Rayman creator sees strength in small development teams

- Ubisoft's Michel Ancel on the importance of spending time on a game's development, instead of just money or manpower. Industry veteran Michel Ancel shared some insight into what he's learned in 25 years of making games at Ubisoft during an interview published today by Edge. Throughout the conversation Ancel, perhaps best known for creating Beyond Good & Evil and the Rayman franchise, reiterates his commitment to crafting games that provoke memorable experiences, like a good book or film. Ancel shipped Rayman Legends last year, and now he seems to be seeking a fresh challenge for his small team at Ubisoft Montpellier. Ancel also shares some interesting lessons he learned working on Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie, a first-person shooter released in 2005 alongside the film. To hear Ancel tell it, the game was originally designed as a third-person game but was significantly simplified during a difficult development process that ultimately made the game better. "I was really happy with Rayman 2, Beyond Good & Evil was good too, but King Kong was one of the games I liked the most, because it was the first game in which I decided to not put myself in bad situations, and to find good ideas to simplify the work first," said Ancel. "In the end, it was done in a short time, but with most of the things that we wanted in it. I think I learned more on that game than on a lot of other games." You can -- and should -- read the full interview over at Edge.