From GameIndustry.biz (via Joystiq):

Silicon Knights boss Denis Dyack has said that the sheer number of developers being laid off from both in-house and independent studios over the past 18 months has been staggering, and that his company is now only a handful of studios with more than a decade of experience in the business.

Speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz, Dyack said that as the industry and economy begins to recover, Canada’s Ontario region will become a worldwide leader in games development, with the recent facility set up by Ubisoft only the start of major players entering the area.

"It’s been really a rough year and a half for the industry as a whole. The number of layoffs in the industry has been staggering," said Dyack. "As an external developer it’s been tough. I actually don’t know anyone who’s older than us any more. There used to be four or five people I knew of but I feel right now that we’re one of the last of the V8s. I’ve talked to a lot of people and I know a lot of people who have gone out of business."

Earlier this year, French giant Ubisoft announced that it will be opening a new 800-person studio in Toronto, backed by CAD 263 million from the Ontario government. And this, along with other initiatives such as a CAD 605,000 investment and training programme, will change the development landscape in Canada.

Related posts:

1. Ubisoft Opening New Studio In Toronto
2. Interview: Ubisoft’s Mallat On New Toronto Studio’s Future
3. Ontario Continues to Back Games, Calls Out Europe
4. Ontario creates $10-million fund to aid ‘screen-based’ companies
5. 2009 Game Developer Salary Survey Sees U.S. Average Dip 4 Percent

Tags: Denis Dyack, layoffs, ontario, Silicon Knights, toronto, ubisoft