Toronto, Ontario, June 12, 2024 – Interactive Ontario (IO), XP Gaming Inc. and Toronto Games Week are thrilled to announce a week-long celebration of the video game industry in Ontario. From June 12 to 19, industry leaders, developers, publishers, investors, artists, and fans will converge in Toronto to explore the intersection of art, technology, and business within the video game sector.
“Ontario is home to some of the world’s best and brightest minds in the video game industry, and this week’s celebrations highlight the depth and diversity of that creative talent,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. “As our province continues to make an outsized impact on the global video game community, we’re incredibly proud to showcase the homegrown innovation coming out of development studios big and small all across the province.”
“Toronto is proud to host this citywide celebration of the video game industry, the only one of its kind in Canada. Our city has cemented itself as a leading hub for innovation across sectors, especially in the creative digital industries. I look forward to the great events that will highlight our vibrant video game community and draw more opportunities and investment to Toronto” says Councillor Shelley Carroll (Don Valley North), Mayor’s Economic Development & Culture Champion.
This week-long celebration will be punctuated by several key moments, starting on June 12 with the IO Impact Forum, where leaders will discuss and shape the future of the video game and immersive sector in Ontario.
“Our industry plays a key role in shaping Ontario’s economic and cultural landscape,” says Lucie Lalumière, President & CEO of Interactive Ontario. “With over 400 studios in the province, we’re thrilled to showcase the amazing talent of the video game community this week to Canada and the world.”
On June 13, Toronto Games Week (TGW) will officially kick off at the IO Connect Summer Mixer. TGW is a celebration of playful arts and culture, a format unique in North America. Dozens of organizations, curators, companies, creators, and communities will invite everyone to join in citywide events celebrating the passion and creativity of Ontario’s video game ecosystem.
“Toronto has been a hub for creating groundbreaking games for decades, from AAA games to meditative mobile games, to perspective-changing experimental art installations, and everything in between” says Jim Munroe and Marie Claire LeBlanc Flanagan, Co-Organizers of Toronto Games Week. ”It’s time for an event series that celebrates our most playful arts and culture.”
June 13 also marks the start of the two-day XP Game Summit (XP), the largest video game industry knowledge-sharing event in North America next to the Game Developers Conference. XP will feature over 50 talks across five tracks, including the IO Indie Superboost (ISB) track. This year, XP will also include an inbound ISB mission of buyers and three indie showcases, including the return of the Ubisoft Indie Series Spotlight.
“Pooling our knowledge strengthens all of us.” notes Jason Lepine, founder of XP Gaming Inc. “This year’s XP Game Summit will be one of the largest gatherings of industry knowledge in North America with almost 100 speakers. We’re leveraging that global expertise with a focus on the vital importance of IP development – in particular Canadian-owned IP – to empower industry growth.”
Never before in the history of Ontario’s video game sector have so many stakeholders come together to showcase, celebrate, and create collaboration opportunities.
“Ontario’s video game studios are recognized around the world for their talent, creativity and excellence, and here at home for bringing meaningful investment into the province. Toronto Games Week is an exciting collaboration between many contributing industry stakeholders, and Ontario Creates is proud to be a partner in this made-in-Ontario initiative” says Karen Thorne-Stone, President & CEO of Ontario Creates. “We are proud to highlight the leadership, innovation and success of Ontario companies through this celebration of great games.”
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About Interactive Ontario
Interactive Ontario (IO) is the trade association representing the interactive digital media (IDM) sector in Ontario. IO members produce, commercialize and export interactive digital entertainment and edutainment such as video games, extended reality applications (VR, AR, MR) and e-learning content. IO’s mission is to inspire, unite and enable Ontario’s IDM industry to achieve long-term growth and prosperity. Through advocacy, connections, insights, resources, programs, and building meaningful partnerships with the industry and its stakeholders, IO is dedicated to positioning Ontario as a leader on the world stage.
For more information visit our website, The Lodgge, and follow us on Twitter/X and LinkedIn
About Toronto Games Week
A celebration of playable arts & culture Toronto Games Week (June 13-19, 2024) is a collective coordination of events organized independently by dozens of organizations, curators, companies, creators, and communities TGW emerged with great delight from a number of local people, communities, and organizations. It came to life with the support of our original group of advisors: a supergroup of game community organizations, including representatives from Toronto Game Jam, Interactive Ontario, Buffer Festival, Vector Festival, DMG, Dirty Rectangles, Hand Eye Society, Continue Agency, and Funland Magazine. Additional input was given by representatives of the Ontario Arts Council, OCAD, TIFF, and the City of Toronto Creative Technology Office.
About XP Gaming Inc.
XP Gaming connects the global video game industry for business, recruitment and education. Curating world-class B2B conferences as idea exchange platforms; XP Gaming events become epicenters of innovation, collaboration, and connection that unite businesses, investors, and experts to help forge new business opportunities and ultimately shape the future of gaming. Their proprietary employment platform and Career Day events power recruitment efforts, linking recruiters with job seekers. And their education initiatives guide future professionals in exploring career possibilities and post-secondary educational choices.
About City of Toronto
Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture, and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses.
About Ontario Creates
Ontario Creates is an agency of the Government of Ontario that facilitates economic development, investment and collaboration in Ontario’s creative industries including the music, book, magazine, film, television and interactive digital media sectors.
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Media Contact: Scott Milley
Email: communications@interactiveontario.com
www.interactiveontario.com
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