Interactive Games + Design

BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA
CREATIVE
INDUSTRIES
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Interactive Games + Design
BRITISH COLUMBIA
A LEADING CREATIVE HUB
British Columbia is home to a creative cluster of
entertainment and interactive design companies,
with world-class firms specializing in digital media
and game development.
East Side Games
at the forefront of interactive technology
“British Columbia has a wealth of educated talent in a fairly confined space compared
to Los Angeles where the talent is more expensive. Our location on the border and the
West Coast is very conducive — being on the ocean with the mountains, the quality of
lifestyle, and the school systems make it a very attractive place. When people immigrate
here, they tend to want to stay here and raise their families. British Columbia and
Vancouver have attracted a lot of top talent from around the world.”
Howard Donaldson, DigiBC
As an international centre for console, social, and mobile
game production, internet, and app design, British
Columbia offers highly skilled talent; comprehensive
infrastructure with full studios and equipment; targeted
incentives; and an exciting creative atmosphere. Our
thriving media sector extends beyond games and digital
design to include film, video, social media, interactive
marketing, and e-learning. A rich pool of creative talent
interacts to support businesses from indie app designers
to major international producers, both online and for
specific platforms.
As an established industry with strong links to the
U.S. west coast, Asia, Europe, and other entertainment
centres, our creative sector has a deep well of talent,
research, and training. Our creative services can handle
the full range of development from concept
to production, animation and visual effects, publishing,
marketing and distribution.
If your business requires innovative companies
developing leading-edge business and entertainment
technology, British Columbia is the right place to be —
it’s where the creative revolution is taking off.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
•• Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit
•• Skilled labour force
•• High quality of life
•• Strategic west coast location
•• Low corporate and personal income taxes
•• Targeted tax incentives
•• Competitive costing
•• Green, low-cost power
•• Excellent public infrastructure
British Columbia’s
dynamic interactive cluster
British Columbia’s digital media content creators
have built a dynamic cluster of interactive media
that generates outstanding productions and wins
international awards for its innovation and quality.
Ideal location
Our strategic location on Canada’s west coast makes it
convenient to do business with colleagues around the
world. Our business day overlaps with morning work
hours in Asia, afternoon working hours in Europe, and
the full working day in California.
Top talent
British Columbia is home to a dynamic, highly skilled,
and multicultural pool of talent. Skilled and experienced
designers, engineers, and producers live and work here.
Roadhouse Interactive Limited Warhammer® 40,000™: Carnage
Thriving creative nexus
British Columbia’s digital media sector enjoys strong
relationships with film, television, and animation
producers. This fuels a collaborative and openminded approach to projects, resulting in innovative
productions.
Large, established infrastructure
Vancouver has a strong place in the world of
information, entertainment, and communications
technology. Workers are experienced with the entire
range of interactive productions, from the imagined
worlds of console games to the simplest mobile tools.
Business advantages
British Columbia’s business climate is good for the
bottom line, with one of the lowest corporate tax rates
in the G7, no provincial payroll taxes or corporate capital
tax, and the lowest personal income tax in Canada for
individuals earning up to $122,000. British Columbia
welcomes the creative industries with a variety of
special tax credits and incentives.
Liveability
Our welcoming cities and communities are one of the
main reasons that British Columbia is a global magnet
for the world’s top talent.
Vancouver is instantly recognizable for its spectacular
location: a city on the ocean with majestic mountains
just 20 minutes to the north. Chosen by the Financial
Times’ fDi Magazine as the top large city in the Americas
and the third most livable city in the world by the
Economist Intelligence Unit in 2015, Vancouver is also
consistently rated a top destination for travelers.
Other cities and towns in British Columbia have their
own distinct character and demographics. No matter
where you live, you will find safe, clean, and welcoming
communities.
Kelowna, British Columbia
“Kelowna, British Columbia, is a great place for a game company because it is a great
place to live with lots to do: water sports, beach, golf, hiking, skiing/snowboarding,
wineries.... It’s not difficult to convince developers to move/live here.”
