ALSO: EDITOR’S NOTE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR STAFF PAGE What we didn’t know is how hard it captures so much about the value of would be to get anything at all from games in general, not only in times of Ubisoft. There’s a reason no one knows crisis, but their value to us as people. anything about Ubisoft - they don’t talk The best Escapist article by far, in my I remember the days we were to journalists. I’m not complaining; I’m In Response to “Escaping Katrina” opinion. I teach a course on games at a brainstorming ideas for the current really just not sure what to make of it. In from The Escapist Forum: I didn’t university, and I’ll shove this in their editorial calendar. We were going a world of people, businesses, countries want to read this article. As someone not collective stockings next week. through our Seekrit Process of Editorial all spending as much time clamoring physically touched by Katrina, I’ve been Calendar Making, with the obligatory about the good things they do as they able to put aside detailed examination of - wolvesevolve calls for scotch and cigars, as well as a spend actually doing them, a silent one what the survivors must have felt/feel or whiteboard in my office covered with screams louder than the rest. experienced. Lara Crigger did a In Response to “Escaping Katrina” scrawled … words, if you can call them masterful job in crafting an article that from The Escapist Forum: Excellent that, which likely made sense only to And so we scrounged what we could draws the reader in, and in a few short article. I would only add that the useless those in the room. from Ubisoft games, our memories and paragraphs makes you feel what she nature of escapism in a society or the dark corners of the internet (yes, we saw, and actually care about the people community in crisis is also a matter of As we went back through them to go there so you don’t have to) in order she is describing. I was very touched by distance and immediacy. Those in New narrow down the topics into something to bring you “Ubisoft: Ubi, Uber, Uni.” the story -- for the story of the Orleans still dealing with Katrina’s resembling an order with a purpose, we Spanner, good lad that he is, took on the experience, certainly, but more by her aftermath, and perhaps even New came across Ubisoft. We paused. Several task of profiling Ubisoft and came back gentle and thoughtful reflections on Yorkers now five years after the event, said, “Why?” Well, because they’re huge. with a great read and some interesting human nature. George’s seeming may find simple escapist fare rather trite, They’ve been around forever and who conclusions. Joe Blancato spoke with an indifference to his warped Magic cards but in the rest of the country, simple and doesn’t own at least one Ubisoft title? ex-Frag Doll to get the real scoop of the and poster, and how they only represent easy entertainments gained a great deal And, well, I don’t know anything about Ubi-sponsored gaming clan. And Jim something that truly is permanent, of popularity. The same of Astaire/Rogers them. How does that happen? Who is Rossignol waxes a bit philosophical about struck a chord with me that is still musicals during the great depression. Ubisoft, anyway? underrated Beyond Good & Evil, which I resonating. Kudos to Lara, and please I’m wary of the “comfort food” theory to now want to go and play. Find these publish more of her work! explain everything, but it makes sense Our interest was piqued, and so, hoping articles and more in this week’s issue of that when a threat is immediate and we weren’t cats, we ran with the The Escapist. - kvivian obvious escapism is unimportant, but curiosity. We began looking for one of when a threat is abstract and distant our stars to write a profile of this prolific Cheers, In Response to “Escaping Katrina” (terrorism, economic depression) people giant that lived in shadows. We knew it from The Escapist Forum: An would be hard (Sorry, Spanner!). incredible piece of writing; the writer find their world worrisome, and use study videogames want to make them. search engines and therefore searching entertainment as some form of relief. While sure, if I got offered a job as a = a game. Just because you spent half game designer I would have to think the time searching does not - weinerjew about it, but that isn’t my primary goal. automatically make searching a game.

In Response to “Immersion Realistically, the author is also tapping meh... I’m finding it difficult to argue my Unexplained” from The Escapist into a debate that, hopefully, has already point... because I see where you are Forum: Simply said, I don’t quite died. I’m past the narratology and coming from and that is clouding what I subscribe to narratology/ludology ludology debate and I think most people want to say. dichotomy, I guess it’s all about personal are as well -- at least the people I talked preferences. In the first type of games, to at said DiGRA conference in - guided1 the immersion comes from the thrill of Vancouver last year were. Murray’s imagining your story and setting your keynote was practically the only paper own goals and then fulfilling them, in the that mentioned the “N” and “L” words. second type you enjoy unfolding the story made up by someone else. Both Yes, narratology and ludology don’t things can be equally enjoyable in their contribute to making better games, but own way. they aren’t meant to and yes narratology and ludology are pointless meandering - WanderingTaoist debates, which is why they have largely died down. In Response to “Immersion Unexplained” from The Escapist - jccalhoun Forum: Get those feet back on the ground, people. In Response to “Not With a Bang, But a Click” from The Escapist - dejanzie Forum: What the hell are you talking about? In Response to “Immersion Unexplained” from The Escapist It’s a good read and an interesting article Forum: The article seems to be but how do you go from id Software to premised on the assumption that we who computers to CD-ROMs to internet to It’s not often that an editor comes to small, cancerous and filled with the same you and asks for something so, when repeated, empty webpage surrounded by Russ (the new guy at The Escapist who a billion different banner advertisements. pulls the strings to make the writers dance) approached me with a hole in his Who the hell is Ubisoft? It’s like some schedule, I felt quite flattered. kind of personality black hole; compressing a galaxy of individuality into And the assignment was - I chose to a dimensionless, cross-platform assume - a simple one. Write a company singularity so dense that no personal profile on Ubisoft. Naturally, I waved a information can escape its vast event Spanner flag in one hand and blew my horizon. (Everything I know, I learned own trumpet with the other. from Star Trek.) Has it grown too big to support an individual identity, or has it “No problem,” said I, confident in my become the worst kind of soulless ability to hack out a few thousand words byproduct of a passionless corporate of romanticized eulogy. “Ubisoft is vast, mind? It started life purely as a publisher and certain to be steeped in glorious in France, so could it be possible Ubisoft history – ‘twill be but the work of a was born as a peddler of another’s couple