Entertainment Software Association of Canada released its annual report recently and highlighted significant figures about the industry in Canada. One interesting statistic from the study titled ‘Essential Facts About the Canadian Computer and Video Game Industry 2012‘ shows that 58% of Canadians play video games. The report also shines light on female video game players whose numbers have now ballooned to make up 46% of the total Canadian gamers. The data also shows the differences between the two game playing genders. One significant finding is that female gamers representing all age groups play more arcade, educational, puzzle, and word games. Males on the other hand go for video games that are in the shooter, action and adventure genres. The report from Entertainment Software Association of Canada also looks at gaming consoles and states that the video game devices are available in 61% of Canadian households. The rport further shows that 80% of these households also posses smartphone or tablets while 90% have a computer. Canadian gamers are also very active and half of the community plays several times a week.
The statistics reveal that it is no surprise the significant gaming numbers in the Canada make it the third largest video game industry in the world. The United States takes first place while Japan is placed second in the ranking. The industry produces $1.7 billion in revenue for the country along with jobs for 16,000 people in a 350 companies working in the industry.
The company’s that work int he video game industry are mostly smaller firms. The statistics show that micro sized firms or ones that have five or less employees make up a one-third chunk of the sector while small companies with 50 or more employees are approximately half of the total.
For now traditional console games are the dominant areas of interest for Canadian video game companies. However the development and publishing in other areas is rapidly expanding and causing the sector to evolve. The report claims that social gaming took up 2% of resources, while another 2% went to casual gaming and mobile gaming captured 7% for 2012.
The study also took a look at the areas in Canada that produced the most work for the industry. Quebec came out on top with a whopping 8,200 jobs while British Columbia was in second with more than 3,800 positions. Ontario is rapidly improving and is expected to have 21% growth this year giving it the potential to create more jobs and match the other two provinces.
Source: TechVibes