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Eidos sets up Montreal studio

UK publisher becomes the latest to establish a development house in game-friendly province of Quebec.

With nearly 5,000 game development jobs, tax credits for software production, and publishers like EA and Ubisoft finding success in the city, Montreal may be the coldest hotbed of game development in the industry today. Yesterday it was announced the city would be receiving another studio from a frontline publisher, as Eidos and the economic development agency Investissement Quebec laid out plans to establish a new studio in Montreal.

The studio will develop four games for the newest generation of systems and be accompanied by a new testing unit. Eidos expects to hire 110 people in Montreal by the end of the year, with the operation reaching 350 people within three years. Eidos attributed the pool of experienced talent in the area and tax incentives on game development as a pair of the factors that convinced it to establish operations in the city.

70 Comments

  • roch121

    Posted Feb 20, 2007 3:10 pm GMT

    ok. ya. nice for montreal.

  • trigun123

    Posted Feb 20, 2007 1:40 pm GMT

    yay eidos? when is their first good game going to come out? could they
    possibly surpass the crappiness that is tomb raider? these questions and more on "old washed up game studios who havent produced a quality game in a decade!!"

  • Montrealien

    Posted Feb 20, 2007 11:44 am GMT

    "I have another reason to be proud of Quebec's greatest city... Yay for Montreal, yay to the future country of Quebec!!!"

    lol, for the record, the taxe incentives that are making all the cool game companies coming here were Liberal incentives, the people that want to make a country out of Quebec did not support this taxe cut, they were too busy pushing for the referendum in the seventies, but lets not get into Canadian politics, they dont have their place in a place like this.

  • ufopuller

    Posted Feb 20, 2007 7:55 am GMT

    Eidos HAD some good games

  • -HCMF-

    Posted Feb 20, 2007 3:40 am GMT

    ok

  • GhostyMcboo

    Posted Feb 20, 2007 1:26 am GMT

    YES!

    Time to stop working for the coke dealin' restaurants on St. Laurent and get my portfolio together!

    To Konfusion: MTL certainment does, 'ow do you say? ROCK DA 'OUSE

  • runstalker

    Posted Feb 19, 2007 1:19 pm GMT

    It's a nice city. Lots of tech schools and a european sort of vibe with clothing, architecture etc., mixed with North American culture + hockey, football, theatre, great concerts. Toss in the tax cut for game developers and it's a great place to make games--even if you freeze your nutz off in the winter.

  • Konfusion

    Posted Feb 19, 2007 9:37 am GMT

    w00t! I love my city. Montreal r0x0rs.

  • Sharvie

    Posted Feb 19, 2007 9:26 am GMT

    Great news for Montreal.

  • ShinAkuma777

    Posted Feb 19, 2007 9:10 am GMT

    sounds good i remember a great game eidos once made it was ninja or at least thats what i think it was called maybe they should remake for ps3

  • thescorpion1983

    Posted Feb 19, 2007 8:52 am GMT

    At least game in here are gonna be made by people with freedom of speech, freedom to think what they want and have ideas of their own, not with governments filtring that goes on the internet, television etc. This is not about India and china etc.. They come here for their good reasons..they wouldn come if it wasent good for them. SO Im gonna enjoy the wave of new companys in here and their job opportunitys.

  • Perception1

    Posted Feb 19, 2007 4:45 am GMT

    ya daz right, montreal all day baby loll

  • Anarky86

    Posted Feb 18, 2007 11:32 pm GMT

    I have another reason to be proud of Quebec's greatest city... Yay for Montreal, yay to the future country of Quebec!!!

  • allmont

    Posted Feb 18, 2007 6:28 pm GMT

    why would you want to work at ea when you can work at edios, edios makes ea look like wothless slobs, but they already were

  • pparker965

    Posted Feb 18, 2007 1:25 pm GMT

    Very cool! This will add to the city's diversity, culture and appeal. And more talent will be drawn too.

    As gamers we all win since this will mean more, better games!

