WB Games Montréal levels up on being good to each other

Fleur Marty was feeling stressed and tired. She had just completed a major development milestone on a video game project for WB Games Montréal. That day, one of the directors on the project had a basket delivered to Marty full of chocolates and other goodies.

“She said she wanted to give me a pick-me-up,” says Marty, studio executive producer. “These are the kinds of things people do for each other at the studio. I have witnessed so many times how people embody our values and apply them every day.”

Marty is referring to the studio’s four values: we get it done, we join forces, we treat each other well and we have fun doing what we do.

“My favourite one is we treat each other well and I especially like that we join forces. That means everyone is able to contribute in a meaningful way,” Marty says. “Just because you’re not at the leadership level does not mean your voice won’t be heard. You can come forward with ideas and contribute meaningfully to our games.”

Marty, who is the studio’s first woman executive producer, is also grateful for the studio’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Three recent video game projects were all headed by women. “I think this is pretty unique in our industry. It’s great to work in a studio that makes room and it’s not just coming from the women,” Marty says. “Of course, I'm in a unique position to make room for others but our studio head cares a lot about it too, and that plays a big role in it being a part of our culture.

“Aside from the fact that it’s the right thing to do, diverse teams are better. They are more productive. They are more creative. They make better things.”

Stéphane Roy, vice-president and studio head, confirms that an inclusive culture is important to him. “It is amazing to work with people who have different points of view. I like when there are different ideas and different solutions,” Roy says, adding that diversity also includes having experienced employees paired with people new to the industry. “It’s about finding that balance and that’s how we're going to extract the best from a group of people.”

The studio also helps employees succeed through training programs on topics including diversity and leadership. Another program pairs employees who are identified as having a lot of potential for growth with a coach for one-on-one weekly, confidential sessions for six months. “I’ve been on that and it has helped me grow as my responsibilities grow,” Marty says. “Having someone I can brainstorm with on challenges I face is priceless. I love it.”

Roy is also proud to be part of providing employees with the opportunity to work in such an exciting industry. WB Games Montréal develops what the industry calls AAA games, which are produced and distributed by a mid-sized or major publisher with higher development and marketing budgets. The project Marty is working on is a DC Comics game.

“Working with DC, we have access to amazing characters, but the whole video game industry excites me,” Roy says. “It takes so many different people and different skills that we need to bring together to create a single product.

“Games are amazing because you are going to be part of the story. We give employees the chance to be writing and programming and managing this. Sometimes, life can get repetitive, especially during the pandemic. So sometimes, it’s cool to be in the shoes of a superhero.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Montreal’s Top Employers winners, published February 15, 2022 in the Montreal Gazette. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.