Making Kong: interview with designer Michel Ancel
by Christopher Grant 
on Jan 3rd 2006 3:45PM
Peter Jackson's
decision to work with the
lauded creator of the unsung (and
hidden gem #2)
Beyond
Good and Evil has earned both men much praise. Ancel proved himself to be a strong, artistic collaborator, and
Eurogamer's interview reveals an eloquent and articulate designer.
- On developing Kong:
"It would be presumptuous to say that our game is an example of a good adaptation. We took some decisions and some
risks and sometimes it could have been dangerous. I think that this is the key to achieve successful
adaptations."
- On a (much
requested) sequel to Beyond Good and Evil: "I'd love to, and it's always in my mind. One day
maybe!"
- On next-gen gaming: "To me, the right direction is interface and gameplay innovations.
It will bring new players to the world of games, far more than incredible audio and visuals alone."
- The highlight of the interview is Ancel's ruminations on the artistic merit of game design: "My feeling is
that a game creator is building a situation in which the player is experiencing emotions. The creation of this
'emotional situation' is very complex. You know, there is a language in game design and a lot of people who don't know
this language don't really understand what makes a good or a bad game."
Ancel can talk the talk
and walk the walk; hopefully the success of the
Kong adaptation will allow him the luxury of pursuing his own
interests.
