Canada is sending a large contingent of gaming and virtual reality companies to the Game Developers Conference (GDC), taking place from March 14-18 in San Francisco, including a robust team from Nova Scotia, boosted by the province’s business development agency, Nova Scotia Business Inc.
GDC is the world’s largest gaming event, attracting over 26,000 gaming professionals from around the world, who will be attending 400 lectures, panels, tutorials and round-table discussions, in addition to perusing the expo space where companies will be showcasing themselves.
“The Game Developers Conference is a key industry event for developing business and export opportunities for Nova Scotia’s digital and gaming companies,” said Laurel Broten, President and CEO of Nova Scotia Business Inc.
Canada has the world’s third largest gaming sector, behind the United States and Japan in terms of numbers working in the sector, which is remarkable given our much smaller population.
The six companies representing Nova Scotia at GDC this year include Alpha Dog Games, Punk Science Studios, REDSpace, Inc., River Studios, Vesuvius Media and Fourth Monkey Media, who have already shipped 25 games themselves.
“Fourth Monkey Media is excited to attend this year’s GDC in San Francisco,” says Kirsten Tomilson, president of Fourth Monkey Media. “We will be meeting with potential outsourcing opportunities, and are poised to pitch a game we have been working on internally for the past few months. It’s an Idle Accumulator currently in Alpha and we’re well positioned to explore publishing options.”
Nova Scotia is home to 10 universities and 13 community college campuses, of which Dalhousie and Acadia Universities have video game development programs, while Nova Scotia Community College and Eastern College offer diplomas in animation and game design.
Between the pipeline feeding talent to the industry and the province’s 41.25% digital media production tax credit, the most competitive in Canada, designed to attract outside companies to set up shop in the province, it should be no surprise that there are now more than 20 interactive media studios in Nova Scotia.
Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service will be hosting Canadian game companies and showcasing Canadian talent at their open-concept Canada Business Lounge at GDC Play, from March 16-18, 2016 on the same show floor as GDC, along with six closed meeting rooms to connect Canadian talent with prospective clients.
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The companies you mention are there with the NSBI but you’ll also find present Hothead Games (offices in Vancouver and Halifax), HB Studios (I know they are there) and I would assume Ubisoft are also present.
From the ground, it looks to me like we are seeing strong growth in the gaming sector here in Halifax. With virtually every company here looking to hire and grow.
It really is good news for the province because continued growth will help us retain youth here with jobs that are not dependant on natural resources.