It's bizarre that they mention EA Canada for Vancouver yet don't mention that Montreal, due to Quebec's very significant tax incentives, is where all the new traditional games studios are being created. EA made a Bioware satellite studio out there, THQ is opening up a huge 400 man studio, and Warner Bros is doing a studio there too. Vancouver in contrast has shrunk with EA Blackbox collapsing and being absorbed into EA Canada, and Radical downsizing into a one team studio. EA Canada itself has had rounds of layoffs.
Now that's not to say that things are all bad for Vancouver. Many traditional games studios have disappeared but smaller studios have appeared in their place. Xbox Live focused studios such as Klei and Hothead for example. Microsoft bought Big Park and they're creating casual Kinect titles. Finally, Vancouver still has their digital effects industry with Sony Imageworks and Pixar opening up studios.
Aside from traditional console games I just noticed a few days ago that EA is opening up a Playfish studio in Montreal so that's another point for the Montreal column.
Now that's not to say that things are all bad for Vancouver. Many traditional games studios have disappeared but smaller studios have appeared in their place. Xbox Live focused studios such as Klei and Hothead for example. Microsoft bought Big Park and they're creating casual Kinect titles. Finally, Vancouver still has their digital effects industry with Sony Imageworks and Pixar opening up studios.
Aside from traditional console games I just noticed a few days ago that EA is opening up a Playfish studio in Montreal so that's another point for the Montreal column.