Creating original ideas keeps Ubisoft Montreal CEO awake at night

The continued development of original ideas which lead to successful new games is something which remains a daily concern, Ubisoft Montreal CEO Yannis Mallat has told The Guardian.

But with the expectation of growing studio sizes as publisher’s transition into the next generation, Ubisoft has a plan to ensure creativity isn’t lost.

“If there is one question thing that keeps me awake at night it’s this one,” explained Mallat. “It’s an everyday concern in terms of studio DNA and how we approach production. There is no magical recipe to making successful new games – you can only ever adopt the best practices.

“Actually, the only recipe I know is that you take the best team, you give them the means, you give them faith and confidence and you give them incredible challenges to tackle – and they usually come back with great stuff.”

Regarding putting out new and original games, Mallat says technological breakthroughs are the key driver.

“As for creating new experiences, we really believe in our Breakthrough Strategy, which is linked with technological evolution,” he said. “Our successes in the past, whether that was the first Splinter Cell, or the first Assassin’s Creed, each time we found a technological breakthrough that led to a new way to play that no one had experienced before. It was dynamic lighting that allowed the stealth gameplay in Splinter Cell; when you think about the free-running in Assassin’s Creed, the ability of a character to grasp and climb any architectural detail, that was also derived from a technological breakthrough.

“This new way to play through technology, was a minimum guarantee to the players of a new game experience. I don’t think technology will impair our ability to be creative. On the contrary, you have to embrace technological evolution.”

Ubisoft Montreal is currently working on Watch Dogs, a cross-generational open-world connected action title due later this year.

Source: The Guardian