Montreal, February 17, 2021 – La Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec is pleased to announce the finalists for the 5th edition of the Série Indie Ubisoft presented by the National Bank. This competition, which aims to encourage leadership and entrepreneurship in the video game industry, is aimed at independent development studios with 50 employees or less located across Quebec. Its objective is to support them in the development and marketing of their game and to support them in the success of their business.
This year, all the candidates submitted their video game to a jury of experts, who, after several weeks of deliberation, selected 10 finalists based on criteria including gameplay, design, the marketing plan and the financial plan. At the end of a ”pitching” session in front of a jury, two winners will be elected and awarded at the annual gala on March 11. They will benefit from mentoring and support programs offered by experts from Ubisoft, the National Bank and industry professionals, personalized meetings as well as a complete financial diagnosis. The big winner will receive a $ 50,000 scholarship and the recipient of the National Bank ”Coup de cœur” prize will receive a $ 25,000 scholarship. The winners will also have access to creative and marketing tools, essential for their projects, and personalized support from the Center for Business and Innovation of Montreal (CEIM).
New this year, thanks to our collaboration with Québec EPIX, the winner of the last edition of Catapulte is automatically added to the list of finalists of the Indie Ubisoft Series presented by the National Bank. Here are the 11 finalists of this 5th edition:
- 2 Igloos
- Autoexec Games
- Chasing Rats Games
- Clever Plays Studio
- Fika Productions
- Folklore Games
- Shishi Studios
- Lowbirth Games
- Lucid Dreams Studio
- Shedbuilder Games
- Strange Matter Studios Inc.
This year, the awards ceremony will take place on March 11 at 4 p.m. We invite you to watch it live on Twitch.tv/LaGuildeQc.
“Once again this year, independent studios in Quebec have surprised us with their creativity and their passion. For 5 years, we have seen how this community has developed and we are happy to contribute to its development year after year. We can’t wait to crown the winning studio of this 5th edition. Good luck to all!”, says Francis Baillet, vice-president of corporate affairs, Ubisoft.
“National Bank is very proud to be the presenting partner of the Ubisoft Indie Series to support the entrepreneurs of tomorrow in a highly competitive industry. This year’s finalists confirm once again that this industry has a bright future. With the unveiling of the finalists, our experts are ready to play an active role in the development of the selected independent studios by offering them specialized support. We hope that our expertise can contribute to the growth of their business.”, adds Brigitte Leblanc, Associate Vice-President, Canada and International, Creative Industries Group at National Bank.
“The team of La Guilde is proud to see the quality of the projects selected by the jury. We are always blown away by the creativity of all the competing studios and this year is no exception. For more than 5 years, the Indie Series has proven that it is one of the most promising vehicles for the development of independent Quebec studios and thus allow Quebec to stand out as a world leader.”, concludes Nadine Gelly, General Manager of La Guilde du Quebec video game.
Here are the details surrounding the two prizes that will be awarded during the evening
GRAND PRIZE
- The winning studio will win:
- Prize money of $ 50,000;
- Ubisoft’s expert mentoring program for game development as needed by the studio;
- Montreal Center for Business and Innovation (CEIM) expert mentoring program;
- Personalized meeting and full financial diagnosis by a National Bank expert;
- Marketing promotion activities for the game;
- Internal and external communication activities on the collaboration between Ubisoft and the studio, locally and internationally;
- Entrepreneurial training experience offered by the National Bank.
NATIONAL BANK FAVORITE PRIZE
National Bank will determine, according to its own criteria, one (1) Coup de cœur studio which will win:
- Price of $ 25,000;
- Mentorship program with Ubisoft experts for the development of the game; according to the needs of the studio;
- Montreal Center for Business and Innovation (CEIM) expert mentoring program;
- Personalized meeting and complete financial diagnosis with a National Bank expert;
- Dissemination of the winner through the video game ecosystem in Quebec and in the business community.
To find out all about the Serie Indie Ubisoft presented by National Bank, visit the following website. Subscribe to La Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec (@LaGuilde) platforms and to its newsletter to stay informed.
About La Guide du jeu vidéo du Québec La Guilde du jeux vidéo du Québec is a non-profit organization that brings together independent and international video game developers, creators, educational institutions and entrepreneurs in related fields based in Quebec. A world leader in this sector and with 245 members, La Guilde is the largest group of its kind in the world.
Information
Lyne Bouthillette, community manager and content creator
La Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec
Mobile : 514 213-8038
lyne.bouthillette@laguilde.quebec
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