Alex Hutchinson, the former creative director of "Assassin's Creed III," recently spoke with FRVR, reflecting on how the franchise evolved from a historical stealth-action game into a globally recognized "evergreen brand." He directly attributed its success to Ubisoft's willingness to take risks, unlike some companies "controlled by toothpaste executives."
Hutchinson admitted that "Assassin's Creed" owes its current standing to Ubisoft's early open-mindedness. He stated that the company dared to take risks and gave creators freedom, noting that evolving from a small stealth game into a massive open-world RPG like "Assassin's Creed Origins" is almost impossible at other major companies. He described how Ubisoft's willingness to embrace risk allowed the series to continuously evolve and redefine itself across different eras.
He remarked that the franchise became an evergreen brand because each installment features new locations, new themes, and new gameplay. Hutchinson added that it might be the only series that completely changed its genre midway through, and they did it very well.
At the same time, Hutchinson didn't hold back in criticizing other major game companies for their lack of creativity, specifically calling out EA. He asserted that those executives have never made games; they came from toothpaste companies and believe if a prototype isn't perfect, it can't be released, completely misunderstanding creativity. He further stated that this corporate culture leads to EA rarely creating new IPs, unless it's an "accidental miracle" like "Apex Legends."
Hutchinson recalled that "Assassin's Creed"'s original modern-day storyline, specifically the Desmond Miles chapters, has since been marginalized. He chuckled, stating that he would have just deleted that part because the people who took over later didn't understand what the original soul was.
He concluded that Ubisoft dares to change, and that's why "Assassin's Creed" has endured. Hutchinson believes that other companies just want to replicate success, but Ubisoft understands how to create the future.
via： GamesRadar