Rob Bartlett, CEO / Founder, WTFast
“We incorporated our studio in just four months from our initial visit and held our
opening ceremony in the fifth month. We were pleased that this happened surprisingly
fast. We were supported by the BC Trade and Investment Representative Office in Japan.”
Naohiro Saito, Executive Vice President, CTO, Bandai Namco Studios Vancouver Inc.
Targeted incentives
for digital media
•• British Columbia Interactive Digital
Creating the interactive
future from the origins
of the digital industry
The governments of British Columbia and Canada
strongly support international initiatives to provide
easy access to markets, talent, and financing. They have
negotiated key agreements such as:
A STRONG PAST
British Columbia is home to one of the oldest video
game clusters in North America. In the early 1980s,
Distinctive Software began producing games software,
leading to other major developers such as Relic, Radical,
and EA Canada, among others. This initial cluster created
strong connections to sound and video producers and
support companies for the video game industry.
Media Tax Credit: Taxable Canadian corporations
with permanent establishments in British Columbia
in the business of developing interactive digital
media products may be eligible for a refundable
17.5 per cent tax credit on qualified labour costs.
•• North American Free Trade Agreement, providing
duty-free access to Mexico and the United States
•• Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade
Agreement (CETA), providing ambitious new market
access opportunities and clear rules for European
and Canadian businesses
•• Canada Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA),
Canada’s first free trade agreement with an Asian
trading partner, covers virtually all aspects of
Canada-South Korean trade, including trade in goods
and services, investment, government procurement,
non-tariff barriers, environment and labour
cooperation, and other areas of economic activity
In 2014, British Columbia hosts 128 companies, with a
complement of 5,500 full-time equivalent direct jobs.
Reflecting its lengthy history, British Columbia’s game
development companies are more established than the
Canadian average, with a median age of 9.4 years. Two
thirds have been in operation longer than seven years.
In 2014, the video game industry in British Columbia
was responsible for $576 million in gross expenditure,
and 40 per cent of companies reported that they
expected growth of more than 25 per cent.
A SHIFTING FUTURE
The interactive entertainment industry is increasingly
focussing on the emerging mobile market, with
84 per cent of companies developing games for
smart phones and tablets. But while the number of
completed projects is predominantly for mobile and
casual markets, the lion’s share of overall resources is
still dedicated to console games by a small number of
leading companies. Development for dedicated game
consoles remains strong, with approximately 48 per cent
of developers currently working on titles for current and
next-gen consoles.
Video game revenues reflect the same shift. Mobile
games represent an increasing share of overall revenues,
while digital distribution channels are also more
prevalent than before.
Roadhouse Interactive Limited
“New media is going to continue to grow into the digital space — into digital
distribution, movies and animation, digital effects, and video games. We’re seeing
a convergence of those industries.”
John Lutz, Chief Financial Officer, EA Sports
BRITISH COLUMBIA’S MOBILE POTENTIAL
As the ways in which content is created, distributed,
and consumed continue to change, the synergy
between games, the media industry, and the
information and wireless industries has enormous
potential. With considerable strengths in each industry,
including our position as a leader in the development
and production of interactive games, British Columbia
has the corporate and production infrastructure to
realize this potential.
SOCIAL MARKETING AND APP DESIGN
Social media and the internet have changed customer
service, communications, marketing, sales, and retail.
British Columbia’s design studios are leading in the
creation of apps, tools, and techniques to build
successful social and online media strategies. Their
sophisticated understanding of new forms of exposure
and engagement help large and small businesses
create successful online branding and social customer
experience.
British Columbia’s information, communications,
and wireless industries are creating the technologies
to support advanced interactive technologies.
Our film industry has won awards in the heart of the
entertainment industry, at the Academy Awards in
Hollywood. With expertise and talent developed over
many decades, as well as access to the most advanced
technologies, British Columbia’s interactive media
companies can continue to lead the newest phases
of product development and production.
