Ubisoft's Eric Chahi
The Project Dust and Another World creator on GDC Europe and creating original games
In 1991 a game was released for the Commodore Amiga that set the computer games world alight, and demonstrated the potential for games to be as immersive and involving as films: Another World.
That game's achievements seem all the more impressive today because it was the work of one person - Eric Chahi - whose latest project with Ubisoft, Project Dust, is set for release on XBLA and PSN. Here he talks about why he's looking forward to speaking at this year's GDC Europe in Cologne, and why the challenge of creating original content is still as tough today as it was 20 years ago.
Well, it's an event that's really focused on development, and it's a good place to share things with other people. Plus it's very different from other conventions - such as E3 or Gamescom, where it's more about the games themselves.
I'm a game creator, and it's the first time I'll be at GDC as a speaker, and it's going to be an important moment for me to talk about what we're doing right now.
Well, first of all Project Dust is a game where simulation plays a very important part - and players interact with that simulation. The talk is about how to create a high performance simulation on today's computers - that's why Ronan Bel will be there too, it's a dual presentation. I'm a game designer and Ronan is an expert programmer.
So we'll be talking about the technology, how we creating the simulation and the relationship between technology and game design. Because we can talk about technology or game design - but it's not often that people talk about the exchange between the two, and how technology really inspires game design... or how, from a game design point of view, we had to manage a dynamic system, because Dust is made up of a dynamic system, with emergent activity talking place in the world.
It's a different approach to game design, because it's not fully predictable.
It's important because it's a way to open our minds - to see solutions to problems that we didn't think of. It's a source of inspiration, because when we play a game we only see the results. At GDC we understand more about the methods of game creation.
When you read some of the comments online, people seem to be really pleased to see that I'm back with a new game - but I have to say that while Another World was a game I made on my own, Project Dust is very different, because there's a team of 17 very talented people involved.
In the creation process of the game, getting across my vision and making something original with soul and passion... that's the work of the whole team, not just me. When I'm working with the team, it's important that they share the vision - but I just want to say that while it's an honour to have people remember me for Another World and all that, I don't want it to overshadow the work that the others are doing.