Edmonton's BioWare uses upcoming release of Mass Effect: Andromeda to push for industry tax credits

BioWare used the approaching release of Mass Effect: Andromeda to highlight both the scale of game development already taking place in Edmonton and the case for stronger provincial support. The project involved more than 200 developers and an estimated $100 million in development, marketing and research costs, demonstrating that Alberta was already capable of hosting productions comparable in scale to major film projects. The studio argued that an interactive digital media tax credit would help Alberta compete with provinces such as Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia, where incentives reduced the cost of employing large development teams. For Alberta, the issue was particularly relevant to attracting new studios and encouraging established companies such as BioWare to expand locally. Mass Effect: Andromeda provided a concrete example of the employment, investment and internationally distributed intellectual property that large-scale game production could generate from Edmonton.