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Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Where is Virtuos located?

  2. What are the advantages of outsourcing video game production to China compared to other countries? And Shanghai in particular?

  3. When was Virtuos created?

  4. Who founded Virtuos?

  5. In which fields of video game development does Virtuos operate?

  6. Do you plan to ever create your own games?

  7. But you do develop games, right?

  8. I don't understand!

  9. Which games did you ship?

  10. Which game companies has Virtuos worked for?

  11. What is your approach to IP ownership?

  12. What is your company motto?

  13. What are the values of Virtuos?

  14. What is your service model?

  15. In which language do you communicate with clients?

  16. What is your preferred method of asset tracking?

  17. What is your preferred method of receiving feedback on work?

  18. What is your approach to retention?

  19. Can you guarantee the software utilized in your studio is legitimate



  1. Where is Virtuos located?

    Virtuos' head-quarters and main production center are located in Shanghai, China. Virtuos also owns a development center in Chengdu (Sichuan Province, China) and has offices in North-America (Los Angeles) and Europe (Paris) focused on facilitating communication with clients and maintaining Virtuos on the edge of game development.

  2. What are the advantages of outsourcing video game production to China compared to other countries? And Shanghai in particular?

    China has a unique talent pool and offers the best combination in terms of resources, cost and infrastructure. China is the best choice because not only of its large population, but more importantly, the quality of education and the love for games that many students have. Shanghai is the most dynamic city in China. It attracts many expatriates, overseas returnees and talents from all over the country. It is the number one city for game development in China, with large studios of companies like Ubisoft, Shanda) or Konami.

  3. When was Virtuos created?

    Virtuos was founded in December 2004.

  4. Who founded Virtuos?

    Virtuos was founded by individuals who had already played a key role in taking the China gaming industry into a new era : Gilles Langourieux (CEO), Chen Yu (Programming Director) and Pan Feng (Production Director) worked together since 1997 to establish the Ubisoft studios in Shanghai and Beijing, which became the largest game studios in China under Gilles' leadership.

  5. In which fields of video game development does Virtuos operate?

    Virtuos is solely dedicated to providing production services to the games industry. Our main areas of activity are Art & Animation, Co-Development, Software engineering and QA.

  6. Do you ever plan to create your own games?

    No. Virtuos intends to become the number one game production services company worldwide by focusing strictly on production services. We do not want to get involved in the creation of our own games for various reasons such as avoiding conflicts of interest with our clients.

  7. But you do develop games, right?

    Yes.

  8. I don't understand!

    Though Virtuos does not get involved in IP creation, we help our clients ship more games by working with them on co-developments, ports, adaptations or sequels. Virtuos is a licensed developer on the PS3, Xbox360, Wii, DS, PS2 and PSP, and also has development capabilities on PC.

  9. Which games did you ship?

    Virtuos developed Crash Bandicoot: Mind Over Mutant on PSP for Activision Blizzard, Indiana Jones on DIDJ for Leapfrog, Hannah Montana on DIDJ for Leapfrog, Speed Racer on DS for Waners Brothers, Beowulf and Street Riders on PSP for Ubisoft as well as Asphalt2: Urban GT on PSP and DS for Gameloft. Virtuos is currently in production on a number of unannounced high-profile titles for several top 10 publishers.


    MotorStorm Arctic Edge developed by Virtuos.jpg Pimp My Ride Street Racing developed by Virtuos.jpg  

    Madagascar Kartz DS developed by Virtuos.jpg Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 developed by Virtuos large.jpg Pimp My Ride Street Racing DS developed by Virtuos.jpg
    Crash.jpg Indiana Jones.jpg Hanna Montana.jpg Speed Racer.jpg
    beowulf street-riders-cover Asphalt2-PSP Asphalt-2-the-game
     

  10. Which game companies has Virtuos worked for?

    We have worked or are working for 8 of the top 10 Third Party publishers as well as several leading independent developers. Our clients are located in North-America, Europe and Asia.

  11. What is your approach to IP ownership?

    Virtuos is a service provider. Every material that is provided to us and everything that is provided by us in return is the client's property. Our legal setup ensures that we have a continuous and traceable IP flow from individuals working on a project to clients. Virtuos does not subcontract work. All the work is done under contract by full-time employees of Virtuos.

  12. What is your company motto?

    "You create, we produce".

    Experience has taught us what can and cannot be outsourced offshore. At Virtuos, we are focused on high-end production services for clients who retain design and pre-production.

  13. What are the values of Virtuos?

    Excellence, Trust and Humour.

    Our name, Virtuos, evokes, virtuosity, excellence in art, virtuality, imaginary worlds and plurality. To be true to our name and true to ourselves, we stick to 3 core values: Excellence, Trust and Humour.

  14. What is your service model?

    There are 2 options:

    (a) When the project is clearly defined in scope and time, we propose a Project model. Under this model, we work together prior to the project to formulate a detailed project plan based on your needs. We then assemble a team for a limited period of time with a Project Lead responsible for the quality and timing of deliveries.

    (b) When our client requires an extension of its team with flexibility in the scope of tasks, a retainer model may be more suitable. Under this model, a team will be put together upon your request. Its tasks can be defined and modified on the go, just as you would with an internal team. You will have the guarantee that the resources will be retained for you over the long term.

  15. In which language do you communicate with clients?

    English, with the addition of Chinese, French and Japanese if necessary.

  16. What is your preferred method of asset tracking?

    We are familiar with most asset tracking tools including Perforce and Alienbrain, as well as project tracking tools including MS Project and MS Excel.

  17. What is your preferred method of receiving feedback on work?

    Written feedback with illustrations and traceability: usually provided through forums or emails, complemented with video-conference calls or face to face meetings. .

  18. What is your approach to retention?

    We have one of the best retention rates in the industry in China. We manage attrition with the same level of care as other key metrics in business such as turnover or profitability.

  19. Can you guarantee the software utilized in your studio is legitimate?

    Yes. All workstations run licensed copies of Windows, Microsoft and any other software required. We have partnered with Jadason since 2005, the exclusive distributor of Maya, Photoshop, Zbrush in China and Hong-Kong, as well as the distributor of Autodesk products. 

     
    jadason

     

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