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Xona Games: Featured in Nova Scotia's ICT 2013 Sector Report

Thursday, July 18, 2013
By: Matthew Doucette

Xona Games has been featured in Nova Scotia, Canada's 2013 Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Sector Report (direct link):


Nova Scotia, Canada's 2013 Information and Communications Technology Sector Report.


Where's Waldo? Try to find us!


Xona Games featured in Nova Scotia's 2013 ICT Sector Report.

 

Quoted (links added by us):

A lifelong passion for twin brothers of Yarmouth, Xona Games is at the forefront of North America’s independent computer gaming scene developing video games for Xbox 360, PC, and android devices. Some of Xona’s games are number one best sellers in multiple countries and have dominated Japan with each release, ranking number one in user ratings. The company has also attracted opportunities to create launch titles for various gaming platforms, including Microsoft’s.

Brothers Matthew and Jason Doucette (L to R) are the owners of the impressive indie game studio, Xona Games of Yarmouth. Xona has won several prestigious awards including Innovacorp’s biyearly I-3 Technology Start-up Competition.

 

Press Release:

And here's the press release (Xona Games links added by us):

Big Data Takes Off in Nova Scotia
Economic and Rural Development and Tourism
July 18, 2013 2:12 PM

Small and medium-sized businesses in Nova Scotia will become more competitive and increase the skill of their workforce with support and training from Dalhousie University's new Big Data Analytics Institute.

"With training and help from Dalhousie's new institute, small businesses will be able to understand how they can analyze data to help them grow and compete," said Graham Steele, Minister for Economic and Rural Development and Tourism. "We are pleased to support the institute in its work with businesses in communities throughout Nova Scotia."

Big data analytics is the process of collecting, analyzing and understanding complex and large amounts of information to support business decisions. Big data comes from posts to social media sites, digital pictures and videos, cell phone and GPS signals, texts, blogs, or sensors that gather important climate information.

The first of its kind in Canada, the institute will boost education in big data analytics, lead to greater collaboration and research within the province's growing information and communications technology (ICT) sector, and help establish Nova Scotia as a centre of excellence in the field.

"People and companies working with data know that it can be a powerful asset when making decisions and finding solutions," said Dr. Stan Matwin, director, Institute for Big Data Analytics at Dalhousie University/Canada Research Chair in Visual Analytics. "The key is to find ways that can uncover hidden patterns and intelligence so they can turn their data into something that makes sense and not only addresses challenges, but identifies opportunities as well. It's about using data to its fullest potential."

The province is supporting the institute with $50,000 for training and outreach to small and medium-sized businesses.

Xona Games of Yarmouth is one of Nova Scotia's many small successful start-up companies. Twin brothers, Matthew and Jason Doucette, develop internationally recognized video games for Xbox, PC, and Android devices.

"Nova Scotia is a competitive player in the gaming sector due to its skilled workforce and provincial support," says co-owner, Matthew Doucette. "We started Xona Games in our hometown of Yarmouth because we were born and raised there. However, the provincial support has equipped us with as many, if not more, opportunities than anywhere else in the world. It has helped us, even pushed us, to participate in top international gaming conferences which puts our company and games on the world map."

With significant growth in data worldwide, the analytics market is taking off. The International Data Corporation predicts the market for big data technology and services will reach $16.9 billion by 2015, up from $3.2 billion in 2010, a growth rate of 40 per cent a year.

The ICT sector is one of Nova Scotia's fastest growing sectors and currently employs about 19,000 people at approximately 600 companies. Nova Scotia is home to many successful ICT start-ups and several multinational firms, including IBM, which have located here. There are 10 universities and 13 colleges here offering degrees and programs in ICT areas.

Today, the province also released its ICT sector profile titled Charting the Digital Infosphere: Nova Scotia's Information and Communications Technology Sector, Present and Future. The sector profile provides a snapshot of Nova Scotia's opportunities and some of the many dynamic ICT companies located here. The profile is available at www.novascotia.ca/econ/publications/.

The province is helping small businesses find the support they need more quickly and easily with a new toll-free number (1-855-324-4668), the business.novascotia.ca portal, and by bundling programs and services into five clear entry points.

FOR BROADCAST USE:

Small and medium-sized businesses in Nova Scotia will be able to become more competitive and increase the skill of their workforce with support and training from Dalhousie University's new Institute for Big Data Analytics.

Economic and Rural Development and Tourism Minister Graham Steele says with training and help from the new institute, small businesses will be able to understand how they can analyze data to help them grow and compete.

The province is supporting the institute with 50-thousand dollars for training and outreach to small and medium sized businesses throughout the province.

The institute, which is the first of its kind in Canada, will boost education in big data analytics, lead to greater collaboration and research, and help establish Nova Scotia as a centre of excellence in the field.

The broader information and communications technology -- or ICT -- sector is one of Nova Scotia's fastest growing sectors and employs about 19,000 people at about 600 companies. A report profiling this sector is available on the Department of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism website.

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Media Contacts: Tina Thibeau
Economic and Rural Development and Tourism
902-424-5386
E-mail: thibeatd@gov.ns.ca

Nikki Comeau
Dalhousie University
902-222-8810
E-mail: nikki.comeau@dal.ca

 

Downloads:

 

We have been featured and supported by the Nova Scotian government many times in the past. Please see our awards page for more details.

 

 

About the Author: I am Matthew Doucette of Xona Games, an award-winning indie game studio that I founded with my twin brother. We make intensified arcade-style retro games. Our business, our games, our technology, and we as competitive gamers have won prestigious awards and received worldwide press. Our business has won $190,000 in contests. Our games have ranked from #1 in Canada to #1 in Japan, have become #1 best sellers in multiple countries, have won game contests, and have held 3 of the top 5 rated spots in Japan of all Xbox LIVE indie games. Our game engines have been awarded for technical excellence. And we, the developers, have placed #1 in competitive gaming competitions -- relating to the games we make. Read about our story, our awards, our games, and view our blog.

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