Caught in the Vivendi turmoil, Yves Guillemot -CEO of Ubisoft- wants to remain the head of one of the world's brightest video game studios. We met him in Los Angeles during the E3 salon, where he defends tooth and nail the independence of the French publisher. He says that creativity depends on it.
This year you came with two different, French and ambitious games: Ghost Recon Wildlands (made by Ubisoft Paris) and Steep (made by Ubisoft Annecy). Was it important to have a very good lineup to show, this year, considering the atmosphere surrounding the company?
Yves Guillemot: It's always important because we're in a field which demands a lot of innovation, all the time. We love it because it pushes everyone forward - creators or any other employee in the company. It allows us to try new things and makes us want to surprise people.
Is this a message you're sending to potential investors, too?
Y.G. We noticed it was really important to show things people could play quickly. Too often, experiences live, then get forgotten, or copied, so we had to come with something that people could play immediately. It's better for the market and for Ubisoft.
Takeovers of video game publishers rarely happen smoothly. Judging from history, one could think it's not always a good idea.
Y.G. We're in a field where creativity and risk-taking allow us to create new and interesting experiences. When you change the team, you often risk losing that freedom and ability to try new things before you start creating.
Is there anything you wouldn't have done these past few years, had you followed a purely industrial logic?
Y.G. Yes, of course. Since the industry changes frequently, when you're forced to show a mid-term plan, to talk to a board (of directors) and explain your changes in strategy three times a year, they can't follow you. When you're in this field and you decide, alone, to go to the right, then to the left, or up, you manage to go where the market goes.
For someone who's just discovering the industry, how would describe Ubisoft?
Y.G. What makes Ubi is the possibility for all the teams to come with ideas and fight to make them come true, with a level of quality above what others can do. It's that simple. But in order to do that, you have to know that, if you fail, you're not gonna get fired. That you'll learn from this failure, that you'll try again, iterate, do better, so that you finally succeed one day.
See you next year at E3?
Y.G. Absolutely!
Makes me wanna apply for a position there!