Mark your calendars: Great Canadian Appathon2 is coming to triOS College!

Sept. 26, 2011 - PRLog -- Toronto, ON  – triOS College is teaming up with mobile game developer XMG Studio and The National Post to challenge its students to race the clock and develop an addictive mobile video game in under 48 hours. From September 30th to October 2nd student developers are invited to gather at triOS College’s GCA2 hub (110 King Street East, Kitchener ON)  and carry on the legacy of the gifted teams before them. A winning team will require multiple roles to be filled, not just developers and coders, but also art, audio, and video specialists. Video Game Design and Development students at triOS College will have the chance to participate and take their shot at the $50,000 in prizes.

GCA2 guarantees participants 48 hours of intense fun, meeting new people, learning stuff, and building a game on top of the worlds leading mobile API’s. Some of the talented designers and developers from XMG will be available to motivate and mentor the teams.

“One of the many things I love about the mobile gaming industry is its democratic nature. Anybody can join in,” says Ray Sharma, CEO and founder of XMG Studio Inc. “The first Appathon in April this year attracted 300 students from colleges and universities across the country. Canada has the third largest game development industry in the world, and this is a great opportunity for participating schools, and our company, to raise profile in this community.”

"Intense video game development competitions such as the Great Canadian Appathon allow students to quickly tune and build their skills in a collaborative and focused environment. It is a vital event for all of our video game students, as well as anyone who wishes to enter the game industry,” said the Dean of Technology for triOS College, Jason Eckert.

In addition to the street cred for winning the GCA2, front-runners will also be awarded with some serious, cold hard cash. The team pumping out the best mobile game wins $25,000 and Unity Pro 3.x licenses for each of its members. They will also be invited to interview for a job at XMG and XMG will work with them to polish their game and get it ready for publication in the an App Store. The team whose game takes second place will be awarded $10,000, and another 10 winners will each be awarded with $1,000 for a variety of category prizes including “Best Windows Phone 7 Game” sponsored by Microsoft and “Telus Technical” for the most technically challenging game sponsored by Telus.

GCA² will start at 5:00 p.m. (local time) on September 30th, 2011 and continue for 48 hours, ending at 5:00 p.m. on October 2nd, 2011. Individuals or teams of up to four people can work around the clock at triOS College coding hub. The three finalists will be honored on November 2nd in Toronto at the “Grand Finale” event, sponsored by KPMG, and will play their game live in front of a panel of judges.

To stay informed about the event, including supported platforms, team registrations, rules and regulations, please visit www.greatcanadianappathon.com or follow twitter.com/GCAppathon on Twitter.

About triOS
triOS College is registered as a Private Career College under the Private Career Colleges Act of Ontario and was named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies.  triOS has graduated thousands of students into rewarding careers since its inception in 1992.  triOS offers a career-focussed approach to education enabling graduates to start careers in business, technology, healthcare, and law.  Students receive real-world experience from internship placements included in most programs.  triOS has campus locations across Southern Ontario including: Windsor, London, Kitchener, Hamilton, Mississauga, Brampton, Scarborough, Toronto and Oshawa.  More information about triOS College may be found at www.trios.com.

About XMG Studio Inc.

XMG Studio is an award-winning developer of hit video games for mobile devices. Founded in late 2009, XMG has been pushing the app envelope to create innovative titles that provide a cool experience for casual gamers. The company’s core focus is to develop properties that allow players to actively immerse themselves in our games. Whether it is the incredible customization feature in Drag Racer Pro Tuner, or the experimental touch mechanic in Cows vs. Aliens, XMG’s portfolio of mobile casual games all seek to drive the maximum in user engagement through innovation. Based in Toronto, Canada, XMG is presently one of the largest independent mobile game studios in the emerging app economy. For more information visit www.xmg.com, follow XMG on Twitter.com/xmgstudio or become a fan on facebook.com/xmgstudio.

About National Post

National Post is a division of Postmedia Network Inc., the largest publisher by circulation of paid English-language daily newspapers in Canada, representing some of the country’s oldest and best-known media brands. Reaching millions of Canadians every week, Postmedia Network engages readers and offers advertisers and marketers integrated solutions to effectively reach target audiences through a variety of print, online, digital, and mobile platforms.

For more information about triOS and the GCA2 please contact:
Brittany Tkach
triOS College Communications Coordinator
905.814.7212 x1037 or brittany.tkach@trios.com

For more information on the GCA2, please contact:
Lydia Schaele
XMG Studio Inc.
Email: lschaele [at] xmgstudio.com
Phone: +1-416-619-0700