Essential Facts about the Canadian Computer and Video Game Industry (2009) is the ESA’s (Entertainment Software Association of Canada) annual guidebook to the entertainment software industry. This current report provides figures relevant to the Canadian gaming industry, and should serve as interesting reading to potential sponsors not currently directly embedded in the sector.

1. 2009
ESSENTIAL FACTS
About the Canadian Computer and Video Game Industry

3. what’s inside?
WHO’S PLAYING COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES 4
HOW OFTEN DO CANADIANS PLAY 5
ON WHAT PLATFORMS DO PLAYERS PLAY THE MOST 6
ALL IN THE FAMILY 7
ESRB RATINGS AND CONTENT DESCRIPTORS 8
TOP SELLING VIDEO GAMES 9
» Chart of 20 top selling video games 9
» Chart of 20 top selling PC games 9
WELLNESS GAMING: BRAIN GAMES & ACTIVE GAMES 10
» Brain games 11
» Active games 11
» Wellness Gaming: In their own words 12
» Future demand for wellness games 13
WHO WE ARE 14
» About ESAC 14
» ESAC members 14
OTHER RESOURCES 15
All data in this document is from NPD Group’s 2009 Understanding the Canadian Gamer custom
research unless otherwise noted. The survey was commissioned by ESAC and gathered data from
2,969 Canadian adults, 225 Canadian teens (13-17) and 377 Canadian children (6-12).
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4. 4% 1 5 1
Computer Game Console Handheld Mobile Device
whO is PLaYinG COMPUteR and VideO GaMes?
5%
9%
96% A Computer
of Canadian households own a computer
...........................
A game console such as an Xbox 360,
50 % 48% Wii or Playstation 3 hooked
up to a television
of Canadian households have at least one video game console such
36 %
as an Xbox 360, Wii or PlayStation system such as a
A handheld game
Nintendo DS or Sony PSP
...........................
A cell phone or other mobile
Average age of Canadian gamer: as a Blackberry,
device such
PalmPilot, i-Phone or i-Touch
35.8 years
Gender of game players
Female Gamers
34.9 %
64.3% Male Gamers
Canadians, by age, who have played a video game in the past 4 weeks:
100%
91%
80%
80%
67%
60%
48%
40%
34%
20%
AGES 6-12 13-17 18-34 35-54 55+
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100 %
55+

5. hOw OFten dO Canadians PLaY?
Frequency of play over hours Played Per week
past 4 weeks
Less than 1 11%
Everyday 26%
1-3 Hours 31%
A few days
per week 48%
4-6 Hours 24%
Once a
week 14% 7-9 Hours 9%
Once every 10-15 Hours 16%
2 weeks 7%
16-20 Hours 4%
Once in the
past 4 weeks 5
%
21+ Hours 6%
24%
27%
Every Day 35%
38%
26%
49%
45%
A few days 44%
per week 42%
57%
14%
15%
Once a Week 9%
11%
Total Child (6-12)
12%
8% Total Teen (13-17)
7%
Once every 7% Age 55+
2 weeks 5%
3%
Adult Female
5%
6% Adult Male
Once in the 5%
past 4 weeks 4%
3%
0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
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6. 20%
15%
10%
On what PLatFORM dO GaMeRs PLaY8 7 8%
% %
4% 1% 6% 5% 1%
the MOst FReQUentLY?
