I am Yves Guillemot, CEO and co-founder of Ubisoft, currently enjoying E3 2017. AMA!

Whats the deal with the rainbow six siege servers man?

Bonjour… I am very much aware of the issue and it’s a personal priority for me. Whenever the servers go down, I know within about a minute. I am working with many different teams to solve those problems as I know that this is as important to your enjoyment of the game as the gameplay itself. We are already rolling out fixes like Operation Health that is all about improving the core infrastructure and we hope that this is a step in the right direction.

Bonjour… I am very much aware of the issue and it’s a personal priority for me. Whenever the servers go down, I know within about a minute. I am working with many different teams to solve those problems as I know that this is as important to your enjoyment of the game as the gameplay itself. We are already rolling out fixes like Operation Health that is all about improving the core infrastructure and we hope that this is a step in the right direction.

[deleted]

Ok, I'm switching off a bit!

Sorry about that!

Do you feel like Ubisoft has improved their reputation lately?

Hi there, that's a good question. I think yes and no, we have encountered some problems recently and we have some work to do on improving our services. It's a tough learning experience but I think we are progressing well. At the same time I'm very proud of the games we've released over the last few years and the success of live games like Rainbow Six Siege, The Division, For Honor, The Crew and Steep I also am incredibly proud of what we showed yesterday at our E3 conference.

Any word on a splinter cell game in the works. What can we expect ?

Hi! Splinter Cell is a brand we talk about a lot. It's also personally one of my favorite series. We don't have anything specific to share at the moment but teams are working on different things, so stay tuned for more.

What's the most difficult thing you've had to do as CEO?

Hi there, it would probably be decisions about which projects to persue and which ones to cancel. Telling a team who've been focused on a project for several years that they won't be able to continue it is very tough. However what I have seen is when we do cancel projects it is almost always for the best, it gives us an opportunity to learn to refine our ideas and come up with better games.

When one of your teams has been working on a game for years, what would make you change your mind and come to the decision that the project has to be stopped? I'm only asking out of curiosity!

Changes in the industry either competition or technology are definitely a factor. Similarly the breakthrough that we thought we had may no longer be relevant and sometimes we do realize that we are unable to execute what we had hoped to achieve.

Do you enjoy games other than the ones made by Ubisoft?

I travel a lot for work, but thanks to the Switch I’ve been able to play Zelda. It’s a great game and we can learn a lot about how we make games by looking at what Nintendo has done.

For Ubisoft games, Rayman will always have a place in my heart because of its importance in Ubisoft’s history and because I played it a lot with my kids. I’m still playing From Dust, and I’m excited about all the different motor vehicles you can play with in The Crew 2.

Are you the Grand Master of the Templar Order?

I believe in free will...

Comment comptez-vous lutter contre Bolloré dans le futur ?

How do you intend to deal with Bolloré/Vivendi (a French industrial group which planned to takeover Ubisoft) ?

Source : https://www.gamespot.com/articles/vivendi-will-reportedly-pursue-a-ubisoft-takeover-/1100-6449572/

Freedom and independence are key to what we do – they are what allow us to take risks, try new things, and create games like the ones we showed during E3 this year. We will fight to continue to be able to keep doing that in the future.

Is there a decision as a CEO that you regret or wish you could've done better?

Thanks for the question. I would say we were very strongly investing in MMOs in the late 90's/early 2000s and we stopped that side of the business because it wasn't performing well enough and we should have continued on with that.

What is it like working with Shigeru Miyamoto?

Hello! What is fantastic about working with Nintendo and with Miyamoto in particular is that you are working with the best. It's easy to work with the smartest people in the industry and they have a great understanding of what works and we are very often on the same page about how to solve a problem.

Proudest moment in your career?

Thanks for the question! I would say the launch of the first Splinter Cell and the first Assassin's Creed were both amazing. They were the culmination of a lot of work and were both great successes. These were both fantastic moments for me as they represent turning points for Ubisoft and a great pay off for big risks that we took. And of course yesterday with Miyamoto was pretty special as well :)

How do you deal with the negative comments from so many players about your games?

Hi there, first things first I read them! I very often dispatch and share them with our teams with my comments and I think they help us prioritise what we need to fix and get a good insight into the biggest concerns of our communities.

What is your personal opinion on Rainbow Six Siege?

I love it! It's the first time that we have seen that level of engagement and passion around a game we've created.

How do you buff a god?

You'll have to ask the team here >> https://www.reddit.com/r/Rainbow6/ ;)

What are some of the key things you look for when being presented with a new game idea?

Thanks for your question. I look for a few important things. I want to know what I’m going to learn about myself and the world by playing this game, is the game rich enough that am I going to want to play for a long time and that it’s engaging enough that I’ll want to progress. I also want to know if I can play with my friends and in a way that each person can bring something unique to the experience. Lastly I look for an innovation brought by the game that has the potential to disrupt the industry.

Quick follow-up question to you saying you look for unique multiplayer experience, does that mean you aren't necessarily interested in pursuing any style of single player and or campaign heavy titles? Also thanks for taking time to do an AMA

One of the things I am proud of is that we have something in our line-up for many types of players and this is something we will continue to develop. We will still make games that are only solo or only multiplayer as long as they provide super rich and engaging experiences.

How does one become a CEO? What was your early life like?

To become a CEO I would say pick a fast growing industry you are interested in, surround yourself with the best and work hard!

Hi Yves,

what old game would you want to be remastered with today's graphics ?

I would say Far Cry 3 on the Xbox One X would be amazing :)

I've heard it said multiple ways. I'd like to know from the source. What is the correct pronunciation of the word Ubisoft?

