Over the past few decades, we have seen a dramatic increase in the popularity of video games on a global scale.
• Also read: Ubisoft is laying off 84 employees in Quebec
This phenomenon transcends cultural and generational boundaries and becomes an essential element of contemporary popular culture.
In addition, the international gaming summit will take place in Montreal tomorrow.
“We have 1,000 people coming from all over the world to attend conferences and hold business meetings,” says Christopher Chancey, president of the board of La Guilde du jeuxvideo du Québec. “We are waiting for giants like Netflix, Apple and publishers to want to buy products here to benefit from the spin-offs of the games we ship internationally.”
Video games, once considered a niche form of entertainment, have become a thriving industry in Quebec, competing with larger entertainment sectors.
By 2026, global sales are expected to exceed $300 billion.
“We have really interesting tax measures in Quebec and that is one of the reasons why large international companies have set up shop here,” explains Mr. Chancey. “We also have a talent here that has existed for more than thirty years and 75 training courses in CEGEPs and universities specializing in video games.”
The video game market
Although video games have seen a notable rise in popularity over the past few decades, the Journal has learned that Ubisoft is cutting 84 jobs in Quebec.
The company felt the need to “streamline its operations” and “improve its efficiency.”
“Fortunately for the people who were laid off today, we have a pretty resilient ecosystem,” Mr. Chancey says. “We have 300 studios in Quebec, we have more than 15,000 jobs in those 300 studios and the skilled workforce rarely stays on the market.”
A pioneer of technology?
The video game industry is undeniably a major player in the field of technology and has often played a pioneering role in the development and introduction of many technological advancements.
“Video games are not just a cultural vehicle,” says Mr. Chancey. “Now we have programming there, artificial intelligence, we have “machine learning”. There are so many technologies that come together to create a beautiful video game that we are bound to develop and sell it.”