In an uncharacteristic display of festive goodwill we have created a suitably seasonal game which allows you, the player, to bash us, Corporation Pop, on the head! With more than a nod to the ever popular Whac-a-Mole you can test your reflexes by trying to click on our avatars as they pop up from their snowy burrows. Your scores are entered on the Leaderboard and you can impress your friends by tweeting your success or posting to your facebook wall. We’ll be converting the highest score (achieved before 3rd January) in to pounds and making a donation to WaterAid.

The game has been created using the canvas element of HTML5 which allows us to use javascript to create the animation rather than using third-party software like Flash. This has the benefit of allowing the game to be played, without a plugin, across multiple javascript enabled browsers on devices including the iPhone and iPad (which don’t support Flash).

You can play the game at corporationpop.co.uk/xmas

Its an exciting day for us today as we invite companies and institutions to take part in the closed beta of D/MARC.

D/MARC is our revolutionary new software product which allows organisations to securely access any remote internet service through a restricted corporate firewall. Access is metered and can be limited to a single service (eg. Second Life, Youtube, social media) or multiple services can be selected. All data is encrypted and transferred using SSL.

We initially developed the software as a way of deploying Second Life in corporate environments – providing a low cost alternative to Linden Labs Enterprise solution (SLE).  However we quickly realised the wider potential that the software offers and we anticipate that the biggest demand will come from companies who need to access social media (such as facebook and twitter) but currently can’t because of firewall restrictions.

D/MARC is a simple one-click installation and the software is free. Our servers monitor usage and each month users receive a bill for the bandwidth they have used. Our extensive server network provides local points of presence so transfer speeds are always high.

Participation in the closed beta programme is completely free but will be limited to one user account per organisation with a capped data limit of 1gb. If you would like to apply to take part in the programme please register your interest by filling out the form here.

D/MARC will be launching commercially in the Autumn.

After an almost year-long search we’re delighted to anounce that we have appointed a ‘Head of Digital’. For some this will be old news as Mark Curtis has been with us for nearly a month now, and has already made a big impact. Previously project leader at The Gate Films, he brings with him more than 10 years of expertise in software development and engineering having worked for NCR Corporation, Flame Digital and Incline Media. Mark will be driving forward several exciting new product developments, particularly in the field of virtual worlds (watch this space), as well as growing our overall digital offering.

To help us make the appointment we received support from Vision+Media’s Regional Attraction Fund scheme. Delivered in partnership with the Northwest Development Agency, the RAF is designed to encourage and promote the development and growth of companies within the TV, film, games, interactive and digital content sectors.

To find out more about what makes Mark tick take a look at his profile on our People pages.

After five years in our beautiful studio in Manchester’s northern quarter we’re moving on. Its a great space but we’ve outgrown it. Its 1500 sqft of pillars, wooden floors and typical N4 character and the landlord is a very nice bloke! As a favour to said landlord we’ve agreed to put the word about that its soon going to be available (from 1st March).

We’re also selling some of our furniture so it could be the perfect ‘pret a porter’ solution for a company on the up. Email us for details.