Beyond Games

What explains the growing popularity of sim games like Truck Driver and PowerWash Simulator? How do game designers turn everyday activities or “normal” jobs into fun game experiences that attract millions of players? To discuss gamification, the state of flow, and how running away from zombies can be fun, we’re joined by Miriam Popescu, Senior Game Designer at Ubisoft Massive, and Adrian Hon, CEO...

From weapons and combat to historical figures and real-world places, video games – and other media – rely on realism and authenticity to entertain their audiences. So, how realistic should games be? How do game developers find the balance between authenticity and fun? And what purpose does authenticity serve? On this episode of The Tenth Art podcast, we’re joined by Thierry Noël, Senior Manager, I...

When we think about video games, we often think about gameplay, worlds, combat, points and high scores… but how often do we think about what characters are wearing? And yet, with the popularity of multiplayer games, and even people sharing their single player experiences through streaming or virtual photography, how your character looks is increasingly important. How do players use fashion to expr...

Is virtual photography a form of artistic expression? What is the relationship between real-world and in-game photography? We invite Fawzi Mesmar, VP Editorial at Ubisoft, and Mélanie Courtinat, a French immersive artist and jury member of the Ubisoft Photomode contest, to discuss their experience with in-game photography, and how players use photomodes to express themselves and share their experi...

Video game developers use cutting-edge tech, in-depth research, and complex math to ensure that their games look and perform their best. But what can they learn from scientists to develop new gameplay opportunities? And how can scientists leverage the power of games to further their own research or communicate their findings? In this first episode of "The Tenth Art", we invite David Louapre, Scien...

It is often said that there are nine arts. What if video games are the tenth? In "Beyond Game" new season "The Tenth Art", Ubisoft developers talk with scientists, artists and academics from beyond Ubisoft to explore the place of video games in culture and society. And spoiler: games are everywhere! From the clothes you wear to science labs, and even in museums!  But with great power com...

To celebrate a year of ShantyTok, the Ubisoft Game Makers podcast asks: What is a sea shanty and why are they so popular during the pandemic? On this episode, we speak with American musician Craig Edwards about the historical context from which sea shanties first emerged, Narrative Director Darby McDevitt about the origins of the pirate radio in Assassins Creed IV Black Flag, as well as singer Seá...

In this podcast episode, composer Pedro Bromfman, well known for his work on the Netflix series Narcos, talks about his work composing the soundtrack for Far Cry 6. Listen to the Far Cry 6 Complete Soundtrack, available now:  https://ubisoftmusic.lnk.to/FC6_CompleteMusic Transcripts of our podcast episodes are available on Ubisoft News . An original Ubisoft series. If you liked this podcast p...

Composer Gareth Coker and Music Supervisor Jérôme Angelot take us behind the scenes of the creation of the music for Immortals Fenyx Rising. Find a transcript for this episode on Ubisoft News. Listen to the Immortals Fenyx Rising Original Game Soundtrack . If you liked this podcast please subscribe, rate and review. Hosted on Acast. S ee acast.com/priv acy for more information. Hosted on Acast. Se...

In this "Beyond Games" mini-series, the extraordinary composers who created the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla soundtrack – Jesper Kyd, Sarah Schachner, and Einar Selvik –break down five of their favorite tracks from the game. They reveal their secrets and inspirations, and the collaborative spirit that allowed them to write and record nearly six hours of music for the game using both ancient and moder...

In this "Beyond Games" mini-series, the extraordinary composers who created the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla soundtrack – Jesper Kyd, Sarah Schachner, and Einar Selvik –break down five of their favorite tracks from the game. They reveal their secrets and inspirations, and the collaborative spirit that allowed them to write and record nearly six hours of music for the game using both ancient and moder...

In this "Beyond Games" mini-series, the extraordinary composers who created the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla soundtrack – Jesper Kyd, Sarah Schachner, and Einar Selvik –break down five of their favorite tracks from the game. They reveal their secrets and inspirations, and the collaborative spirit that allowed them to write and record nearly six hours of music for the game using both ancient and moder...

In this "Beyond Games" mini-series, the extraordinary composers who created the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla soundtrack – Jesper Kyd, Sarah Schachner, and Einar Selvik –break down five of their favorite tracks from the game. They reveal their secrets and inspirations, and the collaborative spirit that allowed them to write and record nearly six hours of music for the game using both ancient and moder...

