Made in Singapore, played worldwide

SINGAPORE — It is the biggest convention in the gaming industry and for many developers heading to Los Angeles for the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, it can be one of the most important dates on their calendar.

This year, Ubisoft Singapore, the Singapore-based game development studio that is part of France’s Ubisoft, will be represented by managing director Olivier de Rotalier.

“E3 (has always been) a very important moment for the studio,” he said. “It’s the biggest industry event of the year, so it’s important to follow the announcements to keep in touch with the trends. It’s also a great moment of pride for the staff when you see the game you are working on unveiled to the world!”

While Mr De Rotalier is the only representative from Ubisoft Singapore this year, last year’s E3 saw five members of the team talking about their work in the blockbuster title, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.

The team’s work on the Assassin’s Creed franchise is something Mr De Rotalier is very proud of.

“Our collaboration on the Assassin’s Creed franchise makes me feel really proud. From developing 10 levels for Assassin’s Creed II to populating the huge open world of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, we have gone a long way,” said Mr De Rotalier, who adds that he is also proud of the studio’s latest launch, Ghost Recon Phantoms, of which Ubisoft Singapore was the lead studio.

Ghost Recon Phantoms, which was launched on April 10, is a free-to-play third-person shooter and now has a registered user count of 5.36 million — just slightly less than the population of Singapore.

The production of the game was “overwhelmingly” done in Singapore and even after its release, work on it has not stopped, said Mr Simon Davis, Ubisoft Singapore design manager. In fact, a new map was released at the time of the interview.

“I’m not going to lie. The weeks since we shipped have been very busy,” said Mr Davis.

“Coming from an online background, I know the real work starts when you ship the game. I think a lot of the guys went, ‘Yes! The job’s done now (that) we’ve shipped the game!’, and I was like, ‘No guys, that’s not how it works’.

While the pressure from a “quite demanding” online community continues, Mr Davis is also working to ensure that the game remains financially viable despite it trying to avoid any means of “pay to win”.

“We’re more focused on giving everyone an enjoyable experience, so they stay with the game and keep playing, than going for short-term gains,” said Mr Davis. “Short-term gains were a sustainable way for building a service at launch for many years, (but) I think those days are gone.”

Although Ubisoft Singapore has no direct involvement in this year’s E3, the studio is still a hive of activity, with some employees working on top-secret projects and others continuing work on Ghost Recon Phantoms.

It is said to be revealing more about Assassin’s Creed Unity, The Crew, Far Cry 4, Tom Clancy’s The Division and Valiant Hearts: The Great War at this year’s E3 — and possibly other unannounced games — and it will be interesting to find out just what else Ubisoft Singapore is working on.

E3 takes place from tomorrow to Thursday. Check back as TODAY hits Los Angeles to learn more about the latest in gaming.