David Mullich
Encyclopedia
David Mullich is an American
game producer
and designer best known for creating the cult classic
1980 adventure game
The Prisoner
, producing the 1995 adaptation I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream, and developing many games in the Heroes of Might and Magic
franchise. And with a career spanning more than twenty-five years, Mullich worked not only for some of the first computer game publishers
, but went on to work for some of the biggest game companies of today.
The hero, Sir Mullich in Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade
, is named after him. Sir Mullich has one of the best specialities in the game that makes the units under him gained improved speed.
began at the birth of the computer game industry in 1978 when his COBOL
professor at California State University, Northridge
hired him to work as a clerk and programmer at Rainbow Computing
, one of the first computer stores to open in the Los Angeles area. Sherwin Steffin, who was a frequent customer at the store, recruited Mullich to develop games for his new start-up game publishing company, Edu-Ware Services
. Upon graduating in 1980 with a degree in computer science
, Mullich joined Edu-Ware as a full-time employee, and as his first assignment created the ground-breaking adventure game
The Prisoner
.
Mullich went on to design most the Edu-Ware's innovative line of adventure games and role-playing games, and programmed the company's EWS3 graphics engine as well as many of its educational programs
. As the company grew, he was promoted to Vice President of Software Development and managed other programmers coding both entertainment and educational products designed by him and other members of the design staff. After five years, Mullich and several other key Edu-Ware employees left to form their own company, Electric Transit, which specialized in first person 3D games
and became Electronic Arts
’ first affiliated label publisher.
In 1987, Mullich joined Walt Disney Computer Software, where he produced computer and console games based upon Disney characters, films, and television shows with external developers and licensees. Four years later he joined developer Interactive Support Group
to create driving and action game
s for fifth generation console systems CD-I
and 3DO
. Mullich next went on to become development director at game publisher Cyberdreams, where he produced award-winning games in collaboration with notables such as science fiction
author Harlan Ellison
, fantasy
artist H.R. Giger and horror
director Wes Craven
.
While participating in a game design panel at the Computer Game Developer’s Conference
, Mullich met Jon Van Caneghem
, founder of veteran game developer New World Computing
. Van Caneghem hired Mullich in 1997 to lead the thirty-person development team for Heroes of Might and Magic
. Mullich ran the team behind the best-selling strategy game
franchise for five years, including the development of Heroes of Might and Magic III, named by PC Gamer
magazine in 2005 as the 25th best game of all time.
With the financial demise of parent company The 3DO Company
, Mullich left New World for software publishing giant Activision
to produce Star Trek
themed real-time strategy games and the Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
role-playing game
based upon the Half-Life 2
engine.
When his contract with Activision concluded, Mullich was hired by fellow Cyberdreams alumni Jamie Ottilie to be the development director of his mobile game publishing start-up, Abandon Mobile.
Married with children, Mullich makes his home in Valencia, California.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
game 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 designer best known for creating the cult classic
Cult Classic
Cult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
1980 adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
The Prisoner
The Prisoner (computer game)
The Prisoner is a 1980 Apple II computer game produced by Edu-Ware. The game was loosely based upon the 1960s television series The Prisoner and incorporates the show's themes about the loss of individuality in a technological and controlling society...
, producing the 1995 adaptation I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream, and developing many games in the Heroes of Might and Magic
Heroes of Might and Magic
Heroes of Might and Magic is a series of video games originally created and developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing. As part of the Might and Magic franchise, the series changed ownership when NWC was acquired by 3DO and again when 3DO closed down and sold the rights to Ubisoft...
franchise. And with a career spanning more than twenty-five years, Mullich worked not only for some of the first computer game publishers
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
, but went on to work for some of the biggest game companies of today.
- During the filming of Peter JacksonPeter JacksonSir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
's The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
film trilogy, Mullich was a well-known member of the J.R.R. Tolkien on-line fan community, being a news reporter and film messageboard moderater for the website Tolkien Online and, under the pseudonym Ancalagon The Black, publisher of "The Complete List of Film Changes," documenting the differences between the films and the books.
The hero, Sir Mullich in Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade
Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade
Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade is the first of two expansion packs for the turn-based strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic III. It was developed by New World Computing for Microsoft Windows and released by the 3DO Company in 1999....
, is named after him. Sir Mullich has one of the best specialities in the game that makes the units under him gained improved speed.