Hi... we actually made a video about this last year, you can see it here >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU61WkEVFWY

What are the requirements if I wanted to be a game designer for ubisoft?

If you don’t have any experience in the industry a great way to start is as a game tester. After that, more and more we are seeing the emergence of game design as something that can be formally studied. Since the video game industry moves so fast, keeping an eye out for what new skills are required can also be a good strategy. Lastly, for Ubisoft, we look for people who are enthusiastic about games and dedicated to their work. In other words, we look for passion, imagination and expertise.

What is your most beloved franchise within Ubisoft? (Not just now, all over the past 30 years)

It's tough to choose by I would say Assassin's Creed because it gives me an opportunity to explore history. But I love all our games so it's very tough to pick.

Don't your fists hurt of knocking the shit out of all your competitors at E3 this year? Also what's the name of your dog we saw in a video a couple years ago?

Thanks very much, it's great to see such a positive response to our conference. My dog's name is Buddy!

Obviously a long shot, but would it be possible to meet you at E3?

So excited to see all of Ubisoft's projects at E3!

If you see me on the booth please come say hello!

Google has this thing called Google 20% which is set up to allow to spend 20% of employees time to work on their own projects and ideas instead of what they're hired to do. This encourages innovation. Does Ubisoft have anything in place for encouraging innovation?

P.S Not just for employees, do you allow other people to pitch you ideas and how have you made it easy for them to do it. Do you try and do anything to make their ideas or projects a reality? what's the best way to approach you with an idea?

Thanks for the question! At Ubisoft what we try to do, when we can, is take ideas that people have and then try to make that 100% of their job. For instance Star Link which we announced yesterday came out of a Game Jam we had in Toronto and we were able to make that into a full project, For Honor was also a passion project that we were able to turn into a reality. And it has happened for many games we've published over the years!

What's your favorite kind of cheese 🧀?

I would say Époisses de Bourgogne! You can see it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89poisses_de_Bourgogne

After Berlin, do you have actual plans to open further studios globally in the nearest future?

We have to go where we can find the best talent! We're always looking for very talented engineers, so I would be happy to open a studio anywhere we can find great people :)

Hi Yves!! I love watching you speak at E3, your enthusiasm for your company and games in general really comes out!

What would you say is the most important quality in a game? Story telling? Mechanics? World-building?

Also, AC: Origins looks incredible!!

For us the world, systems and the gameplay mechanics are key to building a great game!

Hello! You guys rocked E3 this year, the only one who did better IMO is nintendo, really good work :) now, I have to ask: Do you play other games in your free time? If so, what is your favorite non-ubisoft game that you are playing at this time?

I gave an answer to a similar question here: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/6h1azu/i_am_yves_guillemot_ceo_and_cofounder_of_ubisoft/diurj9c/

Is there any moment during the day when you don't think about Ubisoft? What else do you think about?

My family and friends of course… and when I need to clear my mind I love to get on my Harley motorcycle and do road trips in Europe and the US.

What is your most played game? (ubisoft game and non-ubisoft game)

I travel a lot for work, but thanks to the Switch I’ve been able to play Zelda. It’s a great game and we can learn a lot about how we make games by looking at what Nintendo has done.

For Ubisoft games, Rayman will always have a place in my heart because of its importance in Ubisoft’s history and because I played it a lot with my kids. I’m still playing From Dust, and I’m excited about all the different motor vehicles you can play with in The Crew 2.

Thank you for hosting this AMA!

Did you ever think that when you first came into video games over 30 years ago, video games would become this big? (esports etc)

I thought it would be big, but not this big. What is amazing with this industry is that technology is always giving us fantastic new opportunities to disrupt different genres and segments of games and to create new ones. I believe interactive entertainment is the future of entertainment, and we still have huge opportunities in front of us.

How are you doing today?

I'm doing well, a little tired after yesterday's conference but very happy with the response what we've received!

Which chocolate do you prefer?

1. Swiss
2. Belgian
3. Whatever's melting on my tongue
4. White, because I don't know what I'm talking about ;)

1. Swiss Dark Chocolate! I always have a stock on my desk for long meetings.

I saw the gameplay for Assassin's creed origins and it looked amazing. Can't wait to play it! But can you please tell me as why the pirate aspect of assassin's creed was removed and made into a seperate game (skull & bones) ?

Hi there, for Skull and Bones it really needed a full team dedicated to that specific type of gameplay to create the best pirate game possible.

Anything interesting on the horizon that most people don't know about yet?

As video game creators we have the fantastic power to anticipate and build games that allow us to experience what the world could look like in ten years-time. Playing these games is a way to test and learn and this I believe will have a positive impact on the world.

What do you see as the next big leap in gaming technology?

I think streaming will be the next big thing, but it will take time before it is ready. Streaming will totally change the way we create and play games, and will again positively disrupt how we think about gaming.

What is your favorite collectors edition?

I really liked the For Honor collectors edition with the 3 helmets.

What game are you most excited about?

I'm very excited about all the games we announced at our conference yesterday!

Thanks for the AMA! What would you say is Ubisoft's greatest masterpiece?

Hey there, I answered a similar question earlier, see here: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/6h1azu/i_am_yves_guillemot_ceo_and_cofounder_of_ubisoft/diurj9c/

Can you tell those of us who couldn't be at E3 today what's comin' down the pipe from Ubisoft? Please and thank you!

We have plenty coming, if you haven't seen it yet I hope you can watch our E3 conference from yesterday >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q1s3lOzQ1A

What's the first game you've ever played?

The first game I played was a Space Invaders arcade machine, which I loved!