The end of last year had many of us reflecting (no pun intended!) on what a ride 2023 was for our company! From the challenges we overcame and the accomplishments we achieved to the milestones we hit and the great times we shared; it’s safe to say that it was a productive year!
In the spirit of starting 2024 on a positive note, we’re kicking things off with a recap of 2023, looking back on some of Reflector’s greatest moments of the year.
We stayed true to the mindsets that fuel our success.
As we continued our development efforts on Unknown 9: Awakening and wrapped unique transmedia products set within the same universe, work on our next IP and second production line began to pick up.
And while our people worked hard to achieve critical project milestones, they also took time to partake in several enrichment workshops. Nine Ask Me Anythings brought Reflectorians up to speed on exciting departmental initiatives. Staff also took part in over 1,600 hours of professional and personal development training sessions covering topics like stress and priority management, communication, collaboration, and more.
We can’t forget the professional achievements we celebrated. While 21 Reflectorians were promoted throughout 2023, five were honored with slick-looking Reflector-branded Kanuk winter coats for their five-year work anniversaries!
We hosted the first-ever Bandai Namco Global Development Summit.
As Bandai Namco’s sole Canadian studio, we welcomed colleagues from six countries across Asia and Europe into our Montreal office for the first-ever Bandai Namco Development Summit.
While our marketing and narrative teams brought our guests up to speed on our first IP’s brand DNA and product offering, leadership teams from Bandai Namco development studios worldwide came together to discuss strategy, success, and the day-to-day realities each one faces.
This five-day event—packed with presentations, workshops, brainstorms, and a memorable happy hour—proved instrumental in laying the groundwork for future collaborations.
We paid it forward by supporting Technovation’s Gameable program.
Following through on our intention to shape the future of gaming and storytelling, 2023 marked a new chapter in our mentorship mission with our participation in the Gameable program.
To support the Montreal initiative, whose aim is to foster tech and game design skills in young girls, Reflector’s IT department donated computer towers to ensure program participants had access to a robust set of technological tools. Moreover, one of our game designers spent six months mentoring a dedicated group as they drafted a viable business plan and built a video game prototype, both of which were presented to parents, mentors, participants, and sponsors in June 2023.
In addition to ongoing weekly mentoring sessions, two other Reflectorians took the time to host two dedicated workshops, one on UI programming and the other on game design—experiences we hope to continue to share with the game developers and designers of tomorrow in the years to come!
We made it a point to get together on the regular.
Reflector consists of creators and experts from all corners of the industry. We’ve always known our complementarity to be our strength, and 2023 showed us, yet again, just how crucial hanging out beyond the confines of department meetings and Teams chats is to our collective success.
And for this, we have our incredible Engagement Committee to thank!
Bi-weekly 5-à-7s and game nights allowed us to relax, unwind, catch up, and meet new additions to our growing team, while our more formal events saw Reflectorians bring their theme party A-game.
From maleficent masquerades and skull decorating competitions to an epic Monopoly-themed celebration, our Engagement Committee devised great company-wide events and bonding experiences. Whether donning our most spooktacular wears or dipping into the Community Chest, we had a blast connecting with colleagues within and across departments!
We’re ready for an eventful 2024.
Hot on the heels of a well-deserved two-week holiday break, we’re more than ready to tackle 2024!
A priority of ours this year is to find exciting new ways to bring Reflectorians together and ensure they’re afforded the right conditions to professionally thrive. Not only are we moving to a new space (still conveniently located in the heart of downtown Montreal!) but our Talent and Culture team is hard at work devising promising career advancement programs. We’ll also continue to give back to the communities to which we belong.
On the product side, we are ramping up ongoing efforts to expand a popular Bandai Namco IP and bringing our next video game to life! If you’re interested in joining a diverse group of creators passionate about video game development, design, and innovative storytelling, check out our current career opportunities and apply today.
