Square Enix Montréal has rebranded itself to Studio Onoma following its purchase by Embracer Group and launched a new website. The Greek word Onoma translates to name and the team expresses it symbolizes a new life of endless possibilities. A detailed breakdown on the new website shows how Square Enix Montréal began its rebranding process in May with the creation of a rebrand squad. A 5-month process of research and exploration ensued that led to over 165 names. Those were shortlisted to 15, with a focus on being easy to pronounce in both French and English, which were then shared with staff for their input. The list was then culled down to 3 with Studio Onoma being chosen.
WHAT’S IN A NAME? EVERYTHING! THE STORY OF ONOMA.
Onoma is Greek for name and names offer endless possibilities.
Names breathe life into objects, persons, or concepts; bring them to the world – real or imagined.
It is the start of a new experience, an invitation to go on a new journey.
As game makers, we are CREATORS of new experiences, of new paths.
Names shape identities.
When we play we can be anyone, achieve anything, and go anywhere.
As game makers, we are INVENTORS of new worlds, of new possibilities.
Names are the beginning of stories – of our story as individuals and as a community.
Stories are invitations to other worlds where the unknown, the impossible, and the magical become reality.
As game makers, we are STORYTELLERS who always uncover a new story to tell and play.
At Onoma, we are CREATORS, INVENTORS, AND STORYTELLERS, and the experiences and ideas that we bring to life connect us to each other and to players.
Studio Onoma has already begun to produce new merchandising and launched its own social media pages. It has also explained the ideology for choosing the new logo. The logo will be used with black and white backgrounds depending on the project.
THE ART OF THE BRAND
As we went through the rigorous brand analysis and development process, we also established a look-and-feel that matches our storyline and objectives, and offers a fresh expression of our identity moving forward.
The overall concept is streamlined, playful, and timeless.
Our design, with its clean lines and use of primary colours and basic shapes, was inspired by the influential Bauhaus art movement and its “aim to bring art back into contact with everyday life.”
A custom font was created for the Onoma logo. The rounded edges reflect our humane and people-first approach. The elongated O in the center represents an open window into creativity and new worlds for our players. We’ve kept the logo black (with a white version) to act as an umbrella brand to a myriad of games and projects, each with distincts palettes and brand identities.
The elongated O is central to our new visual identity. It can be used in various orientations – in whole or in part – and its shape and colour can be altered, providing us with countless options while maintaining visual coherence.
New Games
Of course, what’s on most people’s minds with the studio formerly known as Square Enix Montréal is what about new games? Well, for the moment, Studio Onoma seems to be primarily focused on releasing games for mobile devices. Most recently it has launched Hitman Sniper: The Shadows but has posted coming soon announcements for Tomb Raider Reloaded-a new roguelike game, an augmented reality Space Invaders game, and Avatar Generations-a tactical RPG game.
Source: Studio Onoma