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Montreal Before Ubisoft Edited
Loading… The Journal of the Canadian Game Studies Association Vol 7(11): 130-132 http://loading.gamestudies.ca The Montreal Indie Game Development Scene… Before Ubisoft Jason Della Rocca Execution Labs The year 2012 marked the 15th anniversary of Ubisoft’s Montreal studio. Established in 1997, it has come a long way from being a young team of rookies working on Playmobile games, to a 2200+ staff powerhouse pumping out massive hits like Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry. I can still recall some very preliminary conversations with Ubisoft execs asking for my thoughts on whether Montreal would be a good place to set up shop. Many credit Ubisoft for getting the Montreal game development scene rolling, in part because they were the first major global player to set up in the city, and they heralded in the era of positive government intervention (i.e. the multimedia labour tax credits regime). And, in many ways they served this pivotal role of accelerating the clustering of big game studios in Montreal; EA, Eidos, Warner Brothers, Funcom, and THQ all followed on the successes of Ubisoft. However, it is easy to forget that a game industry largely made up of independent studios already existed in Montreal (and neighboring Quebec City), that there was already momentum building before Ubisoft arrived. There was already groundwork and history in place – for games specifically, but also more broadly in terms of graphics and simulation (think Discreet, Softimage, CAE, Kaydara, etc.), and creativity (think Cirque du Soleil, NFB, etc). The fact that Montreal was not a blank slate is an important detail that escapes most economists and politicians who are trying to recreate similar clustering effects in their own city or country. -
Ubisoft Studios
CREATIVITY AT THE CORE UBISOFT STUDIOS With the second largest in-house development staff in the world, Ubisoft employs around 8 000 team members dedicated to video games development in 29 studios around the world. Ubisoft attracts the best and brightest from all continents because talent, creativity & innovation are at its core. UBISOFT WORLDWIDE STUDIOS OPENING/ACQUISITION TIMELINE Ubisoft Paris, France – Opened in 1992 Ubisoft Bucharest, Romania – Opened in 1992 Ubisoft Montpellier, France – Opened in 1994 Ubisoft Annecy, France – Opened in 1996 Ubisoft Shanghai, China – Opened in 1996 Ubisoft Montreal, Canada – Opened in 1997 Ubisoft Barcelona, Spain – Opened in 1998 Ubisoft Milan, Italy – Opened in 1998 Red Storm Entertainment, NC, USA – Acquired in 2000 Blue Byte, Germany – Acquired in 2001 Ubisoft Quebec, Canada – Opened in 2005 Ubisoft Sofia, Bulgaria – Opened in 2006 Reflections, United Kingdom – Acquired in 2006 Ubisoft Osaka, Japan – Acquired in 2008 Ubisoft Chengdu, China – Opened in 2008 Ubisoft Singapore – Opened in 2008 Ubisoft Pune, India – Acquired in 2008 Ubisoft Kiev, Ukraine – Opened in 2008 Massive, Sweden – Acquired in 2008 Ubisoft Toronto, Canada – Opened in 2009 Nadeo, France – Acquired in 2009 Ubisoft San Francisco, USA – Opened in 2009 Owlient, France – Acquired in 2011 RedLynx, Finland – Acquired in 2011 Ubisoft Abu Dhabi, U.A.E – Opened in 2011 Future Games of London, UK – Acquired in 2013 Ubisoft Halifax, Canada – Acquired in 2015 Ivory Tower, France – Acquired in 2015 Ubisoft Philippines – Opened in 2016 UBISOFT PaRIS Established in 1992, Ubisoft’s pioneer in-house studio is responsible for the creation of some of the most iconic Ubisoft brands such as the blockbuster franchise Rayman® as well as the worldwide Just Dance® phenomenon that has sold over 55 million copies. -
Disruptive Innovation and Internationalization Strategies: the Case of the Videogame Industry Par Shoma Patnaik
