Beyond Games

Behind Massive Screens | EP 16 | The Magic Of Online Programming Sep 18, 2023

In this episode of Behind Massive Screens, we delve into the subject of online programming together with Senior Online Programmer Omar Elbehaedi to find out what makes online games tick. We also delve into the subject of why code is beautiful and discuss that most forbidden topic – netcode.

You head into a Team Deathmatch, the Dark Zone, or a 4000-player battle in a space MMORPG. The players are located all over the world. The bullets are flying. But how does the technology that makes all this possible actually work? What do the online programmers do behind the scenes to make sure the information is sent over the Internet, in the most effective way, and that all those connections are stable?

Resources

Books:

A Tour of C++ 3rd edition, by Bjarne Stroustrup - https://www.stroustrup.com/Tour.html

C++ Templates: The Complete Guide 2nd Edition by David Vandevoorde, Nicolai Josuttis, Douglas Gregor - http://www.tmplbook.com/

YouTube channels:

That Dev Ops Guy YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@MarcelDempers

Onur Mutlu Lectures - https://www.youtube.com/@OnurMutluLectures

Tools:

Kubernetes - https://kube.academy/

Intel VTune

Valgrind

perf (Linux)

Prometheus

Loki and promtail

Grafana

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Behind Massive Screens | EP 15 | Art Direction in Video Games Sep 11, 2023

In this episode of Behind Massive Screens, Petter and Dóri meet Marthe Jonkers, Associate Art Director at Massive Entertainment, to learn about the role that art direction plays when creating a game – the impact it has on a game’s development, how it helps set a game’s style and tone early on, and how it together with concept art communicates ideas to developers.

We also get insights into what it is like to work in the Japanese games industry, and what it can take for someone from outside of Japan to ace a job interview there. And what role did a certain scary zombie girlfriend play in Marthe’s career? Let’s find out!

Resources:

Shotdeck - shotdeck.com/

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Behind Massive Screens | EP 14 | Designing User Interfaces for Video Games - UI Art Sep 04, 2023

When designing a game, how do you make sure that the player gets the information they need while playing? Or navigate menus and button prompts in an intuitive way? In this episode of Behind Massive Screens, UI artist Anna Kuzminska takes our dynamic hosts on a journey through the fascinating world of user interface design – from fonts and art to colors and shapes.

Resources:

We Can Fix it in UI - https://onewithmachines.notion.site/onewithmachines/WE-CAN-FIX-IT-IN-UI-9f588869324a45e2b2d0595546ce77d1

Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design - https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Interfaces-Patterns-Effective-Interaction-ebook/dp/B082WQ28FM

Behance - https://www.behance.net/

The Game Assembly - https://thegameassembly.com/

Game Empowerment Movement (GEM) - http://www.gamehabitat.se/gem/

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Behind Massive Screens | EP 13 | Creating Visual Effects In Video Games Aug 28, 2023

Ever wondered how game developers create stunning visual effects in video games? How they make red barrels blow up and explosions look great? How cars in racing games kick up dirt, or how the energy crackles from magical potions? In this episode of Behind Massive Screens, we meet John Behrens, VFX Artist at Massive Entertainment, who tells us about visual effects design and what is going on behind the scenes when the bullets hit the red barrel.

Real-Time VFX - https://realtimevfx.com/

The Elementary Particles (GDC Vault) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7wFPkGmWdI

Shader Sauce: How to use Shaders to Create Stylized VFX (GDC Vault) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqdVG_qcKok

John Behren's ArtStation - https://behjohn.artstation.com/

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Behind Massive Screens | EP 12 | Using Science to Make Games Better Aug 20, 2023

How do you become a playtester for video games and how does a playtest work? And what are the User Researchers, that are running the tests, looking for? In this episode of Behind Massive Screens, we meet User Researcher Hanna Rosvall, who will give us a look behind the scenes. What tools do User Researchers use, how does a games lab look, and what’s going on behind those mysterious one-way mirrors? Let’s find out!

