Following is a link to an article I wrote for Inolife Sciences, via MarketOne. They were a really great client to work for and I’m very proud of how the article turned out!
Inolife Sciences is injecting innovation into the pharmaceutical market
The following is an article written for a mining publication of which I am particularly proud, being a preliminary report on the mining industry in the nation of Mali.
Origins
In 1324, Musa I of the Mali Empire decided to undertake his hajj to Mecca, traveling across Northern Africa and the Middle East. Mali was a flourishing state, and the pilgrimage was as much an opportunity to showcase its wealth as it was a religious undertaking.
The event was so well known as to become legendary and accumulated the regular amount of vagueness of myth. It is said that he went out with 60,000 people in his procession, and a mass of animals including 80 camels. What was most memorable was, however, what they brought with them – supposedly over 20,000 kg of gold bars, and over 100 kg of gold dust carried by those same camels. Musa spent this wealth freely, supposedly funding a new mosque on every Friday, wherever they found themselves on their journey.
If the idea was to make people remember his passing, it worked, if maybe for not the right reasons. So much gold was given out in donations and gifts that it created a massive ten year gold recession. In cities like Cairo, Medina and Mecca, prices of goods massively inflated. (Musa reportedly realized his mistake and tried to borrow as much gold as he could carry on his way back at high interest).
The continuing popularity of this story serves to underline the connection that Mali has always had with gold, back from the medieval era. From Europe to the Middle East, it was a land associated with fantastical amounts of wealth. Time has not entirely reduced the glimmer of Mali, which is still the 3rd largest producer of gold in Africa.
The Mali Empire would fall to the Songhai, which itself would implode after defeat by Morocco, but the rumours of gold fascinated the French, who would colonize the area as French Soudan, gold heavy on their minds. France however, reached Mali relatively late, at the end of the 19th century. Its inland isolation meant that mining was often still done as “artisanal” or “traditional” mining, using very basic tools and methods.
Mali would join with Senegal to become independent of France in 1960, quickly splitting from that other country. One dictatorship was overthrown by another, and Mali was a difficult place for foreign investment up until 1991, when the March Revolution ousted Moussa Traoré. For the next 20 years, Mali stabilized somewhat. In 1991 a new Mining Code was also established to try and attract foreign investment. The mid-90s and early 2000s saw the opening of many new mines in the area. Between 1994 and 2007, national and foreign companies were granted around 150 operating licenses. Mining revenue would increase by about thirty times in this period. This increasing gold market was key in stabilizing Mali’s economy, which used to rely heavily on an unstable agricultural market, particularly cotton, and the government has a vested interest in promoting the industry.
Recent History
One of the most important companies to first enter the opened Mali was a Canadian one, IAMGOLD (most famous for the Rosabel gold mine in Suriname), which went public the same year it opened the Sadiola mine in west Mali in 1996. IAMGOLD would later partner in the area with AngloGold Ashanti, a merger of Ghanaian and South African mining companies. IAMGOLD (The IAM being short for International African Mining) would later establish the nearby Yatela in 2001. Sadiola continues to be the most productive mine in Mali.
Other companies would follow along in western Mali. Barrick would permit their Loulo-Gounkoto project in 1996, another large producer. B2Gold would also partner with AngloGold Ashanti to open Fekolo in the same area – in 2006, Endeavour would open the Tabako mine.
While the western border with Senegal is the site of many major mines, southern Mali also had some development. Barrick and Ashanti worked on the Morila mine which opened in 2000 and recently closed. One of the newest and most talked about mines in this area is Syama, operated by Resolute. Syama is touted as the first purpose built fully automated mine in the world. The land itself was acquired in 2004, with first development ore being delivered recently.
Mali is a country clearly divided by geography, with savanna in the southwest along the Niger river, and desert in the northeast. In the southwest the people often belong to one of the many Mande ethnicities (like the Bambara) and are generally sedentary farmers. In the northeast there are more nomadic groups like the Taureg. In the area in between there are also pastoralist groups such as the Fula.
In 2012 and 2015 respectively the Tauregs and Fula both began armed insurgencies against the government. These intertwining conflicts are complicated by the actions of Bambara militias who have escalated the violence. Jihadist actors from outside of Mali have attempted to use the chaos to further their own goals – however, the Bambara militias are accused of often fabricated the presence of jihadists to justify their own violent reprisals.
The conflict is highly complex and beyond the scope of an easy explanation. The upshot was that in 2012 the military ousted the President, displeased with how he was handling the crisis. During this instability, the Tauregs seized historical cities like Timbukto and Gao in the northeast and declared the creation of a new state, Azawad. The French military eventually got involved and forced the Tauregs to give up their new state and sign a peace with the government. This mostly served to turn the conflict from open warfare to acts of terrorism. While most of the terrorist acts are targeted at Malian military personnel in the northeast, in 2017 Islamic terrorists would attack a resort in the capital of Bamako, killing 5 people.
