Mark Cerny
Encyclopedia
Mark Cerny is a video game industry figure who has worked as a game designer, programmer
, producer
and business executive. As president of Cerny Games, which he founded in 1998, he now acts as a consultant
in the video game industry. In 2004, he was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Game Developers Association
.
and arcade game
s, started in the game industry at the age of 17 when he joined Atari
in 1982. In those earlier days of professional game development, teams were small and each member was responsible for a wider range of roles than today.
Cerny's first major success is usually cited as Marble Madness
in which he, at age 18, acted as the designer. For years he worked with Sega
in Japan
and the United States
, where he worked on Sonic the Hedgehog 2. He was the vice president and then president of Universal Interactive Studios
. He continues to work with Naughty Dog
(where he has worked on Crash Bandicoot
and later consulted on the Jak and Daxter
series), Insomniac Games
(Spyro the Dragon and Ratchet and Clank), and Sony
.
From his extensive experience on the "dos and don'ts" in the game industry he has developed the "Cerny method", a strategy for game development. His method prefers a free-form, pre-production stage that explores a game's viability prior to full development. For example, he advocates that if the first level produced does not excite customers, then the game idea should be set aside before too much effort is put into it.
The International Game Developers Association
awarded Cerny with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards
(IGDA) in 2004. IGNA stated, "It's rare to find a 'jack-of-all-trades' who not only has the high-level vision for great game design but can act as the glue to adhere all the pieces together. His unusual but highly effective methodology has brought us some of the most entertaining games in history." He was described as the "master collaborator". His success rests not only on the number of games he's worked on, but also on their quality and commercial success (having sold several dozen million units).
Cerny was an early employee of Kleiner Perkins-backed video game startup Crystal Dynamics
in 1992, and was de facto head of engineering during production of its first two products, Crash 'n Burn (1993) and Total Eclipse
(1994).
Game programmer
A game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...
, producer
Game producer
A video game producer is the person in charge of overseeing development of a video game.The earliest documented use of the term producer in games was by Trip Hawkins, who established the position when he founded Electronic Arts in 1982...
and business executive. As president of Cerny Games, which he founded in 1998, he now acts as a consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
in the video game industry. In 2004, he was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Game Developers Association
International Game Developers Association
International Game Developers Association is the professional society for over 10,000 video and computer game developers worldwide.It is incorporated in the United States as a non-profit organization....
.
Career
Cerny, a fan of computer programmingComputer programming
Computer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to create a program that performs specific operations or exhibits a...
and arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
s, started in the game industry at the age of 17 when he joined Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
in 1982. In those earlier days of professional game development, teams were small and each member was responsible for a wider range of roles than today.
Cerny's first major success is usually cited as Marble Madness
Marble Madness
Marble Madness is an arcade video game designed by Mark Cerny, and published by Atari Games in 1984. It is a platform game in which the player must guide an onscreen marble through six courses, populated with obstacles and enemies, within a time limit. The player controls the marble by using a...
in which he, at age 18, acted as the designer. For years he worked with Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
in 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...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he worked on Sonic the Hedgehog 2. He was the vice president and then president of Universal Interactive Studios
Vivendi Games
Vivendi Games, formerly known as Vivendi Universal Games, was the holdings company for Sierra Entertainment and Blizzard Entertainment. Vivendi Games was founded as Vivendi Universal Games after Vivendi bought Universal Studios in the early 2000s...
. He continues to work with Naughty Dog
Naughty Dog
Naughty Dog, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Santa Monica, California. Founded by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin in 1986 as an independent developer, the studio was acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2001...
