michelancel
Latest
Ubisoft plans to show 'Beyond Good & Evil 2' gameplay next year
'BG&E' creator Michel Ancel has quit the company to work at a wildlife sanctuary.
Play the lost 'Rayman' prototype if you have a SNES emulator
While the dream of playing a lost version of Rayman for Super NES on Nintendo's Switch console hasn't come true (yet), we have a bit of an update about the game itself. Archivist and game developer Omar Cornut recently borrowed the ROM original developer Michel Ancel (above) teased last fall, dumped it to his computer and then uploaded the files to Dropbox for everyone to play. Everyone who has a Super NES emulator that'll read a .SFC extension, of course.
Get a look at the lost Super NES 'Rayman' game
When he isn't busy cryptically teasing Beyond Good & Evil 2, game developer Michel Ancel laments (above) past projects lost to the sands of time. Like the Super NES version of Rayman that was scrapped in favor of iterations for the Atari Jaguar and original PlayStation. As noticed by Motherboard, Ancel managed to find an old prototype cartridge and fired it up.
'Beyond Good and Evil' sequel enters pre-production
Beyond Good and Evil 2 finally exists as more than just some well-meaning plans. Creator Michel Ancel has posted an Instagram teaser confirming that the sequel to the classic game has entered pre-production. In other words, his team is finally working on it. The images Ancel has offered in the run-up to the news don't reveal much (you can expect more of the first game's humanoid animals), but it appears that BG&E2 will take on a more realistic look than its cartoon-like predecessor, and will still be set in System 4. One thing's for sure: given that Ancel has long had ambitious plans for a follow-up, it'll be a while before you can sit down and play.
Yes, 'Beyond Good and Evil 2' is still happening
Beyond Good and Evil 2 isn't dead yet, according to its mastermind Michel Ancel. If you aren't familiar, the sequel is something of an enigma in the gaming world. Merely mentioning its name elicits complex emotions and dreams of publisher Ubisoft showing the game at its next year's E3 media briefing. The first game was a critical hit but didn't sell well. Consumers in the Aughts weren't down with a game about a plucky photojournalist and her anthropomorphic porcine companion; who'd have thought?
Befriend a bear or get killed by it in PS4-exclusive 'Wild'
When Michel Ancel, creator of Rayman, first demoed Wild, the PlayStation 4-exclusive game set in a lush Neolithic world of ancient tribes and animals, it was generally met with raves. After nearly a year, however, gamers actually want to know how it plays. At Sony's Paris Games Week event, Ancel replied in the best way possible: By showing you could ride a freaking bear. In Wild, you can also take control of animals and play as them, summon spirits and walk (or swim) around the vast open world. But before any bear-riding happens, you'll need to get savvy about your environment. As Ancel explained in his charming French accent, "For hours and hours at the beginning of the game, you will be killed by the bears."
You can ride a bear in 'Rayman' creator's PS4 game, 'Wild'
We haven't heard much about Wild, the new game from Rayman creator Michel Ancel, since its announcement in August 2014. It was a highlight of Sony's Gamescom press conference that year, offering a fantastical, open-world landscape filled with ferocious beasts and strong warriors, and then it seemingly disappeared -- until today. Ancel took the stage at Sony's Paris Games Week press conference and showed off Wild's mechanics, transforming from a human into an eagle and a rabbit as his needs dictated. He also rode a bear for a while, which was "the greatest thing," as our liveblog put it. At the end of the demo, a giant snake lady appeared in front of the main character, sealing the fantastical tone of the game. Check out the PGW walkthrough below.
The Joystiq Weekend: March 17 - 18, 2007
Just another snapshot of pinsomniac's frackin' sweet DIY Rayman Raving Rabbids cake pan. Check out the highlights for this weekend:JoystiqueryJapanese hardware sales, Mar. 5 - Mar. 11: GDC ruined everything editionToday's spoilerest game video: God of War 2 endingNewsSteam injected with Eidos gamesBest Buy done with PS3 20GB modelLowenstein's 'final' interview: Game reviews influence industryConsoul shows more bizarre European PS3 marketingWithin a Deep Forest creator Nifflas interviewedMii channel began as a DS projectLord of the Rings Online team confident entering MMO marketJack Thompson responds biblically to Take-TwoLord of the Rings Online music systemRumors & SpeculationRumorang: NiGHTS returning on the Wii -- Part 2Rumor: Beautiful Katamari to hit Xbox 360, PS3, Wii this yearCulture & CommunityHow much longer can Xbox Live charge consumers?Beware the April Fools in mid-MarchGame name stereotypesHowling Rayman Raving Rabbids cake
Ubisoft PR guy on why Beyond Good & Evil tanked