The main mining production in the affected areas are salt and maybe oil, not gold, and it is tempting to view the conflict as entirely separated from the border mining in the south and west, in the Kayes and Sikasso regions. This discussion of the conflict is more to demonstrate how Mali could still be vulnerable to unforeseen and rapidly emerging risk factors such as coups, ethnic disputes and terrorist attacks. Foreigners in the capital city are in danger of kidnappings or attacks despite its distance from the main areas of conflict.
Geology
Mali is a country that is defined by the Niger river which runs west to east through the nation. The country is also divided into east and west by geography, geology and culture. Eastern Mali is what springs to the popular imagination when one thinks of the country – desert, Tauregs and the famed ancient cities of Timbuktu and Gao. In this dry area, the main mineral wealth has been in the form of salt. Current conflicts, however, mean there is little in the way of development. Salt production has also generally decreased from the 70s. (The salt mines of Mali were notorious as being a place for political dissidents to be sent for forced labour).
Western Mali is often of greater interest from a geological standpoint. The south and west of this area, along the borders of Côte D’Ivoire and Senegal respectively, lie on the West African shield – a contiguous part of the famous Guiana shield on the other side of the Atlantic. This ancient Paleoproterozoic rock is the source of the mythical wealth in gold discussed earlier. As mentioned, Mali is only behind South African and Ghana in terms of African gold production (though Sudan is catching up).
Mali does have other mineral industries, such as kaolin, phosphate and limestone, but these are tiny industries compared to gold, which accounts for about 80% of mining revenue in the country. The government is eager to start up a petroleum industry in the old salt fields of the Taoudeni basin in the far north, with Algeria, Italy, France, Australia and China having all done exploration in the area. However, the remoteness of this location, harsh environment and recent conflict have all put a damper on the prospective oil industry.
While a gamut of other minerals has been found in Mali, there have been little dedicated attempts to survey for them or extract them, and more information would be needed before pursuing any of these potential industries. In particular, the government of Mali is interested in exploring mining of bauxite, manganese, lithium and uranium.
Mining Industry in Mali
Despite all this talk of fabled lands of gold, today Mali is mostly an agricultural nation. It exports fruit and sesame seeds, but its king crop is cotton, which accounts for about a third of all exports in the country.
As mentioned, however, the Malian economy suffered heavily due to fluctuations in the international cotton market, which sparked an interest in gold and the entrance of foreign companies. Gold is also important to Mali because it has an international market, whereas much of its agriculture is destined for its African neighbours. Conflicts in these countries can hurt the agricultural sector, in a way that the international gold market is more immune to. Gold makes up about a fifth of the Malian export economy – no other mining sector can compare. The only other mineral that even comes close is the mining of phosphates for fertilizers. The once vast Malian salt mining industry has mostly dried up by the current day. If you are going to Mali for any mineral, its gold.
Gold mining in Mali is divided into the small unregulated local industries and the larger foreign backed projects. The gold in the unregulated system often goes out on the black market. The unregulated gold mining industry in Mali has been a source of constant criticism for its use of child labour. The government struggles to properly measure and tax this “artisanal” mining.
The more established legitimate mining operations have a better reputation. The area where gold is mined in Mali is far from the conflicts that would threaten other mineral industries. Most of these companies are currently well regarded for their compliance with international mining standards in transparency and best practices. However, there has been some criticism that these mining companies do not produce enough local jobs, relying on foreign personnel, and have not done enough to compensate displaced locals. While Canadian companies like IAMGOLD tend to have good reputations, their local African partners like AngloGold-Ashanti often have black spots on their human rights records. (About a decade back, AngloGold came under heavy criticism when it was revealed just how many workers died in their South African mines).
Finding trained local personnel is difficult, however, due to the struggles Mali has in providing consistent education beyond a primary level. The country is also noted for not serving women very well in terms of education or employment rights, further limiting the talent pool.
The government of Mali is a mixed bag on reputation. They are invested in trying to grow the mining market in Mali due to how vulnerable their agricultural sector can be, as mentioned before. They are considered to be transparent when it comes to recorded mining revenues, apart from the difficulty in tracking artisanal mines. However, they have come under some criticism for not making the process of distributing licences transparent enough, and for not being as honest as they could be about how their mining revenues are spent – the people of Mali are often sold on mining by promises that the revenue will go to funding for healthcare and education, which the country is in desperate need of.
Despite a long history of gold production, most mining experts agree that the gold potential in Mali has only been barely tapped. Gold was so easy to get in Mali that only the most basic processes were needed, reflected in the continued artisanal mining industry. However, with more modern drilling and surveying techniques, a tremendous amount of gold could be accessed. A 2017 review estimated that of 133 potentially gold-rich reserves, only six had been fully mapped out.
Mali’s mining industry presents an interesting combination of challenges and opportunities, both for its people and foreign investors. The fabled cities of Timbuktu and Goa in the east have unfortunately fallen into disrepair and danger. However, in the west, the potential for greatness still lies buried. The legends of Mali as a land of fabulous amounts of gold proved to be a rare case where the myths were absolutely true.
