General Information
Canada is the largest country in North America in terms of land, and the second-largest in the world. It is composed of 10 provinces and 3 territories, with the capital city being Ottawa. As of July 22, 2023, it ranks 37th in the world in terms of population, with almost 40 million people. At 4.2 people per square kilometer, it has one of the lowest population densities in the world. However, the majority of population is concentrated near the southern border of the country. Canada boasts the longest coastline in the world, bordered by the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans. It shares borders with the United States of America to the south and northwest (Alaska), with Denmark (Hans Island) to the northeast, and has a maritime border with France (Saint Pierre and Miquelon) to the southeast. The Canada–United States border is the longest international boundary in the world.
Canada emerged in the 17th to 19th centuries as a complex of French and British colonies in North America and gained independence through a peaceful process lasting from 1867 to 1982. Today, Canada is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government, and its formal Head of State is the monarch of the United Kingdom (as the King of Canada). It remains a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The dominant sectors of the country’s economy are in the service industry, along with developed industries, particularly in mining, energy, and agriculture. Canada ranks among the world’s leaders in the export of various minerals, wheat, mineral fertilizers, and pulp and paper products. Its primary trading partner is the United States, which accounts for more than three-quarters of Canada’s exports.
Canada is a bilingual and multicultural country where English and French are officially recognized at the federal level. New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual Canadian province, while Quebec, with a predominantly French-speaking population, is the only one with French as the majority language. The remaining provinces and territories are primarily English-speaking.
Gaming Market
Like in much of the global market, video games are one of the largest segments of the Canadian media industry. In 2022, video games accounted for the majority of revenue from digital media in Canada, and this is projected to remain the same in the foreseeable future. While the Canadian video gaming market often receives less attention compared to the neighboring United States, it has been steadily developing and growing for several decades. In terms of revenue, it ranks 8th in the world, and 30th in terms of its player base. The Canadian gaming industry employs over 135,000 professionals.
Player Profile
According to a survey by the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, 23 million people up to the age of 65 regularly play video games, accounting for 61% of the population. Among young people, this figure is even higher: 89% of children and teenagers (ages 6–17) play video games. The highest level of video game penetration was observed among boys aged 13–17 (90% consider themselves gamers). Games are least popular among women aged 55–64 (only 29% of them play).
The study also analyzed the popularity of games by region. It found that the province of Saskatchewan had the highest percentage of gamers, with 68% of the population playing video games, while Quebec had the lowest level at 57%.
Although the most popular game genres vary by gender and age, puzzles and word games are the most popular genres among adult Canadians, while action and adventure games are popular among children and teenagers. 37% of adult Canadians say they play puzzles and word games, while 33% of children and teenagers play action and adventure games. Fighting games are the least popular, with only 11% of adults and 12% of children and teenagers saying they play such games.
In 2022, the Time2Play portal conducted a study of the gaming habits of Canadian gamers. According to this study, 52.3% of Canadians play more on their phones than on other devices.
- 9% spend from 30 minutes to 1 hour a week playing mobile games
- 17% spend from 1 to 7 hours
- 8% spend from 7 to 14 hours
Online games are the most popular among Canadians, with 70% of gamers playing them. However, 58% of adults also play offline games. For several years now, Canadians have preferred digital versions of games and have been buying them more often than physical copies. This trend is clearly illustrated by the data on the gaming market revenue in Canada published by Statista. The report shows that revenues from the sale of digital games have been steadily increasing since 2017, with a significant jump from USD 2.24 billion to USD 3.03 billion between 2019 and 2020, most likely due to the impact of COVID-19.
Largest Game Companies in Canada:
- airG Inc.
- Alientrap
- Alpha Dog Games
- Artifice Studio
- BattleGoat Studios
- Beamdog
- Beenox
- Behaviour Interactive
- Big Blue Bubble
- BioWare
- Blackbird Interactive
- Blue Isle Studios
- Blue Wizard Digital
- Capybara Games
- The Coalition
- Code Mystics
- Compulsion Games
- Digital Extremes
- Digital Leisure
- Disney Canada Inc.
- Drinkbox Studios
- EA Montreal
- EA Vancouver
- Eidos-Montréal
- Freebird Games
- Frima Studio
- Gamerizon
- Gogii Games
- GolemLabs
- HB Studios
- Hellbent Games
- Hothead Games
- Hyper Hippo Entertainment
- Incubator Games
- Invoke Studios
- Ironclad Games
- Kabam
- Kerberos Productions
- Kitfox Games
- KIXEYE
- Klei Entertainment
- KO_OP
- Lillymo Games
- Longbow Games
- Lotus Creative Entertainment
- Ludia
- Magmic
- Mektek Studios
- Motive Studio
- Next Level Games
- Ossian Studios
- Other Ocean Interactive
- Phoenix Labs
- Piranha Games
- RAC7
- Radical Entertainment
- Red Barrels
- Relic Entertainment
- Rockstar Toronto
- Sarbakan
- Silicon Sisters
- Silverback Productions
- SkyBox Labs
- Smoking Gun Interactive
- Snowman
- Strategy First
- Suba Games
- Superbrothers
- Throwback Entertainment
- Thunder Lotus Games
- Torn Banner Studios
- Tribute Games
- Ubisoft Montréal
- Ubisoft Québec
- Ubisoft Toronto
- Uken Games
- Vast Studios
- WB Games Montréal
- Windmill Software
- Women Wise
- XGen Studios
- Xona Games
Most Popular Game Genres June 2023:
| Action-adventure | 34% |
| Action (Platformers, Fighting) | 33% |
| Casual | 32% |
| Strategy | 32% |
| Adventure | 30% |
| Shooters | 22% |
| RPG | 21% |
| Simulators | 21% |
| Sports | 21% |
| ММО | 16% |
| MMORPG | 14% |
| MOBA | 9% |
| Other | 12% |
Most Popular Mobile Games:
- Candy Crush Saga
- Roblox
- MONOPOLY GO!
- Royal Match
- Coin Master
- Pokémon GO
- June’s Journey: Hidden Objects
- Gardenscapes
- Bingo Blitz™—Bingo Games
- Homescapes
- Clash of Clans
- Jackpot Party Casino Slots
- Slotomania™ Slots Casino Games
- DoubleDown™ Casino Vegas Slots
- Fishdom
- Township
- PUBG MOBILE
- Evony: The King’s Return
- Whiteout Survival
- Solitaire Grand Harvest
Best-selling Games in Canada (July 2023)
- Remnant II
- Diablo IV
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Pikmin
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Elden Ring
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Culturalization for Canada
