Benjamin Haddad - Game and Level Designer

Raymanzone: Could you introduce yourself briefly?
Benjamin Haddad: My name's Benjamin Haddad and I worked as game and level designer on Rayman 3.

How does one come to be a game designer on a game like Rayman 3?
There's no particular training as such. Game designers often come from very different backgrounds. Speaking for myself, I studied communication and went to film school. Then I was employed by a small computer service company before joining Ubi Soft in late 1998. I worked on a few other projects, but Rayman 3 was the first game I saw through from start to finish.

In a few words, what does your job involve?
The job of a game designer on a project like Rayman 3 first involves dreaming up the different game ingredients - a character's abilities, the enemies, goals, and so on. Then you have to create the levels. Obviously, all this work is done in collaboration with people with a variety of skills: graphic designers, programmers, animators, sound specialists, etc.

What made you want to work in the video game sector?
Passion! I've been passionately enthusiastic about games since I was a little kid. I've spent thousands of hours playing on virtually all the machines that have existed over the last 20 years (ouch!).

What advice would you give to someone wanting to work in game design?
First and foremost, I'd advise them to have a minimum of technical qualifications. With every day that goes by, creating a video game becomes more complex and it's not enough just to have ideas. A sound knowledge of the different techniques used is required, and technical skill - whether in programming or graphic design, for example - is a not insignificant advantage. I'd also advise them to begin their career by producing maps or landscapes using the editors supplied with games like Quake, Unreal, Morrowind, and so on - either on their own, or with friends.

After Rayman 3, what are your future plans?
I'm already working on a new game, but I'm afraid I can't divulge anything more. ;))

Thank you Benjamin!