12 devs in 12 months: Josiane Morel

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 developers.

This month, we’re introducing you to Josiane Morel, a Technic Lead here at Ubisoft Québec.

Enjoy!

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WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST MEMORY AT UBI?? 

Oh, so many to choose from! There’s my very first Christmas party, and the thrill of every new game launch, and the day I discovered Quebec Studio 2.0 a few years back, and so many team lunches and activities!  

I must say, though, that memories of junior devs evolving into amazing colleagues are the best of all! 

WHAT BROUGHT YOU INTO THE VIDEOGAME INDUSTRY? 

Pure chance! I love the way my job challenges me, and the playful vibe of a video game studio, but I really wasn’t destined to work in a place like this. You see, I’m not a gamer at all!  

WHAT IS THE PROJECT YOU LOVED WORKING ON MOST? 

Two projects come to mind, for two very different reasons. My Word Coach, back at the Montreal studio, was my very first project. I grew very fond of that core team and made a lot of friends there. However, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey was a turning point for me. That project was so big, so long, so ambitious, so challenging! It just went beyond everything I’d done before. My immediate team also grew immensely during that period, in both size and skill. Those were truly memorable times! 

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

I was studying at Université de Sherbrooke and I was working way too hard… 

WHAT GETS YOU OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING? 

Grabbing an early coffee with my colleagues! At 7 am, the studio is very quiet… except for us!  

Seriously, though, working on code that will improve the quality of our game engine is one of the things that motivate me most. I also love helping my colleagues to work more efficiently and… solving mysteries! (There’s a lot of detective work involved in tracking down game bugs, you know!)  

UBISOFT QUÉBEC WOULDN’T BE UBISOFT QUÉBEC WITHOUT… 

Everyone who works here, of course! 

NAME A COLLEAGUE THAT INSPIRES YOU. WHY? 

My Valentins! (Yes, yes, there are 2 of them on my team!) The first one is always calm, no matter what happens, and has solid technical skills. The second one has enormous talent, and he’s so hungry to learn and improve! They’re both a joy to work with! 

WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING THING ABOUT YOUR JOB? 

Telling someone about that awesome trick they’ll use everyday because it’s so cool, Oh, and fixing at 7 or 8 in the morning a problem that could have paralyzed the entire project for the whole day!   

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

Oh boy… What a question… I’m speechless! 

 WHAT WAS YOUR SONG IN 2005? 

“Affirmation” by Savage Garden! 

WHAT WAS YOUR GAME 2005? 

I didn’t have any! I don’t play video games! 

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

We’ll totally be leaders in the industry, of course!