Canada

Canada is #3 Worldwide in Video Game Development

by

stats

The Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESA) released their Essential Facts 2012 (here’s the PDF) report not too long ago and it’s filled with fun facts! According to the ESA’s research Quebec has the greatest number of industry workers while Ontario is expected to have the fastest growth.

Some notable facts from the 2012 edition:

  • The average age of a Canadian gamer: 31
  • 58% of Canadians are gamers
  • 54% of males and 46% of females play video games
  • 80% of Canadian households have at least one cell phone, tablet computer or other mobile device

The Globe and Mail picked up on the report and highlighted the fact that Canada’s video game industry is the third largest in the world right now. They also have a great breakdown and visualisation of the ESA’s report, you can view their presentation here.

Canadian Armed Forces Testing VR PTSD Treatment

by

Previously, I documented a bit about health and video games before, and now it’s worth noting that the Canadian military is going to start using video games to treat PTSD. They’ll be utilizing a virtual reality space to recreate what caused the traumatic stress in the first place.

The new therapy method puts soldiers in a computer-animated situation that recreates the specific incident that left the soldiers traumatized. A therapist then helps the soldiers to work through their memories.
…
The VR therapy was pioneered by Dr. Skip Rizzo at the University of Southern California. He says that “the research shows, pretty consistently over the years, that by having the person gradually imagine or be exposed in VR to events in the traumatic memories, that they’re able to process emotional memories.”

The American military has been using the VR-based treatment for PTSD for years and has seen success with their program.

Read more and watch a video with more info at the CBC.