Gregg Mayles
Encyclopedia
Gregory Ashley Mayles better known as Gregg Mayles, is a British
video game designer currently working for video game company Rare as Creative Director. He is one of the oldest members of company, working there since 1990
.
Mayles began his career as the designer of Donkey Kong Country
series, and was one of the creators of the character Diddy Kong
. After his work on DKC, he came up with an idea about an action-adventure game influenced by his recent work on the series. The project was greenlit for release first on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
and then on the Nintendo 64
. Codenamed Project Dream
, the game was about a boy who went up on an magical adventure to a pirate island. The concept was scrapped, and the hero was changed to bear based on one from Diddy Kong Racing
with a backpack
, with the latter winnowed by Mayles's trip to Japan
. There went the critically acclaimed Banjo-Kazooie series.
After the success of Banjo-Kazooie Mayles did additional design on Donkey Kong 64
, which was based on concept of Mayles's project. Then, Mayles directed the long-awaited sequel, Banjo-Tooie
, which was even more acclaimed than its predecessor. After Banjo-Tooie, Mayles did design on Conker's Bad Fur Day
and Star Fox Adventures
. Mayles directed the design of the 2003 game Grabbed by the Ghoulies
, which was lukewarmly reviewed by the press. Then he worked on some other projects before playing a key role in creating the game Viva Piñata
. It first came to life as an idea from Tim Stamper
, and then it resulted to a full game influenced by the Animal Crossing
and Harvest Moon series. It was released in 2006 and was well-received. Mayles also took part in designing its sequel, Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise
.
In 2007, Tim and Chris Stamper
left Rare to "pursue other opportunities", and Mark Betteridge along with Mayles replaced them as Studio Director and Creative Director, respectively.
In 2006, Mayles decided to come back to his roots, and started a new Banjo-Kazooie project with a new feature: car building. It was announced at X06, and was titled Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
. The game was released in 2008, but was more coldly received by the press than the first games. After Nuts & Bolts, Mayles did work on the Xbox 360
version of Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing and on the recent release Kinect Sports
.
Mayles also donates money for poor children. He started a "Very Purple Marathon" in April 2009. The marathon was supported by Rare itself, donating 2,110 euro
s.
Mayles also posted comments on the website The Rare Witch Project as "Ghouly Boy".
His younger brother is artist Steve Mayles (b. 1974), who also works for Rare.
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...
video game designer currently working for video game company Rare as Creative Director. He is one of the oldest members of company, working there since 1990
1990 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Bonk's Adventure is released for NEC's TurboGrafx-16 and is the first US appearance of Bonk, the mascot of the TurboGrafx-16.*February 12 — Nintendo releases the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3 in North America...
.
Mayles began his career as the designer of Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
series, and was one of the creators of the character Diddy Kong
Diddy Kong
, originally known as Donkey Diddy, is a fictional character in the Donkey Kong series of video games, first appearing in the 1994 game Donkey Kong Country. He lives on Donkey Kong Island in the Kongo Jungle, and is identified by his red hat, which has a Nintendo logo on it, and shirt...
. After his work on DKC, he came up with an idea about an action-adventure game influenced by his recent work on the series. The project was greenlit for release first on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
and then on the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
. Codenamed Project Dream
Project Dream
Project Dream was an unreleased video game that was originally going to be released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and later the Nintendo 64 by Rare...
, the game was about a boy who went up on an magical adventure to a pirate island. The concept was scrapped, and the hero was changed to bear based on one from Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing is a 1997 racing game for the Nintendo 64 developed by Rareware. 800,000 copies were ordered in the two weeks before Christmas 1997, making it the fastest selling video game at the time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It is the first game to spin off from the...
with a backpack
Backpack
A backpack is, in its simplest form, a cloth sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders, but there can be exceptions...
, with the latter winnowed by Mayles's trip to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. There went the critically acclaimed Banjo-Kazooie series.
After the success of Banjo-Kazooie Mayles did additional design on Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64 is a platform game, developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in North America on November 24, 1999 and in Europe on December 6, 1999. The game is a follow up to the Donkey Kong Country trilogy on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System...
