Yann Masson - Gameplay Programmer

Raymanzone: Could you introduce yourself briefly?
Yann Masson: My name's Yann Masson, I'm 43, and I'm the one who programmed Rayman and some of the enemies - in particular, the "Corporal", and a few bosses. I was also involved in other aspects of the game, like the score, for example.

How does one come to be a gameplay programmer on a game like Rayman 3?
I began playing games right from the beginning, cutting my teeth on Pong, Mattel Intellivision, Commodore 64 and Amiga. On Commodore 64, I did a bit of programming. One of my games was published by Micro Application, and another won a competition run by Loriciel. Then, when the Amiga came out, I was happy just to play, and there were plenty of games to keep me busy! Then my center of interest shifted away from video games a bit.

I studied computing (algorithms and artificial intelligence), and ended up working for three years at the Atomic Energy Commission on virtual reality interfaces. But, while there, I realized this wasn't a field I wanted to devote my life to. Which is why I went back to the video games industry, which I found much more entertaining. That's how I joined Ubi Soft five years ago, to work on Rayman 3 from the start of the project.

In a few words, what does your job involve?
In theory, I program the game designer's ideas. But in practice, I've done a lot more because the game design is a continuous dialog between each member of the team. So much so that, if you take any given idea in the game, we can't really remember who it came from! So I've done game design for Rayman and the enemies, and land design for the "Lande aux Esprits Frappés" level.

What made you want to work in the video game sector?
A lot of things. First of all, it's much more amusing and moral than guiding ground-to-air missiles by remote control. Furthermore, you get a real return on your work. When the game is released, it's really gratifying to see lots of people having fun with it. It's also very motivating, because there's strong competition between the different development teams in the world. It's a bit like a game within a game.

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to become a gameplay programmer?
Obviously, you need a solid grounding in video game culture, and you shouldn't just content yourself with playing the games you like. You have to ask the right questions about a game. Why is it fun? Why is it a hit? What can I do to improve it? I'd also suggest acquiring a good knowledge of computing and graphic art, because if you want something doing, it's best to do it yourself! When you've got an idea and you can bring it to life straight away, you save a lot of time.

Thank you Yann !