Career
Mullich's work in computer gamesComputer Games
"Computer Games" is a single by New Zealand group, Mi-Sex released in 1979 in Australia and New Zealand and in 1981 throughout Europe. It was the single that launched the band, and was hugely popular, particularly in Australia and New Zealand...
began at the birth of the computer game industry in 1978 when his COBOL
COBOL
COBOL is one of the oldest programming languages. Its name is an acronym for COmmon Business-Oriented Language, defining its primary domain in business, finance, and administrative systems for companies and governments....
professor at California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge is a public university in Northridge, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California, United States....
hired him to work as a clerk and programmer at Rainbow Computing
Rainbow Computing
Rainbow Computing was an Apple II retailer and software publisher that was established in 1976 in Los Angeles, USA by Gene Sprouse and Glenn Dollar...
, one of the first computer stores to open in the Los Angeles area. Sherwin Steffin, who was a frequent customer at the store, recruited Mullich to develop games for his new start-up game publishing company, Edu-Ware Services
Edu-Ware
Edu-Ware Services, Inc. was an educational and entertainment software publisher established in 1979 by Sherwin Steffin and Steven Pederson It was known for its adventure games, role-playing video games, and flight simulators for the Apple II family of computers.-History:Edu-Ware founders Sherwin...
. Upon graduating in 1980 with a degree in computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, Mullich joined Edu-Ware as a full-time employee, and as his first assignment created the ground-breaking adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
The Prisoner
The Prisoner (computer game)
The Prisoner is a 1980 Apple II computer game produced by Edu-Ware. The game was loosely based upon the 1960s television series The Prisoner and incorporates the show's themes about the loss of individuality in a technological and controlling society...
.
Mullich went on to design most the Edu-Ware's innovative line of adventure games and role-playing games, and programmed the company's EWS3 graphics engine as well as many of its educational programs
Educational software
Educational software is computer software, the primary purpose of which is teaching or self-learning.-Early History, 1940s - 1970s:The use of computer hardware and software in education and training dates to the early 1940s, when American researchers developed flight simulators which used analog...
. As the company grew, he was promoted to Vice President of Software Development and managed other programmers coding both entertainment and educational products designed by him and other members of the design staff. After five years, Mullich and several other key Edu-Ware employees left to form their own company, Electric Transit, which specialized in first person 3D games
First person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
and became Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
’ first affiliated label publisher.
In 1987, Mullich joined Walt Disney Computer Software, where he produced computer and console games based upon Disney characters, films, and television shows with external developers and licensees. Four years later he joined developer Interactive Support Group
Interactive Support Group
Interactive Support Group was an American game developer and console hardware manufacturer specializing in fifth generation console systems CD-I and 3DO....
to create driving and action game
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
s for fifth generation console systems CD-I
CD-i
CD-i, or Compact Disc Interactive, is the name of an interactive multimedia CD player developed and marketed by Royal Philips Electronics N.V. CD-i also refers to the multimedia Compact Disc standard used by the CD-i console, also known as Green Book, which was developed by Philips and Sony...
and 3DO
3DO Interactive Multiplayer
The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer is a video game console originally produced by Panasonic in 1993. Further renditions of the hardware were released in 1994 by Sanyo and Goldstar. The consoles were manufactured according to specifications created by The 3DO Company, and were originally designed by...
. Mullich next went on to become development director at game publisher Cyberdreams, where he produced award-winning games in collaboration with notables such as science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
author Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
, fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
artist H.R. Giger and horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
director Wes Craven
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
.
While participating in a game design panel at the Computer Game Developer’s Conference
Game Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference is the largest annual gathering of professional video game developers, focusing on learning, inspiration, and networking...
, Mullich met Jon Van Caneghem
Jon Van Caneghem
Jon Van Caneghem is an American video game director, designer and producer. He is best known for launching development studio New World Computing in 1983, making his design debut in 1986 with Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum...
, founder of veteran game developer New World Computing
New World Computing
New World Computing, Inc. was an American computer game developer and publisher founded in 1984 by Jon Van Caneghem, his wife, Michaela Van Caneghem, and Mark Caldwell. It was best known for its work on the Might and Magic computer role-playing game series and its spin-offs, especially Heroes of...
. Van Caneghem hired Mullich in 1997 to lead the thirty-person development team for Heroes of Might and Magic
Heroes of Might and Magic
Heroes of Might and Magic is a series of video games originally created and developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing. As part of the Might and Magic franchise, the series changed ownership when NWC was acquired by 3DO and again when 3DO closed down and sold the rights to Ubisoft...
. Mullich ran the team behind the best-selling strategy game
Strategy game
A strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome...
franchise for five years, including the development of Heroes of Might and Magic III, named by PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
magazine in 2005 as the 25th best game of all time.
With the financial demise of parent company The 3DO Company
The 3DO Company
The 3DO Company , also known as 3DO , was a video game company...
, Mullich left New World for software publishing giant Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
to produce Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
themed real-time strategy games and the Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, abbreviated as Bloodlines or VTMB, is a computer role-playing game for Windows developed by Troika Games in 2004...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
based upon the Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
engine.
