Ubisoft Montreal

Infobox Company
name = Ubisoft Montreal

type = Private (subsidiary of Ubisoft)
genre =
foundation = Montreal, Quebec, Canada (1997)
founder =
location_city = Montreal, Quebec
location_country = Canada
location = 5505 Boul. Saint Laurent
locations =
key_people = Yannis Mallat (CEO)
Mathieu Ferland (Game producer)
industry = Video games
products = Video games
num_employees = 1,800 (2008)
parent = Ubisoft
divisions =
subsid =
slogan =
homepage = [http://www.ubisoft.ca Ubisoft.ca]
footnotes =
intl =

Ubisoft Montreal is a Canadian video game developer located in Montreal, Quebec. Founded as a subsidiary of Ubisoft in 1997, initially developing low-profile projects, the studio is now one of the largest in the world, with over 1,600 employees [http://www.developmag.com/news/25657/3839m-to-help-add-1000-jobs-at-Ubisoft-Montreal Ubisoft Montreal to become world's biggest studio - News - www.developmag.com ] ] , and is responsible for developing, among others, games in the "Splinter Cell" and "Prince of Persia" series.

History

The studio was opened in 1997, with government funding. Ubisoft also cited Quebec's extensive French-speaking population and close proximity to English-speaking North America as reasons for opening a studio there. [ [http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20061214/kumar_01.shtml Gamasutra.com - The French-Canadian Connection: A Q&A With Yannis Mallat, Ubisoft Montreal ] ] Martin Tremblay joined the studio as executive vice president in 1999, but was promoted to chief operating officer a year later. [ [http://www.gamespot.com/news/6147007.html Tremblay bids Ubisoft adieu - GameCube News at GameSpot ] ]

Initially, the studio developed children's games such as "" and games based on the Playmobil series of toys. [ [http://www.gamespot.com/features/6079652/index.html The Final Hours of Prince of Persia - Features at GameSpot ] ] However, in 2000, the studio began work on a game called Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. [ [http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/splintercell/news.html?sid=2882240 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Q&A - Xbox News at GameSpot ] ] Upon its release in November 2002, "Splinter Cell" was met with glowing reviews. IGN called the game "the best title on Xbox this year" and wrote in their review that it was "a game that will put the Ubi Soft [sic] Montreal development house on the map." [ [http://xbox.ign.com/articles/377/377642p1.html IGN: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Review ] ]

In 2005, the government of Quebec gave Ubisoft 5 million dollars to expand. [ [http://www.gamespot.com/news/6117649.html Canada gives Ubisoft $4 million - PlayStation 2 News at GameSpot ] ] That amount was later increased to 19 million dollars, and there are now plans to add 1,400 new employees by 2013, which would make Ubisoft Montreal the world's largest game development studio.

During his time as COO, Martin Tremblay was a staunch supporter of non-compete clauses, in large part due to an incident in which Electronic Arts hired away several Ubisoft Montreal employees to the at the time newly opened EA Montreal studio. [ [http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=7985 Gamasutra - Electronic Arts, Ubisoft Clash On Montreal Hiring ] ] Ironically, when Tremblay left Ubisoft in 2006 to become President of Worldwide Studios at Vivendi Games, he was prevented from taking the new position by a court order enforcing the non-compete clause in his Ubisoft contract. [ [http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=9364 Gamasutra - Ubisoft Wins Court Non-Compete Order Against Tremblay ] ]

Upon Tremblay's departure, Yannis Mallat, a producer of Ubisoft Montreal's "Prince of Persia" series of games, became the new CEO, also filling the same roles as Tremblay's COO position. [ [http://www.gamespot.com/news/6147407.html Ubisoft Montreal promotes Mallat - News at GameSpot ] ]

Notable games developed

*"Tonic Trouble" (1999) (PC/N64)
*"Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell" (2002) (Xbox/PC)
*"" (2003) (Xbox)
*"" (2003) (PC)
*" (2003) (GC/PS2/Xbox)
*"" (2003) (GC/PC/PS2/Xbox)
*"" (2004) (PC/Xbox)
*"" (2004) (GC/PC/PS2/Xbox)
*"" (2004) (Xbox)
*"" (2005) (Xbox)
*"" (2005) (GC/PC/PS2/Xbox)
*"" (2005) (GC/PC/PS2/Xbox)
*" (2006) (Xbox 360)
*"" (2006) (GC/PS2/Xbox/Wii)
*"" (2006) (PC/PS3/Xbox 360/PSP)
*"Assassin's Creed" (2007) (PC/PS3/Xbox 360)
*"" (2007) (Xbox 360)
*"" (2008) (PC/PS3/Xbox 360)
*"" (2008) (PC/PS3/Xbox 360)

Future Development

*"Far Cry 2" (2008) (PC/PS3/Xbox 360)
*"Shaun White Snowboarding" (2008) (PC/PS3/PSP/Xbox 360)
*"" (2008) (PC/Xbox 360)
*"Harvest Moon Online" (2008) (PC/PS3/Xbox 360)
*"Prince of Persia" (2008) (PC/PS3/Xbox 360)
*"" (2008) (Xbox 360)

External links

* [http://www.candevs.ca/ CanDevs - Canadian Video Game Companies]

References