Ubi Soft, France’s leading video game and software publisher, is launching production of its first TV series. Based on its action-adventure video game Rayman, the 26 x half-hour, 3-D animated series targets kids ages eight to 11, and is budgeted at US$7.5 million. Rayman will be internationally co-produced, but so far no network deal has been announced. Potential European and U.S. partners have declared interest in the eleven-minute pilot shown at NATPE, and the Quebec government, which wants to support any and all multimedia and technology developments, will kick in a portion of the production budget.

Production will be shared between France and Quebec, where Ubi Soft opened an animation studio two years ago. French teams will oversee design, scripts, storyboards, layouts and post-production, while Canada will be involved in the series’ animation. Delivery is slated for summer 2000, and new elements created for the series will be integrated later into new Rayman video games.