Ubisoft 2006 Annual Report Download - page 25

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STRATEGY
diploma. 39 of those highly trained graduates went on to work at
Ubisoft. For the 2006-07 academic year, Ubisoft launched an addi-
tional diploma in game design. With financial support both from
the Quebec government and Ubisoft, the campus expects to train
more than 500 people over the next 5 years.
As the number one video game employer in China, Quebec,
France and Romania, Ubisoft has developed strong ties with
local governments and educational institutions to promote the
industry and ensure its continued growth in these countries.
A PLACE TO LEARN AND GROW
In the video game industry, innovation and technical expertise are
essential to staying ahead of the competition, which is why the
group has made the development of skills and knowledge a prior-
ity. Internal and external training programs are becoming increa-
singly formalized and opportunities for knowledge exchange are
increasing. For example, international seminars (based on job func-
tion or other specific subjects), collaborative work spaces, and
employee visits to other Ubisoft locations have all contributed to
this process. Furthermore, the possibilities for career development
are numerous throughout the group (local promotions, transver-
sal moves) and also include international opportunities.
Employees benefit from a friendly work environment, which is
one of the strengths of Ubisoft’s corporate culture. This group
dynamic is most notably cultivated by the close ties that are for-
med within teams (85% of locations have fewer than 200
employees). Moreover, employees benefit from autonomy in
their work and are agents in the development of the company.
They are informed on a regular basis about Ubisoft’s strategy and
current events. The group thus strives to create a working envi-
ronment propitious to the development and motivation of its
teams. According to a recent internal survey, close to 90% of the
group’s employees consider Ubisoft to be a good place to work.
Food Force: where
video games and the fight
against hunger meet
Food Force, developed by the United Nations World
Food Program (WFP), the world’s largest humanitarian
agency, is the first free educational video game about
global hunger.
In search of support to create a French version of
the game, the WFP turned to Ubisoft. Teams were so
motivated to have the opportunity to localize a project
for such a worthy cause that they even volunteered to
help the WFP promote and distribute its title, making
it available for free download directly on the Ubisoft
website. Since its launch in October 2006, Food Force has
already encountered a widespread success with more
than 100,000 downloads in France alone. According
to Neil Gallagher, WFP’s director of communications:
“Food Force is clear evidence that with the right
medium an issue as distant and invisible as hunger
can trigger interest.”
One of Ubisoft's French offices.