Charles Cecil
Encyclopedia
Charles Cecil MBE
has worked in the interactive entertainment
industry for 25 years. He is currently operating as Managing Director for UK
based company Revolution Software
which has released such critical and commercial hits as Beneath a Steel Sky
and the Broken Sword
series. Cecil is on the advisory panel of the Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival, and Develop Conference and regularly talks at events and to mainstream press about creative and commercial aspects of the video games industry. He is also a co-founded and remains a Director of Game Republic
, an alliance of game developers, and is a Board member of Screen Yorkshire, a regional agency that supports film, television and interactive entertainment in Yorkshire
. In 2006, Cecil was awarded the status of ‘industry legend’ by Develop, Europe’s leading development magazine.
in Hampshire, England. In 1980 he studied mechanical engineering
at Manchester University and was sponsored by Ford
. During this time he met student Richard Turner who invited Cecil to write some text adventure games for his new computer game company, Artic Computing, to subsidise himself at university. The first game Cecil worked on was Inca Curse (published in 1981), then Espionage Island (published in 1981), and Ship of Doom (published in 1982). Each were highly successful on the Sinclair ZX81
, ZX Spectrum
and Amstrad
formats. Cecil was then invited to join Artic Computing as a Director.
After completing his degree in 1985, Cecil decided to continue his career in video games and established Paragon Programming, a gaming development company working with major British publisher US Gold. In 1987, Cecil left development and moved into publishing as 'Software Development Manager' for US Gold. One year later Cecil was approached by Activision
and was offered the position of manager of their European development studio.
In 1990 Cecil returned to development by setting up Revolution Software.
, David Sykes
and Noirin Carmody. The company was based in the city of Hull
but today is located in the city of York
. The three wanted to release innovative adventure games so they began drawing up concepts for a new engine which they ended up calling the Virtual Theatre
engine which enabled the gameworld to be more active and dynamic than previously possible.
Revolution Software quickly established itself as Europe's leading adventure game
developer with a string of successful titles, all of which have been critically and commercially successful. Clients included Sony Computer Entertainment
, Disney
, DreamWorks
, Virgin Interactive
, Sierra Entertainment
(Vivendi
), UbiSoft
and THQ
.
Their first two titles, Lure of the Temptress
(published in 1992) and Beneath a Steel Sky
(published in 1994) went straight to number one in the GALLUP charts in the UK
and topped the charts across most of Europe. Revolution's next title, Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars
(published in 1996) and its sequel Broken Sword 2: The Smoking Mirror
(published in 1997) both, in turn, received numerous awards such as best adventure game of the year as well as the best adventure game to date.
Sales of Broken Sword 1 and 2 have made over $100 million USD and have sold over one million units each. Cecil's next game In Cold Blood published by Sony Computer Entertainment was a different genre and focused on telling stories through action based gameplay and was met with mixed reviews. The Road to El Dorado
based on the DreamWorks film was released in late 2000. In 2002 Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars
was also published on the Game Boy Advance
and in 2005 the game was also published for the Palm Pilot and Pocket PC
.
The third game in the Broken Sword series, Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon
, was released in November 2003 for PC
, PlayStation 2
, and Xbox
. The game was nominated for 3 BAFTA awards and Best Writing at the Game Developer Conference in 2004.
Broken Sword : The Angel of Death
released on PC in September 2006. Charles was a consultant for The Collective's
2006 title The Da Vinci Code
.
Cecil announced Broken Sword 5
in an interview with Pocket Gamer
in December 2010.
Cecil was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours
for services to the computer games industry.
Cecil is also very serious when doing this research to develop games that have strong ties to historic locales and myths, "I take the historical research and research of our locations very seriously and will generally visit the locations to undertake recces. Of course this is almost always a pleasure – the games aim to feature locations that are exciting and interesting.". In fact, he chose the name Broken Sword because it is a symbol of peace. He also said that it might have been a fate of history that he chose this name, "I live in the city of York in England and a few years ago a statue of Constantine the Great was erected next to the cathedral to commemorate his coronation in the city in 306AD. The statue depicts Constantine sitting atop a broken sword; it seemed a fun coincidence, or perhaps it is down to fate."
