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Jun 2, 2017 · Video game giant celebrates 20 years in Montreal's Mile End neighbourhood this weekend. Thanks to massive hits like Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft's international growth has seen its Montreal studio ...
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The Guillemot family has since raised its stake in Ubisoft; as of June 2017, the family held 13.6% of Ubisoft's share capital, and 20.02% of the company's voting rights. In October 2017, Ubisoft announced it reached a deal with an "investment services provider" to help them purchase back 4 million shares by the end of the year, preventing ...
- 28 March 1986; 37 years ago
- Saint-Mandé, France
- 20,665 (2022)
- €1.814 billion (2023)
- From humble beginnings to global domination.
- Far Cry 3 - Canceled Version, Original Concept Art
By Mitch Dyer
Posted: Feb 3, 2014 7:59 pm
When Ubisoft Montreal opened in the summer of 1997, the video game development house did not know how to make games. Its management didn't hire hardened industry veterans. Of the 50 original employees, about half came from Ubisoft’s Paris headquarters. The rest -- those whom the French leaders recruited and trained -- had no idea how to create software. Yannis Mallat, CEO at Ubisoft Montreal, makes this extremely clear.
“The founding myth of this studio,” he says, “is that we took a bunch of young people, we gave them PCs, and we said, ‘Make games.’ They were absolutely not game developers at the time.” Mallat emphasizes, “They didn’t know how to make a game whatsoever. At all.” The goal, however, was to change that, to transform Montreal into a place revered for its mastery in the industry. In turn, Mallat says the driving force behind the studio became, “You think we can’t make games. We’ll prove you wrong.”
Over the course of the next 15 years, the small-time spinoff studio innovated in unpredictable ways, handcrafted some of the industry’s most successful series, and became what is one of the most important game developers in existence.
Yannis Mallat did not join Ubisoft Montreal as its CEO, nor did he always work in the games industry. Before sending his resume to Ubisoft, Mallat spent time aiding African villages, improving their crops and production.
The Far Cry 3 we know is not the Far Cry 3 that could have been. When it entered pre-production in 2008, the setting and hero were different. So was the creative staff. This sort of thing happens in game development, and it happens often at Ubisoft Montreal. Some things don’t work. People leave. Goals change. Ubisoft adapts.
Somewhere along the way, the vision for Far Cry 3 turned inside out. WestStudio, an external concept art house, helped Ubisoft Montreal realize a visual direction for the return to Far Cry’s seaside origins. A ravaged resort, golf course, and theme park appeared amid scenic beaches and a dense jungle populated by masked pirates. The thematic essence of this first-draft Far Cry 3 remained in the eventual 2012 release, but a few important things happened during its development cycle.
Following Far Cry 2, Clint Hocking never appeared to have been involved in the sequel; he went on to create something new at Ubisoft Montreal, but it never got off the ground and he eventually departed for LucasArts. Redding moved over to Ubisoft’s new Toronto studio to start work on Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Far Cry 3’s narrative director, Raphael van Lierop, left Ubisoft for Relic Entertainment. Josh Mosqueira, Far Cry 3’s creative director, took a position at Blizzard. By 2010, the Far Cry creative team was effectively gutted.
By hiring new blood and shifting talent within its Montreal studio, Ubisoft filled those holes. This new team, with inspiration from the pre-production leftovers, moved forward with its own island, story, cast of characters, and game design ideas.
The Far Cry 3 we know is not the Far Cry 3 that could have been – but those responsible for what it became are justifiably proud of their vision and execution, even in the face of controversy and criticism.
Before a game world becomes a believable place, the pieces need to facilitate interesting gameplay. One bearer of that burden is Mark Thompson, level design director on Far Cry 3.
Feb 11, 2021 · Evolution of Ubisoft Montreal Games (As Main Developer) from 1998 to 2021. Ubisoft Divertissements Inc., doing business as Ubisoft Montreal, is a Canadian vi...
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Jul 17, 2023 · Ubisoft’s commitments and programs. Rollout of several initiatives to promote player safety: Zero Harm in Comms and Rainbow Six Siege Reputation Program; A firm commitment to reduce our carbon footprint by 8.8% by the end of 2023 (based on 2019 levels) and decarbonize our operations
Jul 17, 2023 · Today, with the launch of our very first Canadian Impact report, we proudly share the inspiring stories of how our Canadian studios contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive society for our colleagues, players, partners, communities and our planet. Through this report, we reflect on our accomplishments in 2022-2023, recognize the ...