HEC MONTRÉAL Disruptive Innovation and Internationalization Strategies: The Case of the Videogame Industry par Shoma Patnaik Sciences de la gestion (Option International Business) Mémoire présenté en vue de l’obtention du grade de maîtrise ès sciences en gestion (M. Sc.) Décembre 2017 © Shoma Patnaik, 2017 Résumé Ce mémoire a pour objectif une analyse des deux tendances très pertinentes dans le milieu du commerce d'aujourd'hui – l'innovation de rupture et l'internationalisation. L'innovation de rupture (en anglais, « disruptive innovation ») est particulièrement devenue un mot à la mode. Cependant, cela n'est pas assez étudié dans la recherche académique, surtout dans le contexte des affaires internationales. De plus, la théorie de l'innovation de rupture est fréquemment incomprise et mal-appliquée. Ce mémoire vise donc à combler ces lacunes, non seulement en examinant en détail la théorie de l'innovation de rupture, ses antécédents théoriques et ses liens avec l'internationalisation, mais en outre, en situant l'étude dans l'industrie des jeux vidéo, il découvre de nouvelles tendances industrielles et pratiques en examinant le mouvement ascendant des jeux mobiles et jeux en lignes. Le mémoire commence par un dessein des liens entre l'innovation de rupture et l'internationalisation, sur le fondement que la recherche de nouveaux débouchés est un élément critique dans la théorie de l'innovation de rupture. En formulant des propositions tirées de la littérature académique, je postule que les entreprises « disruptives » auront une vitesse d'internationalisation plus élevée que celle des entreprises traditionnelles. De plus, elles auront plus de facilité à franchir l'obstacle de la distance entre des marchés et pénétreront dans des domaines inconnus et inexploités. -
Ubisoft Antes up with Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
UBISOFT ANTES UP WITH TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX® VEGAS 2 Team Rainbow Returns to Celebrate10th Anniversary of Rainbow Six Franchise in Sin City in 2008 Paris, FRANCE — November 20, 2007 — Today Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, announced that it is developing Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Vegas 2 for next-generation consoles and PC. Developed at Ubisoft Montreal by the same team that created the award-winning Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas , the highly anticipated sequel is scheduled for a March 2008 release. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is the sixth iteration in the wildly successful Rainbow Six franchise which celebrates its 10 th anniversary in 2008 with more than 16 million units sold worldwide to date. “Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas took the gaming world by storm in 2006 thanks to its technological advances and gameplay innovations,” said Yves Guillemot, president and chief executive officer at Ubisoft. “We are convinced that Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 will remain a pioneer in the highly competitive first person shooter genre, bringing more of what Rainbow Six fans love to the table.” The highly anticipated sequel to the winner of numerous awards, including IGN’s 2006 Best First Person Shooter and Best Online Game, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 will push the franchise to new heights by adding new gameplay features and even more stunning visuals. Players will encounter an intense solo campaign that uses new tactical possibilities in various locations around Sin City. As expected with one of the pioneer franchises for online multiplayer Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 will also break new ground in both co-op and adversarial modes, while providing unprecedented interaction between the solo and multiplayer modes. -
Ubisoft Assassins Brand Announcement EN
UBISOFT LAUNCHES NEW VIDEO GAME FRANCHISE: ASSASSIN’S CREED™ Ubisoft’s Award-Winning Montreal Studio Creates New Intellectual Property Paris FRANCE – May 2, 2006 – Today Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, announced the development of a new video game franchise: Assassin’s Creed™. Assassin’s Creed is being developed for PLAYSTATION®3 by an all-star team from Ubisoft’s world-class Montreal studio – the studio responsible for acclaimed franchises such as Prince of Persia ® and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell ®. The Assassin’s Creed franchise will combine compelling new gameplay, superb graphics, and an immersive and sophisticated storyline to deliver an epic experience that will launch the action genre into the next generation and beyond. “Assassin’s Creed is going to push the video game experience as we know it today into an entirely new direction,” said Yannis Mallat, chief executive officer at Ubisoft’s Montreal studio. “Assassin’s Creed’s compelling theme and storyline experienced through the next- generation console will captivate audiences and affect them on the same level as an epic novel or film.” The first game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise is set in 1191 AD, when the Third Crusade was tearing the Holy Land apart. Shrouded in secrecy and feared for their ruthlessness, the Assassins intend to stop the hostilities by suppressing both sides of the conflict. Players, assuming the role of the main character Altair, will have the power to throw their immediate environment into chaos and to shape events during this pivotal moment in history. Ubisoft has a strong record of creating some of the industry’s top-selling video game franchises and anticipates that Assassin’s Creed will experience the same success. -
