Vancouver gets a lot of attention as a hotbed for Canada's video game industry, but it's going to have to share the spotlight starting next year with nearby Victoria, where Microsoft is opening a new development studio.
The software giant is launching Microsoft Studios Victoria at the beginning of 2012, with an eye to hiring 50 to 60 people in its first year. Heading up the new operation will be industry veteran and long-time Victoria resident Christopher Robertson.
"It's really a fantastic opportunity for me to finally be able to work and grow a business in the city I love so much," said Robertson, who has spent time at several Vancouver-based studios, including Black Box and United Front Games. "It's already surprising how many people are coming out of the woodwork and are excited for an opportunity to move and go to work in Victoria."
The studio will likely be located on the city's waterfront, but Microsoft has not yet disclosed the sum of its investment. The company is also not saying what the studio will be working on, although Robertson said its games will be "somewhere between" the industry's two current trends - big-budget blockbusters and small mobile and social games.
http://tech.ca.msn.com/video-games/article/microsoft-opening-game-studio-in-victoria
That's what, 4 in the last 6 months?