Cecil has always had a particular interest in the narrative techniques of interactive entertainment and how the medium will develop with advancing technology so in 2003 to come to terms with modern story telling methods, he enrolled himself in an open University
course in York about creating films using modern cinematic techniques, but shortly afterwards pulled out due to time constraints, most likely due to the release of Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
has worked in the interactive entertainment
Interactive entertainment
The phrase interactive entertainment also known as video games refers to the business of producing and distributing products and services, or the products and services, of which the entertainment value can be influenced by users through direct feedback.-Origins:Although Hal Halpin claims credit...
industry for 25 years. He is currently operating as Managing Director for UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based company Revolution Software
Revolution Software
Revolution Software Ltd. is a British adventure game company, based in York in northern England.The company was founded in 1990 by Charles Cecil, Tony Warriner, David Sykes and Noirin Carmody...
which has released such critical and commercial hits as Beneath a Steel Sky
Beneath a Steel Sky
Beneath a Steel Sky is a 1994 science-fiction point-and-click adventure game in the cyberpunk genre. Like many point-and-click adventure games, it features comedy elements, and was developed by Revolution Software, a British developer, and published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment. It was...
and the Broken Sword
Broken Sword
Broken Sword is a video game series created by game designer Charles Cecil of Revolution Software. The game series revolves around the adventures of Idaho-born George Stobbart and the French Nico Collard in several fictitious stories based on history and mythology. The first two games in the series...
series. Cecil is on the advisory panel of the Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival, and Develop Conference and regularly talks at events and to mainstream press about creative and commercial aspects of the video games industry. He is also a co-founded and remains a Director of Game Republic
Game Republic
was an independent video game developer based in Tokyo, Japan. The company, which employed just under 300 individuals before its closure, was founded on July 1, 2003 by Yoshiki Okamoto after he departed from successful Japanese game developer and publisher Capcom. Okamoto is seen as somewhat of a...
, an alliance of game developers, and is a Board member of Screen Yorkshire, a regional agency that supports film, television and interactive entertainment in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. In 2006, Cecil was awarded the status of ‘industry legend’ by Develop, Europe’s leading development magazine.
Early career
Cecil was educated at Bedales SchoolBedales School
Bedales School is a co-educational independent school situated in Hampshire, in the south east of England. Founded in 1893 by John Haden Badley in reaction to the limitations of conventional Victorian schools, today the school is one of the most expensive in the UK, charging £9,985 per term for a...
in Hampshire, England. In 1980 he studied mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
at Manchester University and was sponsored by Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
. During this time he met student Richard Turner who invited Cecil to write some text adventure games for his new computer game company, Artic Computing, to subsidise himself at university. The first game Cecil worked on was Inca Curse (published in 1981), then Espionage Island (published in 1981), and Ship of Doom (published in 1982). Each were highly successful on the Sinclair ZX81
Sinclair ZX81
The ZX81 was a home computer produced by Sinclair Research and manufactured in Scotland by Timex Corporation. It was launched in the United Kingdom in March 1981 as the successor to Sinclair's ZX80 and was designed to be a low-cost introduction to home computing for the general public...
, ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
and Amstrad
Amstrad
Amstrad is a British electronics company, now wholly owned by BSkyB. As of 2006, Amstrad's main business is manufacturing Sky Digital interactive boxes....
formats. Cecil was then invited to join Artic Computing as a Director.
After completing his degree in 1985, Cecil decided to continue his career in video games and established Paragon Programming, a gaming development company working with major British publisher US Gold. In 1987, Cecil left development and moved into publishing as 'Software Development Manager' for US Gold. One year later Cecil was approached by Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
and was offered the position of manager of their European development studio.
In 1990 Cecil returned to development by setting up Revolution Software.
Revolution Software
Revolution Software was set up in 1990 by Cecil and three co-founders, Tony WarrinerTony Warriner
Tony Warriner is a computer game designer, programer and a co-founder of Revolution Software.wrote his first video game, Obsidian for Amstrad CPC, in 1986. The game was published by Artic Computing and received strong reviews. After leaving Artic, Tony had a spell at Cascade Games and then Bytron,...
, David Sykes
David Sykes (programmer)
David Sykes is a software Developer living in HullFounded Revolution Software in 1990 together with Charles Cecil, Tony Warriner and Noirin Carmody....
and Noirin Carmody. The company was based in the city of Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
but today is located in the city of York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
. The three wanted to release innovative adventure games so they began drawing up concepts for a new engine which they ended up calling the Virtual Theatre
Virtual Theatre
The Virtual Theatre was a computer game engine designed by Revolution Software to produce adventure games for computer platforms. The engine allowed their team to script events, and move animated sprites against a drawn background with moving elements using a point-and-click style interface...
engine which enabled the gameworld to be more active and dynamic than previously possible.