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Behind Massive Screens | EP 11 | AI in The Division and the Art of Modding Aug 13, 2023

Ever wondered how to start working on artificial intelligence in a video game and how the AI in The Division was put together? What do you need to keep in mind when creating AI for an NPC? How do you get started in modding games and what can you create using the tools available? In this episode of Behind Massive Screens, Associate Game Director Drew Rechner covers these subjects in detail, since he’s worked with both – and has built one of the most ambitious Neverwinter Nights mods ever created.

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Behind Massive Screens | EP 10 | Environment Art Aug 06, 2023

Join Petter and Dóri as they meet Keltic Vermeersch, Environment Artist at Massive Entertainment, to find out how environments in video games are created - from "simple" hallways to sprawling open worlds. They also learn brand new creative uses for lamps. Yes, lamps.

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Behind Massive Screens | EP 9 | Adventures in Game Design Jul 30, 2023

In this episode of Behind Massive Screens, Petter and Dori sit down with Lead Game Designer Lau Korsgaard to talk about experimental game design, indie development versus AAA, what uses a regular controller can have beyond the norm, and how games without rules can encourage social interaction.

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Behind Massive Screens | EP 8 | Palle Hoffstein, Art Producer Jul 23, 2023

Join Petter and new co-host Dori as they sit down with Palle Hoffstein, Art Producer for The Division 2, and dive into his job and his long history in the games industry.  What does an Art Producer do and how do they work with the artists? What was it like to work in the industry back in the 90s? How did you develop a fully fledged FPS with only 20 people? And how was the experience of moving from North America to Europe?

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Behind Massive Screens | EP 7 | Narrative Design Jul 16, 2023

We sat down with Chella Ramanan, Narrative Designer at Massive Entertainment, to dig into the complicated subject of storytelling in video games – in everything from smaller indie projects to giant AAA games.

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Behind Massive Screens | EP 6 | Concept Art Jul 09, 2023

In this episode of Behind Massive Screens, Petter meets Concept Artists Topi Pajunen and Marie Isacsson to talk about their job, concept art’s role in game development, and how art can inspire the development teams and communicate ideas.

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Behind Massive Screens | EP 5 | Localization Jul 02, 2023

What goes into adapting a huge AAA video game to other languages and markets than simply English? How do localizers and translators work on the text, but also on voices and UI? How do you work with voice casting and actors, dialects, language differences, and any potential translation mistakes?

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Behind Massive Screens | EP 4 | Tech Animation Jun 25, 2023

In this episode of Behind Massive Screens, Technical Animator Rasmus Björk gives an insight into what technical animation is, how it works and its place in bringing characters to life in video games. How do you make sure that a human, or an orc, or even an animal moves in a realistic way? How do you build a skeleton that animators can then use to work their magic?

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Behind Massive Screens | EP 3 | Cinematic Animation Jun 18, 2023

In this episode of Behind Massive Screens, Cinematic Animator Soo Kang tells us how cutscenes in games are made – from script to motion capture, to ending up in a game.  How do you plan for a recording, how do you use the motion capture data once it’s done, how do you go from a pair of moving dots to a complete scene? How do you create drama and how do you connect it to gameplay? How do you use a mix of technology and storytelling to draw a player into the world of the game?

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Behind Massive Screens | EP 2 | Game Design Jun 11, 2023

In our second episode of the Behind Massive Screens podcast, we sit down with Lead Game Designer Fredrik Thylander to discuss game design, how it works in practice and how you approach designing a new game from scratch. And how do you, with various tricks (and cheats), create fun, second-to-second gameplay?

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Behind Massive Screens | EP 1 | Data Science Jun 04, 2023

In Behind Massive Screens, we talk about the ins and outs of game development and the gaming industry with the people behind the games. Hosted by Massive Entertainment – creators of The Division, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and the Star Wars Project – the show gives you a greater insight into how game development actually works and an opportunity to learn about the different roles at a gaming studio, straight from the experts themselves.