Computer Game Console Handheld Mobile Device
5%
Canadians, by age, who have played a video game in the past 4 weeks:
%
9 A Computer
100%
A game console such as an Xbox 360,
91% Wii or Playstation 3 hooked
80% up to a television
50% 80
%
36%
60 %
67%A handheld game system such as a
Nintendo DS or Sony PSP
48%
40% A cell phone or other mobile
device such as a Blackberry,
34%
PalmPilot, i-Phone or i-Touch
20%
Gender of AGES players
game 6-12 13-17 18-34 35-54 55+
100% Female Gamers
34.9 % 55+
80% 64.3%
81%
Male Gamers Adult 35-54
Adult 18-4
60%
Teen 13-17
54%
51%
46% Child 6-12
40% 39 % 39
%
32% 34%
32%
29%
20%
15%
10%
8% 7% 8%
4% 1% 6% 5% 1%
Computer Game Console Handheld Mobile Device
5%
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9% 6 A Computer

7. aLL in the FaMiLY
Families are getting in on the fun, with the majority of parents and their chil-
dren choosing to play video games together. According to the research:
74%
of Parent Gamers aged 35-54 report that
they play video games with their child
...........................
84%
of Parent Gamers aged 18-34 report that
they play video games with their child
...........................
The majority of Parent Gamers play games
with their family once a week or more
57%
...........................
95%
of Parent Gamers report that
their child has played video games in the past 4 weeks
For further information and resources on family gaming including how-to
videos on using parental controls and information on ESAC’s Commitment to
Parents Program, please visit our website at http://theesa.ca/parents.
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8. esRB RatinGs and COntent desCRiPtORs
The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) ratings are designed to
provide consumers, especially parents, with concise, impartial guidance about
the age-appropriateness and content of computer and video games so that
they can make informed purchasing decisions about the games they deem
suitable for their children and families.
esRB ratings have two equal 10+
ENFANTS ET ADULTES parts:
Rating Symbols suggest age appropriateness for the game, and appear on the
Cartoon Violence
front of virtually every game box available for retail sale or rental in the United
Mild Lyrics
States and Canada. en Animaton
Violence
Chansons Grossières
Content CONTENT RATING which appear on the back next to the rating symbol,
ESRB Descriptors, www.esrb.org
indicate elements in a game that may have triggered a particular rating and/or
CLASSIFIÉ PAR L'ESRB
may be of interest or concern.
ENFANTS ET ADULTES 10+
Cartoon Violence
Mild Lyrics
Violence en Animaton
Chansons Grossières
ESRB CONTENT RATING www.esrb.org
CLASSIFIÉ PAR L'ESRB
When purchasing or renting video games for their child
82%
of Parent Gamers sometimes or always check the
ESRB rating symbol on the game box
...........................
86%
of Parent Gamers sometimes or always use the content descriptors
when purchasing games for their child
...........................
95%
of Adult Gamers agree that the ESRB rating system is very useful to help
parents buy and rent age-appropriate video games for their children
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9. tOP 20 seLLinG VideO GaMes FROM aUGUst 08 - JULY 2009
RanK titLe PLatFORM esRB RatinG
1 WII FIT W/BALANCE BOARD WII EVERYONE
2 WII MARIO KART W/ WHEEL WII EVERYONE
3 WII PLAY W/REMOTE WII EVERYONE
4 CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR 360 MATURE
5 NHL 09 360 EVERYONE 10+
6 GEARS OF WAR 2 360 MATURE
7 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS NDS EVERYONE
8 BRAIN AGE 2: MORE TRAINING IN MINUTES A DAY NDS EVERYONE
9 NHL 2K9 WII EVERYONE 10+
10 NHL 09 PS3 EVERYONE 10+
11 CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR PS3 MATURE
12 MARIO KART DS NDS EVERYONE
