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Charlottetown company to offer playable VR board games

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Prince Edward Island-based Charlottetown startup Sculpin QA is developing technology that will allow people to play tabletop-style games in a shared virtual reality (VR) space.

Backed by the province, as well as the Canadian federal government, Sculpin QA’s new VR gaming platform will help create jobs and bringing innovative ideas to Prince Edward Island’s growing technology sector.

Through the Business Development Program, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) is providing a repayable contribution of $420,767 CAD to Sculpin QA to support the company’s VR project.

Sculpin QA says this will result in the hiring of up to 13 new staff, including producers, engineers and designers over the coming months. Specific release timing for this VR gaming platform, as well as what tabletop game titles will be offered on it, has not yet been revealed.

The National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) will back to the project with $144,500 in non-repayable funding.

Finally, through its Innovation PEI program, government of Prince Edward Island will provide labour rebates to Sculpin QA worth up to $320,766, some of which will go towards the project.

“The gaming industry on Prince Edward Island has grown exponentially over the last few years, and the cutting edge work being done by companies like Sculpin QA is a big reason why,” said Heath MacDonald, minister of economic development and tourism, in a press statement.

“Sculpin is at the forefront of a growing trend in the gaming industry with the emergence of virtual reality. This project will create jobs and further cement our province’s reputation as a gaming leader, showing that despite our small size we are mighty in our ability to make big things happen.”

The support for Sculpin QA’s project is part of the Government of Canada and the four Atlantic provinces’ joint Atlantic Growth Strategy initiative, which is aimed at supporting investments that help build the region’s competitive advantages, which include exports and skilled workforce.

Source: Government of Canada

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