Canada's videogame industry is the third largest in the world, trailing only behind those of the U.S. and Japan. Yet the friendly, soft-spoken nation is under increasing pressure from its southern neighbor to conform to stricter standards of piracy prevention. Andy Chalk examines whether the U.S.'s heated rhetoric is enough to melt through the hardy igloo of Canadian resistance to copyright reform.

Canada is home to nearly 250 game studios, employing upwards of 15,000 people. But some in the industry feel their country doesn't get the credit it deserves from the gaming media. Nicole Tanner speaks with a few developers about the past, present and future of the Canadian games industry.

Few game developers boast a resume like Don Mattrick's: Co-founder of one of the first game studios in Canada, President of Electronic Arts and Senior Vice President of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division. But on a more local level, Mattrick may have singlehandedly turned Vancouver into one of the foremost game development hubs in the world.

It's not unusual for companies in large industries to have competing corporate cultures that isolate themselves from each other. But one organization aims to break down those barriers for Vancouver's game development community. Murray Chu looks at the Artery and how it's helping local artists and designers stay connected.