Interactive digital media

Discover interactive digital media in Ontario

Digital media thrives in Ontario, blending creativity and technology to develop globally recognized content, products and services. Successful companies choose Ontario because we offer the right mix of cost advantages, skilled talent and exceptional quality of life.

Ontario’s digital media cost advantage

In an industry as fast-paced and competitive as digital media, any advantage can make a big difference.

Reducing business costs can make a real difference to your profitability. Fortunately, Ontario is one of the world’s most cost-competitive places for interactive digital media and gaming.

Ontario’s cost-competitive edge

Independent studies show that Canada is the most cost-competitive country for digital services of all the G7 countries, as well as Australia and the Netherlands.

Toronto, Ontario has the lowest business cost for video game production among the major cities of G7 countries.

International Results (US = 100.0)
Industry: Software Design
Operation: Software Development
Country	Cost Index
Canada	77.9
Netherlands	83.7
Australia	85.0
Italy	85.0
United Kingdom	87.9
Germany	88.9
Japan	90.1
France	90.8
United States	100.0
Source: KPMG Competitive Alternatives 2016

Exceptional digital media tax incentives

Ontario offers companies a range of world-leading tax credits and programs to make staffing and operating even more affordable.

Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit

Enjoy up to a 40% tax refund on the costs of labour, and some of the marketing and distribution for games created in Ontario.

Co-operative Education Tax Credit

Save 25% on the salaries of students you recruit from Ontario’s 44 colleges and universities, up to $3,000 per student.

Research and Development Incentives

With applicable credits, every $100 you spend on R&D can be reduced to between $61 and $37.

Build your team with world-class talent

To create great digital media you need top creative talent. You’ll find extraordinarily skilled and creative people here.

What sets our digital media workforce apart?

Only a few of the factors that make our workforce unique:

Our workforce is highly educated, talented and multilingual.
85% of our IT workforce has a post-secondary degree and many are bilingual.
Each year, 40,000+ students enroll in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) programs, giving businesses what they need most: innovative and skilled problem solvers.
Close to 35,000 students are enrolled in digital gaming related programs.
Whether they graduate from the University of Waterloo’s engineering program (the second largest source of engineering talent after MIT in North America), Sheridan College (which has been called the Harvard of animation) or one of our other 42 colleges and universities, our workforce is industry-ready.

Offering a range of skills

You’ll find concept artists, 2-D/3-D artists, animators, modellers, texture artists, technical and computer graphic artists, gameplay programmers, designers, and producers, along with programmers specializing in graphics, physics, sound and online applications. In addition, you’ll find musicians and sound engineers.

And when you want to communicate with your customers around the world, you’ll find highly-educated and talented bilingual people who communicate in over 200 languages.

Our colleges and universities

Ontario colleges and universities meet your needs by consulting with industry leaders to provide business-critical courses in game development and advanced programming, computer animation, digital design, engineering, computer sciences, fine arts, digital graphics, music and sound engineering.

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Select Ontario IT research centres and institutes

Look who has already discovered Ontario’s advantage

You’ll find companies involved in all areas of digital media in Ontario.

Video game companies
BattleGoat Studios, Big Blue Bubble, Big Viking Games, Capcom Interactive, Capybara Games, Digital Extremes, Drink Box Studios, Electronic Arts, Gameloft, Glu Mobile, Magmic, Metanet Software, Queasy Games, RocketOwl, Rockstar Games, Sago Sago, Spongelab Interactive, TransGaming, Ubisoft, Uken Games, XMG Studio and more.

Animation and special effects companies
AXS Studio (medical illustration/animation), Guru Studio, Invivo (medical illustration/animation), XYZ RGB and more.

Mobile app developers
Enflick, Fuel Industries, Nulayer, Red Square Labs and more.

Post production studios
Keyframe Digital Productions Inc., Morro Images Inc. (part of nGen – Niagara Interactive Media Generator), Mr. X, Optix Digital Pictures Inc., Stargate Studios and more.

Special effects tool makers
Autodesk, Side Effects Software – G Creative Studios

Which games have they created in Ontario?

Actual Sunlight, Arena.Xlsm, Bingo Pop, Blitz Block Robo, Blokus, Burn the Rope, Cel Damage HD, Chat Fu, DLC Quest: Live Freemium or Die, Dyad, EGGNOG, Gangstar Vegas, Guacamelee!, Infinite, Kingdoms CCG, Mega Run, Mega Jump 1, Mega Jump 2, Mighty Monsters, My Singing Monsters, N++, Phase 10, Rogue Legacy, Rollers of the Realm, Rubik’s Cube, Shadow Wars, Sound Shapes, Super Brothers - Sword & Sworcery, Super Splatform, Super Time Force, Time Tremors Infinity, The Yawhg, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist, UNO & Friends, Warframe.