Ubisoft opening studio in Abu Dhabi

Ubisoft has announced plans for continued expansion worldwide today, revealing it will open a new development studio in Abu Dhabi. It marks "the first time a major games publisher" in the region.

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Ubisoft has announced plans for continued expansion worldwide today, revealing it will open a new development studio in the United Arab Emirates capital city of Abu Dhabi. The announcement was made with Abu Dhabi's Media Zone Authority twofour54 and marks "the first time a major games publisher has established a direct presence in the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf."

The opening is slated to create 100 new jobs in the region over the next five years.

"The demographics and the pool of skilled technical talent in the Middle East and North Africa region are key factors that will contribute to the success of this new studio," Ubisoft's executive director of worldwide studios, Christine Burgess-Quémard, said.

In order to establish a media and entertainment hub for the region, the Abu Dhabi government formed twofour54, which has set its sights on bringing video game development to the Middle East and North Africa. "The digital games played by Arabs have traditionally been developed outside the region, which means that they rarely have a direct relevance to Arab gamers," Wayne Borg, Deputy CEO & Chief Operating Officer at twofour54 said.

Ubisoft's Abu Dhabi studio will work on "online gaming titles in collabortation with other Ubisoft Studios," before eventually branching off into original titles that "appeal to local and international audiences alike."

The plan is similar to Ubisoft Shanghai, the publisher's second-largest studio, which has contributed to multiple Tom Clancy-related titles and took over development of Ubisoft's upcoming title I Am Alive.

"Our agreement with Ubisoft will benefit the region in that it will enable the development of titles that resonate with the local population, whilst also building the skills of young Arabs to allow the region to create its own games and developing a gaming industry base here at twofour54," Borg said.

Ubisoft China's former VP of business development, Yannick Theler, has been selected to manage the new studio. The ten-year industry vet most recently served as the HR director of Ubisoft Shanghai.

Xav de Matos was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    October 25, 2011 11:00 AM

    Xav de Matos posted a new article, Ubisoft opening studio in Abu Dhabi.

    Ubisoft has announced plans for continued expansion worldwide today, revealing it will open a new development studio in Abu Dhabi. It marks "the first time a major games publisher" in the region.

    • reply
      October 25, 2011 11:11 AM

      Oh, I get it now. All these studios keep closing so that new ones can be opened in countries where the average wage is 0.12 cents an hour. :/

      • reply
        October 25, 2011 11:25 AM

        That and huge tax breaks. It's why so many studios are opening up in Montreal and China, and closing down in the UK and Australia.

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          October 25, 2011 3:13 PM

          The tax breaks you get for running a studio in Montreal are unreal. It is very difficult for the US to compete with that.

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        October 25, 2011 11:28 AM

        The average pay for a skilled worker in Abu Dhabi is $29175.

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        October 25, 2011 11:35 AM

        If they're going to make derivative sequels to games they might as well exploit people and save money in the process as well.

        Fuck Ubisoft

      • reply
        October 25, 2011 11:39 AM

        Well Abu Dhabi is one of the richest and most expensive city in the world, I don't think developers will have a lower wage than in any other western country.

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          October 25, 2011 3:13 PM

          Sadly their airport isn't much to write home about at all. :(

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        October 25, 2011 11:48 AM

        Or how about they open up in other places so that we don't get the same rehashed shit over and over to the point people stop buying it because the company went out a business.

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      October 25, 2011 11:44 AM

      "Ubi...Abu. Abu..Ubi," -David Letterman

      • reply
        October 25, 2011 1:11 PM

        "Uma...Oprah. Oprah...Uma" I got your reference!

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      October 25, 2011 12:43 PM

      Yea, I don't think the muslim gaming community is a profitable move.

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      October 25, 2011 1:17 PM

      Nermal proximity fail

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      October 25, 2011 1:49 PM

      I've been reading Shacknews for years, but rarely ever post, and I read comments all the time for entertainment, and quite enjoy it, as I sometimes find it funny and witty, and other times informative and accurate. So frankly, I am appalled at the number of ignorant remarks in this article.

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        October 25, 2011 3:12 PM

        You're shocked a bunch of Americans don't know all the details and facts of what goes in Dhabi?

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          October 25, 2011 3:14 PM

          That's the one with the Great Wall, right?

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          October 25, 2011 3:14 PM

          It's nice that the rest of the world doesn't have to know shit about the US, but we are expected to know everything about everyone else, their culture, etc.

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            October 26, 2011 7:05 AM

            [deleted]

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              October 26, 2011 5:21 PM

              Meanwhile the rest of the world is where the dumb, poverty-stricken clowns reside. They only have good things to say when they need a hand-out.

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        October 25, 2011 3:15 PM

        LOL if ignorant remarks shock you, then clearly you dont read shacknews very often

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