The Entertainment Software Association of Canada hosted a cocktail mixer in partnership with DigiBC at Tap & Barrel on November 26th to celebrate the launch of their new study, Essential Facts 2018. Folks from the games community were treated to a tasty assortment of appetizers and drinks, in addition to hearing from Jayson Hilchie, ESAC President & CEO, and Brenda Bailey, DigiBC Executive Director. Jayson touched on the results of the study and Brenda talked about the importance of this data when interacting with government and advocating for the creative tech sector.
This year’s study focused on the Canadian gamer and featured demographic profiles, stats on device usage, video game acquisitions, and ESRB rating awareness. It revealed that two-thirds of Canadians, or 23 million of us, are gamers. This makes Canada home to one of the largest per capita populations of video game players in the world! There was also insight into the Canadian gamer – who they are, what they play and what other activities they like to engage in. The average age in Canada for a video game player has increased to 39, meaning that Baby Boomer and Gen X Canadians play more than ever before, especially on their mobiles and tablets. Players also recognize the positive impact video games have on their daily lives and its central role in social interactions across all age groups. Further details on ESAC’s 2018 study can be found here.