Ubisoft Opening Toronto Development Studio
Ubisoft has announced that they will be opening their newest studio in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, thanks to generous investment by the Government of Ontario to the tune of $263 Million (CAD). The new studio will be Ubisoft's fourth Canadian studio, and also the first studio owned by a major publisher to be developed in the Province of Ontario. Traditionally Vancouver and Montreal have been Canada's two video game development hubs, with Toronto nowhere near either city in terms of video game development employees.
Expecting a fair bit on their return, Ontario is expecting to see some 800 new jobs as a result of the studio over the next decade. Ubisoft Toronto will be managed by Yannis Mallat, CEO of Ubisoft Montreal; speaking about the new studio, Mallat praised Toronto's unique talent pool,
Toronto’s unique pool of experience video game industry and film industry talent will allow us to develop a team with exceptional ability to help us realize our goals for creating brands with universal appeal that extend beyond the world of video games.
Ubisoft asserts that the new studio will be developing Triple-A games and "will emulate the proven business model and creative excellence for which Ubisoft is known." How the opening of the studio will impact Ontario's video game development industry will certainly prove interesting, and without a doubt will be the talk of the province's industry in the weeks to come. Ubisoft gave no word on when to expect the studio to commence video game development.