Contact Information
STEWART HEMINGSON
118 Balliol Street, Apartment 305, Toronto M4S 1C1 · (778) 251-2590 · sghemingson@gmail.com
Experience
2019-Present FREELANCE COPYWRITER Toronto, ON
- Prepared marketing reports and copy for a variety of companies, with rapid turnaround
- Arranged and organized interviews with relevant clients
- Clients include MarketOne Media Group, Oil and Gas Investments, Sundar Capital and Arrow Creek Capital
2015-Present CYBERMOOSE Inc.
Co-Founder
- Built founding team to create startup tabletop game based on original artwork
- Oversaw balance between artist’s vision and pragmatic game concern designs
- Mediated conflicts, led team to meet deadlines, and energized the game design process and networking within the industry
- Established ownership terms, initiated entity formation process, and led user testing
Sep -Nov 2019 LEADUP CONSULTING Toronto, ON
Sales Associate
- Used Direct Marketing to drive sales of Canadian Tire Triangle MasterCards
- Developed and polished sales and retail knowledge and skills
2013-2017 CRANIUM COWORKING Vancouver, BC
Manager
- Two promotions within 18 months, from Intern to Assistant Manager to Manager of a coworking space and incubator
- Managerial oversight over all client accounts, tenant relationships, day-to-day operational management, vendor screening & procurement, and AP/AR
- Resolve disputes between tenants, suppliers, and management
- Oversee all web marketing and sales efforts for Cranium Coworking and its parent company AtlasCloud
- Provide outsourced management & fulfilment services to eSnail Automated Mail Systems, a startup tenant offering virtual post office box services, where I handle day-to-day operations and client management
EDUCATION
2017-2019 SCHULICH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS North York, ON
Masters of Business, April 2019
- Specializations in Marketing and Arts and Media
- Member of Marketing and Arts and Media Clubs
- Marketing Specialist on 601 Strategy Field Study
2009-2013 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Los Angeles, CA
Bachelor of Arts & Sciences in History, June 2013
- Graduated Cum Laude
- Studies focused on early modern development of globalization
- President of the Society of Strategic Gaming and Roleplaying
OTHER INFORMATION
- Active creative writer as well as freelance copywriter
- Tabletop gaming enthusiast, avid jogger and swimmer (freestyle), certified lifeguard
- Power user in Microsoft Office, working understanding of spoken & written French
- Certified trained in Social Media Marketing
I’ve always been a big fan of old action, science fiction, horror and (as rare as they may be) fantasy films. Partially this was a case of going to college in California, where being a film buff is someone expected – partially its due to a shared passion with my dad. At the risk of sounding too pretentious, or like a terminally old soul, it’s also because I find that genre films today tend to be disappointing to me. While we’ve certainly got slicker special effects (not actually something I care about, but the charm of practical effects is another essay entirely!) and many talented actors, directors and cinematographers, I find that the writing leaves much to be desired. While there are those who will always turn their noses up at scripts written for horror, sci-fi and fantasy, I’m not arguing over the quality of those scripts compared to anything else – rather I’m simply making a statement about the quality of the old compared to the new. I think what I miss most about older genre films is the simplicity. So many of those stories are based on the extrapolations of a very simple “What If?” premise. What if people were trapped with a predatory alien on a spaceship? What if soldiers from a future war tried to alter the past to secure victory? What if a whole city were made into a prison? Even if the characters and concepts are not wholly original, they can be given an original spin. What if we mixed old serials with WWII and samurai films? What if someone is out for revenge on characters we know and love?
Many newer films, conversely, seem to have no central conceit or concept, instead being a strange mess of references, ironic self-awareness, plot holes, unfinished concepts, non- conflicts, false starts, hand waves, and mandatory advertisements for other films by the same studio, all editing in such a way to hopefully make you lose your train of thought in trying to string all of this together. In short, it seems fairly obvious that writing by committee is in vogue.
There are many more essayists and podcast preachers who can do a better job than I of dissecting the issues that plague modern writing. One odd, and slightly worrying trend I often see, however, is the assumption that one of the most significant factors in the deterioration of writing quality is the desire to make films more “politically correct” – that the inclusion of a more diverse cast is as significant a factor as the issues I laid about above. Many take it into the realm of paranoia (not really surprising given the times) and assume secretive political messages. While I do understand that sometimes the push for inclusion manages to stumble over its own feet and become a push for exclusion (or a push for the ridiculous) this seems to be a bizarrely out of place complaint for the reason that I feel that older films often handled more diverse casts better than we do today. Often times, a studio attempting to make a “diverse” movie ends up looking preachy or buffoonish – just look at the marketing for a film like Captain Marvel to see how absurd this can get. (Of course, this isn’t an issue with all modern films. Sadly eclipsed by the aforementioned film was a wonderfully charming, if imperfect, adaptation of Battle Angel Alita, with a fantastic female lead character.)
This contrasts heavily with how effortlessly older films often pushed the boundaries of what was expected in the genre. Few female lead characters manage to capture the imagination like Ellen Ripley or Sarah Connor. Heck, the lead for Night of the Living Dead, the definitive zombie flick, was black. One of the best action films of the 70s, Assault on Precinct 13, starred a black police officer and a female secretary. The only white male lead in that film was a death row convict – not exactly conventional.
