[Multi] Patrice Désilets reportedly fired by Ubisoft after they snagged him back

During the collapse of THQ, Ubisoft expressed interest in acquiring some of THQ's properties. However, they didn't stop there and managed to snap up roughly 170 staff from THQ Montréal as the dust settled; among these 170 staff members was Patrice Désilets.

For those who don't know Patrice Désilets worked with Ubisoft to design the first two Assassin's Creed titles before departing to work on new projects. There was a lot of controversy over the acquisition of THQ Montréal staff with many wondering if Désilets would return to work for Ubisoft. In the end, he did end up joining the company but that relationship seems to have already concluded.

Kotaku received a statement from Ubisoft confirming that Désilets had departed once again.

“The acquisition of THQ Montréal in January allowed Ubisoft to welcome 170 experienced developers, including Patrice Désilets, to our existing and renowned workforce," said an Ubisoft representative.

"Unfortunately, since the acquisition, the good faith discussions between Patrice and Ubisoft aimed at aligning Patrice’s and the studio’s visions have been inconclusive. As a result, Patrice has left the studio. Our priorities remain with the teams already hard at work on projects in development. They are at the root of Ubisoft Montréal’s past and future successes.”

So, what's going on? Well, Désilets was working on a new game called 1666 during his time at THQ Montréal but Ubisoft currently refuses to comment on the fate of this project now that Désilets has left.

Speaking of which, Désilets also threw out a comment today claiming that he was fired and that the decision did not appear to be mutual.

"Contrary to any statements made earlier today, this morning I was terminated by Ubisoft. I was notified of this termination in person, handed a termination notice and was unceremoniously escorted out of the building by two guards without being able to say goodbye to my team or collect my personal belongings," said Désilets. "This was not my decision."

"Ubisoft’s actions are baseless and without merit. I intend to fight Ubisoft vigorously for my rights, for my team and for my game."

I feel like this is only the start of a struggle between Ubisoft and Désilets, but we'll have to wait and see what unfolds over the next few days.

Written by: Kyran Morrison

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Ubisoft sales crest $1 billion during Q3

by Jordan Mallory on Feb 7th 2013 12:15PM

Ubisoft's performance figures for the three month period ending December 31, 2012 have been released, and while we don't have specific net/operating/sticky/whatever income figures on account of the company's Frenchness, we do have an overall indication of how it performed in Q3. Which is to say, pretty good.

Sales for the period totaled €802 million ($1.07 billion), which is a 23 percent increase over the €652 million reported for the same quarter last year. Ubisoft's nine month year-to-date figures are also outperforming last year's: €1.08 billion ($1.45 billion) versus €900 million by this time last year, an increase of 21 percent.

Ubisoft attributes a large amount of this income with Assassin's Creed 3's 12 million shipped units and Far Cry 3's critical success, in addition to a 143 percent year-over-year increase in digital sales, totaling €55.2 million ($74.3 million).

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[Multi] Ubisoft CEO believes that we need new consoles so we can have new IPs

[Multi] Ubisoft CEO believes that we need new consoles so we can have new IPs

So, this console generation is stretching pretty far for the PlayStation and Xbox platforms. Ubisoft's CEO, Yves Guillemot, believes that this generation has continued for far too long and the decline is due to this lifespan.

Guillemot told the Polygon that he believes the "transition has been very long."

The CEO believes that transitions are the best windows for innovation. Arguing that people take risks earlier in the generation because its a fresh time, later these gambles rarely pay off as well as sequels.

"Everybody who is taking risks and innovating is welcome because there are lots of hardcore gamers and those guys want new things, where the mass market will be more interested in having the same experience and doesn't want to take as much risks because it's not aware as much of what is going to change its experience.

"So, the beginning of the machines is always a good time for innovation."

What do you guys think?

Innovation doesn't need to stop towards the end of console cycles, making interesting games should never stop. Obviously the gaming industry is driven on profit, especially considering the bloated budgets that most modern games are pieced together with.

