Foundation 9 To Open New Canadian Studio

Foundation 9 Entertainment, the largest independent videogame developer in North America, in collaboration with techPEI, announced today that it is opening a new studio in Canada. The new studio will be located in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and aims to employ approximately 20 people by the end of 2006. “Foundation 9 continues to grow at a pace that outstrips the rest of the gaming industry,” says Co-President Andrew Ayre. “This latest studio not only gives us additional resources to make great games, it also brings a thriving company to a region of Canada keen for economic growth in the technology sector.” techPEI, a government corporation charged with development of the technology industry in Prince Edward Island, specifically targeted Foundation 9 Entertainment as a growing company in the gaming industry and offered financial support for the creation of the new studio to help cover set-up and ongoing development costs. "Not only is there an abundance of untapped talent out there, but the government support makes our costs competitive with overseas solutions,” says Jeff Vavasour, VP of Canadian Operations. “We're gratified to be able to offer these employment opportunities domestically. It’s a win-win.” The studio in Charlottetown will carry the brand of Backbone Entertainment and will have the capabilities to develop for all platforms, including next generation consoles. Backbone Charlottetown will be the seventh studio in the Foundation 9 family, joining existing studios in Newport Beach, Emeryville, Eugene, Vancouver, Boston and a relatively little-known Backbone satellite studio in Hawaii. Backbone Charlottetown is expected to be up and running by the beginning of March.