A Brief History of Video Gaming in Canada

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Here is a brief history of video gaming in Canada, from its humble beginnings in the early 80s to the development powerhouse it has become today. 

Canada has one of the world's biggest video game markets and is home to some of the industry's most successful video game development studios. The iGaming industry, which refers to a range of well-organised and legally permitted digital entertainment gaming activities, such as eSports events and fully licensed and regulated Ontario casinos that can be accessed across the internet, is also booming here. 

Here is a quick look at the brief history of video gaming in Canada, which, according to the history books, properly started in 1982, when Logidisque developed and released the first Canadian video game – Les Têtards. 

A brief history of video gaming in Canada

Although Logidisque is credited with releasing Canada's first video game, it wasn't until the following year when games like Quest for Tires and Evolution were released achieved substantial commercial success. The hugely successful and iconic video game Boulder Dash was also released in the same year. 

In the mid-to-late 90s, familiar companies that we know today, such as Ubisoft and Ubisoft Montreal, were established, thanks to government incentives that helped startup video game development studios thrive. Others, such as Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Electronic Arts, soon followed and started popping up in areas of Canada where the cost of living was lower. 

By around 2015, over 50% of the Canadian population (approximately 19 million people) regularly played video games, and consoles have remained the most popular devices on which to play games. However, mobile gaming in Canada is also hugely popular these days. 

According to statistics, action-adventure games, first-person shooters, and family games are today's most popular video game genres, followed by puzzlers/word games, sports games, and casual games. 

Although Canada's video game industry may not be as big as the United States in terms of annual revenue generated, Canada currently has one of the world's fastest-growing video game industries that shows no signs of slowing down. 

The reason for the burgeoning gaming industry in Canada today is because of continued government support through tax incentives and other initiatives, huge investment, and a large talented workforce filled with highly skilled individuals. 

Over the coming years, experts project that Canada's video game industry will continue to grow and become a major global player. 

What are the most famous video games produced in recent years in Canada?

Some of the most famous video games ever produced in Canada, which some of you may already be familiar with by now, are the following hit titles:

  • Assassin's Creed

  • Mass Effect

  • Cuphead

  • PGA Tour 2K21

  • Chivalry 2

  • The Messenger

  • The Long Dark

That's not forgetting Celeste, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Watch Dogs 2, Dead by Daylight, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, and Dragon Age: Origins, to name a few. 

Final thoughts

The video game industry in Canada is poised for significant growth, and some of the key factors that will help fuel this are technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), cloud gaming/computing, live streaming capabilities, more powerful computing devices, and faster internet speeds.