of hours. The best thing about an imagination, feeding on the commercial assignment like this is that nothing – creativity of bedroom programmers with nothing at all – can go wrong.” As you no discernable spirit of its own? can guess, I was off to a good start. Maybe. Well, I poured my afternoon rum and ginger and set about making good on my It’s equally possible that Ubisoft pours its bold promises of uncovering the gargantuan resources into making humanity cowering behind the veils of games rather than painting a high gloss one of Europe’s biggest game public veneer; promising revolution upon developers. Eight hours later, with eyes revolution until its back catalogue is a so square I could dress them in vortex of downwardly spiraling dungarees and take them to a barn anticlimaxes. All I had were theories dance, I came to realize the internet is and the kind of questions no public relations manager worth his salt would • Ubisoft gets its name, and therefore which also rents out games. I came answer candidly. (presumably) its founding philosophy, away with anything and everything from the word "ubiquity." proudly bearing the Ubisoft logo. I did uncover a few tenuous facts, I suppose. • A guillemot is a sea bird found in the After an hour or two of playing - err, northern Atlantic and Pacific waters. (I research - the lines that I had been • Ubisoft was founded in 1986 in France don’t know what flavor it is, though.) looking for, between which I hoped to by the five Guillemot brothers as a read the story of a world class software computer game distributor. Good An impressive, self-made legacy of hard developer, began to appear. business tactics soon led to U.K., graft and competent management. German and U.S. divisions and working Trouble is, none of this stuff is especially It seems the identity of Ubisoft is lightly relationships with Sierra On-Line, EA, unheard of in the industry or, for that etched across their entire back Microprose and a whole load more. matter, particularly interesting to read catalogue, not particularly visible from about. Other than a brief moment of any single game, but present in the • In 1994, it established an in-house uncertainty when EA suddenly devoured background nonetheless; delivering a game development arm where Michel just under 20% of the company’s shares warm, familiar climate to its games via a Ancel quickly invented the prolific and a degree of controversy surrounded deep undercurrent of experience. Let me Rayman character. Keeping a steady its workers' strict employment contracts, explain how my personal meeting with pace allowed the company to go the no substantial scraps of hot gossip have the entire workforce of Ubisoft - past and distance without too many perturbing ever really fallen from Ubisoft’s present - transpired. chest pains, and in 2000, it acquired expansive table. Tom Clancy’s Red Storm software label Although I looked up the Ubisoft along with its catalogue of espionage I cannot accept, however, that a timeline, the random selection of games and tactical thriller titles. company with such a significant history I’d rented didn’t really lend themselves and massive profile is so totally void of to an anal consideration of chronological • It now enjoys distribution in over 50 personality. I must be looking in the arrangement, and I got straight on with countries and has a physical presence wrong places. playing whichever game adorned the top in 21 of them, with its various of the pile - Prince of Persia: The Two development studios having turned out My research went from the jumbled Thrones. Being a one-time fan of the old well over a thousand titles and an mass of non-information that is Amiga version, I had high hopes for this annual turnover of blah-di-blah-di-blah cyberspace to the seldom updated, yet game, and wasn’t disappointed – in fact, millions of euros. well-stocked video shop down the road it proved to be a superb introduction to Babylon, sword fighting with savage concept of a stealth-based game to a the Ubisoft hive mind. hordes, deciphering the 3-D physical whole new level. If I were the designer enigmas of an ancient city and navigating of this game, you can bet it would have I suppose you could call it a strategy narrow pathways in a high speed chariot descended into macho mayhem and game, or a puzzle game, a fighting derby, the answer to uncovering the juvenile violence a long time before the game, an RPG, even a racing game identity of the French developer turned depths of this masterpiece had begun to during a thrilling chariot race through the out to be in the question. be explored; a little bit of tip toeing streets of Babylon. Suffice to say the list around the corner followed by a bucket is endless enough to ensure the Prince Ubisoft, like the Prince of Persia himself, full of brawn and bloodshed would have cannot easily be pigeonholed into any really is ubiquitous; everywhere at once, been my course, much to the detriment specific genre. An impressive feat for a moving in a pattern of its own design. of this astounding game. game that has a very distinct style and Whether this is an aspect of company theme while refusing to restrict itself to policy that dictates the requirements of By focusing the emphasis on the stealth one specific mode of gameplay; and all Ubisoft titles, or a coincidental parallel aspect of gameplay, yet another new without ever feeling like a mishmash of of philosophies between the company’s genre seems to have been cut from the cobbled together mini games. If it must founder and the designer of Prince of dead wood of the often overcomplicated have a genre, it can only be classified as Persia, it’s not my place to say. But that espionage thriller. a “Prince of Persia-‘em-up.” parallel exists nonetheless, and after such an invigorating experience, I was Even as I belatedly read the old Once my mind had regained its itching to see if it was reflected in any advertisements and reviews of Splinter composure from the toe-curling vertigo other games. Cell, the descriptions suggested that all and breath-taking anxiety found high the best parts of this kind of game (for above the labyrinthine alleyways of Next in the pile was Splinter Cell; not an an uninspired player like myself, at least) Persia, I was put in mind of the entirely different game. In fact, after the had been pushed to the background for company’s name – Ubisoft. My seemingly first 10 minutes I was prepared to the sake of what seems a minor wasted time surfing the still waters of journey back to Persia, but in the name characteristic – stealth. Creeping around the internet had at least dredged up the of research I persevered. And, as you in the shadows instead of shooting, snippet of trivia about the origins of that fans of Splinter Cell already know, I’m fighting and jumping off things (I’m name, “ubiquity.” glad I did. shallow, and don’t care who knows it); a risky strategy that has certainly paid off. Reflecting on the last couple of hours A favorite of mine back on the PS1 was spent clinging to the window ledges of Tenchu, but Splinter Cell took the Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft and one Splinter Cell, developed by Ubi’s presents itself in the form of the of the founding brothers, gave a speech Montreal Studio, shares