The creation of original intellectual property in video games development is critical to the industry’s success in Canada, and the government has an important role to play in nurturing firms creating titles outside the mainstream of licensing and sequels, attendees to the Montreal Games Summit in Montreal November 3 and 4 heard. In a session hosted by International Games Developer Association program director Jason Della Rocca, the audience was presented with the conundrum of modern-day games development – whether to pursue established Hollywood properties such as Harry Potter and other movie and TV titles, or work from scratch to develop original games. The answer, says Della Rocca, is that the industry relies on established properties to generate reliable profits for shareholders, but that the industry will stagnate without the creation of new titles. Further, he noted, original IP is the surest path to spectacular success as compared with less risky titles with lower potential upside.

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