Sylvain Jusselme is an accomplished game designer with a rich background in crafting immersive gaming experiences. Sylvain's journey in the industry spans over a decade, marked by significant contributions to iconic franchises like Assassin's Creed and The Division. Let's delve into his insights and experiences in today’s interview and his advanced game design course for Skvot.
Read the interview translated into Czech.
How and when did you start to work as a game designer and how did you connect with Ubisoft and start to work on the Assassin's Creed series + TC Division?
I began my career in the video game industry in 2007-2008 at a small French studio named 'Etrange Libellules'. It wasn't until 2014, after several years of working in China at Gameloft and EA, that I joined Ubisoft Annecy and started working on 'Assassin's Creed Syndicate' and 'The Division'.
Which characters or elements/objects did you design for those games?
On 'Assassin's Creed Syndicate', I designed the player space, the train, and participated in designing the associated missions. On 'The Division', I worked on what we called the urban life, and also designed mission bosses and gameplay for several DLCs.
Which software is used by Ubisoft? Which software is mostly used by other companies and why?
Ubisoft used their own homemade engines, Scimitar for the Assassin's Creed series and Snowdrop for The Division. However, that approach is not as common in the industry nowadays. Unreal Engine and Unity are now the most commonly used ones. Nobody wants to spend years on R&D when there is a cheaper solution on the market.
Did you work in Unreal Engine in the past? What do you think about it's capabilities?
Yes, I have experience working in Unreal Engine in the past. I find its capabilities to be impressive and versatile, offering robust tools for creating immersive and visually stunning experiences.
If you are designing a game, are you taking real maps/places or you create your own fictional worlds?
When designing a game, I enjoy the creative freedom of crafting my own fictional worlds. It allows for limitless possibilities and fosters a unique player experience. But it is also dependent on the project, or the license. We rarely have the choice.
How long does it take to develop a whole game? Is it a long way journey or is it possible to finish the project by the year? Which project was the longest one in the case of time period and how did you manage to not get crazy because of that?
It really depends on the project. In the mobile industry, a game can take a few months to be made, while on PC/Console, it can take several years. When I was working at Remedy Entertainment, projects were fairly long, and what kept us on track was the fact that we knew we were making a marvelous game. :)
Which game production/project do you miss the most? And would you be thrilled to work on it again?
I loved working on all the games I've made, so it's very difficult to pick just one. When I was working in the mobile industry in China, we came up with a totally new strategy game concept that was unfortunately canceled. If I could, I would love to finish that one.
Why did you choose Skvot as your next project as a lecturer? Which expectations do you have?
I chose Skvot as my next project as a lecturer because of its innovative approach and potential to engage students in a dynamic learning experience. I have high expectations for Skvot to foster creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration among my students while pushing the boundaries of traditional education.
Which goals will your course have? What do you expect our students to learn and how does it help to develop their professional skills/career?
I am teaching an Advanced Game Design course which aims to further develop your design skills, as well as other important adjacent skills such as communication, organization, and self-improvement techniques.After this course, students will have all the necessary baggage for a more senior or lead position.
Which software will you use during your lessons? Is it going to be hard or is it suitable also for beginners?
We will primarily use Unreal Engine 5 along with traditional office software. This course is designed for experienced designers, not beginners.
Thanks for the interview! We are already excited about our course for advanced game developers, which we prepared together!