Ubisoft Quebec
Ubisoft Quebec is a Canadian video game developer and a studio of Ubisoft based in Quebec City. The studio was established in June 2005 and is best known for its work in the Assassin's Creed franchise.
Type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Industry | Video games |
Founded | 27 June 2005 |
Founders |
|
Headquarters | , Canada |
Number of locations | 2 offices (2019) |
Number of employees | 520[1] (2020) |
Parent | Ubisoft |
Website | quebec.ubisoft.com |
History
French video game publisher Ubisoft announced its plans to open a development studio in Quebec City in April 2005.[2][3] The studio, Ubisoft Quebec, was formally opened on 27 June 2005.[4] Its founders were Nicolas Rioux and Andrée Cossette, of whom Rioux was appointed as general manager.[5][6] In June 2008, Ubisoft Quebec announced that it had established a computer-generated imagery production arm that would work in conjunction with distributor Guillemot.[7] The unit was closed down again with the foundation of Ubisoft Motion Pictures in May 2011.[8]
Longtail Studios's Quebec City development studio was acquired by Ubisoft in March 2010 and merged into Ubisoft Quebec. Forty-eight employees were transferred to Ubisoft Quebec, while another 6–7, including the acquired studio's manager, departed.[9] In June 2013, François Pelland was appointed as Ubisoft Quebec's executive director of development.[10][11] In September 2013, Ubisoft announced its intent to invest CA$373 million in Ubisoft Quebec over seven years to create up to 500 jobs.[12][13] A first investment of CA$28 million in January 2014 opened 100 positions.[14][15] Following onto another CA$4 million investment in July 2014, Ubisoft Quebec stated that it would move to new offices in the Saint-Roch neighbourhood of Quebec City and open another 100 positions.[16]
When Rioux became "vice president of technology" for all of Ubisoft's Canadian studios in November 2017, Patrick Klaus was appointed Ubisoft Quebec's managing director, with Cossette as associate managing director.[17] In December 2018, Mike Laidlaw joined the studio as creative director, having previously stepped down from the same position at BioWare,[18] before departing again in February 2020.[19] The Saint-Roch location, known as UbiNord, was opened in April 2019.[20] Cossette succeeded Klaus as managing director in November 2019, after Klaus had left the studio earlier that year.[5][21] Cossette left Ubisoft Quebec in July 2020.[22]
Games developed
After developing expansion packs for Assassin's Creed III and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Ubisoft Quebec became the first Ubisoft studio outside Ubisoft Montreal to lead the development of a mainline Assassin's Creed game.[23][24] The studio's first Assassin's Creed game was Assassin's Creed Syndicate, which was released in October 2015, and continued with Assassin's Creed Odyssey, released in October 2018.[6][25]
References
- "Our Studio". Ubisoft Quebec.
- Maragos, Nich (11 April 2005). "Gameloft, Ubisoft Open Quebec City Studios". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 14 June 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- Gibson, Ellie (12 April 2005). "Ubisoft announces plans for new Quebec studio". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- Graft, Kris (25 October 2018). "Crunch, work-life balance, and Assassin's Creed Odyssey: A view from the top". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 14 July 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- "Q&A With Andrée Cossette, Managing Director at Ubisoft Québec". Ubisoft Quebec. 27 November 2019.
- Takahashi, Dean (25 November 2015). "How Ubisoft's Quebec City studio became the master of Assassin's Creed: Syndicate". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- Martin, Matt (2 June 2008). "Guillemot to transform Ubisoft with movie, TV and sports projects". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- Jenkins, David (3 May 2011). "Ubisoft confirms founding of Ubisoft Motion Pictures". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- Ransom-Wiley, James (3 November 2010). "Ubisoft Quebec adds a Longtail studio". Engadget. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- Williams, Mike (4 June 2013). "Ubisoft Quebec appoints new executive director of development". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- Hinkle, David (6 May 2013). "Ubisoft Quebec City taps François Pelland as executive director". Engadget. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- Williams, Mike (30 September 2013). "Ubisoft Quebec operations will employ 3,500 by 2020". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- Whitehead, Thomas (1 October 2013). "Ubisoft Quebec Planning Major Expansion of Workforce". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- Handrahan, Matthew (24 January 2014). "Ubisoft to create 100 new jobs in Quebec City studio". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- Rose, Mike (24 January 2014). "Ubisoft expanding its development operations in Quebec". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- Brightman, James (2 July 2014). "Ubisoft expands Quebec studio to head production on new Assassin's Creed". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- Therrien, Yves (28 November 2017). "Nouvelle direction chez Ubisoft" [New management at Ubisoft]. Le Soleil (in French).
- Good, Owen S. (5 December 2018). "BioWare veteran Mike Laidlaw joins Ubisoft". Polygon. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
- Good, Owen S. (1 February 2020). "Dragon Age creator Mike Laidlaw departs Ubisoft after just a year". Polygon.
- "UbiNord Opening: A Monday Like No Other". Ubisoft Quebec. 24 April 2019.
- Sinclair, Brendan (12 December 2019). "Motive GM establishes means and opportunity". GamesIndustry.biz.
- Sinclair, Brendan (24 July 2020). "Ubisoft Quebec managing director steps down". GamesIndustry.biz.
- Totilo, Stephen (3 April 2018). "How Ubisoft Makes So Many Assassin's Creed Games". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- Champane, Jimmy (2 July 2014). "New Assassin's Creed Game to be Developed by Ubisoft Quebec". IGN. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- Batchelor, James (26 September 2018). "How Odyssey is changing the face of Assassin's Creed". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.