If most production companies don’t sign exclusivity deals with directors or actors, then why shouldn’t the gaming industry follow suit?

Tim Carter thinks so. Adapting a film model for the game world is the simplest way for him to describe the mandate of his Toronto-based company, Core Talent Games. ‘In the games industry, projects are vehicles for companies,’ he says. ‘They’re not set up to cultivate talent, they’re set up to control it.’

He founded the company two years ago to help bolster a bigger picture, talent-driven model, stating that it can hinder talent to hire someone permanently.

For example, it’s the norm for a game studio to hire a full-time lead designer rather than for one specific project even though, down the road, that individual may be interested in pursuing other creative avenues that may not necessarily be the right fit for the current employer.

It’s also possible that the employee may not want to give up ownership to the gameco on an IP he may be cooking up. ‘There’s a lot of power and potential in this medium that’s lying dormant,’ he says.

But Carter makes it very clear that he’s not trying to do away with the present M.O. of game companies. He’s instead more interested in introducing a new model to live in the same space, especially as the game world continues to evolve into the overall entertainment industry.

He cites the challenges of breaking into the game industry, as those looking to give it a shot aren’t sure where to start beyond simply having a game concept. To that end, Core Talent Games actually takes submissions for game designs and prototypes that have gone beyond the idea stage. Carter cites an example of a client who had strong marketing ties and pitched a serious game (non-entertainment driven) that would be the equivalent of creating a corporate video.

Core Talent is geared toward smaller scale single- or double-A games, rather than blockbuster triple-A titles.

Right now, they’re full up with a couple of projects, but would be open to discussions with interested parties.