Elated is the only word to describe the feeling I received when I logged onto Gamespot and saw a small news blurb about the latest progressive move Telefilm took in support of the blossoming video game industry in Canada.  This competition is set to begin in the 2007 with registration closing on the 15th of December. 

It fosters the creation of original IP from developers around the nation by injecting some money and a lot of expertise into their development cycle.  One might ask why would this be so hard? Canada has many video game developers with a depth of talent, why can't they just make something original.  The answer is easy, time is money and money is one thing many of these smaller developers are lacking in.  Also the way the Canadian market is set up, many of these developers do not have their own autonomy to pursue such creative endeavours.  Instead they are assigned tasks from the foreign Publishers that own them.  To use a crude example and relationship, Canada is  being outsourced for video games labour by the United States and other countries that have prominent Publishers (ex. EA Vancouver, Ubisoft Montreal, and the late DICE).

The GCVGC is and excellent move in the right direction for the video game industry in the Great White North.  It will foster its growth and attract new talent to our already sterling ranks.  It is also quite refreshing, as Rich Gallup noted on the November 21st edition of the HotSpot, that a government would actually support the growth of a 20 billion dollar industry instead of tabling useless and shortsighted legislation to hinder it.

The fact is that this competition can only help the Canadian Video Game industry both in profit and image.  The competitive nature of this program ensures that a quality game and IP will emerge victorious.

The Future is looking bright.

For more information on the GCVGC please visit http://www.telefilm.gc.ca/03/vgapply.asp 

Robio