Digital Illusions Canada

History

Digital Illusions Canada began as a studio in London, Ontario, which opened its doors in November 1999. The following April, the company launched a program to partner with independent developers. In April 2001, Digital Illusions CE absorbed Sandbox Studios into a new subsidiary called Digital Illusions North America, boosting the workforce by 50 people to reach 150 employees. Fredrik Liljegren, who helped start the original parent company, later took over as studio manager for the Canadian branch.

The studio, now operating as DICE Canada, kept its attention on games for families. A May 2001 deal with Knowledge Adventure and its owner Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing led to projects based on popular children's toy lines. Another agreement with TDK Mediactive in December 2002 resulted in a game tied to The Land Before Time series. By 2005, the studio shifted its focus to creating expansion packs and spin-offs for existing DICE titles.

In March 2006, Electronic Arts moved to buy all of DICE's shares. After the purchase closed, EA announced on October 5 that it would shut down Digital Illusions Canada. Remaining staff moved to DICE's headquarters in Stockholm, to EA Canada, or to other EA studios. Some employees, including Liljegren, launched a new studio called RedJade on October 16, reviving a company name he had used during a previous departure from DICE.