Once again, before I start rattling off too many examples, I should point out many people have covered this topic much better and more extensively than I have. The actual thought I have had is an addendum of sorts to the ones above, inspired by a news article that caught my eye on the topic of diversity in film. The article in question (the source of which I cannot recall), was bemoaning the fact that while casting has begun to be more inclusive, it has left behind a large segment of the population – the disabled.
This instantly made me think that, once again, the classics had already been there and done it better. While there’s a few examples I could bring up, the film that instantly popped to mind was Silver Bullet. It’s a film that’s not very widely known outside of horror circles, which makes some sense. It is an adaptation of a Stephen King story collection based around a werewolf killing every full moon for a year (originally the stories were going to be paired with horror art for a calendar). The film can be a bit odd in its mixing of drama with the intentionally campy, but this gives it what I feel is a wonderfully hysterical tone. Never has a film made me burst out laughing at a hard cut to a funeral before.
However, what makes it rare among movies in general, not just in the horror genre, is the fact that its main character, the young Marty (played by Corey Haim), is paraplegic. On the one hand, Marty’s disability is never ignored by the script. Getting around is shown to be a chore. And yet despite this, or perhaps because of this, Marty is one of the most determined and likeable horror movie protagonists I can think of.
Marty never takes too much time to worry about his lack of ability to walk. Not that the script ignores it, as some of the more ignorant adults around the comment on the fact. However, Marty traverses the town in a truly amazing motorized wheelchair made by his uncle (portrayed hilariously by Gary Busey), shows great upper body strength in climbing, and when finally confronted with the werewolf, shoots out its eye with a firecracker. In a show of assertiveness that is almost comical, after identifying who the werewolf is around town, he sends the monster cut-out letters firmly requesting that he off himself to stop the killings. And in an exciting finale, Marty pulls off a win against evil worthy of any horror movie star.
Silver Bullet rides a line between comedic and creepy that might not click with everyone, particularly today, but I think its worth a look for horror fans. While I can think of a few science fiction, action and horror films with disabled protagonists, they are often more niche. (Ask someone to name a Romero movie and they’ll never say Monkey Shines first, for example). I’m curious now if we might get an underrated film with such a protagonist coming out soon. Hopefully it will be done well, and hopefully we’ll give it more than just a second glance.
I want to note down some of my thoughts on the video game Disco Elysium while it is fresh in my mind after finishing – though I have a feeling this is going to be one that I will revisit sooner rather than later. There’s already been an outpouring of praise for the game, so I think another lengthy panegyric would not add much. The most I will say is just how happy this game made me in its existence. Interactive media can be a difficult topic to have discourse in because of how frustratingly imprecise of a term it is, and because it means so much to so many people. A book exists as a book, and a film as a film. But a video game can take on the role of a sport, a hobby or a social activity. People will argue constantly over whether video games are an artform or not, which seems like far too broad an argument to me. Do video games that try to be an artform exist? Absolutely, and to state otherwise is categorically false.
I don’t begrudge any of these differing but connected forms of media. I myself enjoy video games for their social and hobby aspects. But when speaking from a purely entrepreneurial standpoint, it is hard not to see games as a storytelling medium feeling a little snubbed of late. What really puts a spark in the eye of most studios is the ideas that games can become no longer a single form of media, but a “service”, becoming essentially a second job with its own demands, despite being something that is paid for. It’s the media equivalent of a wage job I suppose. You give your time and your money. This can be fulfilling, of course, like any job, but that is the way the relationship with the player is structured.
That was why it was such a joy to play through Disco Elysium and be reminded that there exists a space where that relationship was different, where a video game can give as much to a player as a reader or watcher receives. And this is a game that gives plentifully. I tend more and more to judge media by how much it lingers – how often my mind keeps coming back to it and the impact it had on me. How much, essentially, that it pushes back against the concept of disposability. Even in this consideration, parts of my experience are drifting back to the surface.
Piecing together the life of an elderly housewife from her tiny apartment as I try to find the best way to explain to her the stupid and pointless death of her husband.
Singing karaoke in the grungy cafeteria of a grungy hotel, a little emptier than it normally was due to my own failings in the face of human violence.
A very strange but playfully foreshadowed ending, where empathy from the oddest place pushes you through to the end of a satisfyingly meandering detective story.
And those are just some particular moments, all of which are surrounded by gorgeous music, hilarious and evocative writing, and an art style that feels like, well, art, resembling a painting in motion. As I said before, it’s a generous game with plenty to give. I couldn’t shake the feeling while playing it that it was something of a thesis statement on the industry as a whole, with an equal measure said about what a video game should and shouldn’t be.
