Jade Raymond, the managing director of Ubisoft’s new premier studio, revealed to Develop that Ubisoft Toronto is creating a new technology division. This division’s primary focus is keeping abreast of new hardware and software technology for the next generation of consoles and PCs. “I can’t talk too much about it, but I will say that Toronto has a technology group, building central tech for Ubisoft, and that’s going to be the team that starts looking towards the future. Real cutting-edge stuff,” Raymond said.
She said that the studio plans to grow from its current staff of 50 to almost 800 strong over the next ten years, which puts it in “an interesting strategic position.” Speculation is that the new tech group will be developing the follow-up to Ubisoft’s Anvil engine, which powered hits like Assassin’s Creed and Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands. Raymond previously headed the team at Ubisoft Montreal that was responsible for the original Anvil engine.
Ubisoft’s UK Head of Marketing, Murray Pannel, has already gone on record saying that he “assumes [there will be] a new transition into new consoles probably in the next two to three years.” Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told investors in 2009, “we need to get ready for the future generation of consoles. In the next few years there will be new home and handheld consoles and if you don't invest you will not be able to cope.” Perhaps Ubisoft Toronto is Guillemot’s main investment in the future?
Raymond said the the studio was prepared for growth with a “three-prong” strategy. “First we want people to grow with our mentor program, making us known as the best place to fast-track your career,” she said. “Secondly, we want to ship great triple-A projects from the start. But there’s a third plan, which is looking out to the future.”
1 Comments
August 10, 2010
Good to see developers doing this, I am very much looking forward to next-gen consoles and games.