Edmund McMillen
Encyclopedia
Edmund McMillen is an American video game designer who is known for his unique visual style and innovative gameplay design, as well as his emphasis on the importance of careful level design and rewarding difficulty curves.
. In spite of the city's scenic attraction, he preferred to stay in-doors. He was especially fond of drawing, his favorite subjects being monsters. Some of his drawings were deemed so disturbing that his third grade teacher recommended that he be given a psychological evaluation. Edmund spent most of his childhood with his grandmother, who he considers to be the greatest source of support in his creative endeavors.
, as a promotional tie-in for the game. His most well-known games are the Flash-based game Meat Boy, and its much-lauded sequel Super Meat Boy
, which has been released for the Xbox 360 platform and PC. McMillen is also known for the award-winning games Gish
, Aether
and Coil. Gish won Game Tunnel's 2004 Adventure Game of the Year, as well as Indie Game of the Year. His game Coil was nominated for the Innovation Award at the 2009 Independent Games Festival. McMillen was the character artist and animator on Braid
, which won the Innovation Award at the 2006 Independent Games Festival prior to its release, and went on to win a host of awards in 2008, including GameSpot
's Best Platformer, and Best Original Downloadable Console Game, and the 12th Annual Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Awards Casual Game of the Year. His game Aether was a 2009 IndieCade finalist and received an honorable mention.
established Team Meat, an independent game production company, with the intent that they would never utilize a third-party publisher. Their first game, Super Meat Boy
, was released on October 20, 2010 on the Xbox 360
via Xbox Live Arcade
, and on Valve Corporation
's digital distribution site Steam on November 30, 2010. A release is planned for the Nintendo
Wii
, but has been delayed due to the file size limitations of the Wii's WiiWare
Channel. A retail version of the game was released on April 5, 2011. Due to Sony's initial disinterest in the game, Team Meat entered into contractual obligations that prohibit the game from being released for the Sony PS3. McMillen and programmer Tommy Refenes
recently responded to the success of Super Meat Boy and the impossibility of sequel in a brief statement that read, "We feel like we did it...the 1st time." In the April 2011 issue of Game Developer (magazine), McMillen admitted that during the development of Super Meat Boy
he had to go under emergency gallbladder surgery which put him $50,000 in debt because he could not afford health insurance.
Early life
McMillen has been a lifelong resident of Santa Cruz, CaliforniaSanta Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
. In spite of the city's scenic attraction, he preferred to stay in-doors. He was especially fond of drawing, his favorite subjects being monsters. Some of his drawings were deemed so disturbing that his third grade teacher recommended that he be given a psychological evaluation. Edmund spent most of his childhood with his grandmother, who he considers to be the greatest source of support in his creative endeavors.
Career
McMillen's initial graphic work was in independent comics. While he has largely abandoned this field in favor of video games, he recently released a series of comics featuring Meat Boy, the title character in the video game Super Meat BoySuper Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy is an independent video game designed by Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes and developed by Team Meat. It is the successor to McMillen and Jonathan McEntee's October 2008 flash game Meat Boy. Super Meat Boy was released on the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade in October 2010, on...
, as a promotional tie-in for the game. His most well-known games are the Flash-based game Meat Boy, and its much-lauded sequel Super Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy is an independent video game designed by Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes and developed by Team Meat. It is the successor to McMillen and Jonathan McEntee's October 2008 flash game Meat Boy. Super Meat Boy was released on the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade in October 2010, on...
, which has been released for the Xbox 360 platform and PC. McMillen is also known for the award-winning games Gish
Gish (video game)
Gish is a 2D PC platform game developed by Alex Austin, Edmund McMillen and Josiah Pisciotta and distributed by Chronic Logic, Stardock and other distributors. A sequel was announced, but subsequently canceled in late 2009 when Edmund left Cryptic Sea....
, Aether
Aether (video game)
Aether is a video game designed by Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel and published by Armor Games. Released on September 3, 2008, it can be played for free online or downloaded for offline play. Players control a lonely boy and an octopus-like monster that the boy encounters, solving puzzles on...
and Coil. Gish won Game Tunnel's 2004 Adventure Game of the Year, as well as Indie Game of the Year. His game Coil was nominated for the Innovation Award at the 2009 Independent Games Festival. McMillen was the character artist and animator on Braid
Braid (video game)
Braid is a platform and puzzle video game developed by independent software developer Jonathan Blow. The game was released on August 6, 2008 for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service. A Microsoft Windows version was released on April 10, 2009. Hothead Games ported and released the game to Mac OS...
