Early last month Ubisoft, publisher of popular games like the Assassin’s Creed series, acquired Longtail Studios as part of its international network of developers. The studio, which most recently worked on Rocksmith 2014 Edition (pictured above), was renamed to Longtail Halifax and is now focused on the development of mobile games.
[a]listdaily talks to Jean-Michel Detoc, executive director of Ubisoft Mobile about the significance of purchasing Longtail Halifax, and how the publisher, with popular mobile games like Rayman Jungle Run and Valiant Hearts: The Great War in its profile, is set to grow.
With the acquisition of Longtail, Ubisoft now has a mobile hub. What was it about Longtail that got you interested
Mobile is one of the fastest growing segments in the video game space. Ubisoft has made it a priority to develop its mobile activity rapidly, and is constantly seeking out new talent to come on board this new venture. After many years of collaborating with Longtail Halifax on casual titles, and considering the team’s considerable experience with Ubisoft games, culture and processes, the studio is being integrated in order to further contribute its experience to the group. Ubisoft Halifax is reinforcing its mobile strategy by strategically growing its network of studios who are 100 percent dedicated to mobile game development.
You’ve begun to see some success in the mobile market already with Hungry Shark, that reached 100 million downloads. What were some key factors, in your mind, that made Hungry Shark successful
One key factor that contributed to this success is having teams fully dedicated to mobile development, which allows us to learn from best practices and get a clearer understanding of players’ in-game behavior. Our focus is to create a game experience enjoyable for all players. This has translated into huge success for Hungry Shark Evolution, which has now reached nearly 150 million downloads.
Are there future opportunities for Ubisoft to bring popular IP’s like Assassin’s Creed to mobile
Ubisoft’s portfolio includes several franchises that have huge global appeal. As we grow some of these franchises onto mobile, we’re able to create new memorable gaming experiences for our core fans, as well as introduce the franchises to a new audience who may not have played the original console games. When developing a mobile game based on one of these franchises, it’s essential to offer to players a brand new, high-quality experience, just like we did with Trials Frontier or Assassin’s Creed Pirates. With that in mind, the upcoming Rayman Adventures mobile game explores further territories with new gameplay.
Is the core gaming audience warming up to mobile
By definition core gamers love to play, and mobile is not only a platform that enables them to play anywhere, anytime, but also offer new ways to interact with the brands they enjoy the most. Many core gamers now play on a smartphone, thanks in part to the easy access but also the unique gameplay experience provided by mobile games.
With the increasing number of mobile games available, what is Ubisoft’s approach to creating a game that stands out
Our ultimate goal is to create surprising, fun and innovative experiences for our players on all platforms, including mobile. We benefit from almost 30 years of experience in making games, which means that we’re constantly trying to push the boundaries, and deliver the highest quality experience to all our players.
What challenges does the mobile space present that console does not
Our teams are always searching for new ways for the player to interact, which means developers need to take into careful consideration multiple factors such as screen size, interface, a wide variety of devices and length of game sessions to name a few.
