Ubisoft enhances "Assassin's Creed Shadows" with innovative technology

Ubisoft is making significant advancements with its latest game, Assassin's Creed Shadows. Pierre Fortin, the brand and pipeline technology director, discusses how the team has evolved their technology over the years. Fortin has been part of the Assassin's Creed series since Assassin's Creed Unity. He highlights the major shift from tight city environments to expansive open-world landscapes starting with Assassin's Creed Origins. To create these larger worlds, the team had to rethink their technical approach, moving away from systems designed for smaller, dense cities. One impressive achievement in Assassin's Creed Shadows is the ability to create a dynamic environment. Fortin explains that the game now features realistic tree movements driven by wind, along with new weather effects and changes in seasons. These advancements have made the game world feel more alive and responsive. The development team faced many challenges, especially with the complexity of the world. Shadows includes multiple seasons, dynamic weather, and two protagonists, all of which add layers to the game. Fortin mentions that ensuring smooth performance across such a vast game space was a considerable challenge. Another major task was managing the game's data size. Fortin pointed out that they aimed to avoid overwhelming players with excessive data. The team used smart compression techniques to keep the game's size reasonable. Despite the challenges, Fortin and his team are excited about the potential for future developments. They are committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible with new technology and innovative optimization techniques.