22nd July 2014

BC Talent Featured At Casual Connect USA

Province of BCBritish Columbia’s innovative and creative casual games industry will showcase their talents at the professionals-only Casual Connect conference in San Francisco today and tomorrow. The B.C. government will be there to support them by providing meeting space and business-to-business matchmaking. Vancouver-based Imaginary Games will be featured in the IDEA Showcase at the conference and their social mobile game Afterland is highlighted in the latest issue of Casual Connect magazine.

Speaking about Afterland’s success, Imaginary Games‘ CEO Christopher Powell said that “Afterland is an exceptional project that has attracted several outstanding individuals from Vancouver’s deep talent pool of artists and developers. We are united by the goal to challenge social and gender stereotypes often found in games.”

“British Columbia game studios are recognized worldwide for their expertise in game development,” added Teresa Wat, Minister of International Trade. “Events like this provide a venue for B.C. companies to network with potential clients and build relationships with game studios and publishers worldwide. With our talented workforce British Columbia is an ideal location for trade and investment.”

Games companies attend conferences like Casual Connect to raise their profile and network with key contacts. With over 67 games studios in British Columbia, the province has shown that it is a magnet for talent and an ideal location for investment in the industry.

“B.C.’s technology and gaming industry is growing fast, creating new exports and jobs,” said Andrew Wilkinson, Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services. “Our tech sector entrepreneurs attending this conference will have a great opportunity to network and to receive mentoring on how they can expand their markets and increase their sales.”

While Hidden Door Interactive‘s CEO Amar P. Kurani added that “We will be showcasing our game, Happy Flock, at Casual Connect’s Indie Prize Showcase this year. The B.C. International Trade and Investment Office has given Hidden Door a great head start in making connections to find opportunities for both our game and our team.”

British Columbia`s U.S.-based international trade and investment representative, along with trade commissioners from Canadian consulates in Seattle, Palo Alto, Los Angeles and Denver, have been working closely to ensure a successful outcome for Canadian and B.C. companies.

Casual Connect is the premiere event in North America for the casual games industry with over 3,000 industry professionals attending each year. The conference brings together the most talented and knowledgeable experts in the casual gaming field to further the industry through networking and learning.

“We are proud to be part of the growing community of video game companies in Victoria,” concluded Eric Jordan, CEO, Codename Entertainment. “Casual Connect provides an opportunity for us to expand our business. The B.C. and Canadian governments play a key role in connecting us with new partners.”

B.C. businesses attending the expo include:

Quick Facts:

  • B.C.’s technology sector accounts for $23.2 billion in annual revenue.
  • Over 67 game studios are located in B.C. and support 5,150 full time jobs.
  • British Columbia offers targeted incentives to encourage business investment and innovation in digital media.
  • Each year 3,000 graduates from British Columbia’s post-secondary programs enter the media industry.
  • British Columbia’s game development companies are more established than the Canadian average, with a media age of 9.4 years.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2014 at 11:27 am and is filed under Business News, Careers, Digital Products, Events, Game Dev, Government, National News, Studios. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
  1. Tami Quiring (@VillageGamer)
    4:29 am on July 22nd, 2014

    BC Talent Featured At @CasualConnect USA http://t.co/kKFYsJxE0x #wecreatebc #eyeoncanada #gamedev

  2. Game Dev Robot (@GameDevRobot)
    4:30 am on July 22nd, 2014

    RT @VillageGamer: BC Talent Featured At @CasualConnect USA http://t.co/kKFYsJxE0x #wecreatebc #eyeoncanada #gamedev

  3. The Indie Sloth (@TheIndieSloth)
    4:30 am on July 22nd, 2014

    RT @VillageGamer: BC Talent Featured At @CasualConnect USA http://t.co/kKFYsJxE0x #wecreatebc #eyeoncanada #gamedev

  4. @indiedino
    4:32 am on July 22nd, 2014

    RT @VillageGamer: BC Talent Featured At @CasualConnect USA http://t.co/kKFYsJxE0x #wecreatebc #eyeoncanada #gamedev

  5. MOR (@MORdirections)
    4:37 am on July 22nd, 2014

    RT @VillageGamer: BC Talent Featured At @CasualConnect USA http://t.co/kKFYsJxE0x #wecreatebc #eyeoncanada #gamedev

  6. @ImaginaryGames
    1:07 pm on July 24th, 2014

    What an awesome experience! Thanks to everyone at #casualconnect

    http://t.co/vBLdz4pxXE

  7. @ImaginaryGames
    1:08 pm on July 24th, 2014

    http://t.co/Ah0UQdSrnh http://t.co/lLpBHssDTU

  8. @ImaginaryGames
    1:08 pm on July 24th, 2014

    🙂

    http://t.co/Ah0UQdSrnh http://t.co/X0qrDoaWPv

  9. @AngelWylie
    11:10 am on July 25th, 2014

    RT @ImaginaryGames: What an awesome experience! Thanks to everyone at #casualconnect

    http://t.co/vBLdz4pxXE

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