Scott Murphy (video game designer)

Scott Murphy
Born	(1954-10-13) October 13, 1954
Occupation(s)	Video game designer, programmer, writer
Known for	Co-creator of the Space Quest series

Scott Murphy (born October 13, 1954) is an American professional known for his work as a video game designer, programmer, and writer, especially in the realm of adventure games. His career is notably linked to Sierra On-Line, where he played a key role in creating several titles. Murphy is most famously credited as the co-creator of the Space Quest franchise, developed alongside his collaborator, Mark Crowe, also known as the "Guy from Andromeda."

Biography

Originating from Sierra's base in Oakhurst, California, Murphy initially worked in a local dining establishment before entering the gaming industry. His introduction to adventure games came through a friend, Doug Oldfield, which led him to join Sierra. Starting out in customer service, Murphy eventually moved into game development and teamed up with Mark Crowe on The Black Cauldron. Taking on the role of sole programmer for this project reinforced his dedication to creating games.

While developing The Black Cauldron, Murphy and Crowe connected over their shared passion for science fiction, inspiring them to design a new concept that became the original Space Quest, launched in 1986. The game quickly attracted a strong following among adventure enthusiasts. Together, they produced three additional sequels, culminating with Space Quest IV in 1991. Besides Space Quest, Murphy contributed to other well-known Sierra series including King's Quest, EcoQuest, and Police Quest. Following Crowe's transfer to Sierra's subsidiary Dynamix in Eugene, Oregon, he developed Space Quest V independently of Murphy. Later on, Murphy returned to the series by taking over development of Space Quest 6 after the original designer, Josh Mandel, left the project.

In 1997, Murphy initiated work on Space Quest 7, but this endeavor was postponed multiple times until Sierra shut down its Oakhurst studio in 1999 during layoffs known as "Chainsaw Monday." Prior to this closure, Murphy had been laid off and subsequently exited the gaming industry to pursue various odd jobs before moving to Alabama to care for his mother.

In 2012, Murphy reunited with Crowe and Chris Pope to establish Guys from Andromeda. Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, they began developing SpaceVenture, intended as a spiritual successor to the original Space Quest series.

External links

• Scott Murphy profile at MobyGames