Microsoft Installe Son Studio De Jeux Xbox Au Centre-Ville
23/07/2020 Microsoft installe son studio de jeux Xbox au centre-ville Microsoft installe son studio de jeux Xbox au centre-ville PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, LA PRESSE L’entreprise Compulsion Games, studio montréalais de Xbox Game Studios, s’installera prochainement au 1100, Atwater, dans un nouvel immeuble de bureaux de 175 000 pi2 aménagé par la société Kevric. Le déménagement est prévu en décembre prochain ou en janvier 2021. Le studio montréalais de Xbox Game Studios prend de l’expansion et s’installera avenue Atwater, au centre-ville, a appris La Presse. Il s’agit d’une excellente nouvelle pour https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/entreprises/2020-07-23/microsoft-installe-son-studio-de-jeux-xbox-au-centre-ville.php 1/5 23/07/2020 Microsoft installe son studio de jeux Xbox au centre-ville le quartier des affaires qui vit un été pénible alors qu’il est déserté en raison de la pandémie de COVID-19. Publié le 23 juillet 2020 à 7h00 ANDRÉ DUBUC LA PRESSE Portant le nom de Compulsion Games, le studio est dirigé par Guillaume Provost, 43 ans. Créée en 2009, la société est célèbre pour son jeu We Happy Few. Elle a été rachetée par le géant américain en 2018 pour un montant qui n’a pas été divulgué. La division des jeux vidéo de l’entreprise cofondée par Bill Gates fonctionne tant avec des studios internes qu’avec des studios externes. Compulsion est l’un de ses sept studios externes. « Depuis le rachat, nous avons gardé notre autonomie et notre identité », assure M. -
Complete List of Migs16 Attending Companies
COMPLETE LIST OF MIGS16 ATTENDING COMPANIES MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL GAME SUMMIT 14TH EDITION DECEMBER 11-12-13 2017 YOUR ACCESS TO EXPERTS MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL GAME SUMMIT 14TH EDITION DECEMBER 11-12-13 2017 11 bit Studios AMJ 12 Hit Combo! Annex Pro 1E Avenue Music Antre du Geek 1One AOne Games 1st Playable Productions APEX Sciences 24h Appcoach 4AM Games Apple 51HiTech Applicant 5th Wall Agency Appodeal 8D Technologies Aptitude X 98,5FM Armoires Cuisines Action A Thinking Ape Around The Word Accenture Around the Word Canada Achimostawinan Games Artesium Studios ACTRA Montreal Artifact 5 ad Communications Artisan Studios, Inc. AdColony ASTUCEMEDIA Adult Swim Audible reality Advanced Micro Devices Audiokinetic ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Autodesk Affordance Studio Avalanche Prod - HUB MTL AJL Consult Axis Animation Alexis Senecal Azurtek Algonquin College B&H Alice & Smith Babel Games Services Aline Mercy Babel Media Allegorithmic Bandai Namco Entertainment Alliance Numérique Bandai Namco Entertainment Alpha vision Banner & Witcoff AltKey BareHand Always Mind Studios Baton Rouge Area Chamber Amazon Lumberyard BDC Ameo Prod, Inc BDC Capital MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL GAME SUMMIT 14TH EDITION DECEMBER 11-12-13 2017 BDO Canadian Heritage Beenox Canadian Museum of History Behaviour Interactif Inc. Cangrejo Ideas SpA Bell Canoë Ben Salerno Design Canvasseuse Bentomiso CARA Berzerk Studio Cardboard Utopia Bethesda Studios Montreal Cardboard-Utopia Big Jack’s Factory, Inc. Castle Couch Big Studios Inc CC2 Big Viking Games CCNB Miramichi Bigben Interactive CCP Games BioWare (a division of Electronics Arts) CD Projekt S.A. Bishop Games CDI College bitHeads/brainCloud CDRIN Bkom Studios Cégep de Limoilou Black Tie Ventures Cégep de l’Outaouais Blacknut Cégep de Matane Blind Ferret Cégep de Sainte-Foy Blobstone CEIM blogcritics.org Centre Phi Bloober Team CFPR BNC CGMagazine Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Mon- brainCloud tréal Breaking Walls Champlain College Brookfield Global Relocation Services Chartboost, Inc. -
