Canada’s Games Industry Plays Huge Economic Role

It’s easy to take games for granted as a moneymaking machine if you don’t play them. Outside of AAA releases, sales statistics often go unreported unless you’re reading a niche publication such as this one. But in Canada’s case, their role in the national economy is pivotal.

In a new report from the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC), there are 472 video game studios in the country and the industry as a whole contributed roughly $3 billion to the national economy in 2015. "It's a highly skilled, highly paid industry that employs young creative people; it's demonstrating how Canada can create jobs and prosperity, export its creativity around the world and ultimately lead in the new economy of the future,” said ESAC President and CEO Jayson Hilchie.

Indeed, the games industry has seen massive job growth; from 2013 to 2015, the number of people employed by game studios (currently just over 20,000) grew by 24%. The ESAC report predicts that as mobile gaming continues to increase in popularity, so will demand for new studios, artists, programmers, and developers to satisfy the demand.

If you’re trying to find work in the games industry, maybe it’s time to check out Canada.