Ubi Soft released this interview with Prince of Persia's producer Yannis
Mallet. It offers some insight into the game's inspirations and origins.
Why did Ubi Soft decide to bring the Prince of Persia license back to
life?
The Prince of Persia games were among the coolest PC games ever. We wanted
the huge numbers of people who are playing on next-gen consoles (including lots
of the original Prince of Persia fans) to be able to experience the game. We’ve
really captured the magic of the Prince of Persia brand and pushed the
capabilities of the next-gen consoles, and we can’t wait to unleash Prince of
Persia: The Sands of Time.
When and how did the whole “Prince of Persia – The Sands of Time” project
start within Ubi Soft?
We began the conception phase at Ubi Soft’s Montreal studio in May 2001, but
things really got rolling when Jordan Mechner watched our first mock-up a couple
of months later. It was an amazing experience – Jordan was absolutely blown
away, and the core team has been moving full steam ahead since then. Once the
conception phase was completed, and we had several conceptual AVIs illustrating
how the Prince could move and interact with his environment, we began the
technical engine study phase. After selecting the right engine, we began
training the core team on the technology – and pre-production began. So there
have been a number of ‘beginnings’ as the project has evolved.
How many people were involved in the initial stages of the project? What
were their specific roles?
From May to September, seven people were involved. They were:
• Two game designers: Defined the main concept, helped build prototypes in real
time with the technical team
• One animator: Built the major moves, gave life to the Prince through his
movements. We started with these because we felt it was most important to define
the Prince by his moves first.
• Two engineers: Started the engine study, supported the design team in
conducting gameplay tests
• One concept artist: Illustrated game design ideas for locations, environments,
initial art direction (as much as possible at this stage). Also helped with
creative ideas!
• One producer: Me! I was also humbly acting as a game designer and creative
consultant – and loving it.
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