There's nothing more sickening than seeing an original game march onto shelves amidst deserved critical fanfare, only for it to remain stationary and become intimately acquainted with dust, discount stickers and vacant stares from those looking for something a bit more familiar. Since familiarity often encapsulates large men tossing balls through the air, exploding cars leaping over cliffs or, thanks to next-gen power, large men tossing exploding balls whilst driving over cliffs, Beyond Good & Evil was the creepy stranger you never talked to. Gamers? Meet Michel Ancel's masterpiece.Oh, and meet Owen Hughes, an active member of Ubisoft Australia's PR machine. In an article for Jump Button (a "blogazine"), he shares some of his personal thoughts regarding the game's qualities and some of the reasons it failed to grab the public's attention. "When you go out there with something entirely different and unique-a product that's proving difficult for even the publisher to summarise in a sound bite-you may as well beg retail to take it."Hughes' unique viewpoint on the matter certainly makes for an interesting read, with many of his observations applying to an industry full of games reaching for a chance but failing because they don't have a strong pair of established shoulders to stand on. He likens the struggle to a retailer asking customers a set of questions in order to establish what sort of games they like. Did you like Devil May Cry? Oh, then you'll love God of War. Do you enjoy shooting aliens in what appears to be their faces? Great, you should definitely buy Prey. Oh, and how about "award-winning adventures featuring a female photojournalist and her talking-pig uncle as they travel around a planet in a hovercraft trying to root out a conspiracy within the highest levels of government?" Umm, would that fall under adventure or simulation?The article goes on to say that Beyond Good & Evil's need for comparison was somewhat satiated by IGN's frothing summary, "Zelda for grown-ups." This is interesting for several reasons, the first being that Zelda already is a Zelda for grown-ups. Another is that the similarities between the two games (world exploration and combat, specifically) are not why many are so fond of Ancel's adventure. The fantastic characters, engaging storyline and enchanting atmosphere were far more captivating than the elements taken from Nintendo's gargantuan franchise. You have quite a confused industry when new material is demanded with the condition that it has be similar to something else in order to succeed.
Raving Rabbids, rabid World Cup fans [update 1]
"Allez les bleus!" cried the French fans after their team defeated Portugal -- and before that Brazil -- in the 2006 World Cup. The battle cry translates to "go blue," referencing France's blue uniform.France's win over Brazil sent fans into elation, and French developer Ubisoft was more than happy to show its support. Inspired by the wacky Rayman Raving Rabbids videos, we present to you "Allez Les B(le)unnies."France will face off against another blue-clad team, Italy, in the World Cup finals this Saturday Sunday.See Also:Raving Rabbids all about "love and power!"
Ancel to bring Rayman 4 to PS3, 360, Revolution
Ubisoft has confirmed what their leaked release schedule already told us last month: Rayman 4 is coming to current and next generation console Holidays 2006! Their press release doesn't specify which consoles that includes, but the leaked schedule lists PS3, Xbox 360, Revolution, PS2, and Handheld platforms. The project is under the care of (Sir?) Michel Ancel, the lead designer at Ubisoft's Montpellier studio. Ancel not only created the original Rayman series, but worked on the critically praised Beyond Good and Evil and the impressive King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie. Ubisoft bossman Yves Guillemot said, "Rayman is one of the brands that encapsulate Ubisoft’s ability to create characters and universes that appeal to all kinds of players ... We are expecting this new Rayman video game to sweep players off their feet."[Via Revolution Fanboy]
Miyamoto knighted in France
Today, Shigeru Miyamoto, along with Michel Ancel (Rayman, Beyond Good and Evil, King Kong) and Frederick Raynal (Alone in the Dark), became the first game creators to be knighted under France's Order of Arts and Letters. Technically, the accolade does not include the addition of "Sir" to one's name. But screw that. Three cheers for Sir Shiggy!Jeux-France has complete coverage.[Thanks, Tim; via GameBrink]
Joystiq Review: Peter Jackson's King Kong (Xbox 360)
After disappointment with EA’s video game adaptations of his The Lord of the Rings films, director Peter Jackson sought famed game designer Michel Ancel (and his team at Ubisoft’s Montpellier studios) to help him create a game for his latest movie, an adaptation of King Kong. With (the verbosely titled) Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie, the two of them have created the rarest of things: an exceptional movie-based game. The finished product is unusually polished; the graphics, voicework, story, and gameplay have all been scripted into an elegant, if notably short, product.
Making Kong: interview with designer Michel Ancel
Peter Jackson's decision to work with the lauded creator of the unsung (and hidden gem #2) Beyond Good and Evil has earned both men much praise. Ancel proved himself to be a strong, artistic collaborator, and Eurogamer's interview reveals an eloquent and articulate designer. On developing Kong: "It would be presumptuous to say that our game is an example of a good adaptation. We took some decisions and some risks and sometimes it could have been dangerous. I think that this is the key to achieve successful adaptations." On a (much requested) sequel to Beyond Good and Evil: "I'd love to, and it's always in my mind. One day maybe!" On next-gen gaming: "To me, the right direction is interface and gameplay innovations. It will bring new players to the world of games, far more than incredible audio and visuals alone." The highlight of the interview is Ancel's ruminations on the artistic merit of game design: "My feeling is that a game creator is building a situation in which the player is experiencing emotions. The creation of this 'emotional situation' is very complex. You know, there is a language in game design and a lot of people who don't know this language don't really understand what makes a good or a bad game." Ancel can talk the talk and walk the walk; hopefully the success of the Kong adaptation will allow him the luxury of pursuing his own interests.
