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I'm trying to figure out all the SMS games Mark Cerny worked on and what role he had in making them. His Atari/Genesis/Crystal Dynamics/Universal games all seem to be well documented as they get asked about more interviews but other than "Shanghai and 3D glasses games" I can't find any info on his SMS stuff. Any clues?

The instruction manual to Shooting Gallery says "*designed for Sega by Mark Cerny"

don't know if that helps or not.

Thanks. That's exactly the kind of stuff I'm looking for. I didn't think any first-party SMS games credited anyone in the instruction books.

Well, there's one person who'd definitely know...

Ah, yes. That would be the best way. :) I just emailed him.

Here's Mark's reply -

Quote

Hi Sean,

Shooting Gallery: sole programmer, designer.
Missile Defense 3-D: sole programmer, designer.
Shanghai and California Games conversions: sole programmer.

That's it! Each of the projects typically had one artist.

Mark

Interesting to know that an American was responsible for those games.

Can we now assume that 'Mark' who scored 1010 in Skating in California Games is Mark Cerny?

California Games-01.png (3.71 KB)

California Games default high scores

It nearly almost leads you to the idea as to weather the other high scroes could be game testers or could even be a relationship of Mark Cerny.

But it is an interesting fact you pointed out DM.

Jacko wrote

It nearly almost leads you to the idea as to weather the other high scroes could be game testers or could even be a relationship of Mark Cerny.

But it is an interesting fact you pointed out DM.

I can't imagine they had all those Americans working in Japan, but I could be wrong.

Kinda not bringing new relevent information here, but Mark Cerny is getting an award:
http://www.industrygamers.com/news/mark-cerny-headed-for-aias-hall-of-fame/
There 's a little bio here.

Cerny also worked for Sega in Tokyo, transitioning from arcade games to cartridge-based games, and he created Shooting Gallery for the Sega Master System. Cerny was so far ahead of his time that during the 1980s he even worked on a line of 3-D games using active shutter glasses, and an online games network. Upon returning to the U.S. for Sega, he then founded and managed the Sega Technical Institute and oversaw the development of Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Not sure what they imply by "a line of 3-D games".

Interesting. I wonder if Mark Cerny would know why California Games and Shanghai have FM sound.

Bock wrote

Not sure what they imply by "a line of 3-D games".

Probably Missile Defense 3-D.

BrianC wrote

Interesting. I wonder if Mark Cerny would know why California Games and Shanghai have FM sound.

Probably because the sound was built on a generic engine. They may also have been considering releasing them in Japan.

Maxim wrote

Probably because the sound was built on a generic engine. They may also have been considering releasing them in Japan.

Is there any evidence that Sega considered releasing the FM Unit outside of Japan?

CRV maybe you should set up an interview with him?

Bock wrote

CRV maybe you should set up an interview with him?

I e-mailed him a long time ago (a couple years?) and never got a reply.

There's a long interview on 1UP:
http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3178907
Mostly the SMS era is part 2 ( but I suggest watching from the beginning ).

Mark Cerny came to visit us yesterday so i thought it would be fun to bring some games and get them signed by him.

He mentioned how the different sprites angle/size for Missile Defense 3-D were rendered using a Fortran program. Whereas Shooting Gallery was manual artwork (which is a bit surprising because Shooting Gallery looks very CG-ish).

IMG_1114.jpg (167.48 KB)

Author	Message
NeoZeedeater Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 28 Location: Vancouver, Canada	Mark Cerny Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 7:15 pm
	I'm trying to figure out all the SMS games Mark Cerny worked on and what role he had in making them. His Atari/Genesis/Crystal Dynamics/Universal games all seem to be well documented as they get asked about more interviews but other than "Shanghai and 3D glasses games" I can't find any info on his SMS stuff. Any clues?

Raccoon Lad Joined: 16 Dec 2004 Posts: 495 Location: El Cerrito, CA	Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 4:27 pm
	The instruction manual to Shooting Gallery says "*designed for Sega by Mark Cerny" don't know if that helps or not.

NeoZeedeater Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 28 Location: Vancouver, Canada	Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 4:53 pm
	Thanks. That's exactly the kind of stuff I'm looking for. I didn't think any first-party SMS games credited anyone in the instruction books.

