Charlottetown Gaming Company Innovation Making Waves

News Release

Funding supports creation of skilled jobs to develop virtual reality platform at Sculpin QA

October 6, 2017 – Charlottetown, PE – Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Canadians will soon be able to play tabletop-style games in a shared Virtual Reality (VR) space thanks to new technology being developed in Charlottetown by Sculpin QA with the support of the federal and provincial governments. Responding to a renewed interest in board games, the video game testing and development company is building a new VR gaming platform, creating skilled jobs and bringing innovative ideas to PEI’s burgeoning technology sector.

Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), along with the Honourable Heath MacDonald, PEI Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, today joined officials from Sculpin QA to announce support for the company to develop the shared space VR platform and game prototype.

Through its Business Development Program, ACOA is providing a repayable contribution of $420,767 to Sculpin QA to support the company’s VR project, which will result in up to 13 new staff, including producers, engineers and designers over the coming months. The National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) is also supporting the project with up to $144,500 in non-repayable funding. The Government of Prince Edward Island, through Innovation PEI, is providing labour rebates to the company worth up to $320,766, some of which will support this project.

This investment builds on commitments made by the Government of Canada and the four Atlantic provinces to drive economic growth in the region through the Atlantic Growth Strategy, which supports strategic investments in initiatives that build on the region’s competitive advantages, such as its strong export potential, growing innovation network, and skilled workforce.

Quotes

“Sculpin QA is among the great employers based in Charlottetown attracting talent and building a real scene in the gaming sector. While in Cologne, Germany, I was pleased to be able to meet up with Andrew and Deirdre Ayre at gamescom to discuss the exciting new projects they have underway. It was clear from that event that Sculpin is an impressive company. The Government of Canada is proud to support businesses across our country that are bringing vision and leadership to the information and technology sector.” 

  • Sean Casey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Member of Parliament for Charlottetown

“The gaming industry on Prince Edward Island has grown exponentially over the last few years, and the cutting edge work being done by companies like Sculpin QA is a big reason why. Sculpin is at the forefront of a growing trend in the gaming industry with the emergence of virtual reality. This project will create jobs and further cement our province’s reputation as a gaming leader, showing that despite our small size we are mighty in our ability to make big things happen.”

  • The Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism

We are delighted to be once again ramping up our development work on PEI. Support announced today will assist in product development and marketing but will also assist in providing meaningful careers for our young people. PEI is known throughout the Canadian video game industry as having a vibrant and highly skilled community of developers and that hasn't happened by accident. The province, ACOA, NRC IRAP, Holland College, and UPEI, together with industry, have championed and created a micro gaming hub in Charlottetown that is the envy of many jurisdictions in Canada and well beyond.

  • Deirdre Ayre, Head of Operations, Sculpin QA

Quick Facts

    • Sculpin QA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Other Ocean Group Canada Ltd., offers quality assurance, gaming management, and content development services, with a focus on VR technology.

    • The video game industry in one of the fastest growing entertainment sectors in the world.

    • According to Statista, the value of the worldwide video game market in 2016 reached $75 billion U.S. with an estimated 1.8 billion video gamers.

Contacts

Chris Brooks
Director of Communications
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
902-566-7569
 
Andrew Sprague
Senior Communications Officer
Department of Economic Development and Tourism
902-368-5535
 
Deirdre Ayre
Sculpin QA
709-697-4156
beep@otherocean.com

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