Webb dreams of digital fisticuffs. His video-game idea, to pair characters drawn from everyday life to duke it out, from baseball players to criminals, won a contest hosted by Brock University's interactive arts and science program and nGen, Niagara's new-media incubator.

New media generator powers up

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Right now, it's just two floors of lifeless office space. But in coming months, it will be transformed into one of Canada's most dynamic new media hubs.

nGen Brings State-of-the-Art to Niagara

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Downtown St. Catharines will soon be home to a brand new state–of–the–art digital interactive media production facility thanks to over $3 million in funding from the federal government.

nGen receives $3 million for cutting-edge equipment

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

The barely one-and-a-half year old Niagara Interactive Media Generator is about to grow by leaps and bounds both in size and technological capabilities.

nGen-erating new jobs

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

A production studio to make complex live-action video. A state-of-the-art motion capture system for tracking and analyzing movement. These and other leading technologies will soon be available thanks to more than $3 million in federal cash for the Niagara Interactive Media Generator.

Federal government invests in St. Catharines' future

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

St. Catharines – M.P. Rick Dykstra is thrilled to announce that nGen, Niagara Interactive Media Generator, will receive over $3 million from the Federal government’s Community Adjustment Fund.

nGen receives grant from Ontario Trillium Foundation

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:14:00 EST

nGen is pleased to announce it has received a $54,300 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Analysis: Is There Money To Be Made In Indie Games?

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST

[In this in-depth Gamasutra analysis, veteran game developer Jeff Ward crunches the numbers to craft a sobering look at the realities of independent game development business models.] I'm looking at releasing an Xbox Live Indie Game in the next few months. Recently, along with colleague Darius Kazemi, I started doing a little bit of math about indie game numbers, and it's gotten me wondering whether you can actually support yourself, and a company, on indie games -- indie, in this case, meaning a smallish team experimenting with interesting gameplay concepts and styles.

Video gaming the hard way

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST

By and large, most video games end the same way. You save the princess. You kill the zombies. You find the treasure. You blow something up. There is always a goal for the hours you've invested. Niagara Falls graphic artist Anthony Perri knows it, which is why his brief-but-baffling games garner such a strong reaction. He's messing with you, and he'll wait for you to catch on.

Videos, website market city as digital interactive media engine

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST

A green seed falls into soil, sprouting a tree. Soon after, another grows and then another. Key players in Niagara's interactive media community tout the benefits of living here: everything from the golf and wine to the low cost of living, and proximity to Toronto and the U. S. border.

nGen announces tenancy of two local interactive media companies

Mon, 04 May 2009 00:00:00 EST

nGen is pleased to announce the tenancy of two new Niagara based companies - Dragonchess Interactive Inc., a newly incorporated business working in the Video Game Industry and a division of Dragonchess Inc., as well as morro images Inc. (sister company of morro images GmbH & Co. KG in Germany), an animation studio specializing in the fields of visual effects, and graphic design, in to their offices at One St. Paul St. in downtown St. Catharines. nGen currently has two existing tenants at their facility, Furi Enterprises Inc. and Fourgrounds Media Inc., now bringing their total to 4 tenants.

nGen gives new media businesses a running start

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

These days, St. Catharines and the Niagara Region are feeling the pressure of a recession more than many other areas in Canada. Many question what the future holds for Niagara, and what industries will pick up the slack for the struggling auto industry.

Donation of state-of-the-art computers boost for new-media operation

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

A donation of $55,000 worth of computer hardware from Dell will be a huge boost for nGen, says Jeff Chesebrough, executive director of St. Catharines' new-media incubator.

nGen Receives Boost from Dell

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

Donation will help foster success of innovative new media Startups in Niagara Region

nGen Media Showcase

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

Community NewsThe Niagara Interactive Media Generator, more commonly referred to as “nGen” represents the Community of Niagara as a hub for interactive media projects and business development in the region.

nGen a magnet for bright, young minds

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

Dustin Stroud and others like him are the future of Niagara: young, bright and innovative. But too often in the past, Stroud and his ilk graduated from Brock University or Niagara College and promptly looked for greener pastures outside of Niagara, which has traditionally had an economy driven by old-school industries rather than so-called 'knowledge-based' businesses.

nGen wants to be self-sustaining

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:00:00 EST

As it nears its first anniversary, nGen says it's putting a plan in place to ensure it keeps on running. The St. Catharines new media business incubator received a start-up cash infusion of $560,000 from its funding partners -- including the province and the City of St. Catharines -- to last it until March 2010. But nGen is determined to find ways to generate revenue and continue the work it has begun, executive director Jeff Chesebrough said Wednesday.

Noise in Niagara and Beyond

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST

Newly launched and steadily growing, Noise in Niagara (www.noiseinniagara.com) is making its mark on the local music scene by providing a central forum for bands, venues, promoters and concertgoers to promote and peruse.

Niagara students making Noise

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST

Those of you around three years ago may remember the Bedlam Society - a Web site designed to keep Niagara residents informed of what was going on in the region's music scene. Now, since the demise of that site, nGen, the Niagara Interactive Media Generator, and Niagara College have taken it upon themselves to get the word back out there, to help rebuild the community's vibrant music scene, with the launch of Noise in Niagara.

Downtown Booster

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST

Brock professor envisions city core as cultural oasis When Rosemary Hale walks along St. Paul Street in St. Catharines, she looks up. The beauty of downtown reveals itself in the intricately etched facades of the street's century-old buildings, she said. In Hale's view, her adopted city not only has potential to be something great, it already is.

2008 was a year of seized opportunities: Mayor

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST

Mayor reflects on 2008 and looks ahead to 2009 The year which just came to a close will go down as one in which all the pieces started coming together in the city's effort to turn around its downtown and make it a thriving centre once again, says St. Catharines Mayor Brian McMullan.

New media generator takes in two tenants

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST

The owners of two fledgling Niagara companies are moving out of bedrooms and basements and into some better office space: 1 St. Paul St. Furi Enterprises and FourGrounds Media are the latest tenants of nGen, Niagara's new media business incubator. Developed by ambitious students in their 20s, the companies will inhabit two of the three offices in nGen's headquarters.

Microsoft partners with nGen

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST

Microsoft has partnered with nGen to give local new media entrepreneurs free access to software worth tens of thousands of dollars. The Niagara New Media Generator is now a “network partner” in Microsoft’s newly launched BizSpark program, nGen executive director Jeff Chesebrough said. The program allows start-up companies to use Microsoft’s software development tools, technology and production licenses.

nGen running on all cylinders

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

As of next week, new media business incubator will be helping five projects get off the ground. It's too early to tell if it will be extended beyond two years, but so far, nGen is doing what it's supposed to do. Work has started on three inaugural projects for the new media business incubator, unveiled six months ago to much fanfare. Two more fledgling companies are scheduled to move in next week, executive director Jeff Chesebrough said. But it's still unknown whether the project will close after two years or start paying for itself, he said.

Fight the War of 1812 on your cellphone

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST

Game will allow users to dial up battles, buildings Coming soon to a cellphone near you: The War of 1812. That's what St. Catharines based interactive media developer nGen is hoping for as the U. S. versus Canada skirmish approaches its bicentennial. By next year, it hopes to have a mobile video game people can view on their phones as they take a self-guided tour of Niagara-on-the-Lake. The company has put the call out to programmers, web designers and War of 1812 historians.

New Niagara College website will give space to local musicians, aid club goers

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST

The first project guided by Niagara’s much-anticipated nGen will launch in less than a month. Noise in Niagara, a Niagara College interactive website and music magazine, will give local musicians Internet space to promote their gigs and club goers a guide to planning their weekends, nGen executive director Jeff Chesebrough said. It is the first of three projects funded through the new media incubator.

NGen heating up

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

Niagara’s ‘new media incubator’ is hoping to turn the region into a high-tech hot spot

New media incubator will position Niagara as an industry leader

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST

A significant transformation is underway in Niagara. With the recent $245,000 funding announcement from the Ontario Ministry of Culture through the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) to support the creation of nGen (Niagara Interactive Media Generator), the region is positioning itself as an industry leader in interactive digital media development in Ontario and the world.