There’s a lot to unpack, but this was meant to be a short reaction, so I’ll focus in on one aspect I thought was handled in an interesting way. Like so many video game protagonists beforehand, the lead character of Disco Elysium (who I will not name to reserve spoilers) begins as an amnesiac with no real memory of who they are. This is not uncommon in games and generally is used for two reasons. Firstly, it can be done to make the character a blank slate for the player to project onto either themselves or a roleplayed identity. Secondly, it can be used to add mystery to the plot, concealing information for a later reveal or plot twist.
However, in Disco Elysium, these purposes are more played with than used straight. The main character may start off with some pieces missing, but he most certainly has a character of his own. He is less a character that you build from scratch, and more one that you can attempt to steer. Despite having a fractured psyche, he is still his own person and his own character. The game would be significantly affected with a differing character in his place. And while his amnesia is used to conceal certain facts, they are not the usual sort of revelations you would expect. Traditionally it is a massive aspect of character, world or game that is kept in the shadows. (An excellent example of all three at once would be in Bioshock.) What we slowly pull out from behind the amnesia in Disco Elysium is in turns hilarious, heartbreaking and humanizing. Our main character wasn’t the villain all along, nor an integral part of some massive plot, or an outlandish element of the world. He was just a person who probably wanted to forget a lot of things.
Too often when the “human element” is brought up in discussion of video games its in the context of trying to crack the psychology of what makes people give up their time and money. It meant a lot to me to instead have a game give this human element a respectful and thoughtful presentation. I wish the studio the best and I’m hoping to see more from them soon.
Old Spice is, to me, a fascinating paradox of a brand. As not one who pays too much attention to the deodorant I wear, but who knows many people who swear by the product (or swear by other people using the product) I was able to collect many enthusiastic comments regarding the product. What was interesting to me was that there was two distinct lines of praise for Old Spice. One was how the brand was “mature” and “classy”, specifically in comparison to rival brand Axe – the general consensus being that Axe was appropriate for teenagers, while those over a certain age should be using Old Spice instead. At the same time, Old Spice has a reputation as a brand associated with humour and irreverence, with many people often bringing up how they enjoyed how Old Spice was never too “serious”. A quick look at the FAQ section of their Canadian website (where, in between explaining their products, a ‘short-necked giraffe’ tried to get me to look at his screenplay), confirmed this to be the case. Old Spice has a brand then, it seems, that is carefully designed to be mature – but not to mature. To be more specific, it seeks to be associated with a degree of class, but doesn’t want its target market of younger men to feel that it is too full of itself or being too serious, thusly their brand constantly having its tongue firmly in cheek.
Looking purely at their products, I found that their branding, in store and on the website, tended to follow these general trends. I soon began to come up with a variety of brand associations, settling on “fun”, “irreverent”, “masculine”, “(playfully) classy”, “’tongue in cheek’”, and with a unique blend of “mature yet silly.” This is visible not just in their famous advertisements, but all over the website and the packaging itself. For example, many of their bottles features a ‘classy’ style of writing – elegant cursive within a gold frame, or other ornate lettering. At the same time, the same packaging will features fanciful and fun artwork and designs, and even messages similar to the ones displayed on their website. Perhaps this was best displayed by their cologne packaging. A simple red design with the branded text on front gave a classy appearance – with the word “classic” itself prominently featured. On the back of the box however, was a message informing me that “If your grandfather hadn’t worn it, you wouldn’t be here”. This is clearly having some fun with the customer, while still reminding them of Old Spice’s heritage and reliability as a brand.
From the branding, I believe we can pull out the full value proposition of Old Spice. Firstly, and most obviously, would be the tangible benefit of making you smell nice, and to keep you smelling nice. While this might seem a little bland for such a colourful brand, it should be remembered that for many, Old Spice is simply a practical product – to expand upon simply “smelling nice” I would say that Old Spice’s general tangible benefit, through deodorants to shampoos and soaps, it to make you more presentable throughout the day. Of course, there are plenty of emotional benefits as well – scent based brands, I think, have to lean heavily into their emotional value due to being so subjective. Axe, for example, has the emotional value proposition of making one attractive to women. Old Spice, in a subtler vein, is more about selling confidence. Partially this is obvious (many Old Spice produces use the term “confidence” directly in their descriptions) and partially it is seen in a more pervasive manner throughout their entire brand. The brand itself is confident enough to be playful with its own image, not being concerned at all what others might say about it. At the same time, its scents tend to have a lot of “masculine” branding – references to the outdoors, high seas and hard work. No matter what confidence means to the consumer, Old Spice is providing a variation.
