La créativité dans l’industrie du jeu vidéo au Québec

Abstract

The province of Quebec is seen as a center of “creativity” for video games and this concept is regularly used and valued. But the complexity of the socio-cultural phenomena leads us to question the meaning of this concept. What is creativity, who or what is creative? This paper uses a constructivist version the Four P’s framework (product, process, people and press) to show the limits of the concept of creativity in the Quebec video game industry, specifically in Montreal. This model allows us to focus on different interrelated dimensions of creativity, from government economic policies to the creation process, including the products created and the people involved. At first glance, the results show a disturbing lack of creativity. But it is rather the lack of theorization and operationalization of the concept in the context of Quebec video games that is problematic. If the province wishes to maintain its status as a leader in this sector, a transdisciplinary research effort must be undertaken.