Revitalizing AAA Game Development: Insights from Former Assassin's Creed Director Alexandre Amancio

Alexandre Amancio, a veteran game developer and former creative director of Assassin's Creed, shared his thoughts on the future of AAA game development. In a presentation at DevGAMM Lisbon, Amancio highlighted the industry's current crisis, citing issues such as mass layoffs, creative stagnation, and a disconnect between developers and their games. He argued that the traditional approach to game development, which often involves large teams and a focus on metrics over creativity, is no longer sustainable. Instead, Amancio advocates for smaller, more agile teams that can collaborate effectively and focus on innovative, player-centric game design. He also emphasized the importance of constraints in the creative process, noting that limitations can actually drive innovation and excellence. Amancio's comments were informed by his experience working on the Assassin's Creed series, where he witnessed firsthand the challenges of managing large teams and the dangers of feature creep. He suggested that the industry could learn from the film industry's approach to project-based collaboration and outsourcing, and that a more modular, flexible approach to game development could help studios create more innovative and engaging experiences.