Video games in Canada

[1] Video game development is beginning to rival the film and television production industry as a major contributor to the Canadian economy.

[3] However, Evolution and BC's Quest for Tires, both were released in 1983, and also were the first video games developed in Canada that gained substantial commercial success.

[4][5] Chris Gray and Peter Liepa, from Toronto and Ottawa respectively, together created Boulder Dash in 1983 which was later acquired and published by First Star Software.

[6] In the past decade, more companies are moving from the West Coast to Ontario and Quebec, where there is more government support for studios and the cost of living is lower.

[10] However, this draw to the eastern side of Canada has left Vancouver, also once similarly thriving with video game developers, seeing its impact on the industry wane.

[17] Many Canadian post-secondary institutions offer industry relevant courses in areas such as computer programming, animation/concept art, and game design.

[1] According to the Entertainment Software Association of Canada in their 2015 report the skills that are most lacking in current recruitment pools are programming, art and animation, game design and data analysis.

[25][15] Many strong game development studios choosing to locate to Canada help to not only strengthen the industry but promote its longevity.

Large scale gaming events such as the Canadian Videogame Awards, Fan Expo Canada and Comic-Con help to promote the industry and encourage its growth.