MEGA+MIGS Approaches!
4 days of festivities dedicated to Quebec’s video game industry from November 16th to 19th at the Grand Quai of Montreal’s Old Port
For the very first time, Coop La Guilde and Alliance Numérique unite to bring you MEGA+MIGS – an event unlike any other that spotlights the creations and creators of Quebec’s video game industry. From November 16th to 19th, more than 10,000 visitors will be expected at the Grand Quai, located at the heart of Montreal’s Old Port, to participate in this one-of-a-kind celebration where games will be the guests of honor. Gaming fans and industry professionals alike are cordially invited to meet more than 100 exhibitors, today recognized as flagships of Quebec’s (and the rest of the world’s) economy, who will proudly present the fruits of their labor, within the framework of an expansive, colorful, and entertaining programme of activities! From our many game demo kiosks to our eSport Zone presented by RDS Jeux Vidéo, not to mentions our panels hosted by local developers or our giant-sized interactive exhibits, there will be something here for all stripes and all ages!
MEGA, November 16th and 17th, a video game celebration open to the public
MEGA+MIGS aims to highlight the incredible work and huge accomplishments made by the game industry at an international level. Our exhibitors include industry giants like Ubisoft (Education, Rainbow Six Siege, For Honor, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey), EA (EA Sports series, The Sims, Plants vs Zombies), Ludia (Jurassic World Live, What’s Your Story, Dragons: Rise of Berk), Gearbox (Borderlands 3), and Red Barrels (Outlast & Outlast II), but you’ll also find some of Quebec’s most renowned independent studios, such as Thunder Lotus (Spiritfarer), Panache (Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey), and Outerminds. The co-founder of the latter, Guiz de Pessemier, will be presenting the highly-anticipated PewDiePie’s Pixelings, Outerminds’ third game developed in collaboration with the famous youtuber PewDiePie, releasing on November 15th, a mere day before the event begins. As co-spokesperson for MEGA+MIGS, Guiz de Pessemier will be present to meet fans of his francophone YouTube channel Le jeu c’est sérieux and members of the public: “It’s always very exciting and inspiring to see just how much Canada’s game industry has been expanding! We’re all very excited to let visitors discover PewDiePie’s Pixelings and see their reactions!”
For Valérie Roberts, host, self-admitted “geekette” and MEGA+MIGS co-spokesperson, it’s the perfect opportunity to discover local gems, but also to have fun as a family: “I find it amazing that we have a video game festival that’s also meant for the public, where people can button-mash in a relaxed, open, and judgment-free atmosphere. The event is free for children and very inclusive!”
New this year in the eSport Zone presented by RDS, a friendly competition between France and Quebec will take place November 16th from 10am to 1:30pm. It will mark a rare opportunity to see francophone pro players perform live, and discover local titles like King of the Hat from the studio Business Corp. Incorporated.
MEGA+MIGS also features an Education Zone, presented by Synthèse – Pôle Image Québec, which will not only include recruitment activities for recent graduates and young professionals, but also a wide variety of schools that will be presenting their game design programs and curriculums. More established professionals, for their part, will be able to access our VIP “Mentor Lounge”, to meet other important industry representatives to talk business, share their experiences, or simply learn to better understand the gaming ecosystem.
MIGS, November 18th and 19th, focal point of the industry
To learn more about the inner workings of the game industry, MIGS will once again welcome this year a plethora internationally-renowned speakers, such as Patrice Désilets, director of Panache studio, Lulu Vallano from EA, Jesse Houston, co-founder of the Vancouver-based Phoenix Labs, Drew McCoy and Arturo Castro, who notably worked on revolutionizing the “Battle Royale” genre with Apex Legends, Scott Keister, concept artist behind Borderlands 3’s attitude-soaked characters, as well as the talented Ikumi Nakamura, who unveiled the trailer for the highly anticipated Ghostwire: Tokyo under a sea of applause at last June’s E3 in Los Angeles. The keynote speech, for its part, will be given by Rod Fergusson from The Coalition studio, to whom we owe Gears 5, the first AAA title fully accessible and adapted to the needs of disabled players. On November 18th at 11am, a presentation by the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC) will be an opportunity to take the industry’s pulse, and take a closer look at how Canadian studios are dynamizing the field, with statistics to back up those claims.
Multiple masterclasses will also be hosted by big names from the industry, including the art director of Square-Enix Montreal Rachele Doimo, Ian Schreiber, from the Rochester Institute of Technology and cofounder of Global Game Jamz, and the communications manager at Infinity Plus Two, Gabriella Lowgren.
Between these two, a tribute to Rémi Racine, pioneer of Québec’s game industry
What better way to bridge the gap between MEGA and MIGS than with a tribute to Rémi Racine, founder of Behaviour Interactive and figurehead of the Quebec gaming scene for more than 25 years now? Sunday November 17th, during the VIP Cocktail presented by Desjardins, visitors are invited to celebrate his immense contributions to the field, in the company of developers hailing from all across the globe, all while immersed in the incredible music adaptations of Montreal’s own Orchestre Symphonique du Jeu Vidéo.
MEGA
Dates: Saturday November 16th to Sunday November 17th
Opening Hours: 10am to 6pm
MIGS
Dates: Monday November 18th to Tuesday November 19th
Opening Hours: 10am to 6pm
Tickets and prices >> Click Here
Location:
GRAND QUAI OF MONTREAL
200, Rue de la Commune Ouest
Montreal, QC, H2Y 4B2
