EA, Jade Raymond Announce New Montreal Studio

[StewShearerOld]

EA, Jade Raymond Announce New Montreal Studio

Former Ubisoft executive Jade Raymond is joining Electronic Art's new Montreal studio Motive.

Last year, prominent games industry figure Jade Raymond <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/138145-Ubisoft-Toronto-Founder-Jade-Raymond-Leaves>left Ubisoft to purse "other ambitions and opportunities." In the months since, there's been little indication as to what exactly those new opportunities might be. That being the case, Raymond and <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/columns/experienced-points/11013-Electronic-Arts-Greed-Is-Not-the-Problem>Electronic Arts have released an announcement today revealing plans for a new studio under the publisher's umbrella.

The studio, according to a statement from Raymond, will be named Motive and based out of Montreal. Its aim, she said, will be "incubating entirely new IP" while also heading up some of EA's biggest and most anticipated projects. Case in point, its first game will be <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/132660-Uncharted-Writer-Amy-Hennig-Departs-Naughty-Dog-Update>Amy Hennig's previously announced Star Wars game. Raymond and Motive will also work "in close quarters" with the development team at BioWare Montreal to assist with its titles.

In addition to heading up Motive, Raymond will also "oversee" the management of Visceral Games. "I'm a huge fan of the games that have come out of Visceral and I feel honored to be working with such a talented team," she said. I've also known Amy for years and have admired her work on the Uncharted games! I'm thrilled that the first big project that we will work on in Montreal will have Amy as Creative Director. An opportunity to work with her and the Visceral team, and to play in the Star Wars universe, is once-in-a-lifetime stuff."

Raymond herself is best known for her role as the co-founder of Ubisoft Toronto where she served as it managing director. She worked at <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/ubisoft>Ubisoft overall for a total a 10 years, during which time she played significant roles in the development of several games including Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed II, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Watch Dogs. Suffice it to say we'll be interested to see what she does with Motive.

Source: Electronic Arts


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[Ugicywapih]

Jade Raymond left Ubisoft to purse "other ambitions and opportunities."

She does look like she can appreciate a good purse, but leaving the company for a fashion accessory sounds like a bit much.

All in all, I feel far too jaded to be hopeful about the news. The part about her having oversight over an another studio in particular gives me a foreboding feeling of infamous EA corporate meddling.

 

[someguy1231]

This is doomed to fail, because EA. (And Raymond's history as a dev seems mediocre at best to me)

 

[iniudan]

Jade Raymond left Ubisoft to purse "other ambitions and opportunities."

She does look like she can appreciate a good purse, but leaving the company for a fashion accessory sounds like a bit much.

All in all, I feel far too jaded to be hopeful about the news. The part about her having oversight over an another studio in particular gives me a foreboding feeling of infamous EA corporate meddling.

I think you need to be sold to EA.

 

[gigastar]

A new EA Montreal studio?

What happened to the old one?

 

[ron1n]

Wow, EA has ran out of established studios to chew up and spit out so it's making its own. Genius. It's like they have evolved from hunting to industrial farming. Wonder how long they'll live for.

And eh, Jade's always seemed like a glorified poster girl rather than someone with any actual talent. Guess she'll fit right in at EA.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Wow, an irrelevant person from one greedy corporation joins another greedy corporation. Do gamers care?

 

[Random Argument Man]

Wow, an irrelevant person from one greedy corporation joins another greedy corporation. Do gamers care?

Some people care. Some don't. It's news in the gaming world. If you think "irrelevant" on the first thought, you should make a small research. That's it.

 

[Demagogue]

Well this is a change a studio opening its doors instead of closing them. Congrats to Ms (Mrs?) Raymond and the staff at Motive, and he's to see what you all can do.

 

[Lightknight]

She certainly sounds qualified for the position. But a Ubisoft employee going to EA? This is kind of like having an evil cupcake with evil frosting, isn't it? Seriously, this person worked at two of the worst companies in the industry? I can only assume she has had every possible anti-consumer practice reinforced over reinforcements with that kind of history.

It's weird how I can't be happy for anything EA or Ubisoft does... but man have they been terrible to me as their consumer.

 

[Zontar]

On the one had, EA is opening a new studio. On the other, it's here in Montreal.

I'm mixed on this.

 

[tzimize]

There is absolutely only ONE ubisoft news I'm interested in and that is anything about Beyond Good and Evil 2. How is it going Ubi? Eh? EH? IS IT GOING TO HAPPEN OR WHAT?!

:|

People migrating from one vampire in the business to another is dull.

 

[RicoADF]

Congratulations to miss Raymond and good luck (you'll need it). That said she did go from Ubisoft to EA so she has experience dealing with these types of publishers. Interested to see what they come up with.

 

[Zontar]

On the one had, EA is opening a new studio. On the other, it's here in Montreal.

I'm mixed on this.

On the third hand, this EA so however you feel, the studio is already as good as closed.

I don't know, it would be a massive blow to their image if their studio in Montreal, the 'it' city for game development right now and home to the biggest Warner and Ubisoft studio, failed.

 

[StorkV]

At EA? sad...

 

[Strazdas]

I dont remember how exactly the saying goes, but it looks like she jumped from one shark pool to another