Montreal is renowned internationally for its contribution to the videogame industry, due in great part to the Ubisoft Montréal studio. Our studio has benefitted from the support of the Ubisoft brand and of our community and, now, we’re taking the time to pay it forward by supporting local indie developers.
And so, this week, Ubisoft Montréal is announcing its eight-month collaboration with Spearhead Games. This studio has been around for a few years, launching Tiny Brains and Arena Cyber Evolution in the last three years. Now, Ubi Montréal is lending a hand in marketing and publishing for their game Stories: The Path of Destinies.
“We saw an opportunity to lend a hand and share our knowledge to help them out,” says Francis Baillet, VP Corporate Affairs. “During the course of our meetings with several indie studios, they showed interest in receiving help with regards to marketing and publishing, but also in connecting with our senior developers whether via formal mentorship or in a more casual way, to discuss their game. So we listened!”
In real terms, this meant, for instance, this collaboration allowed Malik Bouhira and Atule Mehra, cofounders of Spearhead, to meet with Luc Duchaine, brand director on For Honor, to work on their pitch ahead of PlayStation Experience 2015. And thanks to Luc’s guidance, a tangled, 10-minute pitch was distilled down to a 30-second sentence.
“As you know, making a great game requires a lot of varied skills: Animation, Marketing, Art, etc.,” says Malik. “As a small indie team, it’s impossible to have experts in every field and for every possible situation. So having the feedback and advice of various experts can be invaluable. This experience with Ubisoft has given us that opportunity, both by providing a fresh look at what we do as well as indications for opportunities to improve our work.”
“I love their fresh and interesting approach to storytelling, one that is really close to the player’s actions and choices,” says Lionel Raynaud, VP, Creative. “The charming environment and tone make for an ambitious and well-designed game by an enthusiastic. It shows real production intelligence.”
And here’s where you get to enjoy the fruits of their labour: the game is available now on Uplay: http://shop.ubi.com/store/ubina/fr_CA/pd/productID.1204325300.