PR:
Square Enix to expand further in MontréalLEADING INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY CREATES 250 NEW JOBS THROUGH GROWTH AT EIDOS- MONTRÉAL STUDIO AND CREATION OF SECOND STUDIO SQUARE ENIX MONTRÉAL IN PROVINCE
MONTREAL, Nov. 21, 2011 /CNW Telbec/ - The Square Enix Group, an integrated entertainment group, has today announced plans for further expansion in Montréal with the growth of its Eidos-Montréal studio and the creation of a new second studio, Square Enix Montréal, to open in 2012.
Eidos-Montréal, a studio which was established in 2007, released its first game, DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION™; to critical acclaim (Metacritic score of 90% for PC and 89% for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as of November 20, 2011) earlier this year. DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION, which has to date shipped over 2 million units worldwide, firmly cemented the studio's credentials in global development and delivered on its promise to produce AAA games. Eidos-Montréal will now create an additional 100 new jobs, driving work on a third AAA project at the studio, alongside the DEUS EX® and THIEF® franchises. The studio will also expand its state-of-the-art facilities, including in-house audio recording and motion tracking studios and a mini-theatre.
Plans unveiled today also confirmed the creation of Square Enix Montréal, a new second studio for the Square Enix Group in Montréal, which will open in 2012 and create 150 jobs. Tasked with building AAA games for tomorrow's audiences, the studio will be led by Lee Singleton, currently general manager of Square Enix London Studios. Singleton brings over 20 years studio management as well as direct development experience to this role.
The first project at Square Enix Montréal will be to work on a new premium quality game in the award-winning HITMAN® franchise. This further investment will expand the vision for the HITMAN franchise and mean that two studios will now be working on future HITMAN games: IO Interactive, a Square Enix studio based in Copenhagen, creator of the HITMAN franchise is currently developing HITMAN ABSOLUTION™ and now Square Enix Montréal also.
"Montréal is a vibrant centre of game creators with industry-leading talent, and one of the most important bases of our global network of game development within the Square Enix Group," said Yoichi Wada, president and chief executive officer, SQUARE ENIX HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
"We believe in creating studios where passion for our games and gaming runs throughout and Eidos-Montréal is testament to this vision. The start up of a second studio brings a huge advantage to our business; we will nurture two separate studios with their own strengths, culture and appeal," said Phil Rogers, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Europe. "All of this has been made possible by our fantastic partners in Invest Quebec and Montréal International and we look forward to continuing our excellent working relationship with them."
Montréal International, whose mission includes attracting foreign investment to the Greater Montréal region, assisted the company at every key project step. "We will continue to support the development of both Square Enix studios and contribute to their success and growth in Greater Montréal, particularly by helping them recruit the talent they need," noted President and CEO of Montréal International, Jacques St-Laurent.
"In just four years Eidos-Montréal has achieved great success in delivering a top-selling and highly acclaimed first game, a feat only few other development studios share," said Stéphane D'Astous, general manager, Eidos-Montréal. "We look to continue this high level of quality with future studio titles by providing our employees with a dynamic working environment, compelling projects and cutting edge resources and facilities, with the support of strong governmental partners."
"I've worked in games all of my life, it's what I know and what I love and to be able to bring that passion and experience to Square Enix Montréal is very exciting," added Lee Singleton, general manager of Square Enix Montréal. "I want to create a studio that attracts passionate people, encourages innovation and gets the best out of the studio talent by empowering teams to make a difference."
To check out the latest studio news and to see and apply for open positions, please visit: www.eidosmontreal.com and www.square-enix-montreal.com respectively.
miladesn said:http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/38662/Interview_Inside_Square_Enixs_Major_Montreal_Expansion.php
interview
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"We're expanding Eidos Montreal because we feel it's the right time to increase our output."
"Basically, with the new expansion, we're aiming to host three triple-A games within the studio," says D'Astous. This expansion will bring the studio, which shipped Deus Ex: Human Revolution in August and is currently developing a new game in the Thief series, to a headcount of 450.
"But we're also going to grow the team carefully," says D'Astous. "The last thing I want is to create a factory-like setting -- I've been part of a much bigger studio in the past, and our priority is to make sure we retain a 'human approach' on management, where we're close to our people and transparent with them."
With our latest expansion we're investing in a motion-tracking facility, several areas related to R&D, online/social connectivity, and in-house recording capability. This will all help us improve on areas in which we lacked previously."
At the same time, the company also announced the foundation of a new Montreal studio, Square Enix Montreal, to be headed up by Lee Singleton -- who has served till now as general manager of Square Enix London Studios, an organization which works with external developers (such as Rocksteady, on Batman: Arkham Asylum.)
The studio's first project will be a new game in the Hitman franchise. The latest in the series, Absolution, is under development at IO Interactive in Denmark -- the creators of the franchise.
Was the new studio created for that purpose? "Kind of," says Singleton. "As a group, we identified the need for more high quality games and there's a limit to how much service our current studios can give our IPs. The natural solution was to investigate opening a new studio, and as soon as we knew this was the right answer, we needed to find the right IP for the studio in order to attract the right talent."
"Square Enix Montreal will work in step with IO Interactive so we can both contribute great games to the Hitman franchise in the future. We will increase the frequency of game releases, but we have no plans to migrate the franchise to Montreal in its entirety," says Singleton.
"We've not locked our tech solution yet, but we do have an option to use the proprietary Glacier 2 engine that's been developed by IO Interactive in Denmark," he notes.
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