In this inaugural episode we meet Lead Data Scientist David Renaudie, who will tell us more about how data science can help us understand our players and our games better, and what it means for future development.

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Tech Makers | EP 5 | Forging the Future: Beyond Tech Apr 30, 2023

In this final episode, our experts discuss innovations beyond gaming. For example, how the self-driving cars in Watch Dogs can teach kids the basics of machine learning, how AI can raise climate-change awareness by simulating its possible consequences, and how our research is helping counter dangerous online behaviours thanks to some unexpected allies…

Guests: Elisabeth Doyon (Student at Université de Montréal—CSM AI for kids Project), Amanda Jarrell ([MURL], User Research Project Manager—Ubisoft—ToxBuster) and Andrea Feder (Production Manager — Ubisoft La Forge)

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Tech Makers | EP 4 | Forging the Future: Action Apr 23, 2023

In this fourth episode, we explain how the SmartNav prototype manages to create more realistic and responsive behaviours for non-playable characters and how their design enhances the immersive experience for players in various open-world games.

Guests: Joshua Romoff (Research Scientist at Ubisoft—Ubisoft La Forge—SmartNav), Gabriel Robert (Technical Lead—Ubisoft La Forge) and Julien Varnier (Technical Architect for AI & Gameplay—Far Cry 5, 4 & 3)

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Tech Makers | EP 3 | Forging the Future: Environments Apr 16, 2023

In this third episode, we discuss the Torch prototype, which combines physics and programming to improve on traditional methods of animating fluids such as water, air, and fire. We also dig into the differences between academic and corporate environments, and how La Forge manages to bring these two worlds together through research and development.

Guests: Shahin Rabbani (Director of Scientific Research and Development—Ubisoft La Forge—Torch) and Claude Langlais (Director — Anvil)

An original Ubisoft series.

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Tech Makers | EP 2 | Forging the Future: Characters Apr 09, 2023

In this second episode, we explore how scientists at La Forge are revolutionizing video game characters and how text-to-speech technology is helping our artists improve and refine the gaming experience by making character voices more realistic. You will also learn about Choreograph—a prototype that anticipates the movements of playable characters and gives them a fluidity like those recorded in motion capture.

Guests: Marc-André Carbonneau (R&D Scientist and Director of a team of researchers on speech and sound machine learning—Ubisoft La Forge—TTS), Ylva Ferstl (R&D Scientist—Ubisoft La Forge, Toronto), David Coulombe (Production Director — Ubisoft Technology Group) and Raphaël Saint-Pierre (Engine Programmer—Far Cry).

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Tech Makers | EP 1 | Forging the Future: The Forge Apr 02, 2023

In this first episode, you will dive into the world of the founders of Ubisoft La Forge, research, and development lab, which is celebrating its 5th anniversary this year. Travel back in time to its creation and discover its many impacts, triumphs, and of course … its failures.

Guests: Yves Jacquier (Executive Director—Ubisoft La Forge), Olivier Pomarez (Director of Development—Ubisoft La Forge) and Cédric Decelle (VP Technology —Ubisoft Montréal)

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Tech Makers | Teaser Mar 26, 2023

Welcome to Tech Makers, a Ubisoft podcast. In this first series hosted by David Usher, we’re celebrating 5 years of innovation at La Forge. In this exclusive sneak peek, you’ll meet the people working on some of the video game industry’s most promising innovations. Get ready to learn more about the project’s origins and discover various prototypes and breakthroughs whose impacts are felt far beyond the world of gaming.

A bit more about La Forge:

La Forge aims to accelerate R&D by linking the academic and industrial worlds. This R&D hub aims to validate knowledge by testing the value of technological innovations, thus bridging the gap between academic research and industry, between theory and practice. The exchange of knowledge between these experts from two distinct but complementary backgrounds allow for new ideas and innovative concepts to emerge. Research topics include rendering, animation, artificial intelligence, audio, physics, and tools for understanding and managing player behaviour. Ultimately, prototypes are implemented in production, and the knowledge gained is shared with the academic world and beyond!

