While the gaming industry in 2020 has seen its fair share of struggles due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic that has forced studios to work from home, it has been a banner year for new studios opening. Whether tired of the same old grind or wanting to pursue something completely different, more and more industry veterans are striking out on their own to follow their dreams. Fans have already heard developers from high profile studios like Respawn and Blizzard but now former high profile members of Ubisoft and BioWare have also branched out on their own.
Yellow Brick Games out of Quebec, Canada, is the latest independent studio made up of major industry talent. The studio was founded by Mike Laidlaw, the former Dragon Age Creative Director, along with other industry veterans Jeff Skalski, Thomas Giroux, and Frederic St. Laurent B. Already, the studio features 15 employees who are hard at work on the studio’s first title which aims to leverage the newest technology of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
Laidlaw takes on the Chief Creative Officer role, Skalski is the Executive Producer and Chief Operating Officer, Giroux becomes Chief Executive Producer, while Frederic St. Laurent B. is Game Director. Out of the gate, the studio is focused on creating high-quality experiences with a smaller and more agile team. Calling it Triple-I development, the studio aims to provide gaming experiences that are interactive, emergent and innovative while making sure that the work/life balance of its developers remains a top priority during development.
In terms of experience, the studio already has a massive head start thanks in large part to the co-founders. Besides the work Laidlaw is known for from his time at BioWare, Skalski also comes from BioWare though he’s had a role in numerous big name projects like Dark Age of Camelot, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, and Mass Effect. Giroux and St. Laurent B. are Ubisoft veterans, working on the companies AAA franchises from the many Tom Clancy games, Watch Dogs, Assassin’s Creed, and The Crew.
In addition to Yellow Brick Games, one of the more high profile studio openings this year is Dreamhaven, a new studio headed up by former Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime. After leaving Blizzard a year prior, Morhaime decided to jump back in by not only creating a new studio, but using his resources and knowledge to empower and grow new internal studios. Already, Morhaime has helped set up Secret Door and Moonshot Games, two development studios founded by former Blizzard veterans though as to what they’re working on remains a mystery for now.
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