In the new communications universe, one in every
four people around the world uses social media online
and on mobile systems. Companies are making radical
changes in thinking and looking for tools and strategies
to provide service, promote their brand and manage
British Columbia’s gaming sector has matured over
several decades to become a vibrant and important part
of the entertainment world. A favourable tax structure,
an experienced and creative talent pool, and a tradition
of innovation and cooperation among business,
government, labour, and the community keep British
Columbia competitive in a changing entertainment
ecosystem.
Sequence
their public presence. British Columbia companies are
at the forefront of new tools for the digital economy.
They can help local and international companies
manage their marketing, customer service,
communications, and human resources, and support
them in adapting to rapidly changing business needs.
British Columbia develops and supplies unique and
essential products and services that are shaping the
business response to the digital world.
Join designers and producers for mobile, social, and
interactive systems in creating innovative and effective
apps and business products in British Columbia.
ENJOY STRONG GOVERNMENT
AND INDUSTRY SUPPORT
British Columbia is committed to providing a
competitive environment for the interactive digital
design industry. Industry-led associations work hand-
in-hand with government to provide a wide range
of supports, including marketing events, forums for
investors and producers, and award celebrations.
DigiBC (The Digital Media and Wireless Association of
BC) fosters community, networking, and partnerships
in the digital media industry by providing its members
with market intelligence, first notice of business
opportunities, and promotional support. Digital media
has a strong symbiotic relationship with the North
American film and TV sector. DigiBC is a membersupported non-profit organization, established by
the government of British Columbia.
Creative BC supports and stimulates the development
of British Columbia’s broader creative industries
including film, television, animation, digital, and
conventional media. It is an independent, not-for-profit
organization established by the provincial government
with the mandate to expand and diversify the film,
television, and media sector in British Columbia.
Sequence
EAST SIDE GAMES
East Side Games is a social and mobile gaming
company located in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Founded in July 2011, the studio aims to be a
powerhouse of social and mobile games, with
profitable live titles including Dragon Up (iOS),
NomNom Combo (iOS), Mighty Bots (Android) and
their flagship game Pot Farm (Facebook) with the new
addition, Pot Farm Moocher Pro (IOS, Android).
The company’s games have over 7.5 million installs
and well over half a million unique users every month.
Its creative team has built on experience working at
leading games studios such as Blizzard/Activision, THQ,
EA, Rockstar, and Ubisoft, as well as social and mobile
space at studios such as DES Games, Hothead Games,
Nexon America, and Spry Fox.
Its art and animation team brings experience from
DHX Media, Studio B, Mercury Filmworks, and Cartoon
Network. With quirky and original social and mobile
games that unite humour with a bit of edge, the
company is one of many smaller producers that is
making Vancouver’s reputation in new interactive
media.
A THINKING APE
Taking pride in hacker culture, A Thinking Ape
creates mobile games with a collaborative approach.
The Vancouver-based social games startup is
dedicated to building strong mobile communities,
growing from a small team of ten in early 2011 to over
sixty-five employees in 2014. All three co-founders are
Canadians and love living in Vancouver, although all
are originally from eastern Canada.
After setting up A Thinking Ape in Silicon Valley, they
relocated to Vancouver, where they developed a series
of games that includes some of the highest grossing
apps on Apple’s App Store, such as their flagship game,
Kingdoms at War. By creating addictive games that
users don’t want to leave, A Thinking Ape is making
British Columbia one of the world’s creative centres for
social games.
Roadhouse Interactive Limited
Education and
research institutions
DRAW FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA’S
RICH WELL OF INNOVATIVE TALENT
The creative centres of British Columbia are a magnet
for talent, attracting creative minds in record numbers.
With an established community of experienced talent,
British Columbia offers a great advantage for producers
and designers of interactive entertainment and business
products. Access to a vast talent pool draws innovative
companies to develop create new products and services
in British Columbia.