Ubi’s philosophy shameless self promotion that is key to a while ago advising the videogame of building trans-genre games without the event. Ubisoft’s public face certainly industry not to blindly pour its efforts the confusion or aggravation of making seems to be behind the next generation into mimicking Japanese developers’ them cross-culturally relevant. Whether of consoles and the new realm of gaming abilities. He spoke of Japan’s notoriously this is a good or bad facet of Ubisoft’s delights they pledge to bring us. Looking discerning, experienced gamer and the profile really depends on which side of at its forthcoming lineup, it seems the difficulties Western publishers face when the ocean you live on, but having titles French giant is continuing to build its trying to crack that particular cultural specifically geared to my Western empire with yet another multiverse of barrier. Though it may seem harsh and a gaming fingers was no bad thing. horizon-expanding titles, such as little shortsighted, he went on to suggest Assassin’s Creed and Rainbow Six Vegas, we shouldn’t even bother trying. To do These ubiquitous themes were repeated all promising to hold Ubisoft’s defiant, so would only hamper the successful throughout my pile of games, and every genre-less principles at their core. recipes many developers have created time I came close to recognizing a for making more locally appealing games. specific genre, it ducked out of sight like This trend for creating strong brands the stealthy, balletic characters that (even those that may have originated Splinter Cell struck an immediate accord permeate Ubisoft’s massive catalogue. elsewhere, such as the Tom Clancy with this line of thinking. Where Ubisoft Rainbow Six, XIII, Beyond Good & Evil, franchises) is another telltale piece of the vehemently avoids building its games even Rayman (one of the in-house jumbled Ubisoft jigsaw. Many large around genre, it does at least have a development team’s earliest outings) companies, and not just within the video strong sense of who its audience is, seemed to nimbly side step any expected and computer game industry, are well creating titles that hit their intended facets of the 2-D platform game, aiming known for latching onto a popular mark with unswerving accuracy. at the younger player who traditionally product and milking it dry until people prefers this type of bouncing cutesy lament the day they ever heard of it. character, while offering a challenge Ubisoft, however, has a frankly grueling enough to make the most remarkable track record for not only seasoned joystick junkie sit up and sustaining a brand longer than its limited take notice. life deserves, but consistently improving it with each new incarnation. With this year’s E3 disappearing into the distance, a further source of evidence the company’s existence, from the Despite being the appointed lord of a powerful European people who choose to work for it to the dynasty, Yves Guillemot remains adamant that Ubisoft customers who unswervingly salute the company banner. attain its successes by allowing its workers more creative Despite being the appointed lord of a room than most developers would feel comfortable with. powerful European dynasty, Yves Guillemot remains adamant that Ubisoft When looking at the origins of the studios in such places as Romania, China attain its successes by allowing its company itself, bred and built from such and the heartbeat of modern game workers more creative room than most strong family stock, it’s no surprise that design, Canada, the software developers would feel comfortable with. the empire is growing precisely as the powerhouse is mustering a wealth of I suspect, in a roundabout sort of way, Guillemot family has always intended it industry strength. this is true. to. Rather than following the established route to software success, which consists It would appear the Guillemot foundation Naturally, all people at the helm of an mainly in conquering the U.S. and/or holds true to more than just a 20-year- industry are going to proclaim their Japanese markets, Ubisoft first set its old company mission statement. With its fundamental connection with the little sights on a distinctly Eurocentric established family heritage, penchant for people; movie producers sustain they domination; improving its stamina in a strong brands and a shrewd listen to the average cinemagoer, music local arena before breaching any understanding of its own scope, Ubisoft managers declare artists are in full demanding cultural barriers. has evolved more akin to an imperialistic control of their own voices and game French noble house intent on broadening developers insist that creation is left to Though he may only have voiced his its empire. blossom in the hearts and minds of the opinion openly in the last few years, common player. None of this is remotely Yves Guillemot’s mildly controversial Although the colonies may be no more, true, of course. It’d be a ridiculous and advice about dispensing with the the new world to be conquered is suicidal way to run a business, and these incompatible Japanese market is undeniably that of emergent businesses, people know it better than anyone. apparently not a new philosophy for his and approaching it as a noble and company. Forging alliances across the ancient imperial clan establishes a Looking at the impressive Ubisoft vista, globe and building a personal presence principal set of unbendable values that it does seem plausible that its designers with strategically placed development cannot fail to permeate every aspect of are, at least, free range; allowed to roam unsupervised around the Ubisoft peculiar media blackout that envelops case of many it can easily be done, pen. Within the camouflaged structure of the entire company. however), but with Ubisoft, its legacy - the company’s mission plan, over a past, present and future - begins and thousand different games have been While this may climb up the nose of an ends with the games. It may not sit released with massively varying content, investigative writer and kick at the inside quietly in the background, but this well- yet certainly the ones I have played of his skull after a month’s worth of principled noble French house certainly appear to be built according to those few trying to get answers to apathetic doesn’t march to the beat of the fundamental Ubisoft laws of game questions such as “We think Ubisoft is industry’s drum; it’s a company, nay an creation. I’m confident, now, that after great. Do you agree?” in truth, it matters imperial family, which pursues an ancient my intensive induction into the French little to the player. principle of colonization, bound by its own developer’s fan base, I could look at 10 code of honor and set free by a love of new games and pick out the Ubisoft It seems my first attempt to understand great games. among them. the mind of Ubisoft was correct; it really isn’t interested in building a media Spanner has written articles for several Up to this point, my research into the pedestal from which to shout its own publications, including Retro Gamer. He mystery shrouded world of Ubisoft had name into the abyss. Perhaps it’s no bad is a self-proclaimed horror junkie, with a provided me with an ironclad opinion of thing that