Mark Cerny is credited as the lead system architect behind the PS4, PS Vita, and most recently the PS5. This is no small role. In fact, his work and design philosophy on the PS4 is seen as the main reason for its phenomenal success.
How does one end up as the system architect for a console, though? The ten facts below about Mark Cerny and his career paint a clear picture of his accomplishments and influence on the gaming industry. You'll see that he hit the ground running at an early age and never stopped.
10 He Started Working At Atari When He Was 17
Mark Cerny's interest in gaming was sparked at an early age. His passion got him noticed by Atari at the young age of 17. He actually dropped out of school in order to work at the company.
This was the early 80s, so Atari was on top of the world. Getting any job at 17 years old is impressive enough; having it be at one of the most successful gaming companies of the time is simply unbelievable.
9 Marble Madness Was His First Big Game
While not Mark Cerny's first work as a designer and programmer - that honor belongs to Major Havoc - Marble Madness was his first massive success.
In just ten months, Cerny made the game along with Programmer Bob Flanagan and several other artists. Influences on the game included mini-golf and the minimalist aesthetic was influenced by artist MC Escher.
8 He's Fluent In Japanese & Lived In Japan
The game designer's first interaction with Japan came from an extended stint at Sega after leaving Atari. He moved to Japan and lived there for many years, learning the language and also meeting his wife.
In an interview with Game Informer from 2013 he describes the difficulty of learning the language and how few foreigners were in Tokyo in the 1980s and early 1990s. Before learning Japanese he even worked with a programmer who did not speak English.
7 He Worked On Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Knowing the architect of several major Sony consoles also helped make Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is amusing. He established a studio in California following Sega's desire to develop more games in the west which is where the second Sonic game was developed.
The team, the Sega Technical Institute worked on several notable titles and worked on the canceled Sonic X-treme before closing down.
6 He Joined Universal Interactive Studios In 1994
After leaving Sega, Mark Cerny joined Universal as they attempted to join the gaming space. He was the VP of product development and during this time he brought both Naughty Dog and Insomniac onboard.
The two studios developed games exclusively for the PS1, making Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon, Respectively. After leaving the company, he went on to form Cerny games, a consulting company. Naughty Dog and Insomniac are both under the Sony umbrella now.
5 He Has An Influential Game Design Method
Mark Cerny has a unique approach to game design that has influenced numerous other studios throughout the years. Dubbed the Method, it establishes a distinct separation between pre-production and production.
Pre-production should be where ideas flourish and heavy experimentation is encouraged. Once a playable slice is made and approved, the production process is radically different and more focused.
4 He Consulted On Almost Every Naughty Dog & Insomniac Game
Mark Cerny's relationship with Naughty Dog and Insomniac did not end at just signing the deal with Universal Interactive Studios. He also consulted on all the early games.
He had a particularly involved hand with Crash Bandicoot 2: The Wrath of Cortex. His work with Naughty Dog continued all the way until 2007's Uncharted. Insomniac still collaborates with Mark Cerny as recently as Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart.
3 Knack Was The First Game He Directed
Despite all his work in the industry, Mark Cerny does not have a lot of director credits in his name. In fact, 2013's Knack, a PS4 exclusive, is the first game he actually directed.
He explains that in earlier years the director role did not really exist in game development. He also only intended to produce the game but fell into the director role as he became more involved. Knack was heavily marketed but ultimately did not become a Sony mainstay.
2 He Worked On The PS2, As Well
Before becoming the architect for the later Sony consoles, Mark Cerny worked on a graphics engine for the PS2. As a result, he was the first American to have the console. His work on the PS2 started from an invitation extended by Shuhei Yoshida.
This also led to him working once again with Naughty Dog and Insomniac as the two studios were prepping Jak and Daxter and Ratchet and Clank.
1 He Probably Worked On Your Favorite PlayStation Exclusives
Mark Cerny has also worked on a plethora of titles from the modern era. Not all of them are from first-party companies, but most of them are still PlayStation exclusives. On the PS3 he served as a design consultant for God of War 3 and Killzone 3.
On the next generation, he was the executive producer on The Last Guardian and a technical producer on Death Stranding. On The Last Guardian he helped the team bring the game over from PS3 to PS4 where it finally ran smoothly.