Clint Hocking, a veteran developer known for his work on games such as Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Far Cry 2, has drawn a striking parallel between the experience of leading large-scale game development teams at Ubisoft and the chaotic gameplay of the classic arcade title Donkey Kong. Hocking described the process as akin to navigating a continuous stream of "flaming barrels falling down from a construction site."
Hocking, who recently parted ways with Ubisoft after working on projects like Watch Dogs: Legion and Assassin's Creed Hexe, elaborated on how the shift to massive, multi-studio development efforts impacted his role. He contrasted his early career days, where he could easily collaborate directly with individual team members on a project like Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, with the current realities of managing hundreds of developers.
"On [Splinter Cell] Chaos Theory, I would just walk over to the desk of the person who was making a thing, and sit down with them and talk to them about what they're doing," Hocking recalled during a recent podcast appearance. "We could have a conversation," he added, illustrating how he could offer specific, granular feedback, such as adjusting the placement of a light source to guide player movement.
However, on larger projects involving up to 1,000 people, Hocking explained that direct interaction becomes nearly impossible. "You go into a meeting to review some piece of content — some quest, say, or some location — and there's 30 people in the meeting," he stated. Often, the very developer who created the content is not present. Instead, feedback is documented and assigned as tasks, with significant delays before iterations can be seen. "It very often feels like... you know those flaming barrels that Donkey Kong throws down at you? Very often game development feels like this stream of burning barrels falling down from a construction site."
Hocking's tenure at Ubisoft has seen him hold creative director roles on multiple high-profile titles. After his initial work on the original Splinter Cell and serving as creative director for Chaos Theory, he moved to LucasArts, Valve, and Amazon before returning to Ubisoft. His return saw him as creative director for Watch Dogs: Legion, which launched in 2020 to mixed reviews. Following Legion, Hocking transitioned to the Assassin's Creed franchise, leading development on Assassin's Creed Hexe before his departure from the company earlier this year. Watch Dogs: Legion remains the only title Hocking has shipped since Far Cry 2 in 2008.
Jean Guesdon, the franchise's Head of Content and a seasoned veteran of the Assassin's Creed series, has reportedly taken over leadership of Assassin's Creed Hexe. Hocking's comments offer a candid perspective on the complex logistical and creative challenges inherent in developing today's large-scale video games.