In this "Beyond Games" mini-series, the extraordinary composers who created the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla soundtrack – Jesper Kyd, Sarah Schachner, and Einar Selvik –break down five of their favorite tracks from the game. They reveal their secrets and inspirations, and the collaborative spirit that allowed them to write and record nearly six hours of music for the game using both ancient and moder...

What is the truth? Kenyan-Norwegian singer, songwriter, and rapper Stella Mwangi wrote the song "Ma Itu" for Just Dance 2020. Inspired by a pun in her native language, Kikuyu, and an Afro-Futuristic beat provided by her producer Tom Rogstad, Stella wrote a dancing song with a strong, inspiring meaning that explores the concept of truth. “Shukuru means we will accept the truth, we will all praise t...

Audio Director Lydia Andrew and the rest of the audio team at Ubisoft Québec talk about how they created the character, naval, environment, and combat sounds for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, as well as the game’s original music. An original Ubisoft series. If you liked this podcast please subscribe, rate and review. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See aca...

From distant church bells and bustling factories to winding rivers and busy zoos, how do the sounds of a city-builder game adapt as you zoom the camera in and out or skip from one part of the map to the other? Members of the audio team at Ubisoft Düsseldorf talk about how they developed a brand-new environment sound system for Anno 1800 to address these challenges. Featuring Audio Director Stefan...

Have you ever dreamed of hearing your favorite video game music played by an orchestra? Music Director and Conductor Ivan Linn talks about how he rewrote and adapted over a decade of Assassin’s Creed music for an multimedia concert featuring an 80-piece orchestra and choir and footage from Assassin’s Creed games. The Assassin’s Creed Symphony Tour is a co-production of Ubisoft and MGP Live. If you...

Have you ever thought about the person who makes the sounds you hear when you play a video game? Footsteps, swords clanging, armor creaking... Alexis Farand is a foley artist at Ubisoft Montreal who has created sound effects for games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Rainbow Six Siege, and For Honor. In this interview, Alexis shares his passion for foley and talks about some of his favorite tricks f...

"Rock musicians Alain Johannes and Norm block talk about recording the music for Ghost Recon Breakpoint, taking inspiration from the game’s South Pacific island setting and tense atmosphere. This episode was recorded on the Ubisoft booth at the Los Angeles Convention Center during E3, in June 2019. Click here to listen to the Ghost Recon Breakpoint Original Soundtrack. Visit the Ghost Recon websit...

As VR and virtual worlds become more accessible and commonplace, and with the “metaverse” being the buzzword of the day, we explore what it means to create and explore virtual worlds.  We spoke with Patrick Ingoldsby, art director at Ubisoft Toronto, on his team’s work representing the diversity of the near-future version of London in Watch Dogs: Legion; Renaud Person, world director at Ubisoft An...

Ubisoft CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot looks back on 35 years of games and talks about what’s next for Ubisoft and our teams around the world. Ubisoft is celebrating its 35th anniversary with free content for players until December 19, including rewards, sales, and giveaways. Visit  Ubisoft.com  to open your gifts! Transcripts of our podcast episodes are available on Ubisoft News . See omnystud...

A decade after he first stepped into the shoes of Vaas in Far Cry 3, Michael Mando joins us on this episode of the Ubisoft Game Makers podcast to talk about the creation of the character and what it’s like to play him once more in the Far Cr 6 DLC episode Vaas: Insanity, out on November 16. Transcripts of our podcast episodes are available on Ubisoft News. Game music featured in this episode is ‘G...

Tanya DePass is the founder of  I Need Diverse Games  and worked as a diversity consultant on Far Cry 6 and other titles. She comes on the Ubisoft Game Makers podcast to talk about her work and to give advice to players and developers on how we can all work together to improve diversity, inclusion, and representation in the video game industry. Find a transcript of this episode on  Ubisoft News ....

In this podcast episode, Ubisoft veteran Anne Blondel Jouin talks about her 25-year career in video games, from her first days out of business school in the PlayStation era to her role today leading a team that seeks out partnerships with industry whiz kids and indie developers. Visit  jobs.ubisoft.com  to find opportunities near you and start your own journey at Ubisoft. Find a transcript of this...