Written by: Kyran Morrison

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Ubisoft sues Black Eyed Peas for $1m over absence of love for iOS game

by Sinan Kubba on Oct 17th 2012 11:30AM

Ubisoft filed a $1 million lawsuit yesterday against BEP Music LLC, a company which owns the Black Eyed Peas trademark, for neglecting to recognize the publisher's planned iOS version of The Black Eyed Peas Experience. Following the Wii and Xbox 360 versions released last year, Ubisoft claims BEP breached the companies' contract regarding an iOS version. According to Ubisoft, the contract states the band agreed to approve or disapprove the iOS version within 10 business days of a request. Ubisoft says BEP Music failed to acknowledge requests for approval, despite repeated attempts.

Ubisoft claims the company spent $233,000 developing the iOS game, and that figure combined with loss of profits amounts to a total of $1 million in damages. While Ubisoft didn't name the company or the game in question in its complaint, as Player Attack notes BEP Music only owns the one trademark. I Gotta Feeling the French publisher isn't about to Shut Up about this anytime soon.

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Ubisoft posts 32.3 million euro loss for first half of fiscal 2012, expects big Q3

by Jordan Mallory on Nov 6th 2012 2:00PM

Ubisoft has released its earnings for the first six months of fiscal 2012, which ran from April 1, 2012 through September 30, 2012. In that time, the publisher garnered overall initial profits of €192.7 million (about $246.8 million), which is a 21 percent increase over the €158.4 million ($202.9 million) Ubisoft had accrued by this time last year.

After deducting research and development costs and SG&A expenses, however, that figure drops to a loss of €32.3 million, or $41.3 million. That loss is less substantial than the €37.1 million loss Ubisoft posted at the end of the first half of fiscal 2011, to the tune of 14.8 percent.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot attributes the year-over-year increase in gross profits to Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (its performance in the digital segment, specifically) and Just Dance 4, while also claiming that the operating loss reported for this period was due to "large-scale marketing campaigns for Assassin's Creed 3 and Far Cry 3."

Looking forward, Guillemot predicts a "record" second half for fiscal 2012, based on the anticipated performance of Assassin's Creed 3, Far Cry 3 and Ubisoft's stable of upcoming Wii U titles. As such, the company's year-end target for sales has been increased from a range of €1.16 - €1.20 billion to €1.20 - €1.26 billion. Similarly, Ubi's target range for operating income has been raised slightly, from €70 - €90 million to €70 - €100 million.

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Ubisoft dropping 'Hip Hop Dance Experience' like it's hot

by JC Fletcher on Jul 12th 2012 10:00PM

The latest celebrity to be featured in a Ubisoft dance "Experience" game is ... nobody in particular. The Hip Hop Dance Experience, rather than focusing on the work of a single artist, is a dancing game built around a collection of hip hop tracks, representing everything from the "Rapper's Delight" to Flo Rida.

The Hip Hop Dance Experience will be out on Kinect and Wii in November. It'll debut at this weekend's Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival, which is attended by plenty of people who have experienced hip hop dance already.

Like last year's Black Eyed Peas Experience, Ubisoft has placed development in the hands of Elite Beat Agents creator iNiS. Unlike last year, however, we know iNiS is also working on an original music game, so this isn't as much of a crisis for iNiS fans.

SAN FRANCISCO - July 12, 2012 - Today, Ubisoft® announced the development of The Hip Hop Dance Experience, the latest installment in the chart-topping Experience dance game franchise. The Hip Hop Dance Experience releases worldwide in November for Kinect™ for Xbox 360® and Wii™ system from Nintendo. Additionally, The Hip Hop Dance Experience will debut this Saturday, July 14, at the 8th Annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, New York City's largest hip-hop cultural event.

Ubisoft's Experience franchise was the second largest dance video game franchise of 2011 and has sold more than five million copies worldwide* by making an artist's musical universe accessible to fans through interactive and immersive games. The Hip Hop Dance Experience takes this concept even further by featuring an extensive selection of hip-hop music that defines the genre, as well as dance routines arranged by famed choreographers, including Laurieann Gibson and Dave Scott.

