Ontario Creates
Agency of the Government of Ontario that funds and researches the province's creative industries, including interactive digital media and video games.
Documents
Understanding the Value of Game Jams
The white paper That's My Jam: Understanding the Value of Game Jams, published June 2025 and authored by Michael Iantorno, examines game jams in the Canadian game industry.
- Survey respondents overwhelmingly felt that game jams helped them develop game design skills, with no participant answering no.
- Most participants who attempted commercial releases said jams did not give them enough advice on commercialising their game.
- Most survey respondents shared their jam projects online for free after the event, while over half continued developing them into commercial releases.
If You Don't Like the Game, Change the Rules: Alternative Modes of Videogame Production in Canada
The white paper "If You Don't Like the Game, Change the Rules: Alternative Modes of Videogame Production in Canada" was authored by Michael Iantorno and Marie LeBlanc Flanagan, with a July 2023 publication date.
- Crunch was the most frequently cited labour problem among surveyed Canadian game developers.
- Half of surveyed developers named the 4-day work week as the change they most wanted to see at their workplace.
- Survey support for unionisation at a current workplace was a small majority, while interest in starting a union was low.
Level Up: Toronto Esports Strategy 2023-2027
The document is the Toronto Esports Strategy 2023-2027, titled "Level Up," funded by the City of Toronto, Destination Toronto, and Ontario Creates.
- The document reports an average of 70% of esports event attendees are from out of market, and describes Toronto's esports community as willing to travel.
- The document identifies a content creator brain drain, with many Toronto-born influencers now based in Los Angeles.
- Esports is described as still relatively unknown beyond its own community, which the document links to difficulty raising funds and securing sponsorship.
The Digital Media Universe: Measuring the Revenues, the Audiences, and the Future Prospects
The Digital Media Universe, a February 18, 2022 study by NGL Nordicity Group Limited for Ontario Creates, DGC, SOCAN and the DM@X Steering Committee, refreshes a 2020 DM@X report to measure Canadian creative sectors.
- Canadian film and TV production volume grew 39% from 2015 to 2020, led by foreign location and service production, while Canadian content was described as flatlining.
- Global video games revenue in 2021 was reported to be 21% above 2019, and is expected to reach US$219 billion by 2024.
- Games-as-a-service revenue was almost five times that of traditional games in 2020, according to SuperData.
Gameplanner: Planning Game Events, Festivals and Conferences for Indie Creators
Gameplanner is a resource created between January and September 2019 with input from 56 game creators across Canada and over a dozen international game curators, gathered through one-on-one interviews and surveys.
- The authors' top-ten chart is based on 23 in-person interviews and 33 online surveys conducted between June and August 2019.
- For commercial game creators, the document says GDC is the top pick for networking with peers, with PAX ranked second.
- The document recommends setting a recurring calendar reminder twice a year to plan game events, because festivals often announce dates close to the event.
International Digital Media Co-Production: A Guide for Canadian Companies
The Interactive Ontario guide, prepared by consultant Kelly Lynne Ashton and funded by the Ontario Media Development Corporation, the Canada Media Fund and the Bell Fund, examines international co-production of interactive digital media by Canadian companies.
- Official co-production treaties do not cover interactive digital media; under the Canadian funding agencies' Working Framework for Digital Media Co-Production, not less than 75% of the financial contribution from Canada must be spent in Canada or on Canadians.
- The guide reports that some producers suggested raising co-production budgets by 10-20% to cover added project management, legal fees and travel.
- Canada is reported to have more digital media financing than any reviewed jurisdiction, which means foreign producers often approach Canadian producers with fully developed projects seeking extra funding.
Do you work at Ontario Creates? Get a free report of how these documents are read and cited here.