This will probably be my most significant post ever. I’ve achieved to join the video games industry!

It was actually officious since more than a month, but I didn’t want to make it official until my canadian working visa was ready. Finally, this morning I’ve signed my contract with the top leading developer Ubisoft. I’ll be working at their most important studio in Montreal, which is actually the biggest video game studio in the world.

It is obvious that I cannot tell any details about the things I’ll be working on, but I’ll try to keep this blog up to date with all official announcements about my professional projects. Mmm… professional projects… I like the way it sounds :-)

This is the trailer we made for the presentation. All images are rendered in-game.

Unlike with my last game Polaracer, this time I’ll try updating my website as this new game evolves from an idea to a fully playable game. At the moment, I have this teaser to show you what to expect in the future:

The game was written in C++ using DirectX 9.0c and HLSL for the graphic engine and FMOD for music and sound effects. No other external APIs or libraries have been used.

As you’ll probably notice if you’ve read my last post, I’ve reused my twisted tracks editor to generate crazy curled circuits. However, due to educational restrictions, I had to port all of my code in order to make it work on DirectX with no use of any Ogre3D class.

Polaracer was developed in three months (while attending classes, writting exams and other homework) by VYNKÖ9. Team members are:

Marçal Argudo Grau
Ahmed Fouad El Ouafdi
Jad Imad
Clement Linel
Colin Towle

You can find the source code in its sourceforge page.

Ogre3D is an open-source multi-platform graphics rendering engine widely used in amateur and educational projects, which is as much powerful as many professional engines. It is important to note that Ogre3D is not a game engine in itself, because it only cares about graphics. Features like physics, collision detection, AI, sound or networking must be integrated separately.

I’ve started working on the track editor, because the circuits will be a fundamental part of my game, so I won’t be able to start coding the game logic without having some sample tracks to play around. Besides, developing the track editor will be a good exercise to learn Ogre3D without getting my hands dirty with features non related to graphics.

Tracks are composed from a sequence of deformable circuit stretches. Putting those deformed stretches together results on a circuit allowing loopings and curls. Each circuit stretch mesh is generated and deformed procedurally. I’ve implemented this feature by using bezier patches. By this way, the editor can create many different circuit stretches without the need to have them previously computed and stored.

Next picture shows an example of a circuit generated with a preliminary version of the editor.

Campus Ubisoft is a Montréal-based school created by the French company Ubisoft together with some Canadian Universities and Colleges. It offer five diplomas focused on different areas involved on video game development: 3D modelling, 3D animation, level design, video game design and finally video game development.

Development diploma, named “Diplôme de 2eme cycle en Développement de Jeux Vidéo” (DDJV), is a second cycle university degree (equivalent to a master’s degree) offered at Campus Ubisoft by the University of Sherbrooke. This diploma includes courses in several game development related areas like computer graphics, image processing, digital audio, physics, artificial intelligence, object-oriented design, software engineering and project management, among others.

I’m glad to announce that I’ve been recently accepted to this diploma. I’ll move to Montréal next summer and I’ll start courses at Campus Ubisoft the first week of September. I honestly cannot wait.

I must mention the scholarship I’ve been awarded from “la Caixa” Foundation and the Canada Foundation.

”la Caixa”, is the Spain’s leading savings bank. Its main business is to provide retail banking services throughout Spain. As a savings bank, ”la Caixa” devotes a significant part of its net profit to social and cultural ends, which are channelled through ”la Caixa” Foundation. The Foundation’s primary aim is to meet those social needs not yet covered by public administrations or other institutions. It carries out works on many fields, such as plastic arts, science, music, social works, libraries, education or the environment. Among these activities, noteworthy is the fellowship program for further study abroad.

After a tough selection process among other 70 highly qualified students who applied as well, I’ve been awarded with one of those 10 scholarships to extend my studies in Canada. I’m aware that this is an incredible opportunity and I intend to seize it.

I cannot finish this post without mentioning all the support my family gave me, specially my girlfriend. I’m really grateful. I honestly couldn’t have achieved it without them.

Canada, I’m coming!

This is the first post in my brand-new blog. It officially inaugurates this website where I’ll talk about my personal projects and video game development in general. As you’ll see, the site is structured in different sections where you can find my CV, my video game portfolio, a brief cover letter and, of course, this blog.

Take a tour if you wish. I’ll be glad to have some feedback, so don’t hesitate to post a comment or write me an e-mail!