13 BRAIN AGE: TRAIN YOUR BRAIN IN MINUTES A DAY NDS EVERYONE
14 FABLE II 360 MATURE
15 POKEMON PLATINUM VERSION NDS EVERYONE
16 MARIO PARTY NDS EVERYONE
17 LITTLE BIG PLANET PS3 EVERYONE
18 UFC 2009 UNDISPUTED 360 TEEN
19 LINKíS CROSSBOW TRAINING W/ ZAPPER WII TEEN
20 KIRBY SUPER STAR ULTRA NDS EVERYONE
tOP 20 seLLinG PC GaMes FROM aUGUst 08 - JULY 2009
RanK titLe esRB RatinG
1 WORLD OF WARCRAFT: WRATH OF THE LICH KING EXPANSION PACK TEEN
2 THE SIMS 3 TEEN
3 SPORE EVERYONE 10+
4 THE SIMS 2 DOUBLE DELUXE TEEN
5 WORLD OF WARCRAFT: BATTLE CHEST TEEN
6 WARHAMMER ONLINE: AGE OF RECKONING TEEN
7 THE SIMS 2 APARTMENT LIFE EXPANSION PACK TEEN
8 WORLD OF WARCRAFT TEEN
9 LEFT 4 DEAD MATURE
10 CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR MATURE
11 WORLD OF WARCRAFT: BURNING CRUSADE EXPANSION PACK TEEN
12 FALLOUT 3 MATURE
13 COMMAND & CONQUER: RED ALERT 3 TEEN
14 THE SIMS 2 PETS EXPANSION PACK TEEN
15 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV MATURE
16 WORLD OF WARCRAFT III BATTLE CHEST TEEN
17 FAR CRY 2 MATURE
18 THE SIMS 2 SEASONS EXPANSION PACK TEEN
19 DIABLO BATTLE CHEST MATURE
20 CRYSIS: WARHEAD MATURE
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10. weLLness GaMinG
Entertainment software has emerged as a useful tool to promote physical
and mental well-being. Games designed to challenge mental aptitude and
increase physical activity have become increasingly popular amongst gamers,
and have been widely embraced by educational institutions, retirement com-
munities, and the health community. Here are the figures:
aCtiVe weLLness GaMes include such titles as: Wii Fit, Dance Dance
Revolution and EA Sports Active.
BRain weLLness GaMes include such titles as: Brain Age, Flash Focus
and Hot Brain.
tOP 5 titLes PLaYed OR Owned inCLUde:
Wii Fit 34%
Dance Dance Revolution 27%
Nintendo DS Brain Age 19%
Nintendo DS Big Brain Academy 14%
EA Sports Active 13%
tOP 5 seLLinG weLLness GaMes FROM aUGUst 08 - JULY 09
RanK titLe PLatFORM esRB RatinG
1 WII FIT W/ BALANCE BOARD WII EVERYONE
2 BRAIN AGE 2: MORE TRAINING IN MINUTES A DAY NDS EVERYONE
3 BRAIN AGE: TRAIN YOUR BRAIN IN MINUTES A DAY NDS EVERYONE
4 WII DDR: HOTTEST PARTY 2 BUNDLE WII EVERYONE 10+
5 EA SPORTS ACTIVE BUNDLE WII EVERYONE
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11. Brain Games:
66%
of Wellness Gamers rate Brain Games as being very effective
...........................
64%one positive outcome from playing
of Teen Wellness Gamers endorsed at least
Brain Games, such as “I am in a better mood after playing” or “I feel like I
can think quicker after I play”
active Games:
76%one positive outcome from playing
of Teen Wellness Gamers endorsed at least
Active Games, with 40% claiming to feel better physically after playing
Wellness Games are being embraced by all demographics as an additional way
to help stay mentally alert and physically active. Figures show that for many
respondents, this genre of entertainment software was the first type of video
game they had ever purchased.
First type of entertainment software that I ever bought was a game
designed to challenge my physical and/or mental abilities:
40%
Active Games Brain Games
39%
39%
35%
34% 34%
32%
30%
25%
20%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0
55+ Total Teen Total Adult
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12. weLLness GaMinG: in theiR Own wORds
“I find that the whole family gets involved
with these titles and that it becomes a competi- “They helped
tion between us.” Male 44
exercise my body
and have fun at
“He absolutely “The Wii Fit had enough the same time. It
loves playing with variety for both my husband
makes you feel
me, he has great and me to keep us enter-
refreshed after.”
motor skills…even tained. We both started
getting in better shape.” Male 31
better than me!”