whatever it is that goes on deep appreciation for all things Romero. who it is, but I had yet to hear any of my behind Guillemot’s iron curtain, the only hypotheses echoed from within. All I result is a protracted catalogue of highly needed was a brief discussion with the enjoyable games. Certainly it is not people at the helm to grant solid whiter-than-white; otherwise it would foundations to my new faith. have answered my phone calls, but in the end, I feel I know – on a very Unfortunately, Ubisoft doesn’t talk. Even personal level – who Ubisoft is, and that with the considerable journalistic weight has come solely from sampling its of the Themis Group behind my impressive wares. complimentary tribute to the French giant, there is apparently no one at It seems a little backward, in retrospect, Ubisoft (U.K., France, U.S. or Canada) to try and research any company’s history that can be persuaded to breach the without first sampling its products (in the Next time you eat lunch with coworkers, Whatever your own position, you’ll ask them, apropos of nothing, “What probably agree the International Game do you think of outsourcing?” Watch Developers Association isn’t the best what happens. venue to call for America-first boycotts. “Whether you’re American, Japanese or Some people hear “outsourcing” and go Pakistani, the best qualified people completely nonlinear. Often, these folks should get the job,” said poster feel personally threatened that someone “KennethN.” “If you think all the best- in India or China will take over their own qualified people are American, you’re job. We’re just starting to hear that note pretty naive. The fact that the gaming of fear in the electronic gaming industry, industry pretty much spans across the where “offshoring” (subcontracting entire globe is something we should be production work to overseas studios) is very glad about.” quietly becoming standard practice - fostered, in great part, by Ubisoft. Forum moderator David Weinstein pointed out North America itself is an For years to come, we’ll undoubtedly offshore destination: “So, you want read lots of passionate arguments about Ubisoft, Vivendi and Atari to shut down game outsourcing, but an early spat all of their North American studios?” appeared last year on the IGDA Forums. “McMillanDaniel” wrote, “We don’t Game publishers keep moving offshore believe it is good to be a company due to high financial pressure. The cost showing a profit, but seeing your to develop a next-gen console game is neighbor out of work. Therefore, we well over US$10 million, pushing fast don’t hire, support, or purchase any toward $20 million, with two- to three- products from publishers using offshore year development cycles. Companies are resources for development. Do you think cutting corners where they can, and graduates from all of the new schools offshoring promises faster production at around America for game design and art savings as high as 25 to 50 percent. are going to relocate to offshore facilities Business intelligence analyst Screen to get jobs?” Digest estimates 60 percent of all games Ubisoft and the World boundaries and to take gaming beyond Ubisoft, based in Paris, has expanded its its limits.” game production more broadly and aggressively than any other major game Gaming is breaking past limits all over, publisher. “The company’s 12 in-house not just in China. Currently, most production studios are located in nine outsourcing/offshoring game jobs go to countries,” says Ubisoft’s corporate site. Russia, Eastern Europe, India, Israel and “The choice of China, Canada and Vietnam. But as Outsourcing.org and Romania as host countries for its major Games Outsourcer prove, wannabes are studios offers Ubisoft competent, trained popping up anywhere they can scrounge people as well as tax benefits or a lower copies of Maya3D and Teach Yourself cost structure.” C++ in 21 Days: Thailand, the Philippines, Egypt and more. The For instance, Ubisoft Shanghai, widespread popularity of Korean MMOGs established in 1996, was the first major has spawned many new companies mainland Chinese game studio operated across Southeast Asia; some of them by a Western publisher. It claims to be start as Korean games licensees, such produced today use outsourcing, and the largest game studio in China and one as Indonesia’s Lyto and Boleh. projects that the figure will rise to 90 of the world’s largest. Starting with F1 percent by 2008. Racing Championship, Ubisoft Shanghai Right now, these offshore studios are and animation, as well as localization of has graduated to more ambitious writing music and making low-poly In America, a senior game programmer Java-based mobile games across 130 projects, such as the well-received objects. Will they be happy doing might earn $85-100,000 plus benefits; a phones. But as they learn the industry Pandora Tomorrow expansion for Tom that forever? senior artist or programmer in and hire Western consultants, offshore Clancy’s Splinter Cell. The studio Communist China, the workers’ paradise, companies are gradually taking over currently employs about 500 people and An excellent September 2005 Hollywood gets below $20,000 and no benefits more and more aspects of game is growing fast. In late 2005, Ubisoft Reporter article by Paul Hyman quotes whatsoever. Of course, the Chinese production: multiplayer modes, sequels posted a five-minute recruiting video Dustin Clingman, professor of game programmer can’t make good games - and (increasingly) full games. that boasted Shanghai’s virtues: night design and development at the Full Sail yet. To date, Western developers have life, sports, food and ubiquitous English. school: “What I’m most concerned about offshored technical and minimally And the publisher leading the way “Ubisoft Shanghai is a team with a is what I call the ‘ambition gap’ ... the creative jobs: audio, music, art assets overseas is Ubisoft. purpose,” says the video, “to break people who we outsource to - in India and China and such - they’re not going Game World in Kiev, was originally even worse, offensive. Thus, it is difficult In 2005, Ubisoft Shanghai offered to stop at just doing menial tasks. As we announced in November 2001 and is to outsource creative aspects of video American developers US$12,000 signing ship them more and more to do, they’re now scheduled for Q1 2007. (Offshored game development.” bonuses. From September 2004 until training themselves to take over the Ukrainian programmers also created this month, the studio’s team of 27 to 30 more important game development 2003’s notorious Big Rigs: Over the Road What do these commentators overlook? Chinese designers was managed by jobs. We’re just laying the groundwork Racing, one of the worst-reviewed Offshore companies can hire Western American Erick Wujcik, and he for our competition.” computer games in history.) designers to visit and teach them design. aggressively recruited North American designers. Tutored by experienced How Big Can It Get? The greatest perceived danger in Western professionals, how long will it Offshoring has many pitfalls. Annoyances offshoring is quality control, owing to include currency fluctuations, language cultural differences. Many take as an barriers and gaps in intellectual property article of faith that “you can’t outsource