Recently I made a new friend , his name is Derek . He probably doesn't know that we're friends , but that's not really the point . You see , Derek is the very first employee of the brand new Ubisoft Toronto studio which is scheduled to open later this year , and he started a " Employee # 1 " Facebook fan page when he was hired back in late August 2009 .
On top of ramping up for this role at Ubisoft , Derek's been tasked with the very fun job of documenting the development of the Toronto studio . If you've ever wondered how a multi-million dollar , AAA video game studio is created , then Derek's commentary will surely interest you . If the mantra from humble beginnings do great things grow rings true , it bodes well for the new Toronto studio since Derek seems about as humble as people get .
It's fun to vicariously follow the adventures of Derek which recently took him to Venice , Italy , with members of the Assassin's Creed 2 Dev Team to check out the real-life Italian landmarks that are in the game . Talk about a dream job , seriously ? Evidently , and do doubt intentionally , Derek's blog updates have really increased my interest in Ubisoft Toronto . To me , it seems like the " Employee # 1 " fan page is as much a PR outlet as it is about Derek himself . You see , on top of reporting on the development of the new studio , he also posts general news about Ubisoft . For example , he recently announced that their CEO , Yannis Mallet , will be on the judging panel of the 5th Annual Vortex Competition in Toronto next month . Sneaky Ubisoft , but very effective . Press release material seems much more approachable and engaging when you have a fun-loving guy like Derek spreading the news .

It's pretty interesting to read the wall commentary and watch the videos for little tidbits of insight into the future of Ubisoft Toronto . For example , in the introductory video above you'll see Mallet hint that they've already selected the location for Ubisoft Toronto . Here are the exchange of words :
Derek : " Mr . Mallat , I am officially employee # 1 . Can you tell us , where are we going to be located in Toronto ?"

Mallet : " I could , cuz I know ."

More clues can be found in later videos posted by Derek , including this one on YouTube where he meets up with Ubisoft Toronto's studio head , Jade Raymond . One astute reader commented on NextGen Player that two are walking along King Street at Dufferin . Could that be the location of the new studio ? Time will tell .
From the intro video it's also noteworthy that Mallet said that Ubisoft Toronto will be responsible for " high profile , high caliber " franchises . No titles have been announced just yet , so feel free to look at the list of their games and take your best guess . Considering how vast their library is , the options are plentiful . I'm hoping that Ubisoft Toronto starts fresh and develops new , original IPs .
I live in Toronto so hopefully with some luck , I'll get to visit the new studio at some point down the road .
Message Edited by PaulH on 10-19-2009 09:50 PM