Maxim Site Admin Joined: 19 Oct 1999 Posts: 14564 Location: London	Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 4:57 pm
	Well, there's one person who'd definitely know...

NeoZeedeater Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 28 Location: Vancouver, Canada	Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 5:37 pm
	Ah, yes. That would be the best way. :) I just emailed him.

NeoZeedeater Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 28 Location: Vancouver, Canada	Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 10:46 pm
	Here's Mark's reply - Quote Hi Sean, Shooting Gallery: sole programmer, designer. Missile Defense 3-D: sole programmer, designer. Shanghai and California Games conversions: sole programmer. That's it! Each of the projects typically had one artist. Mark

CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 665	Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 11:14 pm
CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 665	Interesting to know that an American was responsible for those games.

DMEnduro Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 420 Location: Australia	Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 5:45 am
	Can we now assume that 'Mark' who scored 1010 in Skating in California Games is Mark Cerny? California Games-01.png (3.71 KB) California Games default high scores

Jacko Joined: 01 Feb 2004 Posts: 1464 Location: Sunny ol Tamworth, New England NSW AU	Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 9:35 am
	It nearly almost leads you to the idea as to weather the other high scroes could be game testers or could even be a relationship of Mark Cerny. But it is an interesting fact you pointed out DM.

CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 665	Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:32 am
CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 665	Jacko wrote It nearly almost leads you to the idea as to weather the other high scroes could be game testers or could even be a relationship of Mark Cerny. But it is an interesting fact you pointed out DM. I can't imagine they had all those Americans working in Japan, but I could be wrong.

Bock Site Admin Joined: 08 Jul 2001 Posts: 8609 Location: Paris, France	Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:55 am
	Kinda not bringing new relevent information here, but Mark Cerny is getting an award: http://www.industrygamers.com/news/mark-cerny-headed-for-aias-hall-of-fame/ There 's a little bio here. Cerny also worked for Sega in Tokyo, transitioning from arcade games to cartridge-based games, and he created Shooting Gallery for the Sega Master System. Cerny was so far ahead of his time that during the 1980s he even worked on a line of 3-D games using active shutter glasses, and an online games network. Upon returning to the U.S. for Sega, he then founded and managed the Sega Technical Institute and oversaw the development of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Not sure what they imply by "a line of 3-D games".

BrianC Joined: 28 Mar 2006 Posts: 36	Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 1:34 am
BrianC Joined: 28 Mar 2006 Posts: 36	Interesting. I wonder if Mark Cerny would know why California Games and Shanghai have FM sound.

CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 665	Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 10:52 am
CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 665	Bock wrote Not sure what they imply by "a line of 3-D games". Probably Missile Defense 3-D.

Maxim Site Admin Joined: 19 Oct 1999 Posts: 14564 Location: London	Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:05 am
	BrianC wrote Interesting. I wonder if Mark Cerny would know why California Games and Shanghai have FM sound. Probably because the sound was built on a generic engine. They may also have been considering releasing them in Japan.

CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 665	Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:07 am
CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 665	Maxim wrote Probably because the sound was built on a generic engine. They may also have been considering releasing them in Japan. Is there any evidence that Sega considered releasing the FM Unit outside of Japan?

Bock Site Admin Joined: 08 Jul 2001 Posts: 8609 Location: Paris, France	Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:13 am
	CRV maybe you should set up an interview with him?

CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 665	Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:19 am
CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 665	Bock wrote CRV maybe you should set up an interview with him? I e-mailed him a long time ago (a couple years?) and never got a reply.

Bock Site Admin Joined: 08 Jul 2001 Posts: 8609 Location: Paris, France	Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 3:19 am
	There's a long interview on 1UP: http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3178907 Mostly the SMS era is part 2 ( but I suggest watching from the beginning ).

Bock Site Admin Joined: 08 Jul 2001 Posts: 8609 Location: Paris, France	Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 8:39 pm
	Mark Cerny came to visit us yesterday so i thought it would be fun to bring some games and get them signed by him. He mentioned how the different sprites angle/size for Missile Defense 3-D were rendered using a Fortran program. Whereas Shooting Gallery was manual artwork (which is a bit surprising because Shooting Gallery looks very CG-ish). IMG_1114.jpg (167.48 KB)

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