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The Tenth Art | EP 8 | This Episode Is Not AI-Generated Dec 15, 2022

Generative AI models like DALLE2, Stable Diffusion, and ChatGPT have made a splash this year for their ability to create original content from written prompts. At this turning point in the world of AI, we wanted to question some of the challenges faced by this technology, and see how the field of video games is both benefiting from this tech and helping to take it into new directions.

For this last episode of the season, we are joined by Yves Jacquier, Executive Director of Ubisoft La Forge, Ubisoft’s R&D department, as well as Dr. Sasha Luccioni, a research scientist at Hugging Face.

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The Tenth Art | EP 7 | Petting the Dog: Animals and Video Games Dec 08, 2022

From "Duck Hunt" to "Stray", animals have always been a major part of many video game experiences. Some players even keep track of the games in which they can pet the dog – or other animals. But what do representations of animals in games say about our treatment of animals in the real world?

To explore this topic and share our favourite in-game pets, we are joined by Benjamin Hall, Creative Director at Ubisoft Toronto, and Alenda Chang, Associate Professor in Film and Media Studies at UC Santa Barbara.

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The Tenth Art | EP 6 | Play Green: When Video Games Help Fight Climate Change Nov 17, 2022

As COP27, the annual United Nations Climate Conference, comes to an end in Egypt this week, we invited two experts on environmental sustainability in the gaming industry to discuss the positive impact games can have to combat climate change. We explore where our industry stands in terms of carbon emissions, how game developers are mobilizing for the planet, and how games can change behaviors and educate players about environmental sustainability.

Our guests for this episode are Nicolas Hunsinger, Director of Corporate Environmental Sustainability at Ubisoft, and Paula Escuadra, co-founder of the International Game Developers Association Climate Special Interest Group (IGDA Climate SIG).

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The Tenth Art | EP 5 | Can Anything Be a Game? Nov 03, 2022

What explains the growing popularity of sim games like Truck Driver and PowerWash Simulator? How do game designers turn everyday activities or “normal” jobs into fun game experiences that attract millions of players?

To discuss gamification, the state of flow, and how running away from zombies can be fun, we’re joined by Miriam Popescu, Senior Game Designer at Ubisoft Massive, and Adrian Hon, CEO at Six to Start – the studio behind the popular running app Zombies, Run! – and author of You’ve Been Played.

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The Tenth Art | EP 4 | How Realistic Should Video Games Be? Oct 20, 2022

From weapons and combat to historical figures and real-world places, video games – and other media – rely on realism and authenticity to entertain their audiences. So, how realistic should games be? How do game developers find the balance between authenticity and fun? And what purpose does authenticity serve?

On this episode of The Tenth Art podcast, we’re joined by Thierry Noël, Senior Manager, Inspirational Content at Ubisoft, and Dr. Jacqueline Burgess, Lecturer in International Business at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia. They talk about games that push the envelope in terms of realism, and what responsibility games and other forms of entertainment have to be accurate.

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The Tenth Art | EP 3 | Looking Good: Fashion and Video Games Oct 06, 2022

When we think about video games, we often think about gameplay, worlds, combat, points and high scores… but how often do we think about what characters are wearing? And yet, with the popularity of multiplayer games, and even people sharing their single player experiences through streaming or virtual photography, how your character looks is increasingly important.

How do players use fashion to express themselves in their favorite games? Is real-world fashion inspired by video games? How can game developers and fashion houses collaborate to enhance the experience for players? Benjamin Jouffret, Costume Designer & Character Lead on "Just Dance", and Charles Hambro, CEO and Co-Founder of GEEIQ, join us to talk about what happens when fashion and video games collide.

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The Tenth Art | EP 2 | Capture the Moment: Video Games & Photography Sep 22, 2022

Is virtual photography a form of artistic expression? What is the relationship between real-world and in-game photography? We invite Fawzi Mesmar, VP Editorial at Ubisoft, and Mélanie Courtinat, a French immersive artist and jury member of the Ubisoft Photomode contest, to discuss their experience with in-game photography, and how players use photomodes to express themselves and share their experiences with friends.