Developed by renowned music game developer, iNiS, The Hip Hop Dance Experience features the most comprehensive hip-hop track list ever in a dance video game, ranging from chart-topping Billboard hits to old-school party jams.

The Hip Hop Dance Experience full track list:
• Amerie – "1 Thing"
• B.o.B – "So Good"
• B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore – "Airplanes"
• Cassie – "Me & U" **
• Chris Brown featuring Juelz Santana – "Run It!"
• Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes – "Look At Me Now"
• Ciara – "One, Two Step (featuring Missy Elliott)"
• Da Brat – "Funkdafied"
• Drake – "Over"
• Flo Rida featuring Sia – "Wild Ones"
• Iyaz – "Replay"
• Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne – "Down"
• J-Kwon – "Tipsy" **
• Kid Cudi – "Day 'N' Night"
• Lil Wayne featuring Static Major – "Lollipop"
• LMFAO – "Sexy And I Know It"
• M.I.A. – "Bad Girls" **
• Mark Morrison – "Return of the Mack"
• Mystikal featuring Nivea – "Danger (Been So Long)"
• N.E.R.D. – "She Wants to Move"
• Naughty by Nature – "Hip Hop Hooray"
• Nelly – "Hot In Herre"
• New Boyz – "You're A Jerk"
• New Edition – "If It Isn't Love"
• Nicki Minaj featuring Drake – "Moment 4 Life"
• Ol' Dirty Bastard featuring Kelis – "Got Your Money" **
• Outkast – "B.O.B." **
• Pitbull featuring Chris Brown – "International Love"
• Q-Tip – "Vivrant Thing"
• R. Kelly – "Ignition (Remix)"
• Rihanna featuring Jeezy – "Hard"
• Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock – "It Takes Two" **
• Run-DMC – "It's Tricky" **
• Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell Williams – "Drop It Like It's Hot"
• Terror Squad featuring Fat Joe, Remy – "Lean Back"
• The Sugarhill Gang – "Rapper's Delight" **
• TLC – "Creep"
• Too $hort – "Blow the Whistle" **
• Trey Songz featuring Fabolous – "Say Aah"
• Wiz Khalifa – "Work Hard, Play Hard" **
(** Denotes songs that will appear only on the Xbox 360 version)

The Hip Hop Dance Experience also includes an array of new features and game modes, including:
• Dance routines designed exclusively for the game by top choreographers Laurieann Gibson (Nicki Minaj's creative director, BET's Born to Dance), Dave Scott (So You Think You Can Dance, Battle of the Year) and Kid David (Step Up 3D)
• Authentic music video and live performance footage, paired with dynamic visual effects triggered by your movements, transform your living room into a real-time music video
• Progressive difficulty levels provide varying levels of challenge for everyone from beginners to professionals. Perform over 750 dance moves!
• Multiplayer gameplay designed to simultaneously accommodate varying difficulty levels. Pro or novice, each player can choose their individual difficulty level and play along together!
• Complete Avatar customization with hundreds of looks and accessories to express your personal fashion sense
• Dance modes with high-energy multiplayer challenges:

• Dance Party: Jump in and light up the dance floor with your favorite dance partner.
• Dance Battle: Challenge your friends to high-energy dance battles in true hip-hop style.
• Dance Marathon: Test your stamina by dancing to an endless stream of tracks.
• Power-Skooling: Perfect the most iconic and extreme hip-hop moves in step-by-step tutorials.

For the latest information on The Hip Hop Dance Experience, please visit: TheHipHopDanceExperience.com

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Ubisoft announces Just Dance 4

by Mike Schramm on Jun 4th 2012 6:06PM

Get ready to do some more dancing in Ubi's uber popular dance series. Ubisoft is bringing out Just Dance 4 this fall, as announced at their E3 press conference in LA today.

As you can imagine, there will be more dancing. Ubisoft promises lots of new tracks, new modes including a Battle Mode, standalone play, and something called a Puppet Master mode. The game will be out in October, both on the Wii and the Wii U.

