Mark Crowe
Mark Crowe | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Video game designer, artist, writer |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Known for | Co-creator of the Space Quest franchise |
Mark Crowe is a prominent American video game designer, artist, and writer, renowned for his work on adventure games at Sierra On-Line and its branch Dynamix. He later took on the role of Studio Design Director at Pipeworks Software. Crowe is chiefly celebrated for co-creating the Space Quest franchise with fellow developer Scott Murphy, often referred to as the "Guy from Andromeda."
Biography
Crowe's career at Sierra began in the Art Department, where he was responsible for designing packaging and manuals. His early contributions include work on titles such as Winnie the Pooh in the Hundred Acre Wood and King's Quest II. He then collaborated with programmer Scott Murphy as Art Director on The Black Cauldron.
Their mutual enthusiasm for science fiction inspired them to pitch a four-room concept to Sierra founder Ken Williams, which evolved into the opening scenes of Space Quest. Released in 1986, the game quickly became popular, leading Crowe and Murphy to develop three additional sequels, culminating with Space Quest IV in 1991. During this timeframe, Crowe also contributed his talents to other Sierra franchises including King's Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, and Police Quest. Subsequently, Crowe relocated to Dynamix in Eugene, Oregon, where he independently developed Space Quest V and contributed to the Earthsiege series.
After significant layoffs at both Sierra and Dynamix in 1999, Crowe joined former colleagues at Pipeworks Software, assuming the position of Studio Design Director. His projects there featured titles such as Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.
In 2012, Crowe reunited with Murphy and Chris Pope to establish Guys from Andromeda. Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, they embarked on developing SpaceVenture, a spiritual successor to the original Space Quest series.
By 2015, with Murphy temporarily stepping away, Crowe and Pope concentrated on a segment of SpaceVenture centered around a character named Cluck Yegger. To generate additional funding, they released this segment as an independent game titled Cluck Yegger in Escape From The Planet of The Poultroid. This game was initially made available exclusively to backers on October 29, 2015, before its public launch on Steam on November 9, 2015.
External links
- Mark Crowe profile at MobyGames