12 devs in 12 months: Raymond Samson

To celebrate our 15th anniversary, we wanted to introduce studio employees in an original way. People that are not usually under the spotlight, but that deserve to be known for their impact on the games we create. From that idea, we created the 12 Devs in 12 Months initiative. Until the end of 2020, you will get to meet 12 talented and friendly members of our team.

This month, we’re introducing you to Raymond Samson, Programming Team Lead, here at Ubisoft Québec.

Enjoy!

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WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST MEMORY AT UBI?

I must admit that seeing the cover art of the first game I worked on in 2006 (Critical Hour for Xbox) on store shelves was so special. We were all proud to have managed to deliver this game and we were all so anxious to see the public reaction.

The party for the 10 years of the studio’s existence at Chute-Montmorency Park was also memorable. Everything was there; music, magic show, projection on the cape, fireworks and a chocolate eclair bar.

WHAT BROUGHT YOU INTO THE VIDEOGAME INDUSTRY?

My passion for videogames, as well as my curiosity. I wanted to know how videogames were developed. I was recommended by a friend who worked at Ubisoft Montreal. He explained to me how fun and motivating it was to work in a video game studio. He managed to convince me! I’m still here 15 years later, still motivated.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PROJECT YOU’VE WORKED ON?

I will cheat and I will name 2. On the game production side, I would say the project Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas. I had the chance to work on different aspects of the game (menus, tools, audio). It was very enriching, and I learned a lot.

Since I have been working for the Technology Group, the project in which we set up a Cloud infrastructure while helping game productions to use it has also been very rewarding.

15 YEARS, IT FLIES BY! WHAT WERE YOU DOING IN 2005?

I was in an apartment with my girlfriend and our dog Winston, we were riding motorcycles and I was working in a consulting firm.

WHAT GETS YOU OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING?

To have fun with the team and learn new things. For example, we are working on a new product that has great potential to help several teams at Ubisoft. So it’s very motivating to know that your work will lead to better quality games.

UBISOFT QUÉBEC WOULD NOT BE UBISOFT QUÉBEC WITHOUT…

➝ The people who work here! Everyone here is just so passionate.

➝ The studio, which offers a super motivating environment to work.

➝ Ubisoft Québec’s involvement in the community.

NAME A COLLEAGUE THAT INSPIRES YOU. WHY?

I am surrounded by inspiring people. However, I would like to underline the work of the IT / Logistics team of the studio which, on 2 occasions, worked miracles. The first occasion was on December 31, 2018 (yes, in the middle of the holiday season). A water pipe broke and it caused water damaged in our studio. Several workstations were affected. Quickly, the workspaces were relocated in the studio and the computers were replaced. They even rented and put into operation another office space in the neighbourhood. The impact on production was minimal.

The second obvious situation is Covid-19 in March 2020. Making working from home possible for more than 500 people is quite something. Credits to Yanick Vézina and his entire team.

WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING THING ABOUT YOUR JOB?

When you’re in the dev team, I’d say it is to see how many players around the world are having fun with the game you’ve worked on. When you’re on the tools team, like I’ve been in recent years, the most rewarding thing is to receive feedback from the teams who use your products and who tell you how much it helps and makes their job easier every day. Finally, when you’re a team leader, it’s seeing your team members grow and seeing them motivated to do their work.

WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT THE VIBE AT UBISOFT QUÉBEC. DESCRIBE THIS VIBE IN 3 WORDS.

Family, Ambition, Pride.

WHAT WAS YOUR SONG IN 2005?

Green Day – Boulevard of Broken Dreams.

WHAT WAS YOUR GAME 2005?

God of War on PS2. I’ve also played Battlefield 2 a lot.

UBISOFT QUÉBEC IN 15 YEARS, WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE?

A studio that continues to be a benchmark in the world and that creates new innovative brands every time. Nothing less. 🙂