Game Development: Starting with Recreating the Anime Game Style

Chapter 530 Assassin’s Creed
That night, when all was quiet.

European cities lack the sleepless hustle and bustle of China.

Especially in Raine, where Ubisoft's headquarters are located, once night falls, the entire city quiets down, with only the dim streetlights and the occasional passing vehicle remaining.

The fervor of the press conference and the formalities of the dinner were both shut out by the heavy car doors.

The black executive sedan drove smoothly on the cobblestone road, with only the faint sound of the engine audible inside.

The car was quiet, and Chu Chen was looking out the window, seemingly lost in thought.

Tian Qixuan, standing next to him, still had excitement on his face. After holding back for a while, he finally wanted to express his excitement.

This started a conversation in the car.

"President Chu, to be honest, I'm still a little overwhelmed."

Tian Qixuan, head of StarCraft's European branch, is a typical "second-generation StarCraft entrepreneur".

The term "Starry Sky Second Generation" is a semi-joking classification among Starry Sky employees.

The first generation consists of veterans who followed Chu Chen from scratch to build his empire, such as Li Suhao, Guan Lei, Jiao Xiaofei, Song Yueying, Li Yifeng, Xiong Rui, Fuller, Su Qing, Yan Chuan, and many others.
This group has everything.

The cast includes industry veterans as well as "newcomers" like Li Suhao and Xiong Rui.

The so-called "second generation" refers to the outstanding individuals from all walks of life who were attracted to this rising star in 17 and 18 after Xingchen had already begun to show his talent.

The competition was already fierce during the interview process.

Therefore, those who rise to the top among this group must have more "exaggerated" academic qualifications and resumes.

Tian Qixuan is a representative of this group.

A graduate of École Polytechnique in Paris, before joining StarCraft, he was the head of Ubisoft Shanghai. He is fluent in French, English, Portuguese and other languages.

He has considerable experience in game development and management, and even helps Ubisoft headquarters coordinate collaboration among studios worldwide. He has contributed significantly to the recent talent poaching campaign.

Tian Qixuan's more than ten years at Ubisoft have given him a thorough understanding of many of the company's internal relationships.

The French have banquets and social etiquette, and when they do, they are even more particular than people in China. This is why Starlight was able to oust Tencent.

On the one hand, Tencent's foreign investment strategy is still the same old approach: trying to overwhelm the other party with money right from the start.

This method works when there is no competition, but it stops working when both sides have money.

Especially in a family business like Ubisoft, talking only about money can sometimes backfire. In contrast, although Tian Qixuan has left the company, he still maintains contact with Ubisoft's senior executives.

By "treating people to dinner," Xingchen ultimately emerged victorious.

"so.."

Tian Qixuan leaned forward slightly, bringing the topic back to the players, which was also what he cared about most.

"Are we really going to make an Assassin's Creed game? If so, I feel it would be more reliable to set up a studio in France, or have France and China jointly develop it."

Xingchen's project profit-sharing incentive system is quite well-known in the industry.

This "internal entrepreneurship" mechanism, along with Chu Chen's personal charisma, is the key to Xingchen's ability to gather a group of outstanding individuals.

However, this mechanism has also fostered a subtle competitive relationship between the various branches and studios.

In any project, whoever leads and contributes the most has the biggest say when it comes to dividing the spoils. For Tian Qixuan, if the European branch only ever does publishing and localization, it will always be left with scraps, never any real benefits. Take Fuller from the US branch, for example. After the launch of PUBG Mobile, he kept clamoring to create a new IP, simply because Chu Chen had brought both PUBG and Final Zone back to headquarters.

This caused considerable "dissatisfaction" from the American studio.

To gain public support, Fuller has been constantly clamoring to launch a new IP.

Ultimately, Chu Chen approved Fuller's request to open a new studio, so during this period, StarCraft America was also recruiting and reorganizing, in addition to the engine department.

If that's the case in the United States, then for Tian Qixuan, who is based in Europe, he naturally also wants to set up a studio. Seeing that Chu Chen didn't speak, he quickly added.

"This Assassin's Creed project presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If we can establish our own 3A studio in Europe, such as Paris or Montreal, and take on this project, it will not only allow our European branch to truly take shape, but also attract the best local talent, creating a virtuous cycle."

Chu Chen didn't answer immediately, but leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers unconsciously on his knee.

He didn't actually think Tian Qixuan was too radical. After all, if the people in a company are complacent and lack ambition, then decline is not far away.

However, he himself hadn't fully figured out the Assassin's Creed thing, so Chu Chen steered the conversation away from that topic and asked a different question instead.

"If you had to choose, which period of history do you think would be the most suitable as the background?"

Upon hearing this question, Tian Qixuan was overjoyed. Clearly, his boss did intend to launch a Chinese version of Assassin's Creed, which meant that his efforts over the past few months had not been in vain.

But after the initial excitement, Tian Qixuan found himself stumped by the question.

Which period of history should we use?
This is not an easy question to answer. Choosing a dynasty means choosing its architectural style, clothing culture, social structure, and narrative tone. It is not just a background; it will determine the core gameplay and experience of the entire game.

"President Chu, there are too many options for this question, making it a bit difficult to choose."

Chu Chen nodded.

"Indeed, it's a difficult choice..."

Often, when Chu Chen asked his subordinates questions, he already had the answers in his mind.

But this time, he really hadn't thought it through.

If you want stability, then the Qin and Han dynasties or the Ming dynasty are the best choices.

The Qin Dynasty, with its iron-fisted unified order and harsh laws, fueled the relentless flames of resistance from the remnants of the six former states.

Assassins can be wandering knights or Mohists, seeking to suppress the chaotic bureaucracy of the Qin Empire with absolute order.

Imagine this: at the massive construction sites of the Lishan Mausoleum, the Epang Palace, and the Great Wall, the clamor of thousands of laborers becomes your best cover as you carry out an impossible assassination in the heart of the empire.

Just thinking about this scenario gives me goosebumps.

Besides the Qin Dynasty, the Yuan and Song Dynasties are also good topics.

In other dynasties, the curfew was strictly enforced, and the streets were deserted after sunset.

However, Bianjing in the Song Dynasty had bustling night markets, brothels, and entertainment venues that lasted all night long.

What does this mean for stealth gameplay?
This means a truly dynamic, open world that operates 24/7. During the day, you can mingle with the bustling crowds; at night, you can take advantage of the cover of darkness and the shadows cast by lights.

Even the Three Kingdoms period isn't out of the question. Although the Three Kingdoms is too popular and the characters are too symbolic, making it difficult to handle within the game's framework.

Conversely, popularization means low barriers to entry.

(End of this chapter)