After 10 months and entries from 69 independent Canadian game development firms, Telefilm Canada today announced MindHabits Inc. as the winner of its Great Canadian Video Game Competition. MindHabits will receive up to $500,000 from Telefilm matched equally with private financing for a total of up to $1 million to support the commercialization of its handheld game, MindHabits Trainer.

The competition winner was revealed by Wayne Clarkson, Telefilm Canada’s executive director, at the opening gala of VIDFEST – Canada’s biggest annual digital content event.

“Canada’s best and brightest video game talent participated in the first-ever Great Canadian Video Game Competition,” says Clarkson. “The competition was tight, but MindHabits best demonstrated the Canadian creativity and innovation that our panel of esteemed industry judges was looking for.”

The Competition took place in three rounds that mirrored traditional industry financing. In January 2007, an industry jury awarded 10 companies Round 1 status (Innovation) and each received $50,000 in financial assistance to explore their gaming concepts, develop a visual identity and elaborate a plan to raise initial private-sector investment. In March 2007, four of the 10 companies scored Round 2 status (Project Development). The final four included:

• Big Blue Bubble of London, ON for its Nintendo Wii game Hobby Shop
• Cerebral Vortex Games of St. Catharines, ON, for its PC/Mobile/Xbox Live

Arcade game Ambush! Trivia

• MindHabits Inc. of Montreal, QC for its handheld game MindHabits Trainer
• Hothead Games Inc. of Vancouver, BC for its PC game SWARM!

The winning projects were evaluated by a proven industry jury that comprised Rory Armes, Senior Vice President and Group General Manager, Electronic Arts Black Box and Electronic Arts Montreal; Yannis Mallat, CEO, Ubisoft Montreal; Ron Moravek, Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Electronic Arts Canada; and Kelly Zmak, President, Radical Entertainment (Vivendi Universal Games Canada).

Also announced today was the People’s Choice Award winner, SWARM! by Hothead Games Inc., as selected by video game fans from across the country, who voted for their favourite finalist on Arcadia Festival’s website, www.playarcadia.com. The People’s Choice Awards ran parallel to The Great Canadian Video Competition, but the results had no bearing on the selection of the Competition’s formal winner.

Arcadia president François Décarie added: “An overwhelming amount of Canadian gaming enthusiasts voted for our People’s Choice Award winner. Video games are the most important cultural form for our youth, and we’re proud to showcase and celebrate Canadian talent producing their own stories.”