Essential Facts: The Canadian Video Game Industry 2017

Key insights

6 takeaways

01
The Canadian video game industry contributed 3.7 billion dollars to Canada's GDP annually, a 24% increase from 2015. Stats Canada reports the wider economy grew by about 4% over the same period.See it on page 2
02
The number of active studios in Canada rose to 596, a 21% increase since 2015.See it on page 2
03
Export sales made up 75% of industry revenues among video game companies, while the total share of export revenue decreased 15% from 2015.See it on page 8
04
Most of the industry's direct employment is attributed to a small number of Very Large companies, which account for 62% of employment while representing 4% of companies.See it on page 4
05
The average salary for a directly employed full-time equivalent position was $77,300 per year, and 83% of employees are at the Senior or Intermediate levels.See it on page 4
06
Thirty-seven percent of Canadians define themselves as gamers.See it on page 10

Summary

The Entertainment Software Association of Canada's Essential Facts 2017 summarizes the Canadian video game industry, drawing on quantitative and qualitative data gathered between April and June 2017 from 104 video game companies in Canada, with some figures compared against 2013, 2015 and 2016. It covers industry size, employment, output by platform and genre, innovation, revenue and geography, and player demographics. The industry reported 596 active studios in Canada in 2017, a 21% increase since 2015, and it contributed 3.7 billion dollars to Canada's GDP annually, an increase of 24% from 2015. Stats Canada reports that the Canadian economy as a whole grew by approximately 4% over the same period. Direct and indirect employment rose 11% since 2015, and directly employed full-time equivalent positions averaged a salary of $77,300 per year. Export sales accounted for 75% of industry revenues among video game companies, and 83% of all companies are Canadian-owned and controlled. Thirty-seven percent of Canadians define themselves as gamers.