When his contract with Activision concluded, Mullich was hired by fellow Cyberdreams alumni Jamie Ottilie to be the development director of his mobile game publishing start-up, Abandon Mobile.
Married with children, Mullich makes his home in Valencia, California.
Games
Titles developed or produced by Mullich span three decades. Most of his games are listed below in chronological order (non-entertainment titles excluded).Published by EduWare Services
- Space II (1979)
- Windfall: An Oil Crisis Simulation (1980)
- Network (1980)
- The PrisonerThe Prisoner (computer game)The Prisoner is a 1980 Apple II computer game produced by Edu-Ware. The game was loosely based upon the 1960s television series The Prisoner and incorporates the show's themes about the loss of individuality in a technological and controlling society...
(1980) - Empire I: World Builders (1981)
- Rendezvous: A Space Shuttle Flight Simulation (1982)
- Prisoner 2 (1982)
- Empire II: Interstellar Sharks (1982)
- Tranquility Base (computer game) (1984)
- Empire III: Armageddon (1984)
Published by Electric Transit
- Wilderness: A Survival Adventure (1986)
- Lunar Explorer: A Space Flight Simulator (1986)
Published by Walt Disney Computer Software
- Win, Lose or Draw (1988)
- Matterhorn Screamer (1988)
- The Chase on Tom Sawyer's Island (1988)
- DuckTales: The Quest for GoldDuckTales: The Quest for GoldDuck Tales: The Quest for Gold is a platform game developed by Incredible Technologies for the Amiga, Apple II, Commodore 64 and DOS. It was released in 1990 and published by Walt Disney Computer Software...
(1990) - Mickey's Crossword Puzzle Maker (1991)
Published by Cyberdreams
- I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (1995)
- Dark Seed II (1995)
- Noir: A Shadowy Thriller (1996)
Published by The 3DO Company
- Heroes of Might and Magic III (1999)
- Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's BladeHeroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's BladeHeroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade is the first of two expansion packs for the turn-based strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic III. It was developed by New World Computing for Microsoft Windows and released by the 3DO Company in 1999....
(1999) - Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of DeathHeroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of DeathHeroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death is the second of two expansion packs for the turn-based strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic III. It was developed by New World Computing for Microsoft Windows and released by the 3DO Company in 2000...
(2000) - Heroes Chronicles: Conquest of the Underworld (2000)
- Heroes Chronicles: Masters of the Elements (2000)
- Heroes Chronicles: Warlords of the Wastelands (2000)
- Heroes Chronicles: The Final Chapters (2001)
- Heroes of Might and Magic IVHeroes of Might and Magic IVHeroes of Might and Magic IV is a turn-based strategy game developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing and published by the 3DO Company for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers in 2002. A Macintosh port was subsequently developed by Contraband Entertainment and released by the...
(2002)
Published by Abandon Mobile
- Bode Miller Alpine RacingBode Miller Alpine RacingBode Miller Alpine Racing is a mobile game developed and published by Abandon Mobile, initially released for Verizon Wireless cell phones on January 30, 2006 and then soon afterward on Cingular phones. This skiing game features the four events at which Olympic skier Bode Miller excels: Downhill,...
(2006) - NBC Sports Figure SkatingNBC Sports Figure SkatingNBC Sports Figure Skating is a mobile game developed by Ziggurat Interactive and published by Abandon Mobile in 2006. This game, which was released for both Verizon Wireless and Cingular Wireless cell phones, involves making a figure skater execute moves by carefully timing the correct keypresses...
(2006) - NBC Sports Heads-Up Poker (2006)
- NBC Sports Real GolfNBC Sports Real GolfNBC Sports Real Golf is a mobile game developed by Lucky Chicken Games, a division of the game's publisher, Abandon Mobile. With a license from NBC Sports, this golf features photorealistic graphics, variable course conditions, and multiple club selections....
(2006) - National Heads Up Poker Championship (2007)
- Marine Scout Sniper (2007)
- Freaky CreaturesFreaky CreaturesFreaky Creatures is a fantasy themed massively multiplayer online game from Abandon Interactive Entertainment.Abandon Interactive is distributing the game with collectible action figures. The customer buys a starter pack with two collectible creatures and a reusable one gigabyte USB flash drive....
(2009)
External links
- David Mullich at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Geek of the Week: David Mullich at GamasutraGamasutraGamasutra is a website founded in 1997 for video game developers. It is owned and operated by UBM TechWeb , a division of United Business Media, and acts as the online sister publication to the print magazine Game Developer...
- Fellowship of the Ring at Wired Magazine (includes interview with Mullich and "Ancalagon The Black")
- David Mullich: The Interview at Tea Leaves