Exploration, Colonisation and Sustainable Development
In this article, we will sketch a historical portrait of the video game sector in Quebec, both on the geographical plane (from Montreal to Quebec City through Trois-Rivières and other off-centred studios) and for different firm types (from the large studios to independent developers and amateurs). This historical overview will shed light on the challenges and characteristics of this sector which straddles both the technology and cultural industries in three stages : 1) the explorations of amateur entrepreneurs and enthusiasts; 2) the colonisation by large foreign firms and the injection of foreign capital which stimulated industry growth; 3) the structuration of independent developers (notably with La Guilde du jeu video du Québec) and the post-fission transition to a sustainable development of the sector. Our overview will cover the factual aspects of the industry, issues of contents and creative processes, and the challenges of achieving cultural sovereignty in a business sector based on liberalized markets, the free flow of capital, and a dematerialized digital economy.