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Forums - Gaming Discussion - So the Watch Dogs lead game designer left Ubisoft for EA...what does this say about the game?

Otakumegane on 05 March 2013

http://www.videogamer.com/ps4/watch_dogs/news/watch_dogs_lead_leaves_ubisoft_joins_ea.html

Watch Dogs lead leaves Ubisoft, joins EA

NewsPublish Date 05/03/2013 - 11:58am GMT

Jamie Keen exits Ubisoft Montreal, joins Need For Speed team EA Gothenburg.

Watch Dogs' lead game designer Jamie Keen has left Ubisoft and joined EA, his online CV has revealed.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Keen, who also acted as lead game designer on last year's Far Cry 3, left Ubisoft Montreal in February to join EA Gothenburg as a gameplay producer.

Keen presumably joins Gothenburg (aka Ghost Games) to work on the studio's unannounced Need For Speed title, which is expected to use EA's Frostbite 2 engine and be in development for next-generation consoles.

Criterion is also reported to be working with Gothenburg on the project.

There's some confusion over the exact dates as to when Keen departed Ubisoft. His CV states that he left during February 2012. However, he was still working on Far Cry 3 until late 2012, suggesting that he may have actually left during February 2013.

It isn't yet known how Keen's departure will affect development on Watch Dogs, which is due to release on current and next-generation consoles and PC later this year.

A Ubisoft representative told VideoGamer.com that it was "not able to comment" on Keen's departure.

 



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Otakumegane on 05 March 2013

Has this already been posted?



http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/profile/92109/nintendopie/ Nintendopie  Was obviously right and I was obviously wrong. I will forever be a lesser being than them. (6/16/13)

ishiki on 05 March 2013

That's dissapointing hopefully, that studio makes something other than need for speed.



Mr Khan on 06 March 2013

Whatever he makes, it had better sell 5 million copies, or he'll be looking for another job come New Year's



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Otakumegane on 06 March 2013

So I guess then the game won't be as good as people want it to be? Considering it seems that he left mid-development after all.



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zarx on 06 March 2013

EA pays more?



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Bruxel on 06 March 2013

yes it was money.



 

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Otakumegane on 06 March 2013

I think people are focusing on EA to much.

What does this mean for Watch Dogs? Why did he quit while he was in the middle of developing it?



http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/profile/92109/nintendopie/ Nintendopie  Was obviously right and I was obviously wrong. I will forever be a lesser being than them. (6/16/13)

Porcupine_I on 06 March 2013

He left because he thought micro-transactions were a good idea and Ubi said no?



“It appeared that there had even been demonstrations to thank Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to twenty grams a week. And only yesterday, he reflected, it had been announced that the ration was to be reduced to twenty grams a week. Was it possible that they could swallow that, after only twenty-four hours? Yes, they swallowed it.”

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Screamapillar on 06 March 2013
Otakumegane said:
I think people are focusing on EA to much.

What does this mean for Watch Dogs? Why did he quit while he was in the middle of developing it?


Happens all the time... the nature of chaotic and stressful game development.  Major features/ areas of focus get cut, certain people who worked on said features leave the company as they are offered a better gig at a competitor.

Tons of people left Irrational in the home stretch of Bioshock Infinite's development.



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