Today, in a roundtable interview with Gamasutra, Ubisoft unveiled their newest major studio, helmed by some of Ubisoft’s best developers. Ubisoft Toronto is the company’s new triple-A game maker, with Assassin’s Creed producer Jade Raymond as General Manager, Splinter Cell Conviction producer Alex Parizeau as Production Head, producer Lesley Phord-Toy from A2M (developer of Wet), and Ubisoft’s resident fun maker Maxime Beland (Splinter Cell Conviction, Assassin’s Creed, and Rainbow Six: Vegas) as Creative Director.
"All of the core team has relocated with me from Montreal," Raymond said in the interview. “Building our studio around both AAA brands and original IP has allowed us to attract an all-star team to Ubisoft Toronto. We’re really happy to be able to tell the world that the Toronto studio’s first big franchise title is the next Splinter Cell game. Splinter Cell has become synonymous with innovative gameplay, great design, and one of the most beloved characters in games.”
In addition to the new Splinter Cell title, the studio is also working on another unannounced triple-A title. Raymond made it clear that Toronto was meant to be a flagship studio for Ubisoft. "Instead of starting a studio and working on small projects, Nintendo DS or portables, we're starting out of the gate with triple-A only. The reason that I think that's the right strategy is that it allows us to attract the best talent right off the bat," she said.
Raymond says she expects the studio to grow over the next ten years, having received over 2000 resumes already. She believes the studio could end up with over 800 staff members, but is careful to say that hiring the correct person for the job is more important that finding warm bodies. "It's more a question of making sure we choose the right people... the difference between the successful studios and not are those that hire when there is a good person available, not just to fill specific roles.”
The four key personnel comprise the foundation of a 40-man team of Ubisoft’s best. “We have a great opportunity to build a culture of our own; something that reflects me, Max, Rima, Leslie, and Jade, and that's an opportunity that you don't often get in your career and that's what I'm excited about," said Parizeau of the new studio.
