Ubisoft Announces Plans To Expand Its Moroccan Studio
London, United Kingdom, 15 June, 2007 - Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announces today a plan to expand its Casablanca studio, hiring 150 new developers by 2010 and moving to a new location in Casablanca that will be able to welcome the expanded Ubisoft team and the infrastructure needed to accommodate them.
The plan for the creation of 150 new positions at Ubisoft is supported by the Moroccan government, via a program to attract high quality jobs in technology. The Moroccan government has developed an incentive program for the creation of new jobs and training for these new positions.
Ubisoft opened its Casablanca studio in 1998 and the team has been responsible for important contributions to world-wide successes such as Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie and Prince of Persia The Two Thrones, as well as responsible for the production of recent titles for the Nintendo DS including Star Wars®: Lethal Alliance and Rayman Raving Rabbids. The studio currently employs 50 team members and is working on Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 for the Nintendo DS.
Ubisoft, with a creative force of over 3,200 in studios around the world, possesses the second largest in-house production team in the video game industry. As the only video game developer in Morocco and Northern Africa, Ubisoft recruits young talent from the excellent local engineering and art schools, further training them in the craft of creating video games. In addition to working on titles for the Casablanca studio, many Moroccan artists and engineers have joined other Ubisoft studios throughout the world to extend and share their experience.
"In 1998, Ubisoft chose to create a studio in Casablanca, with the knowledge that the local education system would provide talented people," said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer of Ubisoft. "It is an honor to work with the Moroccan government to significantly expand our presence in the region. Both the video game industry and the Moroccan economy are strong and growing, and we look forward to pioneering the industry in this exciting region."
"There are many young people in Morocco who are passionate about video games," stated Cyril Vermeil, managing director of Ubisoft's Casablanca studio. "Our task will be to recruit people who want to grow with Ubisoft to become leading specialists in an industry offering an increasing number of career opportunities for local talent."
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 22 countries and sales in more than 50 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. Ubisoft generated sales of 680 million for the 2006-2007 fiscal year. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.
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