14 DAY TRIAL // If you have watched any of Frank Miller's movies (Sin City, 300 or Spy Kids), one thing must have impressed you a lot: the visual effects. And I know quite a few people who started to wonder why games can't look that, too (of course, there are a few exceptions here, but it's not what we're talking about). Well, Ubisoft is bringing us visual experiences ready to rival those of the cinema, since it has just announced the acquisition of Montreal-based Hybride Technologies.
The company was founded over 15 years ago and employs 80 talented people who have created special effects and visuals for top Hollywood productions. Ubisoft plans to take advantage of the team's experience and implement all their knowledge to games, while allowing them to continue their work with movie companies, hoping that they will also be able to snatch a few IPs along the way. This, in the end, could be a really good thing for everybody.
"The future of our industry depends on our ability to create brands that captivate audiences and to extend those brands to other forms of entertainment," said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer at Ubisoft. "The acquisition of Hybride falls directly into the strategy that has already led us to open a digital creation studio in Montreal and to acquire the Tom Clancy brand for video games and ancillary products. The exceptional quality of the team at Hybride and the expertise of our Ubisoft teams will allow us to create one of the best 3D animation studios in the entertainment industry."
Ubisoft's CEO went on to praise Hybride Technologies for having the same vision on entertainment as the publishers, stating that the "passion for innovation and creativity" is always helping the industry as a whole. We're sure it will also aid the companies a lot - but let's just wait to see their first projects before deciding whether it is a really good deal or not.