The first edition of MEGA, an epic celebration of video game culture

The Bonsecours Market will welcome thousands of passionate gamers thirsty for discovery and action on November 18th and 19th!

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 12, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - The first edition of MEGA (The Montréal Expo Gaming Arcade) video game fair will be held at Montréal's Bonsecours Market on November 18th and 19th and the event is sure to live up to its name. MEGA will welcome thousands of video game enthusiasts and curious novices from Montréal and beyond. Industry professionals, families and students are invited for a weekend of immersive experiences designed to connect the public with the Montréal video game scene, highlight its leading edge expertise and creativity, and contribute to its influence both locally and internationally.

"Known mainly for its large studios, Montréal has also cultivated so many independent game developers onto the scene and I can't imagine a better event to allow the public to discover the rich talent here and to be surprised that their favorite games have been created in their home town," says Louis-Félix Cauchon, President of Quebec's Independent Video Game Developers Guild.

Montréal and the video game industry: an event to match the landscape
Montréal has the 3rd largest video game industry of any city in the world. Gaming giants such as Ubisoft, Eidos, Square Enix, Warner and Motive Studios (EA) and some 200 independent local studios such as Red Barrels, Compulsion Games, Scavenger and Outerminds call Montréal home. Despite the city's renowned gaming landscape, there is still no event dedicated to the general public and to the influence of the local industry. MEGA changes that by allowing some fifty Montréal video game production studios to showcase their know-how and to reaffirm their position as industry leaders.

"While Montréal enjoys an excellent worldwide reputation for video game creation, there is no gathering aimed at broadening the industry's reach to the general public. That's where MEGA comes in with a host of programming and experiences designed for a large audience to (re)discover the extraordinary creative talent "chez nous"," says Karl Tremblay, artist and spokesperson for MEGA.

Programming for every player
From neophytes to the hard-core, gamers of all skills and ages will easily find what best suits them through a diverse program designed to make video games accessible to everyone.

During the day, MEGA activities will captivate families with game demonstrations and trials offered up by the many studios present, a multiplayer zone for maximum group excitement, and a large games room encouraging the discovery of Quebec productions. The MEGA experience itself becomes a great game with attendees awarded badges by taking on the many on-site challenges: playing all games of a certain type, winning a game against a pro or getting the best score of the hour.

For enthusiasts hungry for all things new, MEGA will be a unique opportunity to discover the latest releases or games in development, to access the freshest titles at the various "game showcases" and to meet the creators and influencers within the industry.

Industry and Career Opportunities
MEGA will also provide Montréal, national and international studios ample opportunities to do business thanks to the presence of various industry players on site.

"We very much welcome the arrival of MEGA in the event scene of our industry and see it as a compelling business opportunity for our members as well as for the influence and positioning of Montréal as the capital of Canada's video game ecosystem," adds Catherine Emond, Executive Director of the Digital Alliance.

MEGA will also be an opportunity to learn more about careers in the video game industry, a sector that is constantly expanding in Quebec and also provides a very attractive working environment. Kiosks will provide information on the many training programs available, in addition to the seasoned designers and companies who will be on hand to meet the talents of tomorrow.

Finally, before the event's closing on Sunday, a prize ceremony organized by the Montréal Independent Entertainment Festival will award studios represented at the show and that have distinguished themselves in the following categories: gameplay design, story design, artistic direction, audio design, innovation and the public choice award.

MEGA is produced jointly by Avalanche Prod and the Quebec Independent Video Game Developers Guild. It is part of the first edition of HUB Montréal, a singular event focused on the creative and cultural industries here, beginning November 8th and which will close with MEGA.

About the Quebec Independent Video Game Developers Guild
The Quebec Independent Video Game Developers Guild is a non-profit co-operative whose mission is to promote the success of Quebec studios in order to ensure the prosperity and sustainability of the industry by cultivating a fertile breeding ground for innovation and achievements by creators and entrepreneurs from the province. It is the largest independent video game cooperative in the world. The Guild aims to democratize the industry and promote products developed 100% in Quebec.

About Avalanche Prod
Founded in 1994 by Sébastien Nasra, Avalanche Prod specializes in production and event architecture. Its mission is to provide state-of-the-art expertise in the creation and realization of high-level festivals and conferences (B2B and B2C), as well as innovative initiatives to export creative talent internationally. Avalanche Prod events include M for Montréal (12th edition, November 6-19, 2017), Mundial Montréal (7th edition, November 15-18, 2017), OUMF Festival (7th edition, September 6-9, 2017) and the new HUB Montréal conference (1st edition, November 8-18, 2017).

About HUB MONTRÉAL
HUB MONTRÉAL's mission is to propel Québec's creative potential forward by creating an international event market that will showcase the province's expertise. Its credo: to shine a light on the know-how of companies and creators in the creative and cultural industries (ICC). In November 2017, several creative ecosystems will converge for HUB v1.0, including virtual and augmented realities, sound and visual effects, video games, music, multimedia (interactive and immersive), branding and design, and digital arts.

mega-mtl.com

SOURCE Montreal Expo Gaming Arcade (MEGA)

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