London, ON: A coalition of over 40 Canadian video game developers, academic institutions, and intermediate enabling organizations are working together to establish Canada as the globally recognized innovator and exporter of digital interactive game development software, technology, and IP. Meeting at the Digital Interactive Game Developer’s conference, DIG 2010, key partners will discuss this initiative.
Through a robust partnership, industry, academics, NGOs from across Canada are working to create a Centre for testing, validation, and commercialization of game development IP. With over $5.5 million raised in cash and $5.5 million in-kind contributions, the team is committed to levering existing investments and assets to create a competitive advantage for Canadian game developers. The partners are putting together a program to:
- Identify and aggregate existing digital interactive game technology IP
- Support small and medium sized game developers to access the resources required to identify, validate, and accelerate the commercialization and licensing of their IP
- Facilitate and promote the ongoing collaboration among and between industry, academia, and national networks to mobilize the resources needed to solve technology related problems and develop marketable digital interactive game technology
- Develop, attracting, and retaining highly skilled software developers and engineers, researchers, and IT professionals
- Provide a conduit for digital interactive game developers to leverage access to industry information
- Host an annual series of national workshops – physical and virtual to bring together partner organizations for education, networking, and development of new programs
- Contribute to Canada’s digital media content creation by establishing and facilitating a path to market for hundreds of new Canadian digital interactive game technology licenses and content
“An opportunity exists to position Canada as a global leader in the creation, commercialization, and licensing of digital interactive game technology. This opportunity will be achieved by enabling synergistic interactions at all levels of game technology development through access to technologies that enable development, industry intelligence, and research,” says Michael Schmalz, a key leader of this initiative. “Our recent application to the National Centres of Excellence was not funded, but our team is committed to moving forward with our plan and defining the best opportunity for our industry,” adds Schmalz.
“It is ultimately our intent, shared by many supporters in industry, academia, and government across Canada, to create increased opportunities for Canadian digital interactive media technology developers, commercialize their IP, and export Canadian Digital interactive media technology globally,” says Douglas Robertson, President and CEO of Tech Southeast in New Brunswick.
Striking an action committee to define the initiative’s strategic priorities and execution plan, the group hopes to launch in the summer of 2011.
More information:
Michael Schamlz Kadie Ward
mikes@digitalextremes.com kward@ledc.com
