Mystery publisher negotiating move into Canada

Canada’s handsome tax break policy may be about to win over another major publisher, according to a leading figure in the region.

Alain Lachapelle, the director of the Montreal International Game Summit (MIGS), told Develop that an unnamed company is in talks to establish (or perhaps expand) its business in the area.

The negotiations come just months after Ubisoft announced it was fronting as much as CA$500 million to open its new development offices in Toronto, while the Ontario government will support the deal with a CA$263m cash injection.

Lachapelle, when asked whether he thought Ubisoft’s new investment in Toronto was going to be replicated by a major publisher – such as EA, Activision, Capcom and Square Enix – he said:

“We know that other companies are currently negotiating. Let’s wait and see.”

Much of the coverage surrounding new investments in Canada tends to focus on the generous tax subsidies the region offers. Lachapelle, however, elected to focus on the other attractive aspects of the Canadian games industry.

“While subsidies make it appealing for foreign developers to open studios in Quebec,” he said, “what attracts them the most is the great talent pool at their disposal, the knowledge that we’re investing in the training of resources, as well as our geographical position in North America.”