Pixar Canada shut down their Vancouver office in Gastown last October and left 100 people jobless. It seems that Pixar’s loss is Vancouver’s A Thinking Ape’s gain.
Vancouver-based social games startup startup A Thinking Ape (ATA) has announced that they’ve hired Leo Chan as Creative Technology Director, formerly the Director of Technology at Pixar Canada.
Kenshi Arasaki, ATA Co-Founder, said “Leo’s extensive leadership experience, and thoughtful yet metrics-driven approach to software development make him a wonderful addition to the team. We’re always searching for the freshest and most innovative perspectives to push and enhance our creation process.”
“I like to choose a studio based on the people I’ll be working with and the relationships I can build there,” Chan says. “As I toured A Thinking Ape, I took note of the casual yet functional workspace; as well as the smiles, laughter, and relaxed atmosphere. I immediately felt comfortable, and saw many of the best aspects of the studios I’ve worked in. The founders at ATA also impressed me with their vision, ambition, technical depth, and industry sharpness. I’m looking forward to creating memorable social experiences with the ATA team, and tackling the inherent technical challenges of creating animation-heavy games for small mobile screens.”
ATA has started in 2011 and currently has over 65 employees. The company is responsible for creating popular mobile games such as Kingdoms at War, Gangs at War, Party in my Dorm, Future Combat and The Meego.