Do you want to make some art in-game and share your best shots? You have until October 16, 2022 to submit your best pictures captured using a Ubisoft game photomode, for the chance to win some cool prizes and see your work exhibited in New York. Visit ubisoft.com/photomode for details.

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The Tenth Art | EP 1 | When Science Meets Video Games Sep 08, 2022

Video game developers use cutting-edge tech, in-depth research, and complex math to ensure that their games look and perform their best. But what can they learn from scientists to develop new gameplay opportunities? And how can scientists leverage the power of games to further their own research or communicate their findings?

In this first episode of "The Tenth Art", we invite David Louapre, Scientific Director at Ubisoft, andDr. Janice Bailey, Scientific Director at the Fonds de Recherche du Québec-Nature et Technologies, to explore the relationship between science and games. We discuss games that make use of scientific research or thinking, including games that leverage player input to generate data, and what further opportunities our guests see to bring science and games together for the good of humanity and our planet.

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The Tenth Art | Trailer Sep 07, 2022

It is often said that there are nine arts. What if video games are the tenth? In "Beyond Game" new season "The Tenth Art", Ubisoft developers talk with scientists, artists and academics from beyond Ubisoft to explore the place of video games in culture and society. And spoiler: games are everywhere! From the clothes you wear to science labs, and even in museums!

But with great power comes great responsibility. With more and more players and increasingly familiar brands, video games play an important role in a changing world. Whether we’re talking about the environment, representation, or cutting edge tech like artificial intelligence, it’s so much more than pixels on a screen.

Listen to « The Tenth Art » wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the series, leave us a rating and remember to subscribe or follow "Beyond Games" to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

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Scores | EP 14 | Sea Shanties Are Still Awesome Dec 22, 2021

To celebrate a year of ShantyTok, the Ubisoft Game Makers podcast asks: What is a sea shanty and why are they so popular during the pandemic? On this episode, we speak with American musician Craig Edwards about the historical context from which sea shanties first emerged, Narrative Director Darby McDevitt about the origins of the pirate radio in Assassins Creed IV Black Flag, as well as singer Seán Dagher and producer David Gossage about their work recording shanties for the game’s soundtrack.

Transcripts of our podcast episodes are available on Ubisoft News.

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Scores | EP 13 | Composing the Music of Far Cry 6 Oct 27, 2021

In this podcast episode, composer Pedro Bromfman, well known for his work on the Netflix series Narcos, talks about his work composing the soundtrack for Far Cry 6.

Listen to the Far Cry 6 Complete Soundtrack, available now: https://ubisoftmusic.lnk.to/FC6_CompleteMusic

Transcripts of our podcast episodes are available on Ubisoft News.

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Scores | EP 12 | The Music of Myths Apr 28, 2021

Composer Gareth Coker and Music Supervisor Jérôme Angelot take us behind the scenes of the creation of the music for Immortals Fenyx Rising. Find a transcript for this episode on Ubisoft News. Listen to the Immortals Fenyx Rising Original Game Soundtrack.

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Scores | EP 11 | The Music of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla w/Einar Selvik Jan 05, 2021

In this "Beyond Games" mini-series, the extraordinary composers who created the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla soundtrack – Jesper Kyd, Sarah Schachner, and Einar Selvik –break down five of their favorite tracks from the game. They reveal their secrets and inspirations, and the collaborative spirit that allowed them to write and record nearly six hours of music for the game using both ancient and modern instruments.

Norwegian musician Einar Selvik, known for his band Wardruna and his work on the History Channel series Vikings, is one of three composers who worked on the soundtrack of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, released by Ubisoft in November 2020. Einar focused on the in-game, skaldic music players can hear in the world of Valhalla. In this episode of Game Makers, Einar breaks down the beat, melody, instrumentation, and singing in his track “Hausbrjótr - Skullcrusher”. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: The Wave of Giants, an album offering a selection of Einar Selvik’s tracks for the game, is available wherever you get your music.

