RUMOR- Michel Ancel (Rayman creator) leaving Ubisoft

[granville]

For those who don't know, Michel Ancel is a French game designer for Ubisoft. He is famed for creating Rayman and Beyond Good and Evil. There's a rumor going around that he is officially calling it quits and leaving Ubisoft, possibly to create his own studio. According to the rumor, he is interested in developing more classic style games. I would assume this may be a slight against Ubisoft for milking the Rabbids franchise and not getting back to Rayman as a platformer. Also in the rumor mill is that Beyond Good and Evil 2, the sequel to the popular action adventure game from 2003, is now either on hiatus or canned entirely. BGE2 has had a very shaky and uncertain future ever since that very first teaser a few years ago. It has gone through the mill with Ubisoft people flipflopping their words, saying it's canceled or still in development.

At any rate, a very sad day if this rumor is true. I kind of hope it isn't due to the fact that we'll probably never see a new real Rayman game. I think Ubisoft holds the rights to it. And all evidence points to a continued milked Rabbids franchise. Also sad for BGE. But maybe he'll make some newer greater games with his rumored studio. Maybe all this isn't happened at all though. I still have some hope for a TRUE Rayman 4 someday, it's one of my favorite game series.

http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=125045

 

[soulfire]

i don't like the bunny's at all there screams are annoying.

i hope we get old skool rayman back

 

[Overlord Nadrian]

i don't like the bunny's at all there screams are annoying.

i hope we get old skool rayman back

This. I fuck hate the rabbids, but I love oldskool Rayman. So, if this is true, then

. Ancel will get the rights to Rayman back one way or another.

 

[granville]

I think Ubisoft owns all the rights to Rayman though. If Ancel leaves, i doubt we'll see another Rayman game developed by him to be honest. He actually had almost nothing to do with Rayman 3 besides being an adviser. So i'm fairly sure that without him, Ubisoft could still make Rayman or Rabbids games. And i seriously doubt his departure will stop Ubi from milking the Rabbids. They're already making a fourth Rabbids mini game collection now. If Ancel leaves, i doubt they'll stop it.

If this rumor is true, and i hope it isn't, the future of Rayman is dim. Even if Ubisoft tried to make a Rayman 4 platformer, the odds of them capturing the feel of the originals are very slim. I hate what the Rabbids did to the franchise, but ironically, i don't think his departure will make any difference. Whether he's there or gone, Ubi is going to keep making them.

 

[Hadrian]

He not really done anything great since King Kong back in 2005 & he was the one who came up with the Rabbids though his original idea was to make a free roaming Rayman game and not what it become so maybe its not his fault. Still I enjoyed Rabbids Go Home a lot more than the two he was involved with.

Basically he did Rayman, Rayman 2, Beyond Good & Evil & King Kong. I do get the impression that he would be better off with a company that would let him do what he wanted rather than what they wanted so it would work out so while not much loss for a company like Ubisoft it would be best for Michel to go to a publisher who would let him be free.

They're already making a fourth Rabbids mini game collection now.

That is a shame as Rabbids Go Home was so much better.

 

[Cyan]

just wanted to say Michel Ancel is originated from my hometown

I met his father once, but never himself (or maybe I did before he was known, but don't remember him).
Ok, nothing related to the news, sorry

I hope he will create new games the way he wants.

 

[Bladexdsl]

rayman died a long time ago