QD & ME – ALEXIS ROCA – GAME DESIGNER
Quantic Dream: Please introduce yourself! What’s your name, where are you from, and what is your role at QD?
Hello! My name is Alexis Roca, I started at Quantic Dream in 2019 as a Gameplay Programmer and in 2022 I became Game Designer on Star WarsTM Eclipse.
Quantic Dream: How did you come to work in the video games industry? Was it a lifelong dream, or did you luckily stumble into it?
I had to put this dream aside when I discovered the price of specialised schools. Completely by chance, I learned when I arrived at the engineering school that with one of the courses offered, some of my former students had succeeded in joining major studios. With this new perspective in mind, I contacted several studios and Pastagames gave me my chance! An independent studio was very formative; I started as an intern, then I was hired for a project in development.
Quantic Dream: Let’s talk about your job at Quantic Dream! Could you elaborate more on your role, and the role of your team?
After having programmed gameplay, I now design the game concepts. This has been a natural evolution for me, as I am passionate about the feel of the game.
When I start a design task, I will always start with a research phase, to see if there are any games or movies that are already close to what we want to achieve. Then I’ll scribble out some diagrams, try to cover all the different aspects of the new concept, and create a document to present to the different trades. Being a game designer means being at the centre of several departments, each with their own constraints and methods. So, you must talk to everyone and manage to coordinate the teams.
On top of that, I try to get involved in various cross-team issues to help the studio grow in the right direction. This ranges from discussions on the main, very specialised tools, to programming smaller tools for all the teams.
Quantic Dream: Tell us more about the members of your team. Any fun story to share?
I’m lucky enough to work with some very talented people with very different backgrounds and I’m very excited to go and see what they’re doing! Friday afternoon is a good time to go and see the Concept Artists and dream about the game we are making!
As one of the people who came back to the studio quickly after the confinements, I also had the great opportunity to participate in the shooting of the cinematic reveal trailer of Star WarsTM Eclipse. I played a passer-by in an alleyway in a galaxy far, far away!
Quantic Dream: Can you describe to us a typical day for you? Does a typical day even exist for you?
Coffee with everyone in the kitchen to start the day and a quiet morning of work, before the Quantic Dream team in Montreal wakes up; as we only share half a day of work because of the time difference between France and Quebec, the afternoons are often intense with meetings and exchanges!
Quantic Dream: What are your external inspirations that are reflected in your job?
Totally! I try to touch a lot of different video games, indie as well as AAA, to create a mental library and get inspired if needed!
Quantic Dream: Be careful, BIG question… What are your favourite games?
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a game that really stood out to me because of its art direction and the freedom it offers to solve each situation. Some choices are even hidden, which makes you feel like you’re literally beating the game, outsmarting it – even though everything is obviously planned; you really feel in control of the story!
I also really like singular games like Gris or Immortality, which offer atypical experiences and push the medium a little further.
Quantic Dream: Tell us more about your hobbies outside of work.
I am totally passionate about concerts, I love to see the artists’ music come to life, to spend a unique evening vibrating and singing (wrong) in the middle of the pit! I recently started taking pictures, to immortalize these moments with a unique staging.
Quantic Dream: All right! What does your perfect Friday night look like?
To meet my partner at the station to catch a night train and visit a new European city!
Quantic Dream: Do you have a message for our readers?
For those who would like to join our industry and don’t know where to start, don’t hesitate to contact people in the industry to simply ask to discuss their jobs, we’ll be happy to answer you!
Quantic Dream: Final question! Chocolate cake or Fruit pie?
Lemon meringue pie! 🤤