Revolution Software quickly established itself as Europe's leading adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
developer with a string of successful titles, all of which have been critically and commercially successful. Clients included Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
, Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
, DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
, Virgin Interactive
Virgin Interactive
Virgin Interactive was a British video game publisher. It was formed as Virgin Games Ltd. in 1981. The company became much larger after purchasing the budget label, Mastertronic in 1987. It was part of the Virgin Group...
, Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
(Vivendi
Vivendi
Vivendi SA is a French international media conglomerate with activities in music, television and film, publishing, telecommunications, the Internet, and video games. It is headquartered in Paris.- History :...
), UbiSoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
and THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
.
Their first two titles, Lure of the Temptress
Lure of the Temptress
Lure of the Temptress is a fantasy point-and-click adventure game created by Revolution Software, published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment, and initially released in 1992 for Atari ST, DOS and Amiga systems...
(published in 1992) and Beneath a Steel Sky
Beneath a Steel Sky
Beneath a Steel Sky is a 1994 science-fiction point-and-click adventure game in the cyberpunk genre. Like many point-and-click adventure games, it features comedy elements, and was developed by Revolution Software, a British developer, and published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment. It was...
(published in 1994) went straight to number one in the GALLUP charts in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and topped the charts across most of Europe. Revolution's next title, Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars
Broken Sword
Broken Sword is a video game series created by game designer Charles Cecil of Revolution Software. The game series revolves around the adventures of Idaho-born George Stobbart and the French Nico Collard in several fictitious stories based on history and mythology. The first two games in the series...
(published in 1996) and its sequel Broken Sword 2: The Smoking Mirror
Broken Sword
Broken Sword is a video game series created by game designer Charles Cecil of Revolution Software. The game series revolves around the adventures of Idaho-born George Stobbart and the French Nico Collard in several fictitious stories based on history and mythology. The first two games in the series...
(published in 1997) both, in turn, received numerous awards such as best adventure game of the year as well as the best adventure game to date.
Sales of Broken Sword 1 and 2 have made over $100 million USD and have sold over one million units each. Cecil's next game In Cold Blood published by Sony Computer Entertainment was a different genre and focused on telling stories through action based gameplay and was met with mixed reviews. The Road to El Dorado
The Road to El Dorado
The Road to El Dorado is a 2000 American animated adventure comedy film by DreamWorks. The soundtrack features songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, the music team from Disney's The Lion King....
based on the DreamWorks film was released in late 2000. In 2002 Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars
Broken Sword
Broken Sword is a video game series created by game designer Charles Cecil of Revolution Software. The game series revolves around the adventures of Idaho-born George Stobbart and the French Nico Collard in several fictitious stories based on history and mythology. The first two games in the series...
was also published on the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
and in 2005 the game was also published for the Palm Pilot and Pocket PC
Pocket PC
A Pocket PC is also known by Microsoft as a 'Windows Mobile Classic device'. It is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer, personal digital assistant , that runs the Microsoft 'Windows Mobile Classic' operating system...
.
The third game in the Broken Sword series, Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon
Broken Sword
Broken Sword is a video game series created by game designer Charles Cecil of Revolution Software. The game series revolves around the adventures of Idaho-born George Stobbart and the French Nico Collard in several fictitious stories based on history and mythology. The first two games in the series...
, was released in November 2003 for PC
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
. The game was nominated for 3 BAFTA awards and Best Writing at the Game Developer Conference in 2004.
Broken Sword : The Angel of Death
Broken Sword
Broken Sword is a video game series created by game designer Charles Cecil of Revolution Software. The game series revolves around the adventures of Idaho-born George Stobbart and the French Nico Collard in several fictitious stories based on history and mythology. The first two games in the series...
released on PC in September 2006. Charles was a consultant for The Collective's
The Collective, Inc.
The Collective, Inc. was an American video game development company located in Newport Beach, California. The company has created several games based on movies and television shows since its founding in 1997.-History:...
2006 title The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code (video game)
For the Manus Dei in art, see Hand of God - See also :*The Da Vinci Code*The Da Vinci Code *The Da Vinci Code WebQuests*The Da Vinci Game-References:** , May 23, 2006, BBC...