10Th IAA FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards Finalists GAME TITLE PUBLISHER DEVELOPER CREDITS Outstanding Achievement in Animation ANIMATION DIRECTOR LEAD ANIMATOR Gears of War Microsoft Game Studios Epic Games Aaron Herzog & Jay Hosfelt Jerry O'Flaherty Daxter Sony Computer Entertainment ReadyatDawn Art Director: Ru Weerasuriya Jerome de Menou Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy LucasArts Traveller's Tales Jeremy Pardon Jeremy Pardon Rayman Raving Rabbids Ubisoft Ubisoft Montpellier Patrick Bodard Patrick Bodard Fight Night Round 3 Electronic Arts EA Sports Alan Cruz Andy Konieczny Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction VISUAL ART DIRECTOR TECHNICAL ART DIRECTOR Gears of War Microsoft Game Studios Epic Games Jerry O'Flaherty Chris Perna Final Fantasy XII Square Enix Square Enix Akihiko Yoshida Hideo Minaba Call of Duty 3 Activison Treyarch Treyarch Treyarch Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas Ubisoft Ubisoft Montreal Olivier Leonardi Jeffrey Giles Viva Piñata Microsoft Game Studios Rare Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack MUSIC SUPERVISOR Guitar Hero 2 Activision/Red Octane Harmonix Eric Brosius SingStar Rocks! Sony Computer Entertainment SCE London Studio Alex Hackford & Sergio Pimentel FIFA 07 Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Canada Joe Nickolls Marc Ecko's Getting Up Atari The Collective Marc Ecko, Sean "Diddy" Combs Scarface Sierra Entertainment Radical Entertainment Sound Director: Rob Bridgett Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition COMPOSER Call of Duty 3 Activison Treyarch Joel Goldsmith LocoRoco Sony Computer -
Isolation Nation
ISOLATION NATION Work-from-home tips, best practices, and insights about remote videogame creation Introduction Isolation Nation emerged out of interviews and surveys with 70 game studios across Canada with the goal of sharing challenges, tips, and best practices for making games when working from home. We hope this document will serve as a practical resource for studios working remotely. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of to reach new players. Building audiences was a hot people are suddenly working from home, an option that topic for almost every studio interviewed, with many has been available for decades but is only now being studios curious about the tactics and techniques of their exercised en masse. Games were some of the first to peers. transition and are arguably some of the best positioned to adapt. But like any significant cultural shift, we face A final core challenge is financial investment. Despite new challenges and opportunities. the growing market, many investors are tightening their budgets, resulting in a narrowing of financial Most studios switched to remote work quickly and opportunities. Neither attracting players or finding almost seamlessly, transitioning within a few days financial investment are new problems, nor are they and solving problems as they emerged. Other studios unique to work from home, but both are exacerbated by with more complex playtesting needs like VR or local the current financial landscape. multiplayer are still struggling. While work patterns have changed, business strategies have largely Isolation Nation was created by Marie Claire LeBlanc remained the same. Many studios are still in the middle Flanagan with the Game Arts International Network. -
Ubisoft® Berlin to Open Early 2018 and Collaborate on Far Cry® Series
UBISOFT® BERLIN TO OPEN EARLY 2018 AND COLLABORATE ON FAR CRY® SERIES Istvan Tajnay assigned as Studio Manager Düsseldorf, Germany, November 16 2017 – Today Ubisoft revealed further information regarding its new development studio in Berlin; the team will be focusing on collaborating on big Ubisoft brands, starting with the award-winning Far Cry series. Istvan Tajnay has been nominated Studio Manager of the studio, reporting to Benedikt Grindel, Managing Director of Ubisoft Blue Byte. Istvan has been working at Ubisoft Blue Byte since 2012, most recently as Studio Operations Director. The Berlin studio will open its doors at the beginning of 2018. “We are thrilled to be opening the doors to Ubisoft Berlin, and working on the Far Cry series together with other Ubisoft teams”, says Istvan Tajnay, Studio Manager, Ubisoft Berlin. “In the first year, we will build a core team of around 50 developers drawing on all areas of expertise. We are currently recruiting for these positions and the reception so far is overwhelmingly positive and candidates are of a very high calibre.” The new studio is located in the centre of Berlin, only a few minutes’ walk away from the famous shopping street Kurfürstendamm, the Berlin Zoo and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. “As part of Ubisoft’s global growth strategy, we have high hopes to continue to build up our teams in Ubisoft Berlin in the coming years. However, this growth also depends on the future development of funding video games in Germany”, says Benedikt Grindel, Managing Director, Ubisoft Blue Byte. “I am confident that we have found a strong studio head in Istvan Tajnay who is ready to take on this challenge. -
