Dyack questions dev subsidies

By Games Industry.biz Published 20 November, 2007

Canadian situation tricky.

Silicon Knights boss Denis Dyack has questioned the long-term effects of government subsidies in Canada and called them "insane" and unsustainable, GamesIndustry.biz reports.

For the Too Human developer, Canadian subsidies - which can cover up to 60 per cent of staff wages - are only a short-term solution, and once they come to an end there is a big question mark over whether studios and students taking advantage of them will stay in the area.

As well as Silicon Knights, Ubisoft, Eidos, Electronic Arts and others have major development studios in the Quebec region.

"The subsidies in Quebec are, well, insane," commented Dyack to Gamasutra. "Essentially that's the only reason the studios are so big here."

"Once those subsidies stop, because they can't go on forever... will those businesses stay there, or will they move out, as they're global and mobile?

"It's costing the government a ton of money and the payback is uncertain," he argued.

Evidence of a false economy shows itself in the educational institutions, says Dyack.

"Because all of our universities and colleges are subsidised by the government, what we're doing is training all these people, educating them, and then they're leaving."

For Dyack, the government needs to take smaller steps and encourage companies and students to stay in the region for reasons other than generous subsidies.

"I think what our government needs to do is to make smaller steps, maybe not such extremes, but get the companies actually rooted in Ontario, and really see the benefits of a long-term investment here.

"Most people trained in Ontario would like to stay in Ontario, so let's start giving jobs to people here, let's keep it on Ontario and let's stop the brain-drain to Quebec or wherever," he added.

Long-term effects of reading GamesIndustry.biz can manifest in wild outbursts of facts.

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Comments (15) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • McLovin85 #1 4 years ago

    EURO gamer...anyone? Must be a slow day at the office if talking about Canadian government subsidies is 'news' for European website.

  • asphaltcowboy #2 4 years ago

    FGS, do you honestly care that they're reporting something from Canada? Is it negatively affecting you? I doubt it. Shut up!

  • HittenMitsurugi #3 4 years ago

    Hello. Dont games come from places other than Europe?

  • Fernando #4 4 years ago

    hmmmmmmm

  • bu5hhead #5 4 years ago

    I think this article poses some serious questions for the whole of the gaming industry you only have to look at how many of the independant studios go belly up due to lack of finances. You only have to look at the state of the industry in britain to see how bad it is, the one thing I only hope is that it doesnt get that bad that production ends up getting outsourced to lord knows where.

    Subsidies in my view arent such a bad thing as long as its bringing something back to the economy of wherever the games are coming from. But what next though studios being nationlised and being totally funded by goverments giving you something silly like HRH Games.

  • Luvbeers #6 4 years ago

    Its because all the Americans cross the border and steal healthcare.

  • haowan #7 4 years ago

    I'd live in Montreal regardless of subsidies, it's fucking awesome there. The subsidies do seem pretty huge or there wouldn't be such a huge market in Quebec, so I guess he could be right in that if they're removed then the devs will be in the shit. But as noted by bu5hhead the UK govt could do better than turning its nose up at the idea altogether like that moron Hodge did at London Games Festival.

  • chrisjm #8 4 years ago

    blame canada!

  • smelly #9 4 years ago

    Of course it's important news story for europe. The games industry pretty much grew up and originated in England. But nowadays most of the English industry has packed up and fucked off to the other side of the world.

    At one point the UK was the Hollywood of game development, now it's the Pinewood

  • malloc #10 4 years ago

    You get the feeling that if Dyack spent as long working on titles a she does sounding off then they may produce more than one game per 5 years...

  • riz23 #11 4 years ago

    All games will be made in China soon so make hay while the sun shines Canucks!

  • The_Inquisitor #12 4 years ago

    The UK Government needs to follow suit as soon as possible, despite any reservations towards this scheme being flawed. With a growing industry and an increase in educational specific courses towards it, sooner or later the government is going to have to embrace it or otherwise face a scenario were qualified profesionals are having to go abroad for work.

  • The-Bodybuilder #13 4 years ago

    >"and spare us your enlightend political comentary. "

    Spare us yours.
    There's nothing more annoying than someone who somehow thinks thier opinion is more warranted than another (especially if that other has some has years of experience in the gaming industry, and is also canadian).

  • smelly #14 4 years ago

    'otherwise face a scenario were qualified profesionals are having to go abroad for work."

    What do you mean "face"? IT's been happening for years, there is no uk game dev scene left!

  • haowan #15 4 years ago

    Too true.