Some days I wonder

Everybody has that moment when they read a news story, and then they scratch their head afterward.  It probably happens on a weekly, if not daily, basis and is nowhere near being uncommon.  The world doesn't seem to make sense at times.  Reading about a new digital media project in St. Catherines, ON last week, did it for me.

GamePolitics.com reports:

The Niagara Interactive Media Generator (nGen) has announced the opening of a $3 million dollar, state-of-the-art facility in downtown St. Catharines, Ontario.

Dubbed the Generator at one, the facility is designed to facilitate the production of entire media projects in a single location, and features an advanced motion capture system, a pair of Red One Cameras (capable of shooting at 4X HD quality), a theatre and a boardroom  in addition to software and workstations for editing video, audio and adding visual effects.

Technology is available to rent or the facility’s tech partners can produce any digital interactive media that might be needed.

This is an incredible thing. Two RED ONE cameras, a theatre for motion capture, and a lot of workstations all available for rent to anyone doing a digital production. Amazing. I am honestly impressed by this.

But, hold on...

St. Catherines?

Other than Silicon Knights, developers of Too Human and Eternal Darkness, who are partners in this along with Niagra College and the Ontario Government, I really don't see anyone who's going to actually use any of this tech.  RED ONE cameras are Hollywood blockbuster grade digital cameras whose development was in part financed by George Lucas so that he could shoot the Star Wars prequels digitally.  These aren't inexpensive cameras here, and this isn't just a drop in the bucket when it comes to funding.

This is where I question the logic, as there's a similar push to open a similar centre like this in Waterloo, with RIM and other local tech companies involved in it, to create a digital media hub, as my one friend described it.  Waterloo, while being a little off the beaten path when it comes to media production, is just an hour or less drive from Toronto on the 401.  St. Catherines?  Not so close to the action.

Is this Silicon Knights trying to cash in like UBIsoft did when they announced their Toronto studio?  Are they trying to lure productions across the border from Buffalo?  (Are there productions across the border from Buffalo?)

I just don't see the justification here.  It feels like a money pit.

“Niagara is an extremely attractive location for businesses to complete their projects. With a lower cost of business, a strong contingent of local talent, a less stressful ‘city’ environment, and an exceptional tourism industry, we are extremely confident that companies will think of Niagara when they are planning their next project.”

They do cite being 25 minutes from the US border, and being an hour (which is quite generous) from Toronto, but this all stinks of "if you build it, they will come" mentality.  Which, as far as I know, only worked for Kevin Costner... fictionally.

I could be wrong here.  This could be a very wise investment, and could bode well for the future.  That said, I still look at Silicon Knights, and think the same about them.  All that potential that's gone nowhere.

I don't mean that as a slam against them.  They've done a lot of good stuff, but Too Human turned out over produced,  and they really haven't done anything of note since the acclaimed Eternal Darkness.  I want them to succeed, being the local boys and all, but I have my reservations about the whole thing and see the potential of public money being wasted on a boondoggle.

We shall see.