Blueprint for wooing the gaming industry released by Calgary Economic Development

Calgary Economic Development’s strategy for video games and immersive technology identified game development, virtual reality and related interactive media as a potential area of economic growth for the city. Developed with Nordicity, the plan called for stronger industry coordination, improved access to talent and capital, and measures that could help Calgary attract companies while enabling existing studios to expand. The strategy was significant for Alberta game development because it formally recognized the sector as an economic-development opportunity rather than solely a creative industry. Calgary already had companies working across games, VR, simulation and immersive technology, including Red Iron Labs, while organizations such as the Calgary Game Developers Association supported the local developer community. The strategy also identified the lack of competitive provincial incentives as an obstacle, highlighting the importance of government policy and investment in Calgary’s ability to compete with established Canadian game-development centres.