Ubisoft Montreal's creative spirit "still very much alive"
Despite boasting 2,100 employees and a finger in almost all of the publisher's pies, Ubisoft Montreal studio head Yannis Mallat believes the developer still has that brand new feeling.
"This studio still has somewhat of a startup [attitude]. This studio is still a family," the executive told Gamasutra.
"We know what it takes for a creation company to be creative. This creative and innovative spirit is still very much alive, and that helps a lot. We understand what it takes to nourish and nurture employees' creativity."
Mallat said creativity and innovation are part of the "DNA" of Ubisoft, that not every project the studio fronts makes it into the public eye, and that despite pumping out quite a few sequels the team has not lost its edge.
"The best way to make sure our creatives are still innovating is trusting our creative people - that they have the feeling they have the trust of management to explore what they want to do," he explained.
"I don't see danger of losing culture, because this culture is what made us successful. We're relying on brand, talent, new models in the market - I think we're in good shape."
Ubisoft Montreal is lead studio on a staggering number of the publisher's triple A products - Far Cry 3, Assassin's Creed III, Assassin's Creed: Liberation, Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Watch Dogs, to name a handful.