, which won the Innovation Award at the 2006 Independent Games Festival prior to its release, and went on to win a host of awards in 2008, including GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's Best Platformer, and Best Original Downloadable Console Game, and the 12th Annual Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Awards Casual Game of the Year. His game Aether was a 2009 IndieCade finalist and received an honorable mention.
Super Meat Boy
McMillen and programmer Tommy RefenesTommy Refenes
Tommy Refenes is an American video game designer/programmer, best known for his work on the game Super Meat Boy, a platformer he co-created with developer Edmund McMillen.-Early life:...
established Team Meat, an independent game production company, with the intent that they would never utilize a third-party publisher. Their first game, Super Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy is an independent video game designed by Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes and developed by Team Meat. It is the successor to McMillen and Jonathan McEntee's October 2008 flash game Meat Boy. Super Meat Boy was released on the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade in October 2010, on...
, was released on October 20, 2010 on the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
via Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
, and on Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
's digital distribution site Steam on November 30, 2010. A release is planned for the Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, but has been delayed due to the file size limitations of the Wii's WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
Channel. A retail version of the game was released on April 5, 2011. Due to Sony's initial disinterest in the game, Team Meat entered into contractual obligations that prohibit the game from being released for the Sony PS3. McMillen and programmer Tommy Refenes
Tommy Refenes
Tommy Refenes is an American video game designer/programmer, best known for his work on the game Super Meat Boy, a platformer he co-created with developer Edmund McMillen.-Early life:...
recently responded to the success of Super Meat Boy and the impossibility of sequel in a brief statement that read, "We feel like we did it...the 1st time." In the April 2011 issue of Game Developer (magazine), McMillen admitted that during the development of Super Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy is an independent video game designed by Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes and developed by Team Meat. It is the successor to McMillen and Jonathan McEntee's October 2008 flash game Meat Boy. Super Meat Boy was released on the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade in October 2010, on...
he had to go under emergency gallbladder surgery which put him $50,000 in debt because he could not afford health insurance.
Games developed
| Game | Platform | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Gish Gish (video game) Gish is a 2D PC platform game developed by Alex Austin, Edmund McMillen and Josiah Pisciotta and distributed by Chronic Logic, Stardock and other distributors. A sequel was announced, but subsequently canceled in late 2009 when Edmund left Cryptic Sea.... |
Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, Linux | 2004 |
| Blast Miner | Microsoft Windows | |
| Triachnid | Flash | |
| Carious Weltling | Flash | |
| Cereus Peashy | Flash | |
| Host | Flash | |
| Guppy | Flash | |
| Coil | Flash | |
| Meat Boy | Flash | |
| Cunt | Flash | |
| Aether Aether (video game) Aether is a video game designed by Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel and published by Armor Games. Released on September 3, 2008, it can be played for free online or downloaded for offline play. Players control a lonely boy and an octopus-like monster that the boy encounters, solving puzzles on... |
Flash | |
| Grey-Matter | Flash | |
| Spewer Spewer Spewer is a browser-based platform video game. It uses liquid physics through regurgitation as its core mechanic. Taking the role of a mysterious test subject, code named "Spewer", the player must vomit their way through over 60 levels while learning new abilities, changing forms and piecing... |
Flash | |
| Time Fcuk | Flash | |
| Super Meat Boy Super Meat Boy Super Meat Boy is an independent video game designed by Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes and developed by Team Meat. It is the successor to McMillen and Jonathan McEntee's October 2008 flash game Meat Boy. Super Meat Boy was released on the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade in October 2010, on... |
Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Mac OS X | 2010 |
| The Binding of Isaac The Binding of Isaac (video game) The Binding of Isaac is an independent video game designed by Edmund McMillen and Florian Himsl. It was released on Steam on September 28, 2011. Players control a crying naked child named Isaac or one of five other unlockable characters... |
Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, Linux | 2011 |
External links
- Edmund's user page on NewgroundsNewgroundsNewgrounds is an American entertainment and social media website. Founded on July 6, 1995 by Tom Fulp, the site primarily hosts Adobe Flash animations and games, but also features a music-oriented page, along with an art portal...
- Edmund's Dev Blog for Gay nerds