Ubisoft Opening Studio in Toronto

Ubisoft, developer of the Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell franchises, announced today that the Government of Ontario will be investing a large sum of money, CA$263 million, over the next ten years to help bring the large developer to Toronto. CEO of Ubisoft Montreal (and now Toronto) Yannis Mallat announced today - along with Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Minister of Economic Development and Trade Sandra Pupatello – that within the next few years, the software company will be setting up a new shop in Ontario. This move is hoped to be beneficial to both parties by tapping into the massive film-making industry for Ubisoft and creating hundreds of jobs for the people of Ontario.

This studio will mark the fourth development house opened by Ubisoft in Canada, which employs over 2,300 people across the country. In other news, Tom Clancy just bought a new house.

Microsoft, Ubisoft Vets Join Jerry Bruckheimer

Jerry Bruckheimer and MTV Games today announced two executive appointments to Jerry Bruckheimer Games that officially mark the producer’s entrance into the video game industry. Industry veterans, Jim Veevaert and Jay Cohen, have been named President of Production and President of Development respectively. Bruckheimer and MTV Games previously announced this exclusive deal to create new and original video game content together. Details on the partnership have been quiet until today’s executive appointments.

Jim Veevaert is 15 year veteran, having spent the past eight years at Microsoft overseeing the the Halo franchise. As the Executive Producer for Halo 3, Veevaert was responsible for production and franchise management for the Halo Xbox 360 game series and Microsoft’s relationship with video game developer Bungie Studios. Prior to his work on the Halo series, Veevaert brought the Epic Games relationship to Microsoft, along with the Gears of War franchise. Veevaert led collaboration with the creative leads of Rare Ltd in the United Kingdom to expand the Viva Piñata franchise with an original television production and series of companion games.

A 13 year veteran in the interactive entertainment industry, Jay Cohen spent the past decade at Ubisoft building the company’s North American subsidiary. During his tenure as Senior Vice President of Publishing, Cohen and his team successfully engineered and executed the launches of blockbuster franchises such as Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, Prince of Persia, Rayman and Assassin’s Creed. Cohen currently sits as Chairman of the Board for the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences as well.