laws. Logistics can be expensive, given creativity.” Overseas game creators, they time zone differences and the need for argue, just won’t ever, ever be as good time-consuming supervisory visits as our great native sons in the English- overseas. (One startup, SeaCode, plans speaking world. And Japan, of course. to overcome logistical obstacles by And, oh yeah, Korea, if you play Lineage. refitting a retired cruise ship as a Well, also Croatia, assuming you like “sweat-ship” of coders anchored in Serious Sam, and Poland if you like international waters off Los Angeles. A Painkiller. But the rest of the world, hundred Indian and Eastern European forget it! programmers would work long shifts, seven days a week, for $1,800 a month. Intellectual property lawyer Ross SeaCode, which hopes to drop anchor Dannenberg, partner at law firm Banner later this year, pitches this as “keeping & Witcoff, said in a May 2005 interview jobs in the US.”) with IT Business Edge, “[T]he video game industry has built-in defenses And offshoring won’t necessarily help against outsourcing: creativity and you meet a schedule. THQ’s much- nationalism. ... What one culture finds delayed S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow Over humorous or entertaining, another Chernobyl, being made entirely by GSC culture might find lackluster, dull, or take Chinese developers to learn what But Spector believes game production savvy developer. There are few barriers Why not you, too? Westerners find fun? Ten years? Five? will never be entirely offshored. “There to entry, so anyone with net connectivity are thousands and thousands of people - you yourself - could outsource your Allen Varney designed the PARANOIA Then, too, there is precedent for Western in the U.S. who love making games and own workload for a fraction of your paper-and-dice roleplaying game (2004 pop culture adopting other nations’ want to continue. Most of the big current salary. Call it “pointsourcing.” Do edition) and has contributed to computer entertainment icons whole-cloth. A publishers are based in the U.S., have what Ubisoft’s own Worldwide Managing games from Sony Online, Origin, Google search for “anime” brings 169 offices here or want to have offices here. Director Gilles Langourieux did: Formerly Interplay and Looking Glass. million hits. And, with some notable exceptions, the a manager at Ubisoft Shanghai, he left in top creative talent is here. I honestly 2004 to start his own offshoring Try to Enjoy It think salaries overseas will go up, and operation, Virtuos. Virtuos now employs Once cost-cutting publishers can that’s how the playing field will be 120 people and recently closed Series A outsource design as well as everything leveled. The offshore guys will have to financing with Legend Capital. else, will the entire business of game pay more as their employees realize they production follow so many other can’t afford the stuff they’re making!” American industries overseas? Remember that IGDA Forum debate? “The trend in game development seems Consultant Maximillian Meltzer wrote to be away from a model that separates there, “[Offshoring] won’t go away, so design from execution,” says producer prepare for the future. It’s not all about Warren Spector. “We’re moving toward a outsourcing, it never was, but the low-document, you-conceive-it-you- maturing of a technology-driven build-it model. I can see a time when industry. As a US developer you just U.S. development becomes so expensive have more competition. Sounds like an it’s tough to justify hiring a U.S. industry about the survival of the fittest. company to [design] a game. System Sounds like business as usual to me.” specs generated in a vacuum are worthless. If the talent’s over there, the The new globalization of game game should be made over there. production offers opportunities for a Splitting off the design part of it, the way you’d split off modeling a chair, doesn’t make sense.” The Frag Dolls, Ubisoft’s team of sexy Butts said she found an ad on classified girl gamers, have engendered ad site Craigslist, which read, “Female controversy since their inception. Gamers Wanted.” When she replied to Originally promoted as a sponsored clan, the ad, she was asked to fax Ubisoft a the latest “About Us” page on the official non-disclosure agreement because “they Frag Dolls site reads, “The Frag Dolls are wouldn’t release the details of the a team of gamers recruited by Ubisoft to program.” She was then asked to submit represent their video games and 15 pictures of herself from a “wide promote the presence of women in the variety” of angles. gaming industry.” Sure, that’s Ubisoft’s line on the group, but I wanted to hear Afterward, during her second phone about the Frag Dolls from, well, a real interview, Ubisoft filled her in on what Frag Doll. they were looking for: “Basically, they wanted to [assemble] a group of girl I spoke to Jade “Siren” Eaglemeare, an gamers who not only were good looking, ex-Frag Doll from the U.K. branch, and but knew how to play games, in order to Whitney Butts, who underwent the get other girls interested in games. Their application process here in the States, to goal was to use us to get other girls to determine exactly what the Frag Dolls play [their games].” The position was are, what being a part of the team was part time and paid $500 per month. The like and why someone would leave. girls would appear on webcam, message boards and blogs and talk about their I was interested in the application gaming lifestyles. During webcam process, first and foremost. How, appearances, the webcam was to be exactly, did Ubisoft go about assembling focused on the girl, not the game she an international group of young, was playing. attractive women who look more at home on the cover of Vogue than PC Ubisoft was interested in girls with Gamer, and also happen to play “stability,” Butts said. “They wanted videogames well enough to win people who either had another steady professional tournaments? job or had a ‘husband to fall back on to support them,’ were the exact words.” At girls into gaming, but during my time in clan; the U.K. branch hasn’t attended a the time, Butts was an unmarried Frag Dolls, I didn’t see any evidence of gaming competition in the year it’s student, which was partially why she this,” she said. “First and foremost, the existed (the American branch competes wasn’t asked to join the team. Frag Dolls are employed by Ubisoft to sporadically, usually playing Ubisoft promote their games. Every part of their titles), and according to Eaglemere, “the Eaglemeare’s series of interviews were job revolves around this fact; be it [U.K.] Frag Dolls themselves would agree less clandestine in nature. Rather than playing certain games, doing interviews that they are not a clan.” However, in that signing NDAs and answering cryptic or posting on forums.” year, they’ve made it out to numerous messages on websites, she sent Ubisoft conventions to promote new Ubisoft a photo and spoke to three Ubisoft And when she says they’re playing games, where Eaglemeare recalls one employees, as well as journalist Aleks “certain games,” Eaglemeare means particular incident at a King Kong launch Krotoski. What struck her during the Ubisoft games - at least publicly. Half of party: “[We] were told to