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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