Many experts are wondering how Sony will respond to Microsoft’s repeated attacks on video games. To paraphrase the Comte de Frontenac, let’s say that the creator of the powerful PlayStation 5 will respond with the mouth of his guns. And one of those is one of Montreal’s best-kept secrets: Haven Studios, run by a well-known creator in the industry: Jade Raymond.
Jade Raymond, her five co-founders and twenty former Google employees in Montreal founded Haven Studios almost on the sly a year ago in the Quebec metropolis. The company prides itself on “having the latitude of an independent publisher and the means of a large studio”. His trick: the main funder of Haven is precisely the Sony group. The Japanese giant asked Mme Raymond and his team to submit three large-scale game projects to him, to then finance the development of the one that would be deemed the best.
“They finally asked us to do two, or even three, but we decided to focus on a first title to start,” says Jade Raymond, met remotely by The duty alongside Paola Jouyaux and Pierre-François “Sapin” Sapinski, two of the five other founders of Haven Studios.
All we know about this new game is that it will be a persistent and evolving online environment accessible by a PC or a PlayStation console, like another popular online game from Montreal, but produced by Ubisoft this one, called Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege. The action promises to be quite different from this first-person shooter, given the mission that the leaders of Haven Studios have set for themselves, which is to promote inclusion and caring.
“These environments are not just games, they are also social platforms for many players,” says Paola Jouyaux. It has to stay that way. To last, a game must remain pleasant to visit. »
“We won’t accept fools,” jokes Pierre-François Sapinski. On the other hand, Haven Studios welcomes experienced programmers with open arms. The company has tripled in size since announcing its creation in March 2021 and will continue to hire over the coming months.
Secrets of the PS5
In recent months, Microsoft has set the tone in the video game industry by making several strategic acquisitions. Its goal: to expand the catalog of exclusive content as quickly as possible on console, PC or on its online subscription service.
We will have the opportunity to work with people at Sony who are among the best in the world in their field. This will allow us to create the best quality games.
Many analysts are hoping for a response from Sony. This could manifest itself differently from what those who think that the Japanese multinational will in turn embark on a series of acquisitions foresee. Sony might prefer to demonstrate the technical superiority of its own platform, embodied by the PlayStation 5 console, a device that stands out for its unique technical prowess in the video game market.
Haven Studios is at the heart of this strategy. The Montreal publisher should soon confirm a collaboration with the main architect of the PS5, the Californian designer Mark Cerny. The objective is to make Haven’s programmers benefit from its expertise to better exploit the mechanics that purr under the hood of the PS5.
“Our ambition will be to push the technical capabilities of the console further,” explains Jade Raymond, who herself began her career in video games at Sony. “We will have the opportunity to work with people at Sony who are among the best in the world in their field. This will allow us to create the best quality games”, adds Paola Jouyaux.
Power to programmers
In the Montreal industry, expectations are high for Haven Studios. Its managers all have past experience in the sector. Jade Raymond doesn’t like to be told, but over the years she has acquired a reputation that few Quebec leaders have in this highly globalized industry. Yet not all of his more recent ventures have been successful.
The latest is the establishment in Montreal, on behalf of Google, of a studio which was to supply its video game service on demand Stadia. Google had acquired the Montreal publisher Typhoon in 2019 to make things easier. The Stadia studio was shut down in February 2021 without ever managing to produce a single title.
Google doesn’t have a reputation for being very adept at getting into new projects. Many critics point out that money alone cannot buy success every time, a lesson that the Mountain View giant in California is slow to learn despite its repeated failures in video games, in virtual reality, on social networks. and elsewhere.
Mme Raymond says he learned from his time at Google. She dreams of a large independent studio, but does not rule out the idea of limiting its growth if the situation requires it. “We have an ambitious vision, but we will adapt,” she said. The consolidation that seems to be taking place in the industry today could present interesting growth opportunities for a financially comfortable independent company. “But it’s the content that’s most important. We want to stay focused on the gaming experience and what attracts players. »
Its employees will also have good reasons for wanting to stay with Haven since the conditions of employment systematically include shares in the company. This approach is popular in young technology companies to attract talent. “Everyone is an owner and can participate in the future of Haven,” concludes Jade Raymond.
Not to mention Sony…