Before you even open the small box, in Tiffany Blue – before you even see the gift inside – there are immediate associations that come to mind, an immediate expectation of what might be inside. With decades of cultural impact behind it, Tiffany’s is a brand that is fitted tightly into the public consciousness. To the average consumer, these associations are automatic – but to anyone interested in branding, there is an entire market and branding strategy to unbox. Tiffany Canada is in the Broad Market of selling jewelry. This is the main product that the company sells and is a distinct market within Canada. The jewelry market is an interesting one, with a wide variety of sellers and buyers. Firstly, and most importantly, it is a retail industry, selling finished products directly to customers. It depends mainly on a variety of resource gathering secondary industries, mainly the mining of gold, silver and, of course, jewels. This industry has a few key economic drivers, the most noteworthy for this assignment being that even the cheapest of jewelry is something of a luxury. This means that this is a market that is closely tied to the changing tides of disposable income within Canada, something to keep in mind. Price fluctuation in the precious metals required to manufacture the jewelry is also a concern. The industry is of course affected by consumer demand, but also in some cases by department store demand and, increasingly, of e-commerce sites. While these are general industry trends, they affect Tiffany less, as it operates its own stores. (Indeed, as discussed later, the Tiffany stores are a key part of the Tiffany experience). It is a large industry even within the relatively (on a global scale), Canadian Market, with the most recent data from the summer and spring of 2018 showing total sales worth about $300,000,000. Within the Canadian market there are two large conglomerates of jewelry sellers that between the two of them control about 15% of the market, these being the Zale Corporation and the other the Birks Group. Out of these two, Birks tries to target the luxury market more, moving towards Tiffany’s position while Zale (through its People’s Brand) advertises itself more on its deals and affordability. After these two, Tiffany’s is the third largest jewelry brand in Canada with a Market Share at about 4%. Behind Tiffany is retailer Michael Hill, who has been shown to have fast growth in the Canadian market. Indeed, he competition between established players in this market is apparently fairly lively, as it is not a market where there any many new entrants per year. Those who do want to get into the jewelry manufacturing business are normally very small and not a direct threat to the existing blocs or are looking into other ways to crack the market.
These new forms of selling are one of the factors that are going to influence market growth in the future, and the general health of the market. Perhaps a bit ironically, forecasts estimate that it is going to be this outside competition that will pose the largest threat to established jewelry companies. Firstly, online purchases of jewelry are estimated to increase in the future, as are the jewelry products offered in department stores, who are seeking to tap into the market. These methods of selling hope to appeal to millennial buyers, who have generally declined in their jewelry purchasing. Partially this is because of the bad press the diamond industry has earned (think of ‘blood diamonds’ from Africa, and the revelation of the price controlling that the industry does), and partially because this generation is known to be low on money and time. The speed and convenience of having their jewelry be delivered, or be accessible at a central shopping location, all appeal to people who have less buying power and convenience. As well, while I mentioned that the industry was a competitive one that was difficult to break into for newer players, that does not mean that international competition might not be a threat. For example, industry operator Michael Hill international has been aggressively expanding within Canada over the past few years. This shows that despite challenges and changes in demographics, the industry is a live one, and it does not pay for any brand to fall asleep at the wheel. As can be seen, Politic, Social and Economic factors are some of the key modifiers in the Canadian jewelry market to consider as part of PESTLE.
There are also some more positive opportunities, along with the threats, to the industry. While the current generation of millennials might not be big purchasers, there is hope that this might change in the future, and that the following generation might be larger spenders. A general recovery in the economy is always good for disposable income, which is likewise good for the jewelry industry. Also to be considered is the point that technology need not only be a threat to the established jewelry industry. Branding that will set individual companies apart from competitors, both new and old, will be key, and newer technologies can be leveraged to better reinforce a brand. Tiffany’s has already shown that it understands this with how it connects itself, celebrities and consumers through social media such as Instagram.
The service model is an interesting one, to be sure, and holds a wealth of promise for revenue, and flexibility in game design. The service model allows for monetary value to be extracted over time, rather than in unreliable bursts around release of main products and expansions of those products. Exactly how this is done varies. Previously, games as services preferred the subscription model, seen in popular games such as World of Warcraft and EVE: Online, with a payment given per month. Current models often do something similar, but attempt to offer more flexibility in payment, in exchange for the possibility of greater payment. This can involve slowly releasing more content in downloadable packages that are purchased individually, or, increasingly, simply having digital ‘goods’ that exist within the game cost additional money. Sometimes these models are mixed, like in the case of a “season pass”, where a one-time amount of money is paid with the promise that later on the purchaser will receive those “digital goods” as the season unfolds. All of these are in general known as “microtransactions” – often the total microtransactions a game will offer over its lifespan will add up to be more, sometimes significantly more, than the original game. Microtransactions are not without controversy, however. Many support them under the idea that by dividing up the cost of the game, players have more power to pick and choose what content they get, allowing them to not purchase a piece of content they feel would not suit them. On the other hand, many game studios take the model of “having their cake and eating it” releasing the game at a full price as well as offering microtransactions at the same time, citing extra costs, despite the cheapening of technology[1]. Some controversy was raised when it was revealed that certain companies were creating finished games, then purposefully removing content to sell it back to players separately for more money, rather than developing this content over time.
