From a sneak peek at our upcoming Indie Superboost workshop on Building Impactful IP and Brands to a recap of our Game Business Masterclass, this week’s newsletter is packed with great news! We’re also spotlighting a few valuable IO membership perks, and celebrating Xsolla’s continued support as a Leading Partner of Interactive Ontario. And a special shoutout to our new and returning members, which you can find highlighted below.
Indie Superboost (ISB): Building Lasting IP & Brands with Christian Fonnesbech
Join us on April 8th for Interactive Ontario’s Indie Superboost (ISB) Building Lasting IP & Brands workshop, a 2-hour session by Christian Fonnesbech (CEO & Head of IP at Leverage), providing participants with an introduction to the goals and methods of IP building. The workshop will provide actionable insights on:
- Long-term value creation through IPs
- Value-bearing pillars and processes
- The dialogue between Artistic Vision and Business Strategy
- Building emotional connections with players
- Challenges of shifting from “making games” to “building IPs”
- Defining the IP vision
Following the workshop, we will select one Ontario studio for a 3-month virtual program with Christian, providing personalized IP and Brand coaching. You can apply HERE.
Christian Fonnesbech is the CEO and Head of IP at Leverage. Christian focuses on crafting the artistic and strategic roots of a project into lasting global properties and brands. Before founding Leverage, Christian was Head of IP Development at the game investor, Nordisk Games.
The ISB program focuses on collaboration and transparency, encouraging all participants to ask questions, engage with our speaker and other attendees, and contribute their opinions and expertise.
Don’t miss this chance to elevate your IP strategy—register for the session below!
Interactive Ontario Members and IDM producers that are members of the Canadian Interactive Alliance/l’Alliance Interactive Canadienne (CIAIC) receive free admission to this ISB talk. Thank you to Ontario Creates and Canada Media Fund for your continued support of the Indie Superboost program.
ISB: Game Business Masterclass Recap
On February 26th, 2025, Interactive Ontario hosted the ISB: Game Business Masterclass. Over 75 game developers and industry professionals from across the video game and XR sector came together—both in person at the beautiful Ontario Investment & Trade Center in Toronto and online—to experience our latest ISB initiative. Led by the inimitable Jason Della Rocca, this program guided attendees through five dynamic modules—covering everything from funding models to pitching publishers. Additionally, eight lucky studios also participated in one-on-one coaching provided by Jason himself on February 27th, 2025.
A huge thank you to Jason Della Rocca for leading this initiative, and to our Indie Superboost Committee for your hard work
Finally, we could not have run this event without the support of event partners. A big thank you to Ontario Creates, Canada Media Fund, Triple Dragon, Nordicity, Xsolla, Insert Coin, LiVECAST and Ubisoft Toronto for supporting this initiative
Xsolla’s E-book & Return as a Leading Partner
Discover how to cultivate an engaged community, fund your release, and boost your sales with Xsolla’s Definitive Guide to Selling Your Video Game Online. This essential resource covers everything from monetization strategies to marketing tactics, helping you turn your game into a thriving business. You can register to receive a free copy of the book at the link below.
We’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Xsolla for returning as a Leading Partner of Interactive Ontario. Their support ensures we can continue offering programs that empower video game and XR studios across the province. Known for their comprehensive suite of services—spanning payments, user acquisition, and distribution—Xsolla helps developers and publishers reach new audiences and drive growth. We look forward to their ongoing partnership as we strive to help Ontario’s video game and XR industry thrive in 2025 and beyond.
IO Partner Spotlight
As discussed in the Indie Superboost: Game Business Masterclass, IO Partners How to Market A Game and GameDiscoverCo have proven to be invaluable resources to a wide range of game developers. Interactive Ontario Members receive the following discounts on products from these partners:
- 33.3% discount on Chris Zukowski’s Steam Wishlist and Visibility Masterclasses.
- 33.3% off Simon Carless’ annual subscription to their paid tier newsletter (which also includes access to a Steam/console data back end, eBooks, a member Discord)
And, as an Interactive Ontario Member, you can also find our highly valuable Funding Database resource, which includes over 90 different funding opportunities available to video game and XR developers, in our membership hub. This list is constantly being updated, and our team is happy to assist and answer any questions you may have regarding these opportunities.
New & Returning IO Members
Our Mission: To inspire, unite and enable Ontario’s video game and interactive digital media community to achieve long-term growth and prosperity.