.
Cecil announced Broken Sword 5
Broken Sword 5
Broken Sword 5 is the upcoming fifth installment in the Broken Sword series. Charles Cecil announced it in an interview with Pocket Gamer. Charles also confirmed that Revolution will start making 2D games again in with . The release date is unknown.-References:*-External links:***...
in an interview with Pocket Gamer
Pocket Gamer
Pocket Gamer is a website and video game magazine that focuses on handheld video games. It was launched in 2005 and is published by Steel Media. The publication covers all major portable and mobile gaming formats, including iPhone, Android, PSP and the various versions of the Nintendo DS and was...
in December 2010.
Cecil was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours
2011 Birthday Honours
The Birthday Honours 2011 for the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 7 June 2011 in New Zealand and 11 June 2011 in United Kingdom to celebrate the Queen's Birthday of 2011.-Privy Councillors:...
for services to the computer games industry.
Games credited
Cecil has been involved with the following games during his career:| Game Name | Format | Year | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inca Curse | ZX81 / ZX Spectrum ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd... / Amstrad CPC Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,... / Commodore 64 Commodore 64 The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595... |
1981 | Designer |
| Espionage Island | ZX81 / ZX Spectrum ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd... |
1981 | Designer |
| Ship of Doom | ZX Spectrum ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd... / Amstrad CPC Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,... / Commodore 64 Commodore 64 The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595... |
1982 | Designer |
| Lure of the Temptress Lure of the Temptress Lure of the Temptress is a fantasy point-and-click adventure game created by Revolution Software, published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment, and initially released in 1992 for Atari ST, DOS and Amiga systems... |
DOS / Amiga Amiga The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities... / Atari ST Atari ST The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals... |
1992 | Director |
| Beneath a Steel Sky Beneath a Steel Sky Beneath a Steel Sky is a 1994 science-fiction point-and-click adventure game in the cyberpunk genre. Like many point-and-click adventure games, it features comedy elements, and was developed by Revolution Software, a British developer, and published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment. It was... |
DOS / Amiga Amiga The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities... / Amiga CD32 Amiga CD32 The Amiga CD32, styled "CD32" , was the first 32-bit CD-ROM based video game console released in western Europe, Australia, Canada and Brazil. It was first announced at the Science Museum in London, United Kingdom on 16 July 1993, and was released in September of the same year... |
1994 | Director |
| Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars is a point-and-click adventure game released to the PC on November 5, 1996. It was released on the PlayStation in December that same year and on the Game Boy Advance March 19, 2002. It has also been ported to the Mobile phone, and re-released to the Wii, PC,... |
DOS / Windows Microsoft Windows Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal... / PlayStation PlayStation The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000... / Mac Macintosh The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a... |
1996 | Director |
| Toonstruck Toonstruck Toonstruck is a 1996 point-and-click adventure game in which, although all the imagery is drawn and scanned into the game, the protagonist Drew Blanc is an actual video-captured representation of the actor... |
DOS / Windows Microsoft Windows Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal... |
1996 | Special Thanks |
| Broken Sword 2: The Smoking Mirror Broken Sword Broken Sword is a video game series created by game designer Charles Cecil of Revolution Software. The game series revolves around the adventures of Idaho-born George Stobbart and the French Nico Collard in several fictitious stories based on history and mythology. The first two games in the series... |
Windows Microsoft Windows Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal... / PlayStation PlayStation The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000... |
1997 | Director / Story & Design |
| In Cold Blood | Windows Microsoft Windows Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal... / PlayStation PlayStation The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000... |
2000 | Director |
| Gold and Glory: The Road to El Dorado The Road to El Dorado The Road to El Dorado is a 2000 American animated adventure comedy film by DreamWorks. The soundtrack features songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, the music team from Disney's The Lion King.... |
Windows Microsoft Windows Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal... / Game Boy Color Game Boy Color The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than... / Dreamcast/ PlayStation 2 PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan... |
2000 | |
| Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars is a point-and-click adventure game released to the PC on November 5, 1996. It was released on the PlayStation in December that same year and on the Game Boy Advance March 19, 2002. It has also been ported to the Mobile phone, and re-released to the Wii, PC,... |
Game Boy Advance Game Boy Advance The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China... |
2002 | the roger pegues doll |
| Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon is the third installment in the Broken Sword series of computer games, and was released on November 17, 2003 on the Microsoft Windows, Xbox, and PlayStation 2 platforms... |