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Ubisoft profits in 2012, 'core gamers' drive rise in sales

by Jessica Conditt on May 15th 2012 2:00PM

Ubisoft ended the 2012 financial year on the up, reporting a gross profit of €718 million ($917 million) and sales up 2.1 percent to €1 billion ($1.4 billion) year-over-year, according to its financial results for 2011-2012.

Ubisoft ended fiscal 2011-12 with net income of €37.3 million ($47.6 million), up from a net loss of €52.1 million ($66.5 million) in the 2011 fiscal year.

Sales from "core gamers" in Assassin's Creed Revelations, Rayman Origins, Driver San Francisco and free-to-play title The Settlers Online generated €578 million ($738.1 million) in revenue, Ubisoft reported. Casual games brought in €483 million ($616.8 million) in revenue, mainly from Just Dance, Rocksmith and free-to-play title Howrse.

Core and casual titles contributed to a 110.8 percent jump in online and digital sales, bringing that figure to €80 million ($102.1 million), Ubisoft reported.

Ubisoft's net cash position is down from €99.2 million ($126.6 million) in 2011 to €84.6 million ($108 million) in 2012, while current operating income rose 90 percent to €56 million ($71.5 million) year-over-year.

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[PS3, X360] Ubisoft celebrates Rayman 3 HD's release with a launch trailer

[PS3, X360] Ubisoft celebrates Rayman 3 HD's release with a launch trailer
Remember Rayman before the existence of those cursed Rabbids? Well, I do. Rayman Origins was a nice throw-back title, and now you can get an even more enjoyable throwback with the release of a high definition remaster of Rayman 3 for PSN and XBLA.
It'll set you back $9.99 / £7.99 / 800 MSP if you are eager, and I'd say it is pretty worthwhile.

Written by: Kyran Morrison

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Just Dance Propel domain registered by Ubisoft

by Richard Mitchell on Mar 7th 2012 12:00PM

Ubisoft has registered the domain JustDancePropel.com, reports Fusible. The domain itself was registered on March 2, though the URL currently leads to a domain parking page. Far be it from us to suggest that Ubisoft might be developing another entry in its fabulously successful Just Dance series, but we're going to go out on a limb and say that might be the case. In theory, said game would be titled Just Dance Propel. It's either that, or some sort of partnership with fitness water.

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Ubisoft shipped 13 million Just Dance games in 2011, nearly 7 million Assassin's Creed: Revelations

by JC Fletcher on Feb 15th 2012 1:00PM

Ubisoft announced big numbers for two of its major franchises in its latest earnings report -- two franchises that, dare we say it, are crying out for a crossover. The publisher reported a "near-30% increase" in dance game sales, including more than 13 million units shipped of its dance games -- a group including multiple Just Dances, and various celebrity "The Experience" games.

Assassin's Creed Revelations, the forty-third Assassin's Creed game starring Ezio, hit "close to 7 million sell-in units," exceeding internal forecasts and, according to Ubisoft, hitting the #7 spot in worldwide sales for the year.

That should provide a clue as to why Ubisoft is continuing the franchise with Assassin's Creed 3, in which Desmond has to prepare for a date by reliving Ezio's advanced dance lessons. Okay, that last part was just us dreaming of a crossover again.

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Ubisoft reveals 15M copies sold of Black Ops (that's right)

by JC Fletcher on Nov 8th 2011 6:30PM

On this Call of Duty day, we look back at the success of Black Ops, a game so outrageously popular that its sales figures show up in other companies' earnings reports. Really!

In an investor presentation today, Ubisoft posted the top ten games in the US from January of 2010 through September of 2011, according to NPD data. And that's how we learned that Call of Duty: Black Ops sold 14,983,459 units in the US through September.

Of course, the point Ubisoft was trying to make was that Just Dance 2 was the second-best selling game in the US (at 5,245,480 copies), but we found that the second-most interesting number on the list.

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Trials HD dev acquired by Ubisoft for undisclosed amount

by Ben Gilbert on Nov 2nd 2011 1:00PM

Wildly successful indie developer RedLynx is now a part of French mega-publisher Ubisoft. RedLynx announced the acquisition this morning (evening for the Finland-based outfit) via its forums, where company CEO Rero Virtala explained the decision. "We were attracted by Ubisoft's focus on creativity and quality," he said, also pointing to the publisher's "long-term strategy on both the traditional and digital distribution video game markets."

