Staying in the Game: Indie Video Game Studios During Lockdown

There is no doubt that all sectors of the entertainment industry have been severely affected by the pandemic, and the game industry is no exception, as it has historically relied on networking at large annual in-person events. When you can’t just pack your bags and head to some of the industry’s biggest events like GDC in San Francisco or E3 in Los Angeles, you miss out on the opportunity for those happy encounters that sometimes happen by the sandwich tray or the coffee machine. 

And then there are the parties. All those parties. Where a good chunk of the fun seems to be talking your way in when you're not technically 'invited'.

But because large in-person events are not an option in the current landscape, a number of online events for the video game industry have been emerging, like MEGA MIGS, the virtual version of the gathering that usually takes place in Montreal. And created specifically for these locked down and working from home times, Canada Games Online recently came together as a collaboration between the provincial interactive media associations across the country. 

These virtual industry gatherings bring game developers together with publishers, investors, and other collaborators. And as with most B2B events, the goal is to find new partners in order to reach new audiences and markets around the world. 

On this episode of the Now & Next podcast, we check in with a handful of game development studios to find out how they’re adapting to changes in their day-to-day operations during Covid-19, including finding fresh ways to network and get their name and game out there to the world. 

And I also talk to the head of one of Canada’s largest industry associations for game developers, La Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec, and learn about the initiatives happening at the industry level to help keep things moving along amidst the business challenges brought on by the pandemic.

In this episode, you'll hear from/about:

• Angela Mejia, the co-founder of Clever Plays Studio, on what the transition to working from home has been like for game developers (01:24);
• Tony Walsh, founder and CEO of Phantom Compass, and Rob Segal, co-founders of Get Set Games, on the ease of attending virtual events (04:21); 
• How the new Canada Games Online event came to be (06:45);
• The gaming industry is a true ecosystem, meaning that the health of one part affects the health of the whole (10:45);
• Nadine Gelly, CEO of Quebec’s LaGuilde, on Canadian game companies particular advantages in the new landscape (12:25)

Canada Media Fund / Fonds des médias du Canada · Staying in the Game: How Indie Video Game Studios Are Rising to New Challenges

Download a transcript of the episode

Dig Deeper:

• Find out more about how Quebec-based La Caravane inspired the creation of Canada Games Online 
• To get a sense of how the gaming industry events were impacted in 2020, have a look at the Video Game Convention Calendar
• To find out more about Canada’s gaming ecosystem, read Essential Facts 2019, ESAC’s annual publication which provides economic, demographic and public opinion data about the Canadian video game industry;
• Read In a Self-Isolated World, Developers Are Learning to Make Games From Home on The Verge 
• Read Work From Quarantine: How COVID-19 Has Upended Game Development on ShackNews
• Listen to an interview with five-time Counter-Strike World Champ Stephanie Harvey about the booming eSports industry and Canada’s place within it