New Canadian Report from ESAC highlights THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF GAMING
Gaming has become one of the most culturally relevant activities over the past decade, and even though many Canadians may not label themselves as gamers, the statistics around gaming show that the majority of us are gaming regularly. Recognizing the scope and reach of gaming, it’s no surprise that more and more organizations are utilizing games in innovative ways to support everything from mental health and rehabilitation to education and healthy aging.
The Transformative Power of Gaming report published by the Entertainment Software Association of Canada is the first to explore how Canadian organizations from a variety of sectors are leveraging games beyond entertainment. With 11 case-studies from across the country, the ESA highlights how “Video games have transcended their traditional role as interactive sources of entertainment and have emerged as powerful tools with far-reaching positive impacts on various aspects of our lives.”
In York Landing and the George Saunders Memorial School in northern Manitoba “[v]ideo games are creating new opportunities in education,” according to Karl Hildebrandt of the Manitoba First Nations Education Resources Centre. “They have overcome barriers and have embraced video games to develop innovative solutions within their communities, benefiting health, education, and community connection.”
This impact is echoed in the case-study featuring Jon-Ross Merasty-Moose of MooseTree Gaming who “points to the Twitch Team The Four Directions, which brings together and promote Indigenous streamers across the platform ‘to uplift Native creators and raise awareness on issues impacting indigenous peoples and give back to our communities through charity work.’ ”
Similar stories of connection and holistic benefit from a wide-range of Canadians communities and programs can be found throughout the report, adding to the growing narrative of gaming in Canada, an identity that continually breaks the traditional stereotype of “gamer” and unites Canadians of all walks of life.
To read the full report, visit the Entertainment Software Association of Canada website.
About ESAC
“ESAC is the national voice of the video game industry in Canada. We work for our members – Activision Blizzard, Glu, EA, Gameloft, Ubisoft, Kabam, Other Ocean Interactive, Ludia, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Epic Games, Relic Entertainment, Roblox, Solutions 2 Go, WB Games, Eidos Montreal, Take-Two Interactive, Tencent, Codename Entertainment, Certain Affinity and NetEase Games – to ensure legal, regulatory and public affairs environments are favourable to long-term business development. For more information, visit theESA.ca”
