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According to Investissement Quebec, an economic development agency, 86 companies and more than 8,000 jobs have moved to Montreal as a result of a government program. The program allows 37.5 percent of a video-game company\u2019s payroll to be subsidized by Montreal in the form of a refundable tax credit.<\/p>\n
This means that, for every dollar a video-game company spends on paying its employees, it receives 37.5 cents from the Quebec government. Extra credits are also given to companies that make French versions of their games. These incentives have persuaded major gaming companies, such as Electronic Arts and Activision Blizzard, to open businesses in Quebec.<\/p>\n
Last year, the province of Quebec spent over $100 million on the program. The results have been good for the province as big gaming companies are hiring more and more people. THQ, a southern California gaming company, also moved to Montreal very recently. Since they have relocated, THQ has hired 145 employees in Montreal. Their goal is to hire 100 employees every year for the next five years.<\/p>\n
“When you look at our plan, it would be very difficult to do it in a lot of markets. But the right ingredients are in Montreal, with the tax incentives and the quantity and level of talent,” said Dave Gatchel, general manager of THQ Montreal, in the Montreal Gazette.<\/p>\n
Ubisoft, which is the lead gaming employer in Montreal, currently has over 2,000 employees. EA, which is the second-largest video-game company in the United States, came to Montreal in 2004. It currently has more than 750 employees and plans to hire more people for mobile and social games.<\/p>\n