An original Ubisoft series.

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Scores | EP 10 | PT 2 | The Music of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla with Jesper Kyd May 09, 2020

In this "Beyond Games" mini-series, the extraordinary composers who created the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla soundtrack – Jesper Kyd, Sarah Schachner, and Einar Selvik –break down five of their favorite tracks from the game. They reveal their secrets and inspirations, and the collaborative spirit that allowed them to write and record nearly six hours of music for the game using both ancient and modern instruments.

BAFTA award-winning composer Jesper Kyd returns to the Assassin’s Creed series as one of the three composers on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Here, Jesper tells us how he revisited series’ most iconic track, Ezio’s Family, written over a decade ago for Assassin’s Creed 2, to create a new, Viking version. For Jesper, this track is all about ascending and transcending into the world of the gods, thanks to richly layered voices, instrumentation, and electronics. Listen to the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Original Game Soundtrack wherever you get your music.

An original Ubisoft series.

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Scores | EP 9 | PT 1 | The Music of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla w/Jesper Kyd May 08, 2020

In this "Beyond Games" mini-series, the extraordinary composers who created the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla soundtrack – Jesper Kyd, Sarah Schachner, and Einar Selvik –break down five of their favorite tracks from the game. They reveal their secrets and inspirations, and the collaborative spirit that allowed them to write and record nearly six hours of music for the game using both ancient and modern instruments.

BAFTA award-winning composer Jesper Kyd returns to the Assassin’s Creed series as one of the three composers on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. In this episode, Jesper tells us about the evolution of his process since the last AC game he worked on by discussing his track “Kingdom of Wessex.” Jesper used different techniques, instruments, and technologies to achieve the depth of sound necessary for atmospheric exploration music that fits the game’s world and themes. Listen to the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Original Game Soundtrack wherever you get your music.

An original Ubisoft series.

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Scores | EP 8 | The Music of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla with Sarah Schachner May 06, 2020

In this "Beyond Games" mini-series, the extraordinary composers who created the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla soundtrack – Jesper Kyd, Sarah Schachner, and Einar Selvik –break down five of their favorite tracks from the game. They reveal their secrets and inspirations, and the collaborative spirit that allowed them to write and record nearly six hours of music for the game using both ancient and modern instruments.

American composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Schachner returns to the Assassin’s Creed series as one of the three composers on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. In this episode, Schachner discusses her process creating the track "The Sceptered Isle", melding lyrics from an old Norse rune stone with choir-like vocals. Listen to the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Original Game Soundtrack wherever you get your music.

An original Ubisoft series.

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Scores | EP 7 | The Music of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla with Sarah Schachner & John Kenny May 05, 2020

In this "Beyond Games" mini-series, the extraordinary composers who created the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla soundtrack – Jesper Kyd, Sarah Schachner, and Einar Selvik –break down five of their favorite tracks from the game. They reveal their secrets and inspirations, and the collaborative spirit that allowed them to write and record nearly six hours of music for the game using both ancient and modern instruments.

American composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Schachner returns to the Assassin’s Creed series as one of the three composers on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. In this episode, Schachner discusses her process creating the track “Asgard – Hall of the Aesir” in collaboration with British musician John Kenny. Kenny plays an ancient celtic instrument called the carnyx, which is used in this track to evoke the player’s journey to Asgard, the mythical land of the gods in Norse mythology. Listen to the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Original Game Soundtrack wherever you get your music.

An original Ubisoft series.

