A NEW HOME FOR QUANTIC DREAM IN MONTREAL
The last days of 2024 are passing by as the morning sun’s rays sweep across the freshly snow-covered streets of Montreal. But there’s no time to shiver in the winter frost: amid a continuous stream of boxes to unpack, the Quebec team of Quantic Dream discovers its new playground located a stone’s throw from the iconic Place des Arts, a cultural high place of Montreal. On the verge of its fourth anniversary, the studio needed a larger space to continue its growth smoothly. A much welcome move, and a perfect excuse to have a chat with Charles Coutier, Director of the Montreal studio and long-standing Quantic Dream veteran!
Howdy, Charles! The last time we spoke was in the spring of 2022, when you had just rejoined Quantic Dream! [Editor’s note: the interview can be read here https://blog.quanticdream.com/fr/charles-coutier-de-paris-a-montreal/] What has happened here since then?
Charles Coutier: Lots of good things! We have continued to grow the studio, with a headcount of almost 80 now, twice more than in 2022, and while this Quebec extension of Quantic Dream was originally intended to reinforce the expertise of Paris on a few specific themes, such as gameplay and level design, today our field of action has expanded considerably. We have also strengthened the team culture, by setting up internal events to exchange ideas and create bonds. With the advent of hybrid working, it is essential to maintain a connection with others, and we believe that the company must be proactive in this.
And so we moved at the end of 2024 to larger premises, to be able to accommodate all these teams at the same time, in the best way. I wanted open spaces that encourage collaboration, and also for the place to be welcoming, for people to feel good. We have two separate areas: one for work and team collaboration, and one for team life.
Quantic Dream has been operating in Montreal since the beginning of 2021, working in harmony and in rhythm with the Paris team. How are things going?
Charles Coutier: The Paris and Montreal teams work in the same way, on the same projects. A typical day starts with meetings with the teams in Paris, to catch up and show each other things, review their joint work.
And with the time difference, Montreal continues to work on these topics in the afternoon, while Paris is asleep. It’s a constant back and forth that relies on the collaboration between our two locations.
Is there a Quantic Dream spirit in Montreal?
Charles Coutier: Of course! First, there’s the fact that you can work on Quantic Dream’s unique games from Montreal, whereas before you absolutely had to be in Paris to be part of this professional adventure. That is a great opportunity. Then, we remain a rather small team in comparison to what is usually done in AAA video game development here in Quebec; everyone knows each other in our team, ideas circulate, each person counts, it’s lively and human! We keep this balance, which begins in the recruitment phases, where we look for personalities who share our spirit of innovation and our values.
One of Quantic Dream’s strengths is its relationship with technology, particularly in the development of its proprietary game engine and everything that surrounds it. How does Montreal contribute to this?
Charles Coutier: Quantic Dream creates experiences that require very specific tools: it’s true that the engine is made in-house, as a whole suite of software that takes advantage of motion capture, for example, in which the studio is a world expert. From Montreal, our specialists also contribute to developing this technology, either directly by coding it or indirectly by using it; that too is a rare opportunity in a developer’s life. The indomitable Gauls and Quebecers, hand in hand!
Let’s conclude by reminding you that you took your first steps in the video game industry at Quantic Dream in Paris a little over 20 years ago. How do you see your relationship with the studio?
Charles Coutier: Quantic Dream has evolved enormously, going multi-project, multi-site, growing from 150 to 500 employees since 2018… We are a long way from the garage spirit of the early days, back in the 90s! This has brought new challenges and ways of collaborating, even if the fundamentals of the studio remain unchanged. We keep the creative vision at the core of our values, supported by technology and the desire to explore uncharted territory. After all these years, I am very proud to see a new generation joining the ship and flourishing alongside us!
