Endings and Beginnings

Two days more to go, and Helene and I are finally on vacation. For me, it’s also the end of the road at Ubisoft’s Shanghai studio – at least for the near future. I’m checking out tomorrow, turning in my PC, clearing my desk… and off I go. 3 years of employment in the studio come to an end.

Splinter Cell Double Agent is almost done, and now everybody, from the team to the CEO, are pretty confident we have a hit on our hands. We’re actually running out of problems to fix, and the game’s really starting to feel finished… A few glitches left, and it’s a wrap. I have spent a year and a half on this project; as a matter of fact, half my time in Shanghai was spent being a member of the SCDA team. It feels weird to know it’s almost over, at last.

And so, Saturday begins ‘hang time’: the top of a basketballer’s jump, when he just seems to float in the air, between rising and falling. Between an ending and a beginning.

We’re off 3 weeks to Japan, something which excites Helene and I tremendously. Then, back to Shanghai for one week, to say farewell to everybody and pack our stuff.

Landfall in Montreal is on October 20th. Three years, two months and 20 days after we arrived in Shanghai. 1177 days.

About Daniel Roy

Daniel is a writer, backpack foodie, slow traveler, and endurance runner. He is the author of the upcoming book, "The Way of Slow Travel: A Hands-On Guide to the Best Travel of Your Life."

3 comments

  1. Feels like it was just yesterday…

    I remember reading your story on how you felt like you had no home while flying over the Pacific Ocean. I also remember wanting to experience that feeling once in my life, someday.

    But does this mean this blog will come to an end ? Or will you open a ‘Canada Moments’ section for your chinese ex co-workers ?

    Either way, it’s been a good read for two years or so !

    • I’m not decided yet… I’m considering renaming the blog to ‘gaming moments’, and focusing on the ins and outs of game development. Something closer in spirit to what I wrote during E3, when I focused more on our work than on life in Shanghai.

      Think that’d be interesting?

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