Students from UQAT/UQAM Team Up to Win ESAC's Student Video Game Competition 2019 Français
May 30, 2019, 09:00 ET
Entertainment Software Association of Canada's Student Video Game Competition 2019 #SVGC2019
TORONTO, May 30, 2019 /CNW/ - The Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC) supports the growth of Canada's video game industry through research, advocacy and promoting awareness of key issues affecting the sector; such as talent development and the future of technology skills in Canada.
As part of its efforts, ESAC annually hosts its Canadian Student Video Game Competition, inviting post-secondary students from across the country to participate and showcase their development skills and demonstrate excellence in three (3) core areas: Originality/Creativity, Artistic Expression and Technical Proficiency. Video games are an important part of today's society and students from across our country are creating exciting and innovative experiences as part of their post-secondary education.
"As this competition has grown, we have seen an unbelievable increase in the quality and quantity of student submissions, and that was the objective when we launched this initiative in 2014", stated Jayson Hilchie, President & CEO of the Entertainment Software Association of Canada. "The Canadian video game industry continues to grow and we need to ensure that we do everything we can to encourage students to choose a career in our field. The Student Video Game Competition is just one small way we can reward and recognize those students who have gone above and beyond in their post-secondary development projects."
The competition, now in its fifth year, received a record number of submissions in 2019. Forty post-secondary teams from twenty-five schools from Newfoundland to British Columbia, submitted their games for our expert panel of judges to play and review.
A team of students representing Université du Québec en Abitibi Témiscamingue (UQAT) and Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) teamed up to build the game Cut Loose. Originally built for Ubisoft's 2019 Game Lab Competition, the project earned Ubisoft's prize for best artistic direction and production as well as the public choice award.
Ubisoft has a longstanding history of engaging universities and supporting student entry into the video game industry. 2019 marks the ninth edition of their Game Lab Competition.
Cut Loose marks the third consecutive year that a team from Quebec that participated in Ubisoft Game Lab Competition has captured ESAC's Student Video Game Competition. The team will now travel to Los Angeles, California to showcase their game on the show floor at E3 from June 11 to 13.
This year's top three games in #SVGC2019 span the country and showcase how Canada's post-secondary game development programs are producing top-notch talent:
- First Place – Cut Loose, UQAT/UQAM
- Second Place – HOMEBASS, Sheridan College
- Third Place – Team Akimbo, VarchIan, Vancouver Film School
About ESAC
ESAC is the national voice of the video game industry in Canada. We work for our members – Activision Blizzard, Glu, EA, Gameloft, Ubisoft, Kabam, Other Ocean Interactive, Ludia, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Relic Entertainment, Solutions 2 Go, WB Games, Square Enix, Take 2 Interactive and Codename Entertainment – to ensure legal, regulatory and public affairs environments are favourable to long-term business development. For more information, visit theESA.Ca.
About Cut Loose
A team of eight students from Université de Quebec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) and Université de Québec à Montréal (UQAM) developed Cut Loose a third-person adventure game wherein a puppet attempts to escape from its controlling puppeteer. Cut Loose earned Ubisoft's Game Lab 2019 prizes for best artistic direction and production and public's choice.
About Ubisoft's Game Lab
Ubisoft's Game Lab 2019 hosted 168 participants, 24% female, 21 teams from 12 universities. Seven of these teams won awards for categories such as, best prototype, best game design, best triple C (camera, character, and command) design – all categories served to highlight keys to making great video games. Each year, Ubisoft hires students who have participated in its game development program as interns or employees. To date, nearly thirty Game Lab 2019 students were hired including two UQAM students from the Cut Loose team.
About E3 Expo
The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 Expo) is the foremost trade show of the newest trends, products and technologies for the global entertainment software industry. Hosted by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the trade association for the video game industry in the United States; E3 Expo brings together developers, distributers, media and fans from around the world to experience the future of interactive entertainment.
SOURCE Entertainment Software Association of Canada
For further information: Media Contact: Corinne Crichlow, Director, Communications & Public Relations, Entertainment Software Association of Canada, 416.620.7171 x 248, ccrichlow@theESA.Ca
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