They started the engine studies and helped the design team conduct gameplay tests. We then integrated two engineers into the process. One animator created the major moves that essentially brought the prince to life. Two game designers worked on defining the main concept, helping to build prototypes in real time with the technical team.

So, there we were, a team of seven, laying down the basis of what would later become Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. We considered them the heart and soul of the project. They were the essence of the brand and, if used with the right formula, the universal ingredients for a stellar action/adventure game. They are 1) captivating animations and character movements, 2) intense fight sequences, and 3) clever and challenging levels and the gameplay built around them. In Spring 2001, Ubisoft announced it had acquired the Prince of Persia license and gave the Montreal team a mandate to start the conceptual phase of the project.Įarly on we identified the three core areas that made the original game a success. Most of them were inspired by at least some of the elements that made Prince of Persia an important achievement. The game established new standards for what the public should and would expect from videogames to come.īy May 2001, a number of platformers had been released since the launch of the original Prince of Persia. The settings were strong, the storytelling was compelling, and the animations were groundbreaking.

It became an instant classic and laid the foundation for the action/adventure genre. When Prince of Persia was first released in 1989, it got the attention of the game industry.

By 2001, Ubisoft felt the time had come for the return of the prince. The Prince of Persia franchise has seen two sequels since its conception: Prince of Persia: The Shadow and the Flame (1993) and Prince of Persia: 3D (1999). The game, which follows the adventures of a young prince’s efforts to save a princess, is regarded by many analysts as the first true action/adventure game. ***** Prince of Persia, an original creation by Jordan Mechner, was first released in the U.S.

Prince of persia 3d concept artwork