Entertainment Software Association Canada Releases 2011 Essential Facts
ESAC has released its 2011 edition of the Essential Facts report on the Canadian Entertainment Software industry, which is available now as a downloadable PDF. This booklet provides a great overview of some of the key stats and information about the Canadian video game industry. What’s the average age of a Canadian gamer? How many studios are there in Canada? How big is Canada’s video game industry? How do we stack up in the world? These questions, among others, are answered in the new report, and also includes other important bits of information such as:
The Canadian video game industry is responsible for creating some of the most recognizable game franchises in the world. Many of the most successful video games and video game companies were started in Canada by Canadians.
Operating costs in Canada’s major development clusters are significantly lower than the
US, Europe and Japan. Canada’s major cities offer desirable places for talent to live with culturally diverse populations, thriving downtowns, and generally affordable condominium and rental markets.
Canada offers generally competitive corporate tax rates, and many provinces have introduced refundable tax credits for production of interactive digital media to encourage growth of the sector. Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credits also play a critical role in fostering technology-based innovation and advancements in the video game industry. Federal and provincial funding programs for digital media offer support for projects that might not otherwise obtain funding.
As a multicultural country, there are significant language and cultural overlaps with the United States, Europe, and Asia, which enables the Canadian developers to produce content for the global market.
Canadian educational programs, particularly at the college and university levels, produce well-trained graduates. However, as our industry grows, we face an increasing shortage of experienced talent across all job categories.
In conjunction with this latest report, ESAC has also released its new promotional video:
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcfvTUfY3wA]