Windows XP / PlayStation 2 PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan... / Xbox Xbox The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console... |
2003 | Director / Section Design |
| Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars is a point-and-click adventure game released to the PC on November 5, 1996. It was released on the PlayStation in December that same year and on the Game Boy Advance March 19, 2002. It has also been ported to the Mobile phone, and re-released to the Wii, PC,... |
Palm OS Palm OS Palm OS is a mobile operating system initially developed by Palm, Inc., for personal digital assistants in 1996. Palm OS is designed for ease of use with a touchscreen-based graphical user interface. It is provided with a suite of basic applications for personal information management... |
2005 | |
| Broken Sword: The Angel of Death Broken Sword: The Angel of Death Broken Sword: The Angel of Death, known in North America as Secrets of the Ark: A Broken Sword Game, is the fourth installment in the Broken Sword series of computer games, released for PCs running Windows in Europe on September 15, 2006, and in North America on February 13, 2007... |
Windows XP | 2006 | Director / Story Writer |
| The Da Vinci Code The Da Vinci Code (video game) For the Manus Dei in art, see Hand of God - See also :*The Da Vinci Code*The Da Vinci Code *The Da Vinci Code WebQuests*The Da Vinci Game-References:** , May 23, 2006, BBC... |
PlayStation 2 PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan... |
2006 | Story & Design |
| Doctor Who: The Adventure Games Doctor Who: The Adventure Games Doctor Who: The Adventure Games is a series of episodic third-person adventure games, based on the BBC TV series Doctor Who and developed by Sumo Digital. Charles Cecil served as executive producer and worked with Sean Millard and Will Tarratt on the design... |
Windows, Mac Macintosh The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a... |
2010 | Design |
| Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars - Directors Cut Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars is a point-and-click adventure game released to the PC on November 5, 1996. It was released on the PlayStation in December that same year and on the Game Boy Advance March 19, 2002. It has also been ported to the Mobile phone, and re-released to the Wii, PC,... |
Windows, Mac Macintosh The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a... , Nintendo DS Nintendo DS The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP... , Nintendo Wii, iPhone IPhone The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007... , iPad IPad The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and... , Android |
2010 | Story & Design |
| Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror - Remastered Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror is a point-and-click adventure game released for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation. The remastered edition has been recently announced by Revolution Software and will be coming to iOS devices in late 2010 with Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows ports following in... |
iPhone IPhone The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007... , iPad IPad The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and... , Mac Macintosh The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a... , PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator... |
2010 | Director / Story & Design |
| Broken Sword 5 Broken Sword 5 Broken Sword 5 is the upcoming fifth installment in the Broken Sword series. Charles Cecil announced it in an interview with Pocket Gamer. Charles also confirmed that Revolution will start making 2D games again in with . The release date is unknown.-References:*-External links:***... |
Microsoft Windows Microsoft Windows Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal... |
2011 | Director / Story & Design |
Game design
Cecil believes that game design involves a different creative process as compared to traditional writing. As a writer of a linear story, "all they do is to write the script," he said. "In game design, the writer should think about the gameplay and background story first before developing any of the characters. However, the constraints of an interactive medium is no excuse for a poorly constructed story, the big thing is that we have a different medium. We have to accept that we have not only huge advantages in the interactive medium but also big constraints. And these constraints often lead to some really shitty stories. And that’s why so many games have bad stories."Cecil is also very serious when doing this research to develop games that have strong ties to historic locales and myths, "I take the historical research and research of our locations very seriously and will generally visit the locations to undertake recces. Of course this is almost always a pleasure – the games aim to feature locations that are exciting and interesting.". In fact, he chose the name Broken Sword because it is a symbol of peace. He also said that it might have been a fate of history that he chose this name, "I live in the city of York in England and a few years ago a statue of Constantine the Great was erected next to the cathedral to commemorate his coronation in the city in 306AD. The statue depicts Constantine sitting atop a broken sword; it seemed a fun coincidence, or perhaps it is down to fate."
Cecil has always had a particular interest in the narrative techniques of interactive entertainment and how the medium will develop with advancing technology so in 2003 to come to terms with modern story telling methods, he enrolled himself in an open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
course in York about creating films using modern cinematic techniques, but shortly afterwards pulled out due to time constraints, most likely due to the release of Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon.
External links
- Revolution Software
- Charles Cecil at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...