King Kong Q&A: Michel Ancel
We talk to design maestro Michel Ancel about the challenges of creating a game based on a blockbuster movie.
Developer Michel Ancel is arguably one of the pillars in Ubisoft's stable of talent. The veteran creator is often credited as the father of Ubi's Rayman franchise, which was one of the key franchises that helped the French publisher/developer establish itself as a force in the video game market. Since then, Ancel has continued to grow as a developer. Following a few subsequent entries in the Rayman series, the ambitious developer and his Montpellier studio released the stunning, original game Beyond Good and Evil. The action adventure game was a radical departure from the Rayman series, offering up a rich experience that ranked among one of 2003's best and established Ancel and his team as more than just "the Rayman team." Though the game was critically acclaimed, it went commercially unappreciated.
However, one impressive perk was that it caught the attention of director Peter Jackson, who remembered BG&E's rich experience, as he was searching for a company to develop the game counterpart to his reimagination of the movie classic King Kong. While you'd think the task of crafting a game based on what will surely be one of this fall's blockbusters would be daunting, Ancel and company seem to be more than up for the challenge. We had the opportunity to check in with the veteran developer to see how things are going and what we can expect from the game.
GameSpot: How did you approach developing a game based on the film? What did you feel the experience had to offer players in order to succeed?
Michel Ancel: The film gives an overall context and proposes strong themes and characters, in particular King Kong himself.
I approached the game on my side thinking of it as a full creation, while taking a maximum of my inspiration from the values within the movie. For instance, this story has a very primal spirit to it that I really wanted to get through to the player. The notion of survival directly creates a challenge and is part of this idea to live a true adventure. To survive means to understand the environment and take advantage of it. It is a mix of attack and defense that is really fun to play, gives a rhythm to the gameplay phases, and naturally brings variety.
GS: Did your experience with the most excellent Beyond Good & Evil influence Kong's development at all?
MA: Yes, of course. I think in particular that the "multigame play" experience of BG&E helped us a lot to develop a game that will deliver two completely different gameplays, one as a 25-foot-tall gorilla in third person, and another one as a simple human in first person.
GS: What kind of graphics engine are you using? Are you using movie clips or CG to move the story along?
MA: We want the story to be fully interactive. There are virtually no CG sequences in King Kong. The huge majority of what is featured on the screen happens when you play and are in control. The few cinematic scenes are rendered by our home engine: the Jade Engine, which has been optimized for the development of King Kong.
GS: How much of the game's soundtrack will be taken directly from the film and how much of it is original work being created for the game?
MA: The music, and the sound in a general manner, have to be in phase with the action. It is something crucial if we want to keep a very high level of immersion. For that reason, we wanted to compose our own music for the game, with the "blessing" of Peter Jackson of course. So yes, all the music will be original.
King Kong Quick Links
Summary | Reviews | News | Previews & Features | Images | Videos | Downloads | Answers | Hints & Cheats | Forum | Check Prices
- GameSpot Score8.2great
Content you might like…
-
Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie Official Trailer 4
Kong pays Manhattan a visit in this awesome trailer.
- Nov 30, 2005
Users who looked at this article also looked at these content items.
Images
- Ubisoft
- Ubisoft Montpellie
- Modern Action Adventure
- Release: Nov 21, 2005
- ESRB: Teen
Games you may like…
-
Mercenaries
(XBOX) -
Splinter Cell
(XBOX) -
Shenmue II
(XBOX) -
Splinter Cell: PT
(XBOX) -
Tomb Raider: Legend
(XBOX)
Users who looked at content for this game also looked at these games.
See More Similar Games
1 Comments