While the jury was incredibly impressed by the projects from all five of the finalist indie studios, they were wowed by the project and performance of Sweet Bandits Studios. Patrick Klaus, president of the jury and Managing Director of Ubisoft Québec City, noted that the studio stood out on several levels: their innovative game design, their unique art style and the interaction between the gamers and the audience.
The young Québécois studio, run by Philippe Pelletier-Baribault, Éric Guigue, Charles Dufour, Simon Chartier and Jean-François Brown, won $100,000 in prizes to help ensure the success of their first video game. (Prize description in the attached document)
“CATAPULTE was key in supporting the development of our game. We saw how much it helped the winners of previous editions. We’re very excited to work with all of the partners to launch our game on the national and international market,” stated Philippe Pelletier-Baribault.
“The Québec City area’s economy is continuing to grow, and Québec International and ANDI are proud to further their commitment to growing the video game industry through CATAPULTE. It’s a powerful way to push young indie studios even farther while stimulating our ecosystem. After four editions, the program’s benefits are being felt on an international level. Thank you to everyone in the industry and all of our partners who helped make this 4th edition a reality,” concluded Carl Viel.
The event was held on April 5 as an opener for the Semaine numérique de Québec’s Pixel Challenge. More than 250 people were in attendance, highlighting the growing interest in CATAPULTE and the vibrancy of Québec City’s video game ecosystem.
“La Caisse Desjardins de Québec is thrilled to be part of CATAPULTE once again. It’s a very well-known supporter of Quebec’s video game industry. We are proud to help fuel the growth of young indie game studios,” emphasized Martine Dufresne, Director of Market Development at La Caisse Desjardins de Québec.
“For many years, Ubisoft has been committed to supporting Quebec’s emerging indie studios, which are led by incredibly talented and creative entrepreneurs. We know how many challenges they face as they develop their games and attempt to enter the international market. We are thankful to have had the privilege of supporting all of CATAPULTE’s winners, and we can’t wait to work with Sweet Bandits Studios as they embark on this great adventure in the coming months,” stated Patrick Klaus, Managing Director of Ubisoft Québec City.
About CATAPULTE
Founded in 2014 by Québec International and the Digital Arts and Interactive Entertainment niche of excellence (ANDI), in partnership with La Caisse Desjardins de Québec, CATAPULTE’s mission is to help independent video game studios develop and launch games that have not yet been marketed. For more information about the program, visit catapultequebec.ca.
