Earlier this week, Ottawa Games launched a new website to promote local games and events in the capital continuing Canada’s game development traditions.
Canada has a long history in game development. The country saw the creation of prominent studios, specialised university programs, and even tax incentives for game developers. Anyone even slightly familiar with the Canadian game development industry knows the big studios in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. But one city that often flies under the radar in every regard is the Canadian capital itself, Ottawa.
What is Ottawa Games?
Ottawa Games is a community-run initiative that aims to showcase the Ottawa game development community. This includes the developers themselves and their work. Moreover, the organisation promotes industry events happening within and around the city of Ottawa. The site also acts as a database resource for anyone considering a career in game development. Volunteers, Paige Marincak, Mathieu O’Brien, Scott Miley, and Taraneh Dohmer run the operation.
The website includes a calendar that shows upcoming game-related events such as Dirty Rectangles, Game Jams, and other events. Visitors can also find an index featuring local game devs, studios, and their games.
The People Behind The Initiative
“When people think of games in Canada, they think Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal,” stated Mathieu O’Brien. “We wanted to showcase the amazing talent that is coming out of the capital as well.”
“Ottawa is a city brimming with talent and a love for games. There are so many people here who are working on interesting and cool projects – from the artistic to the grand to the unusual,” added Paige Marincak. “We wanted to create a space to help bring their work to larger audiences, to showcase all the amazing events occurring in the community, and to provide resources for those who wish to get involved.”
You can follow Ottawa Games on Twitter to stay up to date on upcoming Ottawa events, game releases and news.