GameON: Finance 2009
McGuinty Government Taking Ontario’s Game Industry To The Next Level
By Shaun Hatton - October 28th, 2009
Photo courtesy of Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Flickr account
Today the Government of Ontario announced plans to bolster its already-impressive support of the province’s growing video game industry in a move that will help generate future growth and help current businesses address economic challenges.
“We are proud to support Interactive Ontario in delivering these important programs. Ontario’s digital media sector is growing quickly, and shows even greater growth potential,” Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, told attendees at GameON: Finance 2009. “As a government, we are committed to working with the industry to generate investment and create high-value jobs for Ontarians.”
With the help of a provincial investment of $605,000, Interactive Ontario will deliver the following three programs to Ontario-based companies in the areas of skills training, marketing, and investor networking:
OntheEdge is a training curriculum targeting game entrepreneurs, and will provide business skills tailored for the industry. GamesID will provide market intelligence, marketing, and promotional support to game companies by disseminating industry research and information and seeking domestic and international partnerships. Lastly, the Ontario Video Game and Digital Media Investor Network is designed to connect game and digital media developers with Canadian and international investors.
“These programs will provide Ontario video game companies with the support they need to reach their business goals,” Ian Kelso, President and CEO of Interactive Ontario, said. “As is evident at GameON: Finance, the province’s video game industry is amazingly vibrant and growing. With the convergence of highly creative companies, world-class schools, top-tier talent, and the continued support of the Government of Ontario, this province has very quickly become one of the fastest growing in the games industry.”
Interactive Ontario is an organization committed to the growth of Ontario’s digital media industry, and represents over 200 interactive digital media companies. Ontario’s digital media industry generates around $1 billion annually.