  • Cablestein

    Posted Feb 18, 2007 11:52 am GMT

    Montreal is big for mobile game development too... Jamdat (now owned by EA), Gameloft and Airborne are all headquartered there.

    Tax incentives is the biggest reason, yea. But you have other things... bi-lingualism (city is half English, have French), the culture promotes creativity... it's laid back, european. Many large universities right in the city.

  • yugiyami

    Posted Feb 18, 2007 7:35 am GMT

    i am proud of my city lol

  • darklord_2002

    Posted Feb 18, 2007 6:38 am GMT

    YAY! Now I can get a job

  • CPM_basic

    Posted Feb 18, 2007 3:24 am GMT

    Kudos to Montreal

  • theKSMM

    Posted Feb 18, 2007 12:18 am GMT

    Move to Montreal? Hmm....

  • tdmtrilogy

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 11:30 pm GMT

    Allright!
    Thank you for the info, i live near them!
    I have now apply in the Quality Control (Tester)

    jobs.montreal@eidos.com

  • link631

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 10:06 pm GMT

    go EA in motreal

  • mansmanman

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 6:19 pm GMT

    w00t, go Canada!

  • WARxSnake

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 5:18 pm GMT

    not to mention autodesk/3dsmax and a bunch of other visual effects studios reside here

  • Montrealien

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 4:28 pm GMT

    pcmacro said..

    "Wrong it's because the government invests more into videogame companies. Most people don't know this, but Quebec has forseen the blossom of the videogame industry since the 70s. Montreal wants to be the hollywood of videogames."

    Bingo, we have a winner! The Quebec gov. has always shown the digital love and we are happy that Eidos is also added to our great list of studios. I see people talking about the big names since Ubi did put us on the map but the reality is Montreal has alway been a gaming biz town, lets not forget Microids (now part of Ubi) and Strategy First among others.

  • pcmacro

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 3:18 pm GMT

    e_boulanger
    e_boulanger
    Let's face it. Eidos does not go in Montreal just for the talent. It goes there because it cost less ( people are paid less than in Toronto, and definitively less than in the US ). However, this may last only a few years. When India begins to produce high quality games, all the companies will go there because these guys are EXTRA cheap.

    Wrong it's because the government invests more into videogame companies. Most people don't know this, but Quebec has forseen the blossom of the videogame industry since the 70s. Montreal wants to be the hollywood of videogames.

  • wallkick

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 3:17 pm GMT

    to comthitnuong: They are not moving, they are crating a new studio, wich is good because good games take more time to do so they will be able to maintain a good offer.

    guertt: L'outaouais... le bon bord de la rivière

  • nintendopsycho

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 3:08 pm GMT

    I love Montreal, I was born there, and I live there. Now I have one of company to work at in Montreal when I'm older!!!

  • anarchicgoth

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 2:21 pm GMT

    lol looks like Montreal is getting another game studio

  • urbanlegend13

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 1:55 pm GMT

    Go, Montreal, go ! Just hope they won't close their doors quickly if their games are not well received. After all, it's Eidos, not Ubisoft who has a lot of cash even after doing disappointing games like Red Steel, for example.

  • Chief_Kuuni

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 1:18 pm GMT

    whatever works, maybe they like french speaking people, could have moved to france

  • comthitnuong

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 12:04 pm GMT

    I don't know why they would want to move but as long as they make a good game, it can't be too bad

  • racerx737

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 12:03 pm GMT

    The more jobs available the better, hopefully it means there will be more quality games coming out. Of course it probably also means there will be more crappy games out too.

  • WARxSnake

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 11:41 am GMT

    "Let's face it. Eidos does not go in Montreal just for the talent. It goes there because it cost less ( people are paid less than in Toronto, and definitively less than in the US ). However, this may last only a few years. When India begins to produce high quality games, all the companies will go there because these guys are EXTRA cheap."

    Right because when Ubisoft told Ubisoft Shanghai to make Splinter Cell: Double Agent for the PC, it was not the worst Splinter Cell of all time, compared to the other, well made, Montreal Studio Splinter Cell games.
    Just a tiny example, but oh yeah, you're right, we here in Montreal are freaking talentless.
    I guess you can't wait for the next generation batch of crap to come out of countries like china and India, I know I love my unoptimized, poorly designed games.