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Scores | EP 6 | Stella Mwangi on Her Song Ma Itu for Just Dance 2020 May 04, 2020

What is the truth? Kenyan-Norwegian singer, songwriter, and rapper Stella Mwangi wrote the song "Ma Itu" for Just Dance 2020. Inspired by a pun in her native language, Kikuyu, and an Afro-Futuristic beat provided by her producer Tom Rogstad, Stella wrote a dancing song with a strong, inspiring meaning that explores the concept of truth. “Shukuru means we will accept the truth, we will all praise the truth,” Stella explains. “The truth will be a delight, it won’t be a fight. Like a newborn baby, it will be natural.” You can check out the official music video for “Ma Itu” on the Just Dance YouTube channel. “Ma Itu” was written by Stella Mwangi and Tom Rogstad. “Nor Your Ordinary” was written by Stella Mwangi, Joachim Alte, and Tom Rogstad. Courtesy of Recurrent Records/Position Music

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Scores | EP 5 | Sounds Like Ancient Greece - The Audio of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Mar 26, 2020

Audio Director Lydia Andrew and the rest of the audio team at Ubisoft Québec talk about how they created the character, naval, environment, and combat sounds for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, as well as the game’s original music.

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Scores | EP 4 | The Environment Sounds of Anno 1800 Feb 24, 2020

From distant church bells and bustling factories to winding rivers and busy zoos, how do the sounds of a city-builder game adapt as you zoom the camera in and out or skip from one part of the map to the other? Members of the audio team at Ubisoft Düsseldorf talk about how they developed a brand-new environment sound system for Anno 1800 to address these challenges. Featuring Audio Director Stefan Randelshofer and Lead Audio Designer Tino Schleinitz.

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Scores | EP 3 | The Music of Assassin's Creed Symphony Feb 16, 2020

Have you ever dreamed of hearing your favorite video game music played by an orchestra? Music Director and Conductor Ivan Linn talks about how he rewrote and adapted over a decade of Assassin’s Creed music for an multimedia concert featuring an 80-piece orchestra and choir and footage from Assassin’s Creed games. The Assassin’s Creed Symphony Tour is a co-production of Ubisoft and MGP Live.

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Scores | EP 2 | Creating the Sounds of Video Games Feb 09, 2020

Have you ever thought about the person who makes the sounds you hear when you play a video game? Footsteps, swords clanging, armor creaking... Alexis Farand is a foley artist at Ubisoft Montreal who has created sound effects for games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Rainbow Six Siege, and For Honor. In this interview, Alexis shares his passion for foley and talks about some of his favorite tricks from the sound studio.

For more information about the studio, visit the Ubisoft Montreal website.

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Scores | EP 1 | The Music of Ghost Recon Breakpoint Feb 03, 2020

"Rock musicians Alain Johannes and Norm block talk about recording the music for Ghost Recon Breakpoint, taking inspiration from the game’s South Pacific island setting and tense atmosphere. This episode was recorded on the Ubisoft booth at the Los Angeles Convention Center during E3, in June 2019. Click here to listen to the Ghost Recon Breakpoint Original Soundtrack. Visit the Ghost Recon website to learn more about the game.

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Game Makers | EP 8 | Real Worlds / Virtual Worlds Feb 02, 2020

As VR and virtual worlds become more accessible and commonplace, and with the “metaverse” being the buzzword of the day, we explore what it means to create and explore virtual worlds.

We spoke with Patrick Ingoldsby, art director at Ubisoft Toronto, on his team’s work representing the diversity of the near-future version of London in Watch Dogs: Legion; Renaud Person, world director at Ubisoft Annecy, about creating a game inspired by seven American National Parks for Riders Republic; and Mélanie de Riberolles, new business development director at Ubisoft, about the VR experiences Ubisoft developed based on Notre-Dame de Paris following the fire that damaged the monument in 2019.

Music featured in this episode includes Fantaisie en Sol Mineur BWV 542 by Johann Sebastian Bach, played by Olivier Latry. With the kind permission of La Dolce Volta (℗ La Prima Volta & © La Dolce Volta 2019).

Transcripts of our podcast episodes are available on Ubisoft News.

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Game Makers | EP 7 | Ubisoft’s 35th Anniversary with CEO Yves Guillemot Feb 02, 2020

Ubisoft CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot looks back on 35 years of games and talks about what’s next for Ubisoft and our teams around the world.