All the above is a preamble to the fact that I believe that the games as a service model is an inherently risky one, and Canadian developers for large ‘game service’ companies should keep an eye out for possible shifts in the market. There are a few reasons this is risky. Most dramatically, there may be legal difficulties as far as microtransactions go. The idea of microtransactions was already somewhat controversial due to, critics argued, often mimicking the tactics used by casinos to extract the maximum amount of money from customers who are particularly prone to gambling addiction behaviours, known in the industry as “whales”, with players with more self-control being known as “minnows”[1]. This set up became even more controversial (if possible) when companies began to sell microtransactions in the form of “lootboxes” – where the content provided was unknown and randomized, thus encouraging players prone to gambling to continue to input money in the hope of getting a good result. The straw that broke the camel’s back was likely the inclusion of the lootbox system in the new Star Wars and FIFA soccer games, franchises traditionally popular among children.[2] Already some American states and European nations are making movements towards classifying this kind of monetization as actual gambling, and regulating it as such.[3] Many companies have decided to fight these decisions, and how it players out remains to be seen, though Europe at least is not exactly known for its good feelings towards large American tech companies. Just how much of an impact these kinds of regulations can have remains to be seen – but many of the companies at the heart of the controversy, like Star Wars and FIFA licence holder EA, have significant investment in Canada. If they are forced to make an immediate change to their monetary model, there may be significant disruption in the Canadian market. So far, EA has indicated it wants to fight for its rights to operate as a gambling company without being referred to as so, which may indicate a lack of plan if its investment in this strategy does not pay off.[4]
However, there are less obvious threats in the move towards microtransactions and the live service model. The problem, as mentioned in discussions in class, is that of “service saturation”. Essentially, those interested in the entertainment business tend to seriously look at the growth of video streaming services and question as to what the limit of subscriptions is, as more companies such as Disney throw their hats into the ring. Any given customer will only feel that a certain amount of these services is returning any real worth to them – there is only so much time and money. However, companies in the interactive media seem highly confident that their live service games will not suffer from undue competition, even though certain companies are, indeed, competing with themselves. EA once again makes a perfect example here, where their much lauded launch of Anthem had its thunder stolen by their other product, Apex Legends. Many of the live service games are becoming almost like second jobs, with the most value extracted by the player through daily play. As more and more companies move to this model, players have to increasingly decide which of these services are worth their time and money – and with multiple companies making multiple such services, they are going to reach their limit much quicker. These companies often word the service model as something that will save them from the unpredictability of the “blockbuster to blockbuster” model, where games must gamble on their opening months. However, there is no indication that the service model is any more reliable. Ubisoft, for example, had a great success with one of its Tom Clancy licenced service titles, Rainbow Six: Siege, which started slow but eventually won over a large fanbase. On the other hand, another Tom Clancy service, The Division, was considered much less successful, and instead of continuing, a sequel was made as a second chance to “get it right”.
The thing is, this has all happened in the gaming industry before. The gaming industry is nothing if not a trend chaser, especially in the larger company space. The most similar experience it has gone through previously was the “Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game” craze, based around games where a larger number of players could be active on a single “game world” at once. Running servers is expensive, of course, so the companies operating these games would often ask for a subscription fee per month. Blizzard Entertainment gained a smash hit in the genre with their “World of Warcraft” MMORPG, and a multitude of companies scrambled to copy its success. Barring a few niche examples, they mostly failed. The fact of the matter was that players often already had World of Warcraft, or their differentiated niche of choice. It was not until companies started to offer another a differentiated model (normally microtransactions) that people could be lured away from their subscription games or tempted to play others. In the end, engaging in industry rushes turns into competitions to seize time, attention and money from a demographic increasingly beset by options. These services will have to be significantly different from each other in order to grab attention – but the trend is going towards homogenization, rather than towards differentiation of offerings. Companies copy other companies, with EA’s Anthem release seeming very similar to the earlier Destiny 2 release by Activision[1]. Ubisoft ran into this problem with themselves with the aforementioned Division and Rainbow Six, two tactical military services based on the works of Tom Clancy.
[1] https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/10/anthem-preview/
[1] https://www.gamesbrief.com/2011/11/whales-dolphins-and-minnows-the-beating-heart-of-a-free-to-play-game/
[2] https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2018/02/13/ea-activision-and-others-should-be-afraid-of-hawaiis-new-loot-box-bills/
[3] https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-04-25-now-belgium-declares-loot-boxes-gambling-and-therefore-illegal
[4] https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/09/ea-defies-belgian-loot-box-decision-setting-up-potential-gambling-lawsuit/
[1] https://gamerant.com/video-game-prices-breakdown-514/
It would be disingenuous to treat the Canadian video game industry as one that began in splendid isolation, only later being taken over by foreign invaders. In many cases, the rise of the Canadian video game industry in the 90s and early 00’s hinged on the support of these companies entering the Canadian Market. Being from British Columbia, I am well aware of the importance that Electronic Arts plays in the economy of Burnaby, for example. However, many Canadian based developers who are now part of larger American companies did start off as successful companies in their own right; Relic, Radical and especially Bioware are all companies that were successful on their own terms before eventually going for the American merger. By the same token, many studios that are subsidiary to foreign companies have begun to develop their own identities – the Canadian offices of global video game giants EA, Rockstar, Microsoft, Capcom and Ubisoft, to name a few, have all earned themselves recognition for the products they make independently of their parent corporations[1] – if sadly perhaps not enough recognition outside of those who closely follow the industry and keep aware of who actually makes their games.
