In The News

The Toronto Star writes on Ontario's booming video game industry. The Province's gaming industry--largely centered in Toronto--has seen burgeoning growth in the past three years due, in part, to support from the Ontario government. The provincial programs designed to support digital media startups include the Ontario Digital Media Tax Credit and The Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC).

"Financial incentives and industry growth have helped foster a supportive and creative environment, said Kristine Murphy, the OMDC's director of industry development."

"Ontario is a thriving independent game development jurisdiction," she said. "There's growth in the independent games, (particularly) for games being developed for a variety of platforms: the iPhone, BlackBerry, all of the small hand-held devices (and) social media games."

"A puzzle game like Critter Crunch, developed in Toronto by Capybara Games, can be played on the iPhone or the online PlayStation Network."

"The tight-knit industry has also helped keep talent in Ontario, Murphy said."

"The founders of DrinkBox Studios, a small independent video game producer, wanted to keep working in Ontario when they set up shop in 2008."

"We were all working here in Toronto at another game company and that game company dissolved," said Chris Harvey, one of the founders. "We didn't want to leave the city because we were already here. It seemed like the support for the game industry in Ontario was increasing."

"Toronto is the hub of Ontario for game development, Harvey said"

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original source Toronto Star