jimjagger.bsky.social
VP of Animation at Rockstar Games
Previously: Sony, Ubisoft, BioWare, Neversoft, Infogrames/Ocean
Views are my own
48 posts
823 followers
355 following
Regular Contributor
Active Commenter
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Thanks Mike. I really enjoyed reading that. Very relatable.
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Yup! Found on the console. Thanks
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Unfortunately, it's not showing on the UK Nintendo page yet. F5, F5, F5...
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It’s crazy to think that we’ve not seen Sam Fisher since Blacklist in 2013. Let’s hope the rumours of a new game are true!
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Most games had custom engines in the early 2000s. There was very little sharing of tech. Chaos Theory used Unreal, Prince of Persia used Jade, and Far Cry used the CryEngine. The only commonality, at least from an anim perspective, was the authoring package. Everyone used 3dsmax and CharacterStudio.
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Looking back, Ubisoft was a powerhouse in the early 2000s - Prince of Persia, Far Cry, Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six, Assassin’s Creed... These were young franchises with bright, exciting futures. From the fluidity of the Prince to the precision of Sam Fisher, they all offered unique style and gameplay
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I was one of those folks. Stealth kills, wall jumps, and ledge grapples were the highlights. This was the first time I worked with an Animation Director. I may have been proficient with software, but Gilles Monteil became a huge influence on performance.
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If I recall correctly, we had about 15 animators on the Game team. Cinematics were created by a separate narrative team, and Multiplayer was developed in Annecy. Of the 15 game animators, about 4-5 worked on the player mechanics.
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Thanks for sharing. It's great to reconnect with folks from 'the other site'
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This list is great! I'm not indie, but I am Brisbane based.
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Just stumbled on this. Thanks for sharing
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Very pleased to hear that Jay!
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Unfortunately, the data was useless. We hand keyed everything in the end. Still, it was good publicity
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I had no idea what a cultural impact this game was going to have. We just genuinely had a blast making something we loved to play. It's humbling to hear how it is still revered.
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Ha! I wish I still had my old business card. I'll be sure to share it, if I ever dig one out.
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100% It was hard work, but we were small enough to form strong relationships with just about everyone. We shared a common goal, and it was never too far away!
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Yes and no. Because time was against us, we HAD to make it work. We started with a solid idea, made it quick, and then polished as much as time allowed. There was never an option to start again. We were a small team, so we played within our strengths and weaknesses.
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Chaos Theory was fun to work on. It's interesting to note that the most successful games that I have been involved with all allowed for rapid iteration (export/reload). We all play-tested the hell out of the games too!
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I genuinely can't wait to play the remastered version of THPS 3 + 4 and relive some of those incredible memories.
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Although the industry has matured, I owe so much to the folks who took a chance on me. Neversoft may have died, but the legacy lives on.
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The Neversoft logos always came together at the last minute, typically made in less than a week. I remember working 36-hours straight to wrangle the fur shader of the gorilla in 2002. It's humbling to know how much they were appreciated.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ0D...
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We played the game ALL THE TIME and ideas were welcome from everyone. It was clear that we all bought into the vision and I like to think it was reflected in the final result.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=h667...
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Some of the most memorable days were when the pro skaters visited the studio. Tony would regularly drop by to talk ideas, but I'll never forget the day we worked through Rodney Mullen's special moves in the parking lot.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zeys...
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In some ways, it was a golden era of development. We were young, ambitious and desperate to make a mark. The team grew from 25-40 during the development of THPS 3 and 4, making friends that would last a lifetime.
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I was the only in-house animator at the time, creating character rigs and animating moves under the guidance of my remote lead. We'd scan VHS tapes and capture personal videos for reference.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKvb...
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Although many of my teammates were accomplished skaters, I was hapless. I had so much to learn. I threw myself into the culture, frame-scrubbing moves, dissecting mechanics, and partying like a pro!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFAe...
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A PlayStation demo disk got me hooked but THPS2 sealed the deal. Before I knew it, I was heading to Los Angeles to work on the series.
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I miss making them! True fact. Most were made entirely within 2-3 days.
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Looking forward to giving this a listen
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Good luck with your next adventure!
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THPS2 was the reason I applied! Loved that game. I worked on THPS3, THPS4 and Underground
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I did indeed. I ran a long way from rival socials. I probably ran too far. I usually do