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Ubisoft's Jade Raymond Explains How To Create Blockbuster IP
As head of Ubisoft's new Toronto studio and producer of Assassin's Creed, Jade Raymond certainly has been keeping busy. She took the stage at D.I.C.E. in Las Vegas to talk about how she got into the industry and gave a few pointers on how the team assembled one of the fastest selling new IP's of all time, Assassin's Creed.
Raymond started off in the industry working long hours on smaller games. She explained that it was her dream to become part of the industry since age 14 and focused her efforts on playing all kinds of games and programming in her spare time to make it a reality. Raymond graduated with a computer science degree from McGill, and eventually went on to work at Sony Online. This experience led her to Ubisoft. She touched upon being a woman in the games industry, and as a woman working in video games (which she says "rocks!") she said it "makes me somewhat of a unicorn, and being a unicorn also rocks!"
Raymond then discussed how her thinking has evolved recently with the way platforms have proliferated with options like Wii, Move, and Kinect. With most games having complicated controls she said it can create a barrier to gaming experiences for some people. New platforms change the way developers think, especially now with social and mobile games colliding, games are available to a mass market now. With the current emphasis on multiplayer, they're a great excuse to get people to spend time together again.
Raymond went on to explain the thoughts behind the creation of a new IP. It's rare to create a new franchise from scratch these days, she said. It's important to lay down the ground work, so for instance, Assassin's Creed spent a year in pre-production to ensure the foundation is there for a long running franchise. In an ideal world the same team would work on the franchise throughout it's entire lifecycle, but that's not always the case, so getting all the necessary tools and ideas together from the beginning is key.
She also emphasized the importance of fans in a series. Working with fans keeps the franchise fresh and relevant, she said. They communicate issues, spread the word to friends, and even create great content to ensure a long-running series.
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