Ubisoft is celebrating its 35th anniversary with free content for players until December 19, including rewards, sales, and giveaways. Visit Ubisoft.com to open your gifts!

Transcripts of our podcast episodes are available on Ubisoft News.

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Game Makers | EP 6 | Defining Insanity with Michael Mando Feb 02, 2020

A decade after he first stepped into the shoes of Vaas in Far Cry 3, Michael Mando joins us on this episode of the Ubisoft Game Makers podcast to talk about the creation of the character and what it’s like to play him once more in the Far Cr 6 DLC episode Vaas: Insanity, out on November 16.

Transcripts of our podcast episodes are available on Ubisoft News.

Game music featured in this episode is ‘Good Boy’ from the Far Cry 6: Complete Music (Original Game Soundtrack) | Music by Pedro Bromfman.

Download or Stream: https://ubisoftmusic.lnk.to/FC6_CompleteMusic

Label: Ubisoft Music

℗ Production: 2021 Ubisoft Music

An original Ubisoft series.

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Game Makers | EP 5 | We Need Diverse Games Feb 02, 2020

Tanya DePass is the founder of I Need Diverse Games and worked as a diversity consultant on Far Cry 6 and other titles. She comes on the Ubisoft Game Makers podcast to talk about her work and to give advice to players and developers on how we can all work together to improve diversity, inclusion, and representation in the video game industry.

Find a transcript of this episode on Ubisoft News.

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Game Makers | EP 4 | Keeping the Entrepreneurial Spirit Alive at Ubisoft Feb 01, 2020

In this podcast episode, Ubisoft veteran Anne Blondel Jouin talks about her 25-year career in video games, from her first days out of business school in the PlayStation era to her role today leading a team that seeks out partnerships with industry whiz kids and indie developers.

Visit jobs.ubisoft.com to find opportunities near you and start your own journey at Ubisoft.

Find a transcript of this episode on Ubisoft News.

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Game Makers | EP 3 | Graceful Failure: Learning & Video Games Jan 30, 2020

Are video games good for us? Can we learn by playing games? How worried should we be about screen time?

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jan Plass, Paulette Goddard Chair in Digital Media and Learning Sciences and Professor at New York University, joins us to talk about learning and video games, a subject he has extensively researched.

To learn more about the positive impacts of gaming and how to choose the right Ubisoft game for your needs, check out the Social Impact page on our website.

Visit Ubisoft News to download a transcript of this episode

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Game Makers | EP 2 | Ashly Burch on Creating a Holiday That Doesn't Exist Jan 29, 2020

Ashly Burch is a writer and actress on the Apple TV+ series Mythic Quest, which is produced by Ubisoft. Episodes one through four of Season 2 of Mythic Quest are available to stream now, with new episodes releasing every Friday until the finale on June 25. Burch is also a renowned voice actress, featured in games like Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last of Us Part II, The Outer Worlds, and many more.

An original Ubisoft series.

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Game Makers | EP 1 | Accessibility & Video Games With Cherry Thompson Jan 28, 2020

Video games are for everyone, but many players face steep barriers to playing certain games. From a lack of subtitles to overly complicated controls, there are countless examples of ways in which video games inadvertently set up barriers for players, but also countless ways to refine and improve those features and ensure a positive playing experience for everyone. Cherry Thompson, Accessibility Project Manager at Ubisoft Montréal, tells us about their career path in video game accessibility, what video game developers can do to make their games more accessible, and what they consider to be some industry benchmarks at the moment. Follow Cherry Thompson on Twitter. Check out IGDA Game Accessibility Special Interest Group, Game Accessibility Conference on Twitter and Learning to Design Games for Blind Players.

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Welcome to Game Makers: A Ubisoft Podcast Jan 27, 2020

Follow us behind the scenes to hear how Ubisoft teams around the world make the games you love to play. This podcast will kick-off with a series about the sounds and music of games like Assassin’s Creed, Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Anno 1800, and more. Subscribe or follow Beyond Games wherever you get your podcasts to stay up to date with the latest episodes!

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