Serge Hascoët: A passionate career in the world of video games

Serge Hascoët has been in charge of design and creativity at Ubisoft for nearly thirty-five years, and has participated in the various evolutions of the world’s third largest video game publisher.

The creation of “open world” games, the renewal of the player’s experience and the observation of the world are all changes that Serge Hascoët has driven within the company.

A look back on Serge Hascoët’s creative career

In 1987, Serge Hascoët plunged into the world of video games when he joined Ubisoft as a game designer, after having finished his studies in science.

Serge Hascoët’s evolution within Ubisoft was gradual: he became “lead game designer” before taking charge of international operations (particularly the European and Asian markets) as “studio manager”.

Eight years after joining Ubisoft, Serge Hascoët’s career took a major turn thanks to his contribution, alongside Michel Ancel, to the game Rayman, which was a dazzling success and contributed to Ubisoft’s grand reputation.

Serge Hascoët then participated in the development of several major video games such as Watch Dog or The Division and brought his creative vision to Far Cry or Assassin’s Creed, which are defined as “open world” games.

Serge Hascoët makes it a point of honour to adapt game possibilities to technological upheavals and new consumer habits, such as the infinite renewal of consoles, computers and smartphones. Playing habits are also constantly evolving: from 2D to 3D, from fixed screen to scrolling, from single player to online play.

The main element in making a game successful, however, is to allow each player to multiply their experiences and stories.

Serge Hascoët, a creative director committed to the player’s experience

Ubisoft’s creative director is passionate about Japanese games, such as Zelda, and wants to move Ubisoft towards games that place the player at the heart of the experience, offering the possibility of total immersion.

In this perspective, Serge Hascoët wishes to give the player the ability to create his own adventures, by giving him the highest amount of autonomy and decision-making power.

Serge Hascoët makes a comparison with the cinematographic environment to explain the fundamental difference between the two universes: if in the cinema the end of the story is known, in the video game the player is master of his journey and his point of view, in a certain form of improvisation.

To enable this immersion and offer the player the best possible experience, Serge Hascoët insists on knowing a subject, a terrain, as to portray it as realistically as possible.

In this perspective, his passion for street photography has taught him to observe the world, to look at its mechanisms and people.

Beyond the player’s experience, Serge Hascoët is also interested in the utility that the player can get from a game.

Serge Hascoët claims that video games are a learning tool

Serge Hascoët considers that video games can be seen as a real social learning tool, particularly thanks to neuroscience and cognitive science, which must be at the heart of the design.

By playing, in a participative game for example, the player improves his relationship with others: he learns to understand and to interact with other people in order to reach a common and collective solution.

In addition to the beneficial effects for life in society, Serge Hascoët also considers that games can be a tool to overcome certain educational difficulties such as dyslexia.