stand in front of interview process was how “little focus all of their official blog posts are to be the demo pods in the hall and try to lure seemed to be paid on how extensive my Ubisoft-related, and they’re not allowed drunk guests into playing. I felt more like gaming knowledge was or how good I to speak about certain games if those a booth babe than a gamer.” was at actually playing games.” Despite games are deemed to be competitors to that reservation, when Ubisoft extended an Ubisoft game. “We were told not to The U.S. branch operates in a similar the offer, she took the job. talk about EA’s Battlefield II, as it was a manner. Go to a convention where the direct competitor to Ghost Recon Frag Dolls are in attendance and you’ll As I talked to both women, they both Advanced Warfighter,” she said. Of find beautiful, painted faces throwing T- referred to being a Frag Doll as a job, course, it isn’t too surprising to have to shirts to crowds of young men; few rather than being a member of a guild or toe the corporate line every now and women flock to them as gaming idols. a clan. Butts said she got the impression then, and Eaglemeare agrees, but she early on that the mission to put an all- still takes issue to the way the Frag Dolls Working in such a way - talking only female clan in the spotlight to draw more are portrayed in press releases and on about games sanctioned by the company, women into gaming was nothing more the internet: “[They’re] presented with enticing drunken gamers to play games than a façade. I asked Eaglemeare what the appearance of being an independent on kiosks - finally got to Eaglemeare. She she thought about her role as a Frag Doll. group … but this isn’t really the case.” decided to leave the Frag Dolls because “I just felt increasingly dishonest to myself. “The Frag Doll ethos claims to be Ubisoft has pretty much abandoned the I have a true love for games, and in the centered around trying to attract more notion of the Frag Dolls as a girl-gaming end, I’d had enough of being made a credibility: “We don’t see [gender] as a (Editor’s note: We attempted to contact marketing tool.” factor that needs to be labored upon. Ubisoft for their side of the Frag Dolls More and more girls are becoming story, but they were unavailable for Since then, she’s formed a community of interested in gaming, which is great, but comment.) her own, WeAreVersus. There, she blogs I really don’t think there is any need for about the games she chooses in the way some big crusade to attract more women The Escapist, a shadowy flight into the she chooses with her friend, “Vixen.” to the field. Constantly drawing attention dangerous world of a man who does not She’s obviously affected by the time she to the fact that ‘girl gamers’ are [a] exist. Joe Blancato, a young Associate spent as a Frag Doll; on their “About Us” minority, you only encourage segregation Editor on a crusade to champion the page, they say: “We’re not here to between the genders.” cause of the innocent, the powerless, the endorse any product or sell you helpless in a world of criminals who anything. If we say it, it’s because we Butts agrees. “Knowing what the Frag operate above the law. Joe Blancato, a mean it, not because it pays our wage. Dolls have to do [every day] makes lone crusader in a dangerous world. them look dirty.” “In our experience ‘promoting girl gamers’ can often be used as the cover Do operations like the Frag Dolls cause a story of big business trying to widen its rift between genders? If anything, market whilst still getting some pretty they’re drawing them together, but not in faces in the magazines. In other words: the healthiest of ways. On message Free advertising.” boards spanning the internet, people of both genders seem more than happy to Eaglemeare and Vixen want to keep their unite together in distaste for this new endeavor gender-neutral, but in particular blend of sex and advertising. such a sexually-charged industry, the And to their credit, the Frag Dolls have very fact they have pictures and videos done a heck of a job of bringing girl of themselves playing games is going to gamers out in droves. Unfortunately for make that difficult for a lot of gamers. To Ubisoft - and for the women like Jade their credit, they don’t play up to their Eaglemeare, who just wanted to talk femininity; in fact, Eaglemeare thinks about games - they’re not buying into doing so damages the industry’s the vision. In 1975, a Soviet naval officer staged a Action, heroism and obsessive attention mutiny aboard a nuclear submarine. His to technical detail; this is the Clancy motives were unclear, but in Tom formula. The Hunt for Red October sold Clancy’s mind - who used the story as at least 6 million copies world-wide, the foundation for his best-selling novel, spawned a videogame and a feature film The Hunt for Red October - the man, and turned the former insurance Captain Valery Sablin, had intended to salesman and Maryland native into a defect to Sweden, taking his submarine brand -- a multimedia empire glorifying with him. Perhaps that’s true. the right of American military might. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for Captain Sablin. His mutiny failed, and he Some have suggested over the years was executed. that Tom Clancy and Jack Ryan may be one in the same; that Mr. Clancy is Mr. Clancy decided to give his fictional actually a former military or CIA man version of the tale a rosier ending. In who’s turned his classified adventures The Hunt for Red October, the mutinous into almost-treasonous knuckle-biting submarine captain deftly maneuvers his fiction, ala Ian Fleming’s James Bond. way through a series of claustrophobic One supposes that these rumors would ship-board adventures, harrowingly suit the secretive Mr. Clancy and his Jack authentic underwater engagements and Ryan Enterprises just fine, but according dizzying political intrigues before being to all reputable sources (including Mr. rescued from a near-certain death by a Clancy himself), there’s no truth in dashing, young government agent intent them. Jack Ryan, the hero of The Hunt on rescuing both the submarine captain for Red October and many of Clancy’s and his experimental submarine. The other novels, is a complete work of novel ends with the Russian and the fiction and the technical details filling the American sailing the stolen submarine thousands of pages of prose bearing Mr. together up the Penobscot River in a Clancy’s name are all acquired through glorious display of pre-glasnost Cold publicly available research sources, not War defrosting. (as some have suggested) from secret, classified documents. Yet, whether the story is fact or fiction, from the named author, by another the name on the cover is what’s writer, who is usually credited on the important; more so than who’s actually cover under the title, but not always.” written it. Two decades after The Hunt for Red October introduced the world to The practice referenced by our forum the techno-thriller, Tom Clancy is poster is called “ghost writing,” and it presenting more stories than he’s has been around for a lot longer than writing. His 12 follow-ups to Red October four decades. As long, one supposes, as have each made the best-seller list, famous writers have had more money enthralling