ACCESS LEADING-EDGE
TRAINING AND RESEARCH
All of British Columbia’s major educational institutions
are engaged in digital media, providing outstanding
facilities, training, and research services to the
private sector. A steady stream of new graduates
and innovation flows into the sector from our prolific
educational programs and research centres. Each year,
3,000 graduates from British Columbia’s post-secondary
programs enter the media industry.
Roadhouse Interactive Limited
Major educational institutions
Centre
Program/Initiative
The Centre for Digital Media,
Vancouver, BC
20-month Masters of Digital Media Program for creators, practitioners,
and senior management
University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, BC
Media and Graphics Interdisciplinary Centre
Imager Laboratory
Simon Fraser University,
Vancouver, BC
School of Interactive Arts and Technology
7th Floor Media
Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Vancouver, BC
Intersections Digital Studios
Capilano University, Vancouver, BC
School of Motion Picture Arts, IDEA School of Design
British Columbia Institute of Technology,
Burnaby, BC
Digital Design and Development
3D Modeling, Art, Animation
New Media Design and Web Development
Vancouver Film School,
Vancouver, BC
A top international post-secondary digital media, animation, and film school,
with recruitment offices in Mumbai, Mexico City, Taipei, and Seoul
Art Institute of Vancouver, Vancouver, BC
Media arts programs in film, digital design, and music
Centre for Arts and Technology,
Kelowna, BC
Certificate and diploma programs in animation, digital filmmaking,
and digital media design
Selkirk College, Nelson, BC
Digital Arts and New Media Program
Centres of Excellence
Centre
Program/Initiative
The Centre for Digital Media
In addition to providing graduate degrees, CDM students work with businesses
and organizations on accelerated collaborative projects to develop ideas and
prototypes
Imager Laboratory @ UBC
An interdisciplinary research group working to advance the science of
computer graphics, computer animation, visualization, haptics, and human
computer interaction
Social + Interactive Media Centre @ Emily Carr
University of Art and Design
Supports a wide range of applied social, interactive, and design projects
Vancouver Film School
Rated a top-10 design school by the LA Times and the world’s best VFX/
animation school by the CG student awards for several years
Graphics, Animation and New Media (GRAND) @ UBC
A multi-disciplinary research network and commercialization engine targeting
complex issues in digital media to find user-centred solutions
GRAPHIC DESIGN SCHOOLS
IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
4 year program
•• Simon Fraser University, Burnaby
•• Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops
•• Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo
•• Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Vancouver
•• Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Richmond
•• University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford
3 year program
•• The Art Institute, Burnaby
•• Capilano University, North Vancouver
•• Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Richmond
•• North Island College, Vancouver Island
2 year program
•• British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby
•• University of the Fraser Valley, Mission
•• Langara College, Vancouver
•• College of New Caledonia, Prince George
•• Pacific Design Academy, Victoria
•• Selkirk College, Nelson
•• Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops
•• Visual College of Art & Design, Vancouver
•• Center for Arts and Technology, Kelowna
Less than 1 year
•• British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby
•• BCIT and Emily Carr, Burnaby
•• CDI, Surrey
•• Langara College, Vancouver
•• LaSalle College International, Vancouver
•• Northern Lights College, Dawson Creek
•• Surrey College, Surrey, BC
•• Vancouver Career College, Kelowna Campus, Kelowna
•• Vancouver Community College, Vancouver
•• Vancouver Film School, Vancouver
Entertainment and Media Companies
Many leading companies have located in British Columbia, including:
A Thinking Ape
Activision Blizzard
Atomic Cartoons
Bandai Namco
Big Bad Boo Studios
Blackbird Interactive
Bron Animation
Capcom Game Studio
Capture Labs
DHX Studios
Digital Domain
Disney Interactive
(Club Penguin)
EA (Electronic Arts)
EastSide Games
Eh-Okay Entertainment
Hothead Games
Image Engine
Inlight Entertainment
Interdimensional Games
Ironic Iconic Studios
Kabam
Klei Entertainment
Koolhaus
Method Studios
Moonbase Design
The Moving Picture Co.
