As part of ongoing support of child safety online, ESAC has sponsored the Kids’ Internet Safety Alliance (Kinsa) second annual Spring for Kids Gala at Waddington’s Auction House.
The Gala is Kinsa’s largest fundraising event through the year, providing the organization with important funds needed to protect and rescue child victims of online abuse.
Hosted by Gemini award winning journalist, Allison Vuchnich, the Gala will feature the Toronto culinary artists at North 44, and renowned Toronto chefs Brad Long, Corey Vitiello and Marc Thuet. The evening will include a live auction with unique items including a week-long trip to Capetown, South Africa, a 7-night stay at a private villa in the British Virgin Islands and a fabulous in-home dinner party for 10 catered by Presidential Gourmet and planned by Bassett Events.
All funds raised from the Spring for Kids Gala will go directly towards Kinsa programs.
The finalists have been announced for the upcoming Canadian Videogame Awards (CVAs), which will be held in Vancouver on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. With 28 games represented in the list of 14 finalists, the CVAs celebrate Canada’s spot on the world stage as a leader in interactive entertainment.
The Entertainment Software Association of Canada is pleased that the government is moving forward on legislation to protect the intellectual property of artists, creators and innovators in the Canadian video game industry. Copyright reform is essential to Canada’s ongoing success in the digital economy.
“Piracy fundamentally undermines the integrity of the marketplace, forcing competition not only with legitimate competitors, but also with stolen and freely available versions of our own products,” said Jason Kee, Director of Policy and Legal Affairs at ESAC. “A modern and robust copyright regime permits market forces to operate properly and enables creators and companies to choose for themselves the best way to make their own content available. We look forward to Members of Parliament considering and implementing the technical changes needed to ensure the bill fully reflects its stated goals and principles and avoid unintended consequences,” he added.
With video games at the top of many holiday wish lists, parents can use the Entertainment Software Ratings Board’s (ESRB) free mobile app available for iPhone, Android and Windows to obtain additional information about computer and video game content.
Nearly all computer and video games sold in Canada are rated by the ESRB. The rating symbols are designed to provide parents with concise, impartial guidance about the age-appropriateness and content of computer and video games so they can make informed purchasing decisions about the games they deem suitable for their children and families. Content descriptors, which appear on the back next to the rating symbol, indicate elements in a game that may have triggered a particular rating and/or may be of interest or concern.
To supplement the information provided by the rating symbols and content descriptors, the ESRB provides ratings summaries as an additional resource parents to access detailed descriptions of game content that factored into a game’s rating, including examples. They can be accessed using a free mobile app or through the ESRB website at www.esrb.org.
ESAC has released its 2011 edition of Essential Facts. This booklet provides a great overview of some of the key stats and information about the Canadian video game industry. What’s the average age of a Canadian gamer? How many studios are there in Canada? How big is Canada’s video game industry? How do we stack up in the world? All these questions and more are answered in our handy Essential Facts 2011.
On November 8, as part of Media Awareness Network’s National Media Literacy Week, ESAC and the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) – Montreal Chapter will host a discussion with leading academics and senior members of the Montreal games industry on the topic of Cyber-ethics. Panelists include:
Jason Kee, Director, Policy and Legal Affairs, ESAC (moderator)
Mia Consalvo, Research chair in game studies and design and Faculty Member, Communication Studies, Concordia University
David Waddington, Assistant Professor, Educational Studies, Concordia University
Craig Morrison, Executive Producer and Creative Director, Funcom
Thiéry Adam, Producer, Ludia
As more and more games transition to partial or full digital platforms, online social interactions are permeating games of all types. From basic civility to issues of legality, new standards of cyber-ethics are being forged online and a new form of digital citizenship is emerging. As one of the world’s biggest hubs for production of first-rate video games, Montreal is leading the world in creating games on digital platforms. But what role does the video game industry have in shaping cyber-ethics and fostering a true sense of digital citizenship.
Have a look at photos from ESAC’s Ottawa Day reception for Parliamentarians and staff which took place at the Metropolitan Brasserie on October 4, 2011. ESAC’s Get in the Game event featured the latest video games, many of which were made right here in Canada.
TORONTO, September 29, 2011 – The Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC) today applauded government action to protect the intellectual property of artists, creators and innovators in the Canadian video game industry. By re-introducing copyright reform legislation, the federal government is fulfilling a promise to modernize an out-dated law and support the development of new and innovative digital products, services, distribution methods and business models.
“By deterring those who profit and benefit from stealing creator’s work, this legislation will help provide a framework for the digital marketplace and allow creators and companies to distribute their works in the manner that best suits them,” said Jason Kee, Director, Policy and Legal Affairs at ESAC. “We strongly support the principles underlying this bill and look forward to working with Members of Parliament to adopt any technical changes needed to ensure the bill fully reflects those principles and avoid unintended consequences,” he added.
ESAC is the voice of the dynamic and growing video and computer game industry in Canada that employs approximately 16,000 people at nearly 350 companies across the country. By contributing $1.7 billion in economic activity and cultivating workers with a combination of creative, technological and management skills, the video game industry is supporting Canada’s position in the changing global economy. Association members include the nation’s leading entertainment software developers and publishers including Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Activision Blizzard, Microsoft Canada, Nintendo of Canada, Sony Computer Entertainment Canada, Disney Interactive Studios, THQ, Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment, Ludia, Sillicon Knights and Take Two Interactive, as well as distributors Solutions2Go and Team One Marketing.
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For further information, visit www.theesa.ca or contact:
Julien Lavoie, ESAC Public Relations
(416) 620-7171 ext. 248 or jlavoie@theesa.ca
On October 4 2011, elected officials and parliament hill staff – with some help from ESAC – are ‘Getting in the Game’. At a very popular reception, ESAC member-companies will show off some of their latest and greatest games including Ubisoft’s Just Dance 3, Silicon Knights’ X-Men: Destiny, Electronic Arts’ NHL 12, and THQ’s UFC Personal Trainer, to name but a few. It will be an great chance for some of our most influential leaders to try their hand at some of the coolest games available. Keep checking back for some amazing photos from the event!
As part of ongoing support of child safety online, ESAC has sponsored the Kids’ Internet Safety Alliance (Kinsa) second annual Spring for Kids Gala at Waddington’s Auction House.