(where he has worked on Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot series
Crash Bandicoot is a series of platform video games published by Activision after first being developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Initially created by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin, the series was developed for its first four years by the video game company Naughty...
and later consulted on the Jak and Daxter
Jak and Daxter
Jak and Daxter is a critically acclaimed video game franchise created by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 2.The series consists of four main games and two spin-offs,though they are also considered to be part of the main series...
series), Insomniac Games
Insomniac Games
Insomniac Games, Inc. is an American video game developer headquartered in Burbank, California. Founded in 1994, Insomniac has released titles for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 video game consoles. It created Disruptor, the first three Spyro the Dragon games, and the Ratchet &...
(Spyro the Dragon and Ratchet and Clank), and Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
.
From his extensive experience on the "dos and don'ts" in the game industry he has developed the "Cerny method", a strategy for game development. His method prefers a free-form, pre-production stage that explores a game's viability prior to full development. For example, he advocates that if the first level produced does not excite customers, then the game idea should be set aside before too much effort is put into it.
The International Game Developers Association
International Game Developers Association
International Game Developers Association is the professional society for over 10,000 video and computer game developers worldwide.It is incorporated in the United States as a non-profit organization....
awarded Cerny with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards
Game Developers Choice Awards
The Game Developers Choice Awards are annually presented by the Game Developers Conference for outstanding game developers and games.Introduced in 2001, the Game Developers Choice Awards were preceded by the Spotlight Awards, which were presented from 1997 to 1999.The 2009 award presentation was...
(IGDA) in 2004. IGNA stated, "It's rare to find a 'jack-of-all-trades' who not only has the high-level vision for great game design but can act as the glue to adhere all the pieces together. His unusual but highly effective methodology has brought us some of the most entertaining games in history." He was described as the "master collaborator". His success rests not only on the number of games he's worked on, but also on their quality and commercial success (having sold several dozen million units).
Cerny was an early employee of Kleiner Perkins-backed video game startup Crystal Dynamics
Crystal Dynamics
Crystal Dynamics is an American video game developer based in the San Francisco Bay Area and founded in 1992 by Judy Lang, Madaline Canepa and Dave Morris...
in 1992, and was de facto head of engineering during production of its first two products, Crash 'n Burn (1993) and Total Eclipse
Total Eclipse (1996 video game)
Total Eclipse is a space shooter for the 3DO. It was later ported to the PlayStation under the title Total Eclipse Turbo. The game was copyrighted in 1993 but not made available to the public until January 1994, leading some sources to mistakenly list its release date as 1993...
(1994).
Production history
- Marble MadnessMarble MadnessMarble Madness is an arcade video game designed by Mark Cerny, and published by Atari Games in 1984. It is a platform game in which the player must guide an onscreen marble through six courses, populated with obstacles and enemies, within a time limit. The player controls the marble by using a...
(1984) - Programming & Designer - Shooting Gallery (1987) — Programming & Designer
- Missile Defense 3-D (1987) — Programming & Designer
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) — Programming, Development Support
- Kid Chameleon (1992) — Programming & Software
- The OozeThe OozeThe Ooze is a video game developed by Sega Technical Institute and released in 1995 for the Mega Drive/Genesis console. In the game, players take the role of a slimy puddle of liquid and face off against various enemies and obstacles.-Plot:...
(1995) — Programming & Technical Thanks - DisruptorDisruptor (video game)Disruptor is a video game for the PlayStation. It was the first game by developer Insomniac Games, who would later go on to create the popular Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank, and Resistance series.-Gameplay:...
(1996) — Executive Producer - Crash Bandicoot (1996) — Executive Producer
- Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes BackCrash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes BackCrash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back is a platform video game published by Sony Computer Entertainment, produced by Universal Interactive Studios and developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation...
(1997) — Producer - Spyro the Dragon (1998) — Executive Producer
- Running WildRunning Wild (video game)Running Wild is a racing video game released for the Sony PlayStation in 1998. The player can choose characters from an all-animal cast, In this game characters do not use vehicles, but instead race on foot. Each character has their own stats and abilities...