Mergers with global publishers made sense during these eras. Mostly American (or in some cases Japanese or French), these companies had the edge in the start of the industry, with greater resources and the first mover advantage. Many Canadian studios had talented developers who felt it was in their best interest to get global partners for distribution, as they often struggled to balance costs with sales. On the other hand, there was a healthy innovation community within Canada, particularly in Montreal, that these foreign companies wanted to tap. This lead to the situation of today, where there are essentially two “levels” of the Canadian video game industry – the entrenched large studios that are immersed within the global framework, and the rising tide of independent studios, normally making smaller scale ‘indie’ or mobile games. The assumption has been that the money has been, and will be, within these larger studios. The smaller studios are supported not because they are seen as potentially lucrative, but rather because it is believed that they could not support themselves in the business of creativity without help[2]. They are the small Canadian independent films to the American Hollywood of the global game studios. And yet, the Canadian video game industry is the third largest in the world, behind America and Japan – but it is being treated, both internally and externally, as if it is a bit player in terms of actual cultural impact. Canadian workers make the games, but their foreign producers reap not only the financial rewards, but also the cultural coinage.
This situation parallels many other concerns in other art forms as to the relationship between the American and Canadian cultural landscapes – that being so similar, while also smaller to America, Canada is doomed to be lost in the shadow of its neighbour. This is especially prevalent in discussions about the film industry, but Canada is not nearly the world influencer in film as it is in interactive media. This is something strange, given the wealth of talent outlined above – and also only true if a very “zoomed out” look at the games industry is taken. Indeed, looking at the “video game market” as a whole is something of a fallacy. The consumer markets for games as competitive activities, for games as hobbies and for games as art, while often overlapping, are distinct entities in their own right, and I feel it is an oft repeated mistake to try and view the games industry as a single entity, in the same way, at least in the same way as the film industry. So too, the industry should be seen as occupying different levels, including a growing “indie” game market – traditionally, the “indie” game market referred to those games made for the smallest budgets and teams, but increasingly the divide is more clear in the industry with the “AAA” space and the indie market both growing to encompass most discussion. The importance of this is that the indie game market is where Canada earns much of its respect, with titles such as Don’t Starve, Cuphead and the Long Dark being well received.
[1] https://www.windowscentral.com/here-are-top-canadian-video-game-companies
[2] https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/the-evolution-of-video-games-in-canada-1.914304
I really enjoy tabletop roleplaying games, and work on the side developing my own – Payload. I’ve a link to an online brochure I experimented with for it here, with the text of it presented below.
Lock and Load
Is your gaming group looking to try something new? Do you want the thrill of mecha actions (who doesn’t?) but running up against the wall of outdated, unsupported or over complicated game systems?
Payload is a new RPG system under development, being live tested at GenCon in 2018, that will satisfy all your mech roleplaying needs.
Giant Robots, Your Way
In our opinion, there’s no right way to get your giant robot game on. Instead of clunky and difficult customization rules, adjusting the load out of a pilot or mech is simple, with a range of choices that far outstrips the competition. Wreak havoc in the way that you envision, no compromises.
Quality Mecha
The concept for Payload comes from artist Taylor Schmidt – better known in fandoms across the internet as Blazbaros. As a full partner in the project, he is providing his own artwork to the project, including his beautiful ACE designs.
Look here for examples of his artwork, or commission your own, and go here to learn more about Payload. You can also find new updates at our Facebook page.
With a classless character creation system, you’re free to focus on story and role, rather than on restrictions. As with play, we intend for progression to be simple enough that anyone can pick it up, but with a breadth to keep players hooked.
A Galaxy to Explore
Beyond the rules, Payload has a fully realized world – a galaxy of corporate intrigue, vibrant colonies, and frontier action. After the death of Earth and the scattering of humanity to the stars, civilization continues on a variety of colonies funded and controlled by powerful MegaCorporations. Each of these MegaCorporations have their own goals, secret schemes and technological edges, and all seek to play prominent roles in the fate of humanity. They all control vast economic, political and military power, particularly through their manufacture of ACEs – Armoured Combat Engines, incredibly powerful bipedal warmachines.
Get Right to Gaming
Payload looks to get new players right into the action as soon as possible. The base rules are simple to understand, but with a large toolbox of options for game masters and players to use. Those starting the game can easily play around with the basics – while for those who love a challenge, there are a variety of tactical options available.
Too often, roleplaying games become exercises in looking things up, rather than simply playing and having fun – Payload’s intuitive rules system works to keep things moving along, while still giving the choice that RPG veterans want.
Players take on the role of hired guns, independent pilots of ACEs. Hired guns are the freelancers of the galaxy, taking on all sorts of work, traveling where they are needed. The motives of hired guns vary, with colourful characters comprising the squads that wander the colonies and frontiers. Players will have to navigate this world to make their living, always mindful of the rewards – and risks – that that the machinations of the corporations promise.