Parent of male, Female 27
age 7
“My daughter is more active,
“Helps to encourage him to con- more fit, more confident with fit-
tinue when he is discouraged…gaining ness and more aware of overall
confidence and boosts in energy levels.” body health.” Parent of female,
Parent of male, age 8 age 10
“My memory has “I have lost weight and developed some
definitely improved. I muscle. We bought a Wii and Wii Fit for my
notice my brain age parents who are both in their early 80’s and
getting lower as I play they use it daily. It is an excellent system
these games.” Female and the games are perfect for seniors.”
50 Female 49
“She loves these games and “She likes answering the math ques-
will play until she has no en- tions and feels good when she gets them
ergy left. These games are great right.” Mother of female, age 7
for when the weather is bad
and we can’t go outside-she
can get all her exercise in the “A change in concentration, staying
house.” Parent of girl, age 8 on tasks, organizational and abstract
skills and mental abilities…these in
turn caused a positive change in her
“I find that my memory has improved moods and confidence in her abili-
greatly and although I’m 78 years old ties.” Mother of female, age 12
I have obtained a brain age of 30.”
Female 78
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13. weLLness GaMes FUtURe deMand:
Gamers have shown a lot of interest in Wellness Games and the figures show
that future demand for this genre of entertainment software is very strong
Very Interested Somewhat Interested Not that Interested
Those designed to improve
mental abilities or overall 44% 46% 11%
mental well-being
Those designed to improve
physical abilities or overall 40% 43% 17%
physical well-being
Those designed to help
learn a second language 29% 42% 29%
Those designed to improve
musical abilities or help learn 26% 42% 32%
how to play an instrument
Those designed to help
with other types of self-
improvement (e.g., cook- 22% 45% 34%
ing, bartending, dancing,
etc.)
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14. whO we aRe?
about the esaC
The Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC) is dedicated
exclusively to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies in
Canada that publish and distribute computer and video games for video game
consoles, handheld devices, personal computers and the Internet. ESAC offers
a range of services, including business and consumer research, government
relations and a global anti-piracy program. Association members include the
nation’s leading interactive entertainment software publishers and distribu-
tors, which collectively accounted for more than 90 per cent of the $2.2
billion in entertainment software and hardware sales in Canada in 2008. The
entertainment software industry currently accounts for 247 firms and 14,000
direct jobs and thousands more in related fields across Canada.
esaC Members as of January 2009
• Activision Blizzard
• Disney Interactive Studios
• Electronic Arts
• Microsoft Canada
• Nintendo of Canada Ltd.
• Solutions 2 Go
• Sony Computer Entertainment Canada
• Synergex Corporation
• Take2 Interactive
• Team One Marketing Ltd.
• THQ
• Ubisoft Canada, Inc.
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15. OtheR ResOURCes
entertainment software association (esa)
The Entertainment Software Association is the U.S. association exclusively
dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies that
publish computer and video games for video game consoles, personal comput-
ers, and the Internet. The ESA offers a range of services to interactive enter-
tainment software publishers including a global anti-piracy program, business
and consumer research, government relations and intellectual property protec-
tion efforts. The ESA also owns and operates the E3 Expo. For more informa-
tion, please visit: www.theesa.com
entertainment software Rating Board (esRB)
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a non-profit, self-regu-
latory body established in 1994 by the Entertainment Software Association
(ESA). ESRB assigns computer and video game content ratings, enforces
industry-adopted advertising guidelines and helps ensure responsible online
privacy practices for the interactive entertainment software industry. For more
information, please visit: www.esrb.org
nPd Group
The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive con-
sumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than
1,700 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help
them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market
levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide
product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions.
Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty,
commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food
and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and
wireless. For more information, contact us, visit http://www.npd.com/ or follow
us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/npdgroup.
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16. www.theesa.ca