Ed Boon
Encyclopedia
Edward J. Boon is an American
video game programmer
who had been employed for over 15 years at Midway
. He now works for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in its subsidiary company called NetherRealm Studios
which was renamed from Midway Games after Warners Bros purchased it, where he is the executive producer of the Mortal Kombat series.
is a co-creator of the Mortal Kombat
fighting game
series. He continues to work on the ongoing series of games, movies
and TV shows
. Boon is generally credited as the lead programmer while Tobias is lead designer. He has also provided voice acting and motion capture
for the games, most notably providing the voice of Scorpion
in all of the games, as well as both feature films.
Boon graduated high school from Loyola Academy
in Wilmette, Illinois. He graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
with a Bachelor of Science
degree in mathematics
and computer science
. He was ranked #100 in IGN
's "Top 100 Game Creators" especially noting his involvement in the Mortal Kombat series.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
video game programmer
Game programmer
A game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...
who had been employed for over 15 years at Midway
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
. He now works for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in its subsidiary company called NetherRealm Studios
NetherRealm Studios
NetherRealm Studios is an American video game developer based in Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded in 2010 replacing WB Games Chicago and Midway Games, which purchased assets in 2009 that were formerly owned by Midway Games Chicago after Midway filed for bankruptcy...
which was renamed from Midway Games after Warners Bros purchased it, where he is the executive producer of the Mortal Kombat series.
Biography
Boon, along with John TobiasJohn Tobias
John Tobias is an American comic book artist, graphic designer and video game designer. Along with Ed Boon he is one of the creators of the groundbreaking Mortal Kombat fighting game series....
is a co-creator of the Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat (series)
Mortal Kombat, commonly abbreviated MK, is a science fantasy series of fighting games created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. The first four renditions and their updates were developed by Midway Games and initially released on arcade machines. The arcade titles were later picked up by Acclaim...
fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
series. He continues to work on the ongoing series of games, movies
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and TV shows
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
. Boon is generally credited as the lead programmer while Tobias is lead designer. He has also provided voice acting and motion capture
Motion capture
Motion capture, motion tracking, or mocap are terms used to describe the process of recording movement and translating that movement on to a digital model. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, and medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robotics...
for the games, most notably providing the voice of Scorpion
Scorpion (Mortal Kombat)
Scorpion is a recurring player and boss character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He has been a playable character in all the games, with the exception of the original version of Mortal Kombat 3.-In video games:...
in all of the games, as well as both feature films.
Boon graduated high school from Loyola Academy
Loyola Academy
Loyola Academy is a private, co-educational college preparatory high school, located in Wilmette, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, it is one of 47 Jesuit high schools in the United States and is a member of the Jesuit Secondary Education...
in Wilmette, Illinois. He graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and 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...
. He was ranked #100 in IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's "Top 100 Game Creators" especially noting his involvement in the Mortal Kombat series.
Video games
- High Impact
- Super High Impact
- Smash TVSmash TVSmash TV is a 1990 arcade game created by Eugene Jarvis and Mark Turmell for Williams. Home versions were developed for various platforms and most were published by Acclaim Entertainment.-Description:...
(All voices) - Mortal KombatMortal Kombat (video game)Mortal Kombat is a 1992 fighting-game developed and published by Midway for arcades. In 1993, home versions were released by Acclaim Entertainment. Released in the Fall of 1994, the Microsoft Windows 3.1x version was released by Activision Interactive. It is the first title in the Mortal Kombat...
- Mortal Kombat IIMortal Kombat IIMortal Kombat II is a competitive fighting game originally produced by Midway Games for the arcades in . It is the second game in the Mortal Kombat series. Like its predecessor, various home versions were produced...
- Mortal Kombat 3Mortal Kombat 3Mortal Kombat 3 is a fighting game developed by Midway and released in 1995, first as an arcade game. It is the third game in the Mortal Kombat series...
- Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is a fighting game in the Mortal Kombat series, released in arcades in 1995. It is an update of Mortal Kombat 3 and was later updated again into Mortal Kombat Trilogy...
- Ultimate Mortal KombatUltimate Mortal KombatUltimate Mortal Kombat is the 18th game in the Mortal Kombat series, released exclusively for the Nintendo DS. The release combines updated versions of the previously available Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and the Puzzle Kombat minigame from Mortal Kombat: Deception into a single...
- Mortal Kombat TrilogyMortal Kombat TrilogyMortal Kombat Trilogy is a fighting game developed and published by Midway in 1996. It is a compilation of content from the previous Mortal Kombat titles, based primarily upon the gameplay mechanics of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3...
- Mortal Kombat 4Mortal Kombat 4Mortal Kombat 4 is the fourth main game in the Mortal Kombat series of fighting video games developed by Midway Games. Released to arcades in 1997, Mortal Kombat 4 is the first title from the series to use 3D computer graphics as well as one of the first games that Midway made in 3D. Eurocom later...
- Mortal Kombat Gold
- The GridThe Grid (arcade game)The Grid is a 2001 arcade game by Midway. It is a third person shooter in the form of a super-violent television game show hosted by a Smash TV-like host. It was created by the developers behind the Mortal Kombat series of games. It also has cameos from the Mortal Kombat characters Sub-Zero,...
- Mortal Kombat: Deadly AllianceMortal Kombat: Deadly AllianceMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, originally known as Mortal Kombat V: Vengeance or simply Mortal Kombat 5, is a fighting game developed and published by Midway for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo GameCube, and Game Boy Advance...
- Mortal Kombat: DeceptionMortal Kombat: DeceptionMortal Kombat: Deception is a fighting game developed and published by Midway as the sixth installment for the Mortal Kombat series. It was released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in October 2004, while a Nintendo GameCube version was published in March 2005. Mortal Kombat: Deception follows the...
- Mortal Kombat: Shaolin MonksMortal Kombat: Shaolin MonksMortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks is an action/beat-em-up video game based on the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games. Shaolin Monks was developed by Midway LA and published by Midway for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox...
- Mortal Kombat: ArmageddonMortal Kombat: ArmageddonMortal Kombat: Armageddon is the seventh game in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. The PlayStation 2 version was released in stores on October 11, 2006 while the Xbox version was released on the October 16, with a Wii version released on May 29, 2007 in North America.The game was not released...
- Mortal Kombat vs. DC UniverseMortal Kombat vs. DC UniverseMortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is a crossover fighting game from Midway Games and Warner Bros. Games. The eighth game in the Mortal Kombat series, MK vs. DC was released on November 16, . MK vs. DC contains characters from both the Mortal Kombat franchise and the DC Universe...
- Mortal Kombat (2011)
Pinball
- F-14 Tomcat (1987; effects)
- Space Station: Pinball Rendezvous (1987; software and effects)
- Banzