March 2012
6 posts
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Questions & Updates
I’m getting a lot of the same questions so I’m compiling a bunch of them here. Read on!
Where’s issue 02? I want it RIGHT NOW.
It’s coming! We’re hoping to launch issue 02 this summer. Follow us on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter for updates.
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I want to be a part...
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Submissions
misterlorde replied to your post: HOLY EMAILS, BATMAN
I’m betting one of the questions is “how do I/when can I submit something for the second issue”, right?
That’s right.
Folks can start submitting right now. Everything you ever needed to know about submitting to issue 02 can be found on our submission page :)
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HEART CONTAINER @ SECRET HANDSHAKE
If you’re creative and awesome, you need to go to Secret Handshake.
What is it? SH is a Meetup group for Winnipeg’s creative-type people. It’s an event where we can get out of our shells once a month to share ideas, collaborate, and drink a beer. Whether you’re a designer, programmer, illustrator, writer, photographer, ANYTHING, you should come. Really. The more the...
HOLY EMAILS, BATMAN
I swear, you guys all email me at the same time.
I’m working on a post to answer all your questions.
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HC CHECKS OUT SXSW
One of our HC crew members just got back from SXSW Interactive in Austin, Texas. SXSW is one of the largest music, film, and interactive conferences in the world, with over 20,000 attendees a year. We wanted folks to know all about Heart Container so we purchased a bunch of copies and distributed them all around town.
We got to chat with some of our heroes, who graciously signed and posed with...
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Welcome, SXSWers!
If you’ve found us, that means you snagged a copy of Heart Container issue 01! We’re so glad you’re reading it. You are reading it, aren’t you? No? Well, get to it! Word on the street is that Morgan Webb, Canadian co-host and senior segment producer of the G4 show X-Play and host of the show G4 Underground has been seen reading a copy!
Your copy of issue 01 has been...
February 2012
34 posts
Posts coming soon...
Swamped with zine orders and other work! Will post soon :)
mrghosty asked: hey albertine. any chance i can order a copy and have it mailed to toronto?
graphitedust asked: Hello! I absolutely adore your blog - and would love the lastest copy of 'Heart Container' (Spyro 3 is my favourite game of all time - I love the minimal spin on Midday Gardens on the 'zine cover!) I live in the UK, is there any way I would be able to get a copy? Thanks, Florence.
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MARATHON RECAP
Whew! Our apologies for the delay, these past few weeks have been a whirlwind of planning, printing, and more planning. What is sleep? We don’t know. If you find out what it is, please tell us so we can have some.
To summarize this past weekend, myself and my good friends Jeff Ward and Tom Higgins of 92.9 KICK-FM’s video game talk show The Bonus Stage ran a 24 hour video game marathon...
ChipIn Button Issues
We’ve been made aware that our ChipIn donation button for Child’s Play Charity is bringing up an “Untrusted Connection” error for some users. This is due to an expired security certificate. The error states that the certificate expired on February 18, 2012, but we checked in on the site on February 19 and everything was fine then.
Please know that we are looking into this...
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LAUNCH PARTY GOOD TIMES!
We finally have a Facebook event for the premiere of Heart Container!
Head there now and click attending to be awesome. Click maybe if you want to be slightly less awesome, or you can click not attending if you are a weiner.
Come say hi to me and a bunch of the contributors and get your copy of Heart Container issue 01. We’re also working on getting the Winnitron there. The Winnitron...
Updates coming later today
littlebluerobot:
Hey everyone, I’ve got a bunch of photo and video from the marathon that I need to blog about but I’m still working on catching up on my sleep and working my part time job. I can really feel myself getting sick again so I gotta take care of number one. I worked it out and I ended up being awake for 38 hours.
Stay tuned, posts coming later today/tonight.
Much thanks for your...
Media Coverage
littlebluerobot:
Watch CTV News at 6 to see our interview during our 24 hour gaming marathon for Child’s Play Charity!
AND WE'RE DONE!
Due to extreme exhaustion, we have opted to end the stream 20 minutes early! We ended multiple breaks earlier than expected so we feel like we made up for it!
Thank you sooo much to everyone who tuned in! This event was super successful with lots of media coverage! In total (online and offline) we generated $400 in donations which we think is extremely successful for such a tiny little event!
We...
LAST 3.5 HOURS
littlebluerobot:
Alright folks we are into the LAST 3.5 HOURS of our 24 hour gaming marathon for charity! Help us by heading over to HeartContainer.ca and clicking the ChipIn button! Also tune in to Jeff’s and Tom’s streams!
Media Coverage!
CBC Radio One interviewed us this morning and CTV just stopped by and interviewed us - very exciting business indeed.
I’m also happy to report that we’ve raised $350 for Child’s Play Charity. This isn’t reflected in the ChipIn donation window because not all of the donations have been made digitally. This is incredible news since the zine hasn’t even been...
Woohoo!
Things are going really well! We’re miraculously wide awake and have the media interested in the marathon! CBC Radio One in Winnipeg did a story on us and if things pan out they might be sending out some cameras tonight!
Keep it up folks! We’ve only got 11 hours left!
1/3 Down - 2/3 To Go!
littlebluerobot:
Hot dogs & taters for breakfast, now starting up the next portion of the marathon! Booting up Heavy Rain…
One game down...
littlebluerobot:
Finished Portal 2 from start to finish in 7 hours and 7 minutes.
It’s daylight now, which makes it a little easier to stay awake but my body sure is craving a proper meal! We take our first health break in 15 minutes so I’m glad to be eating breakfast!
8 hours in now.
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6.5 hours in...
…and we’re all starting to feel it a little bit.
My view:
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24 Hour Gaming Marathon
Tom, Jeff, and I are doing the 24 Hour Gaming Marathon for Child’s Play Charity right now!
The setup
The snacks
Head to HeartContainer.ca and donate! :D
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24 GAMING MARATHON
We are mere hours away from the Heart Container/Bonus Stage 24 Hour Gaming Marathon for Charity, sponsored by PNP Games! Be sure to vote for games, tune in, and donate to Child’s Play (right here on the blog, click the ChipIn button)!
In case you forgot, here’s what we’re doing:
We will be live streaming video games from multiple platforms, new and old. You will be able to...
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Pretty Pixels
Nobody could guess what the background was. That’s okay. Some guesses included Skyward Sword and Animal Crossing. Not bad guesses!
The background image is…
A screenshot from Spryo: Year of the Dragon! It’s literally a shot of the screen…I took photo of it when I was playing with my iPhone.
I had about seven different versions of the cover. Some really minimal, others...
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Cover of HC issue 01
I think that when I get the first proof from the printers I’ll probably cry. Here’s the cover. It’s simple, but it works. Anyone who can guess what the background image is from gets a hug from me!
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Indie Game Music Bundle 2 is Here!
Hey guys, if you’ve ever checked out the Humble Indie Bundle, you’ll love the concept of the Indie Game Music Bundle!
(Aquaria Original Soundtrack by Winnipegger Alec Holowka, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery Ballad of the Space Babies by Jim Guthrie (a personal fav), To The Moon Original Soundtrack by by Kan R. Gao + Laura Shigihara, Jamestown Original Soundtrack by Francisco...
littlebluerobot:
imaginarydances:
Do you think it’s possible to enjoy a movie/video game soundtrack if you haven’t played the movie or video game?
Is it possible to enjoy the music on the same level as a person who has played the game/seen the movie?
Interesting questions!
I think you can definitely enjoy a movie or game soundtrack even without watching the film or playing the game. I...
Probably the most surreal moment of my life
littlebluerobot:
So last night I was supposed to go out to the King’s Head pub here in Winnipeg with a bunch of friends. However, I felt like garbage and just went home. I changed into my PJs, took my makeup off, and began to fall asleep. Then my phone rang.
It was my boyfriend who explained that I should really get dressed and come to the pub. Why? Because one of the directors of Indie Game:...
Anti Games: Story over Gameplay
littlebluerobot:
imaginarydances:
With gaming we’re witnessing a sort of Renaissance in the DIY aesthetic, where indie games are now more available to download and play. I’ve been witnessing a number of games where gameplay is essentially secondary to other elements present in a gaming experience.
Games like Wither contain no battles, no items and a short 30 minutes or less game time. Instead...
Bethesda Concept Artist Adam Adamowicz Passes Away
littlebluerobot:
I only just heard the news that Adam Adamowicz passed away. This is a really, really sad day for the game industry.
Adamowicz was a talented concept artist and was key to the look of huge Bethesda games like Fallout 3 & Skyrim, the latter of which is so intricately beautiful that it almost made me cry the first time I played it.
RIP, you will be missed.
:(
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LAUNCH PARTY
We finally secured the venue!
The launch party for the first ever issue of Heart Container video game art & lit zine will take place on AT 8PM ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 AT THE KING’S HEAD PUB (WINNIPEG).
Come say hi, buy a zine (with your purchase going directly to Child’s Play Charity), chat with us about games, and have some drinks!
The success of this event rides on people...
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ANNOUNCEMENT
Indie Game: The Movie poster by Greg Wohlwend (Click to purchase!)
We are very happy to announce that our launch issue will feature a beautifully-written introduction by none other than the brilliant minds behind Indie Game: The Movie, James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot!
We are so excited that they have helped us out with our very first issue. Thanks, guys!
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Woo-hoo!
We’ve already received a bunch of donations! Thanks so much guys! Keep it going!
A few quick house-keeping items:
I’ve added an FAQ page to the blog. Be sure to check it if you have questions.
Updated the About page
Updated the submission page for issue #2 of the zine
We also have some VERY exciting news about the launch issue that we’ll be announcing tomorrow!
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DANNY FAST: YOU ARE THE BEST
We would like to send some very big Internet hugs to our good friend Danny Fast, the very first contributor to the zine! Thank you!
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DONATE
We finally have a donation widget set up! It’s set up on the right hand side of the page. Donations go directly to Child’s Play Charity. I don’t get any of it, it is linked to their PayPal account, not mine. Which means you should donate right now. Even a little bit helps!
Child’s Play Charity donates toys, movies, and games to sick kids in hospitals all over North America...
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Second Issue
I’ve gotten a TON people asking about the second issue! This is pretty damn exciting considering we have yet to launch the first issue!
Due to demand, there will definitely be a second issue of Heart Container, likely launching this summer. We would love to receive your submissions, and earlier is better than later.
Want to submit? Here’s what you need to know:
We accept JPEGs,...
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HC: Now with more updates!
Hi everyone!
Things have been pretty quiet on the HC homefront as I battle the world’s craziest sinus infection ever so please bear with me :) I’m also working on designing a legitimate website for HC, not just a blog, so that’s taking some time.
We’re looking at a February 23rd or 24th launch of the zine and are still working on securing the venue for the launch party....
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Indie Game: The Movie inspires and moves the...
littlebluerobot:
Click through for high-res wallpaper version!
I’ve been following the journey of Winnipeg filmmakers James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot for some time now. I’ve read every update, every blog post. Finally, on Friday, February 3, I headed out to the Winnipeg Art Gallery to check out the hometown premiere and screening of Indie Game: The Movie. Here is my experience.
I recall my...
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Zine Updates & Big Thank You's
littlebluerobot:
The zine is intended to be equal parts art and writing, but for some reason I’ve received far more writing submissions than art submissions. It makes me a little sad because I know a ton of really talented designers and illustrators, but they’re very busy right now. Hopefully they’ll submit to the second issue :)
As a result of all the writing, the zine has much more of a...
January 2012
13 posts
5 tags
Friendly reminder time
Some of you still need to submit your bios for the zine!
Your bio can be as simple as where you’re from, what you study, where you work, why you love games, or what your favorite games are. Or you can tell us more, whatever you’re comfortable with.
The idea is to have our readers know a little bit about you, the writers and artists. All we ask is that you keep your bio under 400...
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If you're planning on quitting a game studio, this...
I hereby present to you, the best letter of resignation ever.
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Submit or be forever shamed
(Kidding. Except not really.)
You guys have until Wednesday, February 1st to get your content into the launch issue of Heart Container. That means if you want to submit, you should get it done this weekend! We would really like to bump up the content of the zine and you can help.
Submitting will give you powers of invisibility, invincibility, and attraction. It’s true.
SUBMIT.
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Heart Container x Bonus Stage Collaboration
I think it’s about time that I shared with my followers that I have teamed up with Tom Higgins and Jeff Ward of 92.9 KICK FM’s The Bonus Stage to come up with a way that we can further promote the zine and raise money for charity.
The Bonus Stage is a video game talk and news show that airs on 92.9 KICK-FM every Friday at 11PM.
I would like to officially announce that we will be...