Ubisoft has been pushing quality digital titles hard over the last year, with everything from unique one-offs like Outland and From Dust to re-releases of classics like TMNT, Prince of Persia, and Beyond Good & Evil HD. The publisher was no doubt attracted to RedLynx's massively popular Trials series, which is set to receive a sequel in the coming months.

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Ubisoft bringing the big guns (and the tiny, hidden blades) to PAX

by David Hinkle on Aug 24th 2011 3:30PM

Ubisoft isn't messing around at PAX Prime this year, evidenced by the fact that the company is bringing just about every game it's currently working on to the show -- and even some that are already out. Here's the full list: Assassin's Creed: RevelationsFrom DustJust Dance 3Might and Magic Heroes VIMight and Magic Heroes KingdomsRayman OriginsRocksmithShoot Many RobotsTom Clancy's Ghost Recon OnlineTom Clancy's Ghost Recon Future SoldierTrackMania CanyonIn addition to having games to play, Ubisoft is also looking for attendees to pre-order upcoming games by hooking them up with exclusive goodies. A pre-order of Future Soldier will net PAX attendees an exclusive gun skin, a Revelations pre-order gives you an Altair avatar, Just Dance 3 has a neon watch, Rayman Origins has a custom T-shirt, and pre-ordering Rocksmith gets you an exclusive guitar strap.

Attendees can also check out the Assassin's Creed panel in the Main Theatre on Friday at 6pm PT. There, Ubisoft will show off single-player footage of the game, hopefully adding to what we've seen come out of Gamescom.

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Rumor: Ubisoft video hinted at tablet peripheral, Project InTouch

by Jessica Conditt on Aug 20th 2011 9:30PM

Ubisoft may be looking to re-enter the peripheral market with a tablet called Project InTouch, as demonstrated by an internal marketing video found by superannuation. The video was hastily removed from Vimeo, leaving behind the message that Ubisoft claimed infringement on something called "UBISOFT TABLET," which doesn't do much to dispel the tablet gossip.

Screenshots from the video lend even more credence to the rumor, showing a family happily playing uDraw-WiiU-esque games from a chunky green and white tablet. See the shots below and decide for yourself if this is a new peripheral venture from Ubisoft, or a red herring for its unannounced game, Family Slaughterhouse Funtime.

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[CC'11, PS3, X360, Wii] Ubisoft bringing non-comic related games to Comic Con

[CC'11, PS3, X360, Wii] Ubisoft bringing non-comic related games to Comic Con

If you are going along to Comic Con this year and are interested in doing something not comic-related then Ubisoft are bringing along some games to show off.

They will be showcasing Rabbids: Alive & Kicking, Just Dance 3, and Rayman: Origins at the popular convention. Comic Con runs from July 21st til 24th and Ubisoft will also be holding a special Assassin's Creed panel called 'Assassin's Creed: The Creation of a Universe', which will include a sneak-peek at the upcoming animated Assassin's Creed short.

Are you excited to see more on any of the previously mentioned games? Or are you less than interested in Ubisoft's offerings?

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[PS3, X360, PC] Can Ubisoft tempt you into purchasing the Animus Edition?

[PS3, X360, PC] Can Ubisoft tempt you into purchasing the Animus Edition?
A retailer listing has popped up on an Irish website advertising what is being dubbed the 'Animus Edition' for Assassin's Creed Revelations.
The special collector's edition is listed for €99.99 (roughly $143) comes in special packaging and comes with plenty of neat little extras to justify the price. The centrepiece of the bundle is definitely the 'in-depth encyclopaedia', but it also comes with a bunch of downloadable content (including Brutus armour from Brotherhood and a mission set in the prison of Vlad the Impaler), the game's soundtrack and an animated short film.

