Rational design is all about eliminating unnecessary information, making things inherently readable, understandable and apparent, introducing mechanics in an orderly and easily digestible fashion, and preserving the learning and difficulty curves of a game, known as macro flow. While on the development team of Rayman Origins, I was able to work directly alongside Olivier Palmieri in his task of implementing rational design methods in the development process of Rayman Origins and picked up a strong understanding of the methodology from him along the way. Through this article I hope to provide a solid base on the idea of rational game design, as well as some personal insight and examples of my own so that perhaps more people can start to embrace the practice and produce - hopefully - more entertaining and thoroughly satisfying gameplay experiences.Ĭonceived by Lionel Raynaud (Ubisoft worldwide content director) and Eric Couzian (Ubisoft game design conception director), and led by Olivier Palmieri (level design director on Rayman Origins), Ubisoft developed an internal Design Academy for training their designers in the field of rational game design. Paired with my extensive research into the subject, I feel that I have achieved a relatively decent grasp of the core concepts and have applied them in my own levels relatively well.
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Over the course of my internship and specialization, I have tried to absorb as much information on this design process as I possibly could.
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In my time with Ubisoft Montpellier, I have had the honor of working with a handful of talented designers who are experts in the process of rational design. "Easy to learn and difficult to master" - Nolan Bushnell Ultimate and the ongoing success of the Rabbids franchise should tell the studio all it needs to know."Less is more" - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Regardless, Ubisoft would be misguided to not capitalize on the sleeping giant it has under its control, as just listening to fans who were hopeful that Raymanwould appear in Super Smash Bros. Perhaps even former studio heads Paul Reiche and Fred Ford could take on Rayman on with their new independent studio. However, Ubisoft should have no trouble finding other studios who would happily take the franchise off its hands.
#RAYMAN GAMES SERIES#
If Ubisoft hands the keys to a studio that could do the series justice, one excellent option would be Toys for Bob - which has already proven its worth with the aforementioned Crash Bandicoot and Spyro franchises. Even Ancel has said he wants Rayman 4 to be completed. Sane Trilogy and Spyro Reignited Trilogy even led to new games such as Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, demonstrating there's never been a better time for Rayman to return. The huge successes of remakes like the Crash Bandicoot: N. Sadly, much of this will likely be lost to time, culminating in nothing more than a teaser trailer for what Ubisoft might have intended to be Rayman 4.Īs much as players could respect Ubisoft's commitment to carrying on the torch for its more profitable series, there has been a turning point within the gaming industry in recent years. Concept art shows ideas such as the ability to explore underwater utilizing a Rayman-inspired submarine, or the conception of a "Dark Rayman" who may have been the game's antagonist. There is a remarkable amount of concept art, level design details, and even gameplay footage available online from the Rayman 4 prototype, which can give fans an insight into what they could have expected. After just four short months the game was abruptly canceled with no official reason given, and Ubisoft resumed development itself under the direction of Ancel, leading to the eventual creation of Rayman Raving Rabbids.
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This might have been the case when Rayman 4 was in development with Phoenix Studio, being the first game developed for the franchise outside of Ubisoft Montepellier. If this remains Ubisoft's official stance, maybe it's time for the studio to hand the reins over to a different studio who would be happy for the opportunity to work with a recognizable name.