millions of airline travelers than time. Clancy, the man, has become each year, but the popular NetForce, Op- a brand, and Clancy, the brand, has put Center and Power Plays series which also more books in the hands of more bear his name are all penned by travelers than perhaps even the Gideons. somebody else. Several somebodies, in fact. You can find their names near the The Hunt for Red October was made into bottom of the book covers, underneath a videogame in 1987 and a feature film the gigantic Tom Clancy’s and the in 1990. Three more of his books would book’s title, and another credit for Mr. follow Red October onto the silver screen, Clancy (and the cover illustration). That but as successful as those adventures many readers have overlooked this fact were, the videogame arena is where the over the years is in no way surprising, Clancy brand found its true home. but has apparently gotten under the skin “Terrorists devise a scheme to take over a generic industrial compound for of some Clancy apologists. In 1997, Tom Clancy co-founded Red ransom under the watchful eye of corrupt US diplomats. The plot twists when Storm Entertainment. His stories had the Terrorists hijack a shipment of nuclear warheads even after their demands “For the umpteenth time in this forum,” long been a staple of computer and are met, unless a rookie CIA agent eager to prove his worth can overcome his says one newsgroup poster, quoted from board gamers everywhere, but with Red brooding self-doubt and stop the Terrorists once and for all. The movie ends ClancyFAQ.com “[This] has been Storm Clancy would break new ground; with a mildly comical and/or ironic scene in which the Terrorists blow up or go common in the publishing world for over not simply transplanting his novels into to prison. Another satisfying tale of political intrigue and personal redemption four decades (that I know of) to indicate the digital medium, but creating closes, and we all walk away from this [book/videogame/movie] a little wiser.” that the book has been written using a characters and stories specifically for use concept, or characters, or whatever, in a game. The company’s first game, Tom Clancy’s Politika, released in 1997 Both games inspire bravery, patriotism “There’s always this incredible urgency in (packaged with a paperback copy of Tom and an appreciation for authentic the Clancy books because so much is on Clancy’s Power Plays: Politika, the novel) depictions of military hardware. the line,” according to Dansky. “And was a hit, and paved the way for two of that’s the sort of thing that lends itself the most successful videogame “[Clancy] gave us entry into his world for precisely to great gameplay. Knowing franchises in history: Tom Clancy’s developing games,” says Richard Dansky, that what you are doing matters and Rainbow Six (timed for simultaneous Lead “Clancy Writer” for North Carolina- that you’re running out of time to do it in release with Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, based Red Storm. “There was a lot of makes for exactly the right type of the novel) and Tom Clancy’s Ghost collaboration on the original Rainbow Six. tension to drive a game narrative. Recon. Both of which re-wrote the books We’ve concentrated on Clancy titles since for their respective genres, and then, but at the same time Ubisoft has “We have two people with primary redefined the role of story in gotten other studios involved in the Clancy writing responsibility [at Red Storm].” videogames, mainly by following franchise, making it much more of a Two people not named Clancy, that is. company-wide and world-wide endeavor.” Being one of them, Dansky points out that the typical day in the life of a In 2000, Red Storm was purchased by “Clancy” writer begins with brushing up “We have two people with publisher Ubisoft, who quickly began on current events: development on their own Clancy title. primary writing responsibility In 2002, Ubisoft’s Montreal-based “The first thing I do in the morning is [at Red Storm].” Two people not development studio released a startling check a bunch of news and reference stealth action game called (Tom sites to see if anything interesting named Clancy, that is. Clancy’s) Splinter Cell. The game starred happened in the world. You never know a grizzled “black” operative named Sam when current events are going to catch Fisher, who was voiced by B-movie up to your storyline, which can have all Clancy’s winning formula. Rainbow Six veteran Michael Ironside and written by sorts of repercussions. Besides, I always puts the player in the black boots of a J.T. Petty, the latest in a long line of want to stay on top of material for counter terrorist squad, employing true Clancy ghost writers who’ve made an art potential future storylines. team-based tactical action, while Ghost out of distilling the Clancy “feel,” as Recon employs a similar style of play, Richard Dansky calls it, and replicating “In the office, the writing process but instead enlists the player into an that feel throughout the various generally involves a lot of touching base elite squad of Special Forces commandos. extension’s of His universe. with designers and other folks to make sure that what’s being written fills the sacrifice for the greater good before the allowed to give us an answer. Apparently, game’s needs, is appropriate for context scales start tipping? That’s actually one that information is classified. and gameplay and doesn’t impinge on of the unique opportunities we have other aspects of the game. There are a doing the Clancy stories, the idea that Russ Pitts is an associate editor of and lot of meetings on the front end, and these are decisions and issues that frequent contributor to The Escapist and then once implementation of the players can relate to. Just the fact that is the host and producer of The dialogue happens, you do a lot of it’s people in the real world gives the Escapist’s podcast, Escape Radio. Pitts is walking through and tweaking to make material an emotional oomph that you the former producer and head writer of sure that everything fits just right. don’t necessarily get when it’s a question TechTV’s The Screen Savers, and has of space lizards or trolls or Roman played every game console ever made. “It’s always good to have the writing legionnaires or whatever. We’ve got that experience in the building,” says Dansky. added advantage - and responsibility - of “Both as a resource and also as a way of letting the player think ‘it might be you.’” making communication a lot easier and cleaner.” And, one supposes, as a way of Richard has been with Red Storm since injecting great story into great games. 