Silicon Knights picks up Canadian gov't funding

The Canadian government is generous with its tax subsidies and grants for the game industry, and a welcome recipient has been St. Catherine's, Ontario-based Silicon Knights. This week, Ontario's Ministry of Economic Development and Trade announced that the Too Human developer has been granted funds to dramatically expand its operations with the creation of 80 new jobs.

The Ontario ministry did not expound on the particulars of its grant to Silicon Knights. However, it did note that in addition to creating the new jobs, the money would help "protect 97 existing positions" at the studio.

Led by polemic game creator Dennis Dyack, Silicon Knights is known for its work on Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. After working exclusively with Nintendo during the late '90s and early 2000s, Silicon Knights signed on with Microsoft Studios to create the Too Human trilogy for the Xbox 360.

Silicon Knights is currently working with Activision to release X-Men: Destiny for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and DS this fall. The studio has also expressed interest in returning to the Too Human trilogy, despite the first game's lackluster critical and commercial reception. Additionally, as part of a separate Canadian grant from 2009, the studio said that it was at work on a project titled "Siren in the Maelstrom."