Village Gamer

A majority of Canadians support continued public investment in Canada’s video game industry according to new research published by the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC). In the new Essential Facts 2014 PDF report produced by the NPD Group for ESAC, 71% of Canadians say that governments have a role to play in choosing which industries will drive the economy of the future. What’s more, 55% of Canadians believe that the video game industry has an overall positive impact on the Canadian economy, and 62% also believe that it is an innovative sector which is helping to shape the Canadian economy of the future. Envisioning the opportunity that lies ahead, a strong majority (67%) also believe that the video game industry provides good opportunities for young people currently planning their careers. Read the rest of this entry »

You are invited to join Ubisoft and Twitch for the biggest livestream launch event in Ubisoft history! Hosted by Jon Carnage, Assassin’s Creed fans and newcomers from all over the world are invited to tune in for the Live Broadcast Premiere of new gameplay and more at 3PM ET on Friday, November 7th. Read the rest of this entry »

Ubisoft Montreal was named Studio of the Year at the prestigious Golden Joystick Awards presented in London, UK. This prize, voted for by players around the world, was given to its President and CEO, Mr. Yannis Mallat, during the awards ceremony last Friday. This is the first time Ubisoft Montreal has won in this category. Read the rest of this entry »

Join Reboot Communications and Greedy Productions for an amazing evening as the Canadian videogame industry gathers in Toronto to celebrate the innovation and talent from across the country.  Public tickets go on sale today and are just $29.00. The CVAs will be held Friday, November 21st at The Carlu in the heart of downtown Toronto and will feature celebrated videogame actor Mark Meer, from the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises as host.  Read the rest of this entry »

The first full-service online marketplace of its kind, Voices.com has been awarded funding from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) through the Investing in Business Growth and Productivity (IBGP) initiative. It was formally announced yesterday that Voices.com will be embarking on a $3.6 million project to accelerate growth and job creation by supporting their markets, facilities, and technology. IBGP supports businesses that have global potential and that are pursuing innovative opportunities, which positively impacts economic development. This is the first Canadian project of its kind. Read the rest of this entry »

via DigiBC: Introduced in 2010, the Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit legislation is set to phase out in 2015 pending a review by the BC government in late 2014.  Our DigiBC survey indicates that from 2009 to 2013, 1,700 new jobs have been created and the industry has expanded to 5,700 direct jobs working in 142 companies in the video games sector. We estimate the government has paid over $100 million in cash based tax credits which have in turn resulted in a tax surplus of $135 million to the BC government. It is essential that the Interactive Digital Media tax Credit is extended at a minimum and better if it is enhanced if we want to become number one in Canada again. We need your support and help! Read the rest of this entry »

The Canadian Videogame Awards (CVAs) is pleased to announce celebrated videogame actor Mark Meer as the new host for the 5th annual ceremony, taking place November 21st at The Carlu in the heart of downtown Toronto.  Mark Meer is a Canadian actor that has appeared in several world-class videogames, including the Mass Effect franchise, the Dragon Age franchise and the highly anticipated 2014 release, The Long Dark. Mr. Meer is also the co-creator, writer and star of Super Channel’s Tiny Plastic Men, and a founder of the comedy/improv troupe, Gordon’s Big Bald Head. Read the rest of this entry »

This week, British Columbia takes centre stage to demonstrate the province’s growing strength in technology and digital arts during SIGGRAPH 2014, the world’s foremost computer graphics and art conference held at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Vancouver first hosted SIGGRAPH in 2011 and is the only city outside of the U.S.A. that has ever been selected for the North American conference. SIGGRAPH 2011 broke previous convention attendance records for the city, generating an estimated $38.5 million in direct spending for the local economy. Read the rest of this entry »

The SIGGRAPH 2014 Studio, 10-14 August at the Vancouver Convention Centre, presents an exciting array of Talks, Courses and Projects that demonstrate the latest advances in technology. The Studio offers a collaborative working environment where attendees can come together to learn, experiment, and create. Attendees also have the opportunity to test a wide range of new techniques and media for 3D printing, modeling, and animation with help from experienced hands. Read the rest of this entry »

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) announced today a contribution of more than $6.7M in development and marketing support to innovative digital media projects as part of the first round of its 2014-2015 Experimental Stream funding. In July 2014, the CMF announced a contribution of more than $12.6M to 25 projects that received production support. Since 2010, the CMF has contributed $44.5M in development and marketing support to 204 interactive digital media projects as part of the Experimental Stream. Read the rest of this entry »