1999, having written for Shadow Watch, To date, Red Storm has released over a Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield, Rainbow dozen games embossed with the Clancy Six 3: Black Arrow, Ghost Recon: brand, and is currently working on a next-gen installment of Rainbow Six, set Island Thunder, The Sum of All Fears in Fabulous Las Vegas. and “plenty of others.” He is currently working on Splinter Cell: Double Agent “I think people are going to be more and Rainbow Six: Vegas, although you’d than a little surprised with the territory be hard pressed to find the name we’re starting to move the Clancy “Dansky” anywhere on any of those storylines into. We’re delving more into games’ Clancy-emblazoned boxes. One the consequences of the actions the assumes that’s all a part of living in the characters take, and the hard decisions shadow of one of the world’s most have to be made. What’s Sam Fisher prolifically ghost-written authors, but we willing to do in order to fulfill his may never know for sure. The Escapist mission? How many people can you asked Richard about that, but he wasn’t Of all the female protagonists who now the perceptions of the people they are inhabit the landscape of gaming, there is supposed to protect. It is a caricatured one who stands apart: Jade, the central world with a very serious sense of character in Ubisoft’s Beyond Good & paranoia, but still has a sense of humor Evil, exhibits an admirable kind of when dealing with serious issues. A pig- cosmopolitan verve. She has somehow man with rocket-boots somehow makes been freed of genre expectations. With the perfect foil for a confident, her green lipstick and a powerful sense independent young woman. of loyalty to her family and the people around her, she cuts an idealistic but The game itself is determined to be believable figure against the absurd confident and versatile. Even though we backdrop of games. are left with that itchy feeling that it could have reached a little higher, it is Beyond Good & Evil is a melange of routinely and intuitively entertaining. styles, and Jade’s personal depth is a Numerous genres are introduced as plot reflection of that philosophy. She is not elements: Racing arrives as a social an action heroine, a creature of necessity; shooter action appears in firepower or a fantasy goddess; instead, travel sequences; melee combat with she is a journalist with a dash of martial dramatic slow-motion lets you know that arts training and a lighthouse full of this is a game with a story. Even orphans. She is a strong, desirable photography and platform puzzles make woman who is not far removed from the sense and do not seem to take place in possibilities of the real world. Jade is spite of a narrative. also a protagonist with a strange secret - an essential quality of the sci-fi heroine. Beyond Good & Evil avoids Tomb Raider’s leaping and jumping repetition. Beyond Good & Evil’s world is one of An action adventure with a female lead it allegorical science fiction. It is a world might be, but recognizable as a clone of under siege with a mainstream press and previous genres leaders it is not. government who are conspiring to alter Crucially, Beyond Good & Evil takes big hero, revenge and villain, it delivers a risks by stepping outside the axis of decidedly modern tale of political American and Japanese games. It is not deception and the power of the press. identifiable within the aesthetic or While there are puzzles and some thematic trends of either of those fighting with Jade’s staff-based martial cultures, and instead it seems to access skills, it is her camera that represents the European sensibilities of its parent the key motor for the game’s story and company, Ubisoft. There’s something action. Jade’s photos start out as a way distinctly French about the game, both of making money, but result in being an visually and aurally. It’s a quality that is act of rebellion and liberation for her detectable in other titles from the same people - a population that, like some stable, such as Rayman (whose many contemporary populations, is producer, Michel Ancel, worked on being lied to. Beyond Good & Evil) and Flashback. Furthermore, they seem to access Jade’s photos are proof of what is taking something else in France’s rich comic place, and it’s only by bravely performing book and science fiction materials. The acts of journalism (sneaking and world of Hyllis is reminiscent of the stealthing where a fight will lead to contemporary Mediterranean, as if the disaster) that she is able to defeat her Riviera were to be re-imagined by the enemies. It is a game about the power creators of architecture fantasy Les not of guns or magic, but of Cités Obscures. information. It is the propaganda machine of the enemy that finally leads Beyond Good & Evil is a risk-taker simply to its downfall, and the scene is set for a because we do not readily recognize its wider adventure and further-reaching subject matter - no orcs, no space philosophy. Would you expect anything marines. It also takes risks in the story it less of a game with such a loaded title? decided to tell: A politically driven tale that does not fit expected templates. There is no evidence to suggest that Stepping outside the standard arcs of Beyond Good & Evil’s story was an explicit commentary on the way that the at the very mention of its name - a Iraq war was manipulated by both the feeling that I didn’t make enough of this American and British government, but provocative and entertaining game at the lessons can nevertheless by read the time I reviewed it. “Quite clever,” I from the actions of Jade and her friends. said of the game I was to talk about for Like the most elegantly constructed another three years ... novels, Beyond Good & Evil suggests something about life without being so So I’ll consider this my penance to a clumsy as to spell it out for us. It’s a tool game ill-served and ask you to point this for learning - an action-packed lesson browser at Amazon and demand a copy about life, if we choose to see it as such. be couriered to your door. You’ll be doing Such games are worth playing as much us both a favor and, perhaps, if that long as family entertainment as they are tail of extended sales is long enough, exercises in the margin of our own Ubisoft will be able to continue the experiences. Sure, it’s not exactly a planned Beyond Good & Evil series. I philosophy lecture, but its gentle think we owe Jade that second chance, storytelling is nevertheless imbued and I, for one, want to see what she with implication. does next.

The tragedy of all this is that Beyond Jim Rossignol is a writer and editor Good & Evil sold rather poorly. It was based in the South West of England. immediately drowned out at the time of He writes about videogames, fiction its release by a string of high-profile and science. titles across console and PC platforms. Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell were particularly overbearing at the time and were, unfortunately, both Ubisoft titles.

This is a game that should never have been overlooked by the game-hungry public, and I myself feel a twitch of guilt EDITORIAL PRODUCTION BUSINESS Executive Editor Producer Publisher Julianne Greer Jonathan Hayter Alexander Macris

Content Editor Layout Artist Associate Publishers Joseph Blancato Jessica Fielhauer Jerry Godwin Russ Pitts Gregory Lincoln Lead Web Developer Contributing Editor Whitney Butts Director of Advertising JR Sutich Susan Briglia Web Developer Research Manager Erik Jacobson Chairman of Themis Group Nova Barlow Thomas S. Kurz IT Director Contributors Jason Smith Joe Blancato Russ Pitts Jim Rossignol Spanner Allen Varney

Issue 58, © 2006. The Escapist is published weekly by Themis Group, Inc. Produced in the United States of America. To contact the editors please email [email protected]. For a free subscription to The Escapist in PDF format please view www.escapistmagazine.com