(1998) — Executive Producer - Heart of Darkness (1998) — Special Thanks
- Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped (1998) — Executive Producer
- Spyro the Dragon 2: Ripto's Rage!Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! is a video game for the PlayStation video game console. It was released in North America under this title on October 31, 1999, in Europe as Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer on November 5, 1999, and in Japan on March 16, 2000 as: Spyro X Sparx Tondemo Tours.Ripto's Rage is the...
(1998) — Executive Producer - Spyro the Dragon 3: Year of the DragonSpyro: Year of the DragonSpyro: Year of the Dragon is a platform game, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation video game console. The game was released in North America on October 23, 2000 and in Europe on November 10, 2000...
(2000) — Additional Designer - Crash BashCrash BashCrash Bash is a party video game published by Sony Computer Entertainment, produced by Universal Interactive Studios and developed by Eurocom for the PlayStation. The game was released in North America on November 6, 2000 and in Europe on December 1, 2000...
(2000) — Game Designer - Jak and Daxter: The Precursor LegacyJak and Daxter: The Precursor LegacyJak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is a platform game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment and is the first video game in the Jak and Daxter series. It was released exclusively for the Sony PlayStation 2 on December 3, 2001 for North America, December 7, 2001 for...
(2001) — Additional Game Design and Programming - Jak IIJak IIJak II, , is a platform game developed by Naughty Dog...
(2003) — Additional Game Design and Programming - Ratchet and Clank (2002) - Additional Design Consultant
- Ratchet & Clank: Going CommandoRatchet & Clank: Going CommandoRatchet & Clank: Going Commando is a 3D platformer/shooter developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony...
(2003) — Additional Design Consultant - Jet Li: Rise to HonorJet Li: Rise to HonorJet Li: Rise to Honor is a video game released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2. The game features the likeness, voice acting and motion capture work of martial arts actor Jet Li, and features martial arts choreography by Corey Yuen.-Gameplay:...
(2004) — Special Thanks - Ratchet & Clank: Up Your ArsenalRatchet & Clank: Up Your ArsenalRatchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony. It is the third installment in the Ratchet & Clank series and was released in North America on November 3, 2004...
(2004) — Special Thanks - Resistance: Fall of ManResistance: Fall of ManResistance: Fall of Man is a first-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 3. It was developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The game is set in an alternate history 1951, and follows Sgt...
(2006) — Production, Design, Technical Assistance - MotorStormMotorStormMotorStorm is a 2006 racing video game developed by Evolution Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the Sony PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. First announced at E3 2005, the game was released in Japan on 14 December 2006 and the rest of the world in March 2007....
(2006) — SCEE MIS Ice Team - WarhawkWarhawk (PlayStation 3 game)Warhawk is a quick-paced multiplayer third-person shooter, vehicle and flight combat game developed by Incognito Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation 3. It is a remake of an aerial warfare game of the same name, which was a launch title on the original PlayStation. Apart from the...
(2007) — Special Thanks - Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (2007) — Additional Game Design and Programming
- Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (2007) — Design Consultant
- PainPain (video game)Pain is a 2007 video game for the PlayStation 3, developed by games studio Idol Minds. It was originally released as a downloadable title available from the PlayStation Store and was first released in North America on November 29, 2007 and in Europe on March 20, 2008 and became the most popular...
(2007) — Ice Team - Heavenly SwordHeavenly SwordHeavenly Sword is a video game developed by Ninja Theory exclusively for the PlayStation 3 console and published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe...
(2007) — Ice Team - Formula One Championship EditionFormula One Championship EditionFormula One Championship Edition is a racing video game, developed by SCE Studio Liverpool and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. The game follows the basic structure of Formula One 06 for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable...
(2007) — Ice Team - MLB 08: The ShowMLB 08: The ShowMLB 08: The Show is a baseball simulation video game developed by SCE San Diego Studio published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable systems. It the longest-running officially licensed Major League Baseball game series on the PlayStation...
(2008) — Ice Team - inFamous (2009) - Ice Team