  • Tetsuphil

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 10:58 am GMT

    I'm not impressed.I live in Matane, a really small city in Quebec. Matane's college is known to have a Ubisoft Campus connection through a formation available there.It takes 2 or 3 year and then you're paid by Ubisoft. Much more easier (Funny too).Anyway, you have to talk well french here because people often think that english is mandarin.I'm not gonna write in french now because most people wont understand.One more thing,Matane is really,really,really far and the winter there is by far more crazy than it is in many games.Do not think it's big here.It's really small.

  • PuffstaJones

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 10:41 am GMT

    sick I'm from montreal so kudos to eidos. I'm happy were becomming hipsters in the video games.

  • RoC1981

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 10:40 am GMT

    Yes
    You all know now that MONTREAL is the **** when VIDEOGAMES talking...
    Been testing game on a part time for 3 years at ubisoft play test labo. Even my 6 years old son do so... You know that been paid to play games before the release it's awsome.

  • bouvierr

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 9:40 am GMT

    Sure, credits help a lot businesses that want to come over here, but those are just for a few years. What really makes a game developper special is its team of designers, and montreal is THE artistic and cultural center in Canada and thats why they find some of the best here.

  • e_boulanger

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 9:17 am GMT

    Let's face it. Eidos does not go in Montreal just for the talent. It goes there because it cost less ( people are paid less than in Toronto, and definitively less than in the US ). However, this may last only a few years. When India begins to produce high quality games, all the companies will go there because these guys are EXTRA cheap.

  • WARxSnake

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 8:52 am GMT

    ...depends on which company welcomes my 3d work and which company pays better. For those of you that live in Montreal and are looking to get into the campus, don't believe the "100% you're in after your done" crap, its a lot of work and you have to prove yourself top of the crop. It's expected, but it's nothing like what they say at the start of the term. I'm on the third session and right now all the students and myself are busting a$$ trying to get a game going (hl2 engine).

  • WARxSnake

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 8:44 am GMT

    doktron
    thats great for a city that makes english speakers 2nd class citizens!I know cause I live here!

    i live there too, im an english speaker too, though i dont feel alienated at all with all the French, I welcome diversity and adapt to my environment.

    and about the studio, thats cool, gives me more options right now im at the ubisoft campus, so ubisoft's my first choice but you never know.

  • Ironclash

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 8:17 am GMT

    I love Montreal, I hate their winters. Although their smoked meat ain't half bad.

  • beckoflight

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 5:35 am GMT

    Eidos is in 2nd place after Ubisoft ... if you take it by the quality of the games & has under its wing 2 veteran studios of the industry Crystal Dynamics & Io Interective i hope it will make another great studio !

  • doktron

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 5:30 am GMT

    thats great for a city that makes english speakers 2nd class citizens!I know cause I live here!

  • hovan316

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 3:22 am GMT

    What do you want me to say...We got the talent...

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Feb 17, 2007 12:01 am GMT

    Montreal is sure central some serious gaming activity.

  • muppen

    Posted Feb 16, 2007 11:21 pm GMT

    Allright. Go Eidos!

  • conformist

    Posted Feb 16, 2007 10:47 pm GMT

    ...and they speak French there?!? Dude, you can't lose. Seriously. I could polish up my French a bit and go up there.

  • Pete5506

    Posted Feb 16, 2007 9:58 pm GMT

    oh canada

  • yboucher

    Posted Feb 16, 2007 9:53 pm GMT

    "Gotta love Canada, Quebec gives tax cuts and incentives to these companies and then asks the rest of the country to pay for it!
    Gotta love Canada." Shut uuuuuuuupp... 8-| When it's YOUR turn (whereever the hell you live) YOU'RE not gonna complain, so just shut up, you're just jealous.

    Montreal has become one of the top-5 game development cities in the world, and that's reality. Tax breaks or not, the pool of talent is there.

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