Too Human’s Success May Determine Future of Small Canadian Town

Silicon Knights’ long-awaited action RPG, Too Human, hits store shelves today. As with any new title, there are a lot of things to consider before you decide whether it’s worth your hard-earned cash: it it looks like the type of game you’d enjoy, what the reviews say, etc. But there’s one other factor you may want to consider before you make your decision on whether to buy the game or not: the residents of St. Catherines, Ontario.

You see, if the game does well, then Silicon Knights does well. And if Silicon Knights does well, then the area their studio is based in could get an economic face lift. The developer recently helped form a project — along with Brock University, Niagara College, the City of St. Catharines, and the Niagara Economic Development Corp. — called “nGen,” dedicated to expanding the interactive media industry within St. Catherines and the surrounding region. According to Silicon Knights president, Denis Dyack:

“If Too Human does what we expect it will (in the marketplace), then it can change the world for St. Catharines and Niagara.”

Some of the city’s residents hope that an industry hub could form around the studio, drawing in local talent that is normally lured away to American developers. says Jeff Chesebrough, executive director of nGen:

“We have (Ontario’s) biggest video-game producer in our backyard and we should take advantage of that. There is no reason why we cannot keep that talent here. Silicon Knights is carrying a lot of weight on its shoulders because Too Human will play a big part of that.”

So basically, if you don’t buy Too Human, you won’t just make Denis Dyack cry, but the whole population of St. Catherines, Ontario. Considering the sub-par reviews already being revealed though (1Up’s, for example) it looks like this town may just have to wait for another industry leader to pin their hopes on.

Via St. Catherines Standard