The Sequence Group
Nerd Corps
Next Level Games
One Bit Labs
Piranha Games
Radical
Rainmaker Entertainment
RealNetworks
Relic
Roadhouse Interactive
Saturn Animation Studio
Shailah Interactive
Silicon Sisters
Slap Happy Cartoons
Square One Games
United Front Games
WTFast
Zoic Studios
and many more…
ROADHOUSE INTERACTIVE LIMITED
From its studio in Vancouver, Roadhouse has developed the technology and analytical
systems to create and manage gaming productions from small social and mobile
projects to large-scale synchronous 3D massively multi-player online games (MMOs).
Founded in December 2009, Roadhouse develops, operates, and publishes live games
for tablets, smartphones, and other connected devices. Its management team is
responsible for some of the most well known game franchises of the past 25 years and
continues to build upon industry-leading production, development, and live game
operations expertise. The company’s made-in-Vancouver titles include FRS Ski Cross™,
Warhammer® 40,000™: Carnage, Trophy Bingo™, and Family Guy® Online.
Take advantage of targeted incentives
Canada and British Columbia offer a generous program of tax credits, exemptions, and deductions to encourage
business investment and innovation in digital media.
Incentive
Qualifying Entities
Tax Credit Rate
British Columbia Interactive Digital
Media Tax Credit
Taxable Canadian corporation with
permanent establishment in British Columbia
in the business of developing interactive
digital media products
17.5% of eligible salary and wages
The Scientific Research and Experimental
Development Tax Credit
Canadian-controlled private corporation
35% of investment tax credit on up to
$3 million of qualified expenditures and
15% of qualified expenditures over the
$3 million threshold
AdvantageBC International Business
Activity Program
International businesses registered in the
International Business Activity program
and with the AdvantageBC society
Full refund of British Columbia taxes paid on
qualifying international business activities
(75% for income earned on qualifying patent
activities)
Saturn Animation Studios
Creative BC — supports and stimulates British Columbia’s creative industries
The Digital and Media Wireless Association of BC (DigiBC) — industry association for digital media
T-Net British Columbia — provides information and business services to technology companies,
industry suppliers and individuals within the British Columbia technology industry
Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) — the voice of the Canadian information
and communications technologies (ICT) industry
The Vancouver Island Advanced Technology Council (VIATeC) — connects people, knowledge,
and resources in the technology sector on Vancouver Island
Accelerate Okanagan — entrepreneurs and technology companies in the Okanagan region of
British Columbia
Vancouver Enterprise Forum (VEF) — offers networking contacts for technology companies
CONTACT
Ministry of International Trade
999 Canada Place, Suite 730, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6C 3E1
Phone: 604 775-2100 Fax: 604 775-2197 [email protected]
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication at the time of writing;
however, the programs referred to, and data cited, are subject to change.
All figures are in Canadian dollars.
Printed: January 2016
Back cover image: FRS Ski Cross™ by Roadhouse Interactive Limited.
Front main image: Roadhouse Interactive Limited under license from Games Workshop Limited.
Front cover inset images (top to bottom): 1. PyroTouch, 2. East Side Games, 3. Roadhouse Interactive Limited, 4. Sequence
Warhammer 40,000: Carnage images included © Games Workshop Limited 2014. Carnage, the Carnage logo, GW, Games Workshop, the Games Workshop logo, Space Marine,
40K, Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer 40,000 Device, the Double-headed Eagle device and all associated marks, logos, places, names, creatures, races and race
insignia/devices/logos/symbols, vehicles, locations, weapons, units and unit insignia, characters, products, illustrations and images from the Carnage game and the Warhammer
40,000 universe are either ® or TM, and/or © Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2014, variably registered in the UK and other countries around the world. All Rights Reserved to their
respective owners.
www.BritishColumbia.ca