Compare this to the US 'Signature Edition' which promises only an extended gameplay mission (with no further details about what it is), some downloadable characters for multiplayer, the soundtrack and the animated short film and the listing might be onto something. The US listing doesn't mention an encyclopaedia though.

Would you drop the cash for the attractive box of goodies?

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RE: [PS3, X360, PC] Can Ubisoft tempt you into purchasing the Animus Edition?
Gahhh is that an art book as well as an encyclopaedia? Dammit. I can't resist art books.

I bought a walkthough/artbook bundle for the first AC AFTER I completed it for that sexy artbook..

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RE: [PS3, X360, PC] Can Ubisoft tempt you into purchasing the Animus Edition?
It's a bit on the expensive side, but I like what I'm seeing. I found my wii!
January 21, 2007, circuit city, first in line
Thanks mom!
If you would like to add me, my wii number is-
0178-7996-3632-4248.  Please post to my guestbook if you do!
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Ubisoft developing 'hardcore FPS' exclusively for Wii U, four other titles revealed

by Ben Gilbert on Jun 7th 2011 1:44PM

Beyond the news today that Ubisoft is bringing Assassin's Creed to Nintendo's Wii U, the French publisher also announced a handful of other titles currently in development for next year's console. Among the list of established IPs -- Assassin's Creed, Rabbids, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online -- Ubisoft also announced a "revolutionary first-person shooter for the hardcore audience."

Moreover, the shooter is being developed "exclusively" for the Wii U. Perhaps you're not too into shooters? The company is also working on a "multi-sports game" with family applications. A ... awesome? Anyway, while none of the games will be playable at E3 this year, Ghost Recon Online will be shown off on the show floor, so we'll be sure to take a peek at our earliest convenience.

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Analysts consider dance genre 'bubble,' Ubisoft says more 'The Experience' games possible

by Alexander Sliwinski on Apr 25th 2011 5:30PM

Ubisoft's Just Dance and its successful clones like Michael Jackson: The Experience, along with Harmonix's Dance Central, have established the dance genre as a viable market for milking. Now the industry must play the delicate game of sucking the marrow dry without creating a zombie.

Gamasutra hit up go-to industry analysts Michael Pachter and Jesse Divnich for their takes on the sustainability of the genre. Both analysts essentially characterized dance games as part of a bubble that is largely unaffected by critical reception (UK hit Zumba Fitness has a 43 on Metacritic). "In short, yes, the dance category is a bubble," said Divnich, "much like most things in entertainment."

That doesn't mean that the bubble is about to burst -- or that the bottle of suds is close to empty. At least, Ubisoft is planning to keep on dipping in. The publisher's Tony Key teased that Michael Jackson: The Experience is "just the first 'The Experience' brand." He added that there's no reason why "another artist can't make a great dance game under 'The Experience brand,'" but didn't pitch any bright ideas. The Smurfs, anyone?

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Ubisoft prevents THQ from hiring more of its Montreal employees with court order

by Alexander Sliwinski on Mar 31st 2011 12:10PM

The Superior Court of Quebec has granted Ubisoft an injunction that prevents THQ from obtaining any more of Ubisoft's employees in ye olde city of Montreal. Game Informer (following up on a report by Rue Frontenac) received an official statement from Ubisoft, in which the publisher requested that the court place an injunction order on THQ based on the "non-solicit clause" included in Ubisoft Montreal employee contracts.

"This procedure aims to protect Ubisoft Montreal in a breach of contract situation," said the statement, "and to defend the long-term financial and creative health of the studio." Translation: Ubisoft hit the panic button following a talent drain that started when creative bigwig Patrice Desilets left Ubisoft to form his team at THQ Montreal, which included several other Ubisoft folks. In obtaining the injunction, Ubisoft even used a Joystiq article from January as evidence of a breach of contract. In that post, THQ exec Danny Bilson admits to hiring three Ubisoft employees (who were bound to a non-compete clause) on retainer.

Given that several major publishers are moving to Canada, THQ is just one of Ubisoft's home turf concerns. Ubisoft probably has the lawyers working overtime to legally add a "restraining order clause" to employee contracts, forcing them to stay 100 meters away from any competitors' employee.

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