EA to spend millions training Montreal developers

Electronic Arts seems determined not to let Ubisoft steal all the credit for the booming Montreal game development scene. The publishing giant announced today that it is investing up to $2.6 million for a three-year training program available to all full-time employees at the EA Montreal studio.

Not surprisingly, the Canadian government is chipping in. Although it doesn't measure up to the $4 million the federal government gave Ubisoft to bolster the publisher's Montreal studio, the $660,000 being contributed to the training initiative by the Quebec government is no small change.

The curriculum tentatively offers courses in performance technology, graphics, engineering, and project and people management, as well as a lecture series with speakers from the film, music, comic book, computer animation, and engineering industries.

EA opened its Montreal studio in 2003. Currently the developers there are working on SSX on Tour for the PSP and an as yet unannounced original game.