Montreal, September 21, 2005 – The Université de Montréal and Ubisoft, one of the world’s leading video game publishers, are pleased to announce that they have signed an agreement for the joint development of research and training projects in the field of game design.
Their primary collaboration will be on designing a graduate program to be offered on the Ubisoft Campus, which will include a range of research activities directly linked to game design.
Martin Tremblay, Managing Director of the Ubisoft Studio in Montreal and co-chair of the information technologies cluster at Montréal International, says that “This agreement with the Université de Montréal confirms Ubisoft’s leadership role and reflects our strong desire to advance the entire video game development industry in Quebec by promoting innovative and accessible training in the field. This joint project, which makes the Ubisoft Campus available to students, means that many more young people will be able to benefit from top-notch training and aspire to a career in this leading-edge field.”
“For the School of Industrial Design in the Faculty of environmental design and studies this agreement dovetails perfectly with our desire to set up graduate programs that meet the needs of new employment sectors,” says Luc Courchesne, Director of the School of Industrial Design.
About game design
Video game design involves defining the parameters and design features of the universe the user enters through the gaming experience. The game designer sets the basic rules, helps write the screenplay, designs the main and secondary characters and determines their adventures by developing the narrative web of the game. The designer serves as the focal point for the many trades that have a hand in game production and ensures that the entire scenario comes to life.
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide. It is the fastest growing company in the videogame industry and has grown considerably through its strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 21 countries and sales in more than 50 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge videogame titles to consumers. Ubisoft generated revenue of € 537 million for the 2004–2005 fiscal year, an increase of 8% over the previous fiscal year at constant exchange rates. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.
About the Université de Montréal and the School of Industrial Design
Founded in 1878, the Université de Montréal today has 13 faculties and together with its two affiliated schools, HEC Montréal and École Polytechnique, constitutes the largest centre of higher education and research in Québec, the second largest in Canada, and one of the major centres in North America. It brings together 2,400 professors and researchers, accommodates nearly 55,000 students, offers some 650 programs at all academic levels, and awards about 3,000 masters and doctorate diplomas each year.
The School of Industrial Design, founded in 1969, has an enrolment of 430 students. The only industrial design school in North America that offers courses in French, it has achieved an international reputation for its dynamic blend of research and training, from theory to design projects, and for its many active partnerships with professionals and the industry. It is part of the Faculty of environmental design and studies, which also includes the School of Architecture, the School of Landscape Architecture, and the Urban Planning Institute.
For further information, please visit: www.din.umontreal.ca
About the Ubisoft Campus
In partnership with the CEGEP de Matane, the Université de Sherbrooke, the Université du Québec and the Université de Montréal, the Ubisoft Campus offers innovative programs that lead to degrees recognized by the Quebec ministry of education, leisure and sports (MELS). Courses taught on the Campus cover all of the skills involved in video game production, from programming to 3D animation, 3D modelling and the design of layered games.
The Ubisoft Campus is the first initiative in Quebec to combine college- and university-level programs in which students at different levels collaborate on joint study projects that simulate the creation of a video game production, training them to make a swift and seamless transition to the interactive entertainment industry.
For further information, go to: www.ubisoftcampus.com
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Source:
Ubisoft and Université de Montréal
Cédric Orvoine, Public Relations Specialist, Canada, Ubisoft
(514) 490-2000, extension 3334
cedric.orvoine@ubisoft.com
Sophie Langlois, Director, Media Relations, Université de Montréal
(514) 343-7704
sophie.langlois@umontreal.ca
