More than 20 B.C. gaming companies recently attended the 25th annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco.
Silicon Sisters Interactive, Canada’s first female-owned and run video game studio, and Code Mystics, a game developer that specializes in cross-platform solutions, were two of those businesses.
Silicon Sisters Interactive attended GDC to promote School 26, its inaugural game. Geared toward pre-teen and teenage girls, the goal of School 26 is to befriend seven schoolmates and help them work through their interpersonal and personal problems. School 26 is set to be released in early fall and will be available on iPad, iPhone, PC and Android platforms.
Code Mystics went to the conference to seek work-for-hire projects, specifically for digitally distributed console, PC and handheld platforms; to form licensing partnerships with publishers to expand the platform options of their games; and to find venues and outlets for Code Mystics’ own original concepts.
Jeff Vavasour, Code Mystics president, said, “Being able to demonstrate our games in person and interactively with our clients is great. These are busy publishers, and we get their full attention and their immediate feedback. We learn a lot about what works and what they’re looking for simply from their reactions. Often new opportunities will pop up spontaneously in conversation. It’s very dynamic and not something you could ever accomplish simply sending pitch documents. It feels like a giant step forward on some fantastic opportunities.”
Developers were assisted by the provincial government, which played matchmaker in the months leading up to the conference and during the show. This was accomplished through the province’s California-based trade and investment representative and its international relations and business development branch in Vancouver, who set up meetings between B.C. companies and potential partners.
British Columbia is home to more than 600 digital media companies that include video game developers. The companies employ about 16,000 people and generate $2.3 billion in annual sales.
Margaret MacDiarmid, minister of tourism, trade and investment, said, “Many of B.C.’s video game developers are smaller in size and appreciate assistance in establishing new business connections in international markets. Our government was pleased to help B.C. video game development companies at the Game Developers Conference make new contacts and build their customer base.”