Gaming: A Platform for Growth

Posted January 20, 2023

Canada continues to lead in production and player engagement.

The global entertainment industry has been moving steadily in one direction for the last decade: from mass experiences to those which are more personalized, on-demand, and in-home. The past few years of COVID has only served to accelerate that trend, with gaming continuing to introduce innovative, immersive technologies to support the trend.

A $4.5 billion ‘niche’

Significantly, Canada offers generous support for development studios looking to start or grow their businesses here. From lucrative tax breaks to favorable economics, Canada backs the gaming industry with proven programs. The financial considerations combined with a rich and experienced talent pool provide an ideal location to invest.

And Canada has the talent. In fact, CBRE’s 2021 Tech Talent report ranks Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver in the top 12 tech talent markets, and when comparing quality of labor and cost, CBRE states “Due in part to exchange rates, Toronto, Vancouver, Montréal, Ottawa and Waterloo provide the best value when it comes to cost and quality...”

Central to Canada’s game-production leadership are hotspots like Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, with their respective provinces hosting the bulk of gaming studios; however, across the country, provinces are encouraging growth and innovation with provincial tax incentives and programs. These programs are in addition to generous public/private initiatives, including the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), the Scientific Research and Experimental Tax Incentive Program (SR&ED), and the Canadian Media Fund. These programs provide the dollars required to develop opportunities with new artists and ideas.

All of this puts Canada in a strategic spot at the forefront of the gaming industry, and with over 690 development studios spanning the country; it is one of the top video game development and production hubs in the world. In 2019, video game production contributed $4.5 billion to Canada’s GDP - a 20% increase in just two years - and supported over 48,000 jobs.

Canada’s leading role in gaming and online entertainment hasn’t gone unnoticed, with a number of overseas firms investing in Canada’s considerable growth potential, including:

  • Amazon Games - opened new development studio in Montréal, Québec in 2021
  • Certain Affinity - launched a new development studio in Toronto, Ontario in 2019
  • Square Enix - created 100+ new positions in 2019 in their Eidos-Montréal, and Square Enix Montréal offices
  • Ubisoft - in 2019, committed to creating 100 new jobs and investing $35 million in Manitoba over the next five years

Number of video game studios in Canada

1 Nordicity (for ESAC). "Number of video game companies in selected provinces in Canada from 2013 to 2019." Chart. November 12, 2019. Statista.

Wiring a country for the future

Critical to this industry – both production-side and player-side – is the country’s network speed and reliability. For carriers and providers serving the gaming industry, BCE Global – USA, a Bell Canada company can help you connect to your customers from coast-to-coast-to-coast, with the speed and reliability you need for best-in-class connectivity to support gaming development. BCE Global – USA provides access to Canada’s largest network. A network that spans over 176,000 miles – enough to wrap around the world seven times. In addition, the network continues to expand, with our corporate group investing over $4.8B in 2021. Beyond network technology, BCE Global – USA also offers access to services and expert talent to help drive your success.

Driven by a focus on customer experience, a partnership with BCE Global – USA is a prime reason why Canada is such an attractive place to design, develop and deploy the next generation in gaming and online entertainment.

Connect with us today.


1 Scoring Tech Talent in North America, CBRE, 2021

2 The Canadian Video Game Industry 2019, Entertainment Software Association of Canada, November 2019

3 Ibid.

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