, which was based on concept of Mayles's project. Then, Mayles directed the long-awaited sequel, Banjo-Tooie
Banjo-Tooie
Banjo-Tooie is a platform and action-adventure hybrid video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo in 2000 for the Nintendo 64 as a part of the Banjo-Kazooie series. The game is the successor to Banjo-Kazooie and was one of the most anticipated sequels for the Nintendo 64.The game's story...
, which was even more acclaimed than its predecessor. After Banjo-Tooie, Mayles did design on Conker's Bad Fur Day
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Conker's Bad Fur Day is an action-platform video game developed and published by Rare. It was released for the Nintendo 64 in 2001 and was Rare's last game published for the console. The game was in development for four years; it was originally intended for a young audience, but was redesigned and...
and Star Fox Adventures
Star Fox Adventures
Star Fox Adventures is an action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube as part of the Star Fox series. It was released in North America on 23 September 2002, Japan on 27 September 2002, Australia on 15 November 2002 and Europe on 22 November 2002...
. Mayles directed the design of the 2003 game Grabbed by the Ghoulies
Grabbed by the Ghoulies
Grabbed by the Ghoulies is a video game released on October 21, 2003 by Rare for the Xbox gaming console. It was the first Rare game to be published by the Microsoft buyout from Nintendo, having originally been in development for the Nintendo GameCube. It is forward compatible with the Xbox 360...
, which was lukewarmly reviewed by the press. Then he worked on some other projects before playing a key role in creating the game Viva Piñata
Viva Piñata
Viva Piñata is a life simulation game developed by Rare, for the Xbox 360 video game console. The project was headed by Gregg Mayles and the team behind the Banjo-Kazooie series, based on an idea from Tim Stamper. Although rumors of the title circulated among fans for some time, Viva Piñata was...
. It first came to life as an idea from Tim Stamper
Tim and Chris Stamper
Tim and Chris Stamper are the co-founders of Ashby Computers & Graphics and later Rare...
, and then it resulted to a full game influenced by the Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing (series)
The Animal Crossing games have garnered positive response. The first three games are among the best-selling for their respective consoles. Animal Crossing has sold 2.321 million copies; Wild World 10.79 million; and City Folk 3.38 million...
and Harvest Moon series. It was released in 2006 and was well-received. Mayles also took part in designing its sequel, Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise
Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise
Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise is the Xbox 360 sequel to the critically acclaimed life simulation game entitled Viva Piñata. The title was officially announced on May 13, 2008 with a September 2, 2008 release date in North America and a September 5, 2008 date in Europe.-Plot:The second Viva...
.
In 2007, Tim and Chris Stamper
Tim and Chris Stamper
Tim and Chris Stamper are the co-founders of Ashby Computers & Graphics and later Rare...
left Rare to "pursue other opportunities", and Mark Betteridge along with Mayles replaced them as Studio Director and Creative Director, respectively.
In 2006, Mayles decided to come back to his roots, and started a new Banjo-Kazooie project with a new feature: car building. It was announced at X06, and was titled Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is an action-adventure/vehicle construction/platformer video game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was first announced at the X06 Media Briefing. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is the third installment in the Banjo-Kazooie series and takes place...
. The game was released in 2008, but was more coldly received by the press than the first games. After Nuts & Bolts, Mayles did work 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...
version of Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing and on the recent release Kinect Sports
Kinect Sports
Kinect Sports is a sports video game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. The game utilises the Kinect motion-sensing peripheral and was released in North America, Europe, Australasia and Japan in November 2010 as a launch title for Kinect.The game is a...
.
Mayles also donates money for poor children. He started a "Very Purple Marathon" in April 2009. The marathon was supported by Rare itself, donating 2,110 euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s.
Mayles also posted comments on the website The Rare Witch Project as "Ghouly Boy".
His younger brother is artist Steve Mayles (b. 1974), who also works for Rare.
External links
- A Very Purple Marathon's site
- Mayles's article at Rare Witch Project Wiki
- Gregg Mayles's article at MundoRare's Rarepedia (letter M)