View Full Version : E3 2015 - My candlelit interview with Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot

06-29-2015, 08:02 PM
You guys asked for it, and here it is! Many thanks to Yves and Ubisoft of course for this special opportunity. Hope you all enjoy!

Note: as explained in the video, the video quality is a little crappy. Sorry, this won't happen in future videos.

Timestamp shortcuts (clickable in the video description):
0:00 - Important disclaimers about video quality and the interview
2:22 - What do you think makes Ubisoft games unique and special?
3:25 - What is your vision for the future of Ubisoft?
4:29 - As CEO, how involved are you in the games themselves?
5:30 - Favorite franchise?
6:00 - Do you think Assassin's Creed Syndicate does enough new things for fans who feel burnt out on yearly releases?
7:10 - Why wasn't Assassin's Creed Unity delayed more?
10:04 - Will Assassin's Creed take a break from yearly releases as other Ubisoft franchises get more popular?
11:08 - Will Prince of Persia ever return?
11:48 - Where did the name Ubisoft come from and does it have a special meaning to you?


06-29-2015, 08:33 PM
Nice interview Loomer... The biiggest take away from the interview... to me

This is what i believe he says indirectly

"We cut multiplayer from Syndicate.. So that we can wrap up production early and have a lot more time to polish"

Which I believe is good.. Maybe in the next setting Co-op will be back.. And I hope they again wrap up production early...

06-30-2015, 10:30 AM
The questions related to a company statement that AC games would be delayed if they were "not good enough", and the possibility of taking an extra year or two on some AC titles.

The question he answered was, "How will you prevent embarrassing headlines about technical bugs?" but nobody asked that. Everything he said in response to these inquiries indicates that the series will remain annual (the argument that taking more time does not mean a better product, in his opinion), and they will have their own early crunch time to ensure that each game runs smoothly.

Is that what we want: a game that runs smoothly? What about delaying a game because it's not fun? What about delaying it because it's transparently overstuffed with cynical throwaway filler: to instead trim and bolster the missions into a solid game?

06-30-2015, 01:00 PM
It's a tricky situation with the annual releases. The obvious answer is if they keep getting good sales, they will of course pop them out each year.

I suppose it depends on one's own perspective. For example, if you play a lot of MMOs, those have fairly regular content every few months. If you get used to that model, then waiting a year for a sequel feels an eternity.

There does seem to be a shift to trying to sell gaming as episodic content. I mean look at the Telltale games, or perhaps Destiny with it's expansions every few months. People call it instant gratification, but I suppose it you have a passion for a series, you'd be on board all the way.

Now apply that to AC. What if Ubi started releasing two or three sequences of missions every few months? Personally I'd really dislike that model for a single player narrative, so I'm more than happy with the yearly model for the full story.

Of course we expect a level of quality, but I've always felt that the AC games have been great value for money. I easily put in over 50 hours on the last few games, and there are not many big releases these days I can say the same for alas. Still, they are working towards preventing another launch like Unity, so I suppose let's see if they pull it off in October.

06-30-2015, 03:10 PM