How Ubisoft Montreal Used Historians to Make Ancient Egypt Authentic In
5/14/19, 226 PM Page 1 of 1 Sign In Subscribe NEWS • INVESTING • MARKETS • PERSONAL FINANCE • INNOVATION • FP COMMENT • ENTREPRENEUR • EXECUTIVE • FP MAGAZINE • SUBSCRIBE • MORE • NATIONAL POST How Ubisoft Montreal used historians to make Ancient Egypt authentic in Assassin's Creed Origins The Montreal game maker recruited era experts for its latest historical adventure to help create an interactive history tour within the game Assassin's Creed Origins is set in the time of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, more than 2,000 years ago, stretching further back into history than any previous game in the series. Ubisoft If you’ve ever played an Assassin’s Creed game and wondered just how much of its detailed historical world was truly authentic, the answer is simple: A heck of a CHAD SAPIEHA lot. October 27, 2017 Series fans know that Ubisoft Montreal’s artists and 9:22 AM EDT designers do a terrific job replicating landmark Filed under Post Arcade architecture such as London’s Houses of Parliament and Rome’s Colosseum, and that they also accurately Comment present the backgrounds of famous historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci. However, it may surprise some Facebook to learn that Ubisoft’s mission for period authenticity Twitter goes far beyond these obvious icons. They work with historians to learn about everything from culture to Reddit clothing to the specific designs used on building tiles. And they listen to what they’re told. Email More RECOMMENDED FOR YOU For the just-launched Assassin’s Creed Origins, a game set more than two millennia ago in Ancient Apps cost too much? Court allows suit Egypt – further back in history than any other in the adding to Apple's series – Ubisoft brought on several historians, woes including Quebec-based Evelyne Ferron, a specialist in Greco-Roman Egypt who teaches ancient history and Ancient Egypt history at the University of Sherbrooke and general history at College Merici in Quebec City. -
Editshare Jumps Into the Game with Ubisoft Montreal
CUSTOMER STORY EditShare Jumps Into the Game with Ubisoft Montreal Game Time necessary to support the nuances and needs of Boasting video game franchises such as these demanding productions.” Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Far Cry and Tom Clancy’s series under their banner, it is without Ubisoft Montreal first invested in EditShare in a doubt that Ubisoft is a top player amongst 2013, and eventually upgraded the system to the gamers. With more than 3500 employees new XStream EFS architecture featuring almost 1 conjuring up some of the market’s most sought- petabyte in storage. after series, Ubisoft requires an advanced infrastructure that can support the demands The Controller of creating and marketing these blockbuster The rapid-fire teaser and promo production games en mass. requires a set up that allows the artists to record games in development and playback the footage To build momentum for upcoming releases, the in real-time, cutting the spots on the fly. All this is creative team is tasked with packaging short accessed from their desktop, whilst utilising the commercial teaser spots that are shared across EditShare advanced file system that can scale multiple video and social platforms. “We have to track a fast growing media project catalog. a different set up from the typical capture or However complicated this may seem, it’s the montage studio. First, our montage studio is larger than the average. With over 3,500 people resolution that proved to be a concern. Forbes on staff, we have a lot of different connections adds, “The biggest challenge we had is capturing and workflow demands,” says Michel Forbes, and playing back in 4K.