Village Gamer

Vancouver – As stated in the title, Game Trailers has published a very nice look inside at United Front Games. We have a few friends who work there, and it’s always great to see their talent getting recognized out on the world stage. We don’t yet have a PS3 because it would put a huge dent in our meager budget, but if we did, UFG’s debut title Modnation Racers would definitely be at the top of our Want list.

Montreal – As announced this morning by Québec Premier Jean Charest and the Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade, Clément Gignac, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) will establish a development studio in Québec. The announcement was made in the presence of Gérald Tremblay, Mayor of Montreal; Martin Tremblay, President of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment; and Jacques Daoust, President and CEO of Investissement Québec. The Premier also announced a $7.5 million non-refundable contribution from Investissement Québec for the creation of the studio.

This new studio will gradually grow to include more than 300 people by the end of 2015. This approach, which privileges the company’s progressive development, will facilitate the recruiting of new graduates for the Montreal studio and will maintain the labour balance in the Québec video game industry.

“We are proud that Warner Bros. has chosen Québec. We have done a lot of work to position Quebec as an essential place to invest that is competitive, and possesses an exceptional and highly qualified workforce. Warner Bros. has acknowledged this and we are very excited to welcome them”, stated Premier Charest.

The Montréal subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, which is headquartered in Burbank, California, will house various departments in the same studio, such as high-end interactive gaming product development, digital and cinematographic animation, quality assurance of products developed by the Montréal studio, as well as the adaptation and translation of its products
into various languages.

“With our workforce’s outstanding skill and creativity, Warner Bros. will distribute all around the world multilingual products developed, translated, and adapted right here in Québec. The establishment of this studio will certainly contribute to the consolidation and the integration of Quebec’s videogame industry, which is always ready to take on new challenges” noted Minister Gignac.

“With its creative workforce specialized in digital media and its renowned universities, Québec is the perfect place to develop our new products and technologies. The Government of Québec’s tax credits and other incentives made Montréal the right location for our studio at this time. Montréal, with its wealth of talent and highly affordable operating costs, is a wonderful place to continue to expand our growth in gaming. Martin Carrier, a local industry veteran who has been involved in the creation of WB Games in Montreal from the start, will assume for the coming weeks the role of coordinating the studio’s implementation. WB Games Montreal’s management structure will be
announced shortly.” said Martin Tremblay, president of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

The Government of Québec boasts a range of measures to support the growth of the multimedia industry, which holds great promise for Québec’s economy. Financial partners for this project include Emploi-Québec and Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC). With this major investment, Warner Bros. will be able to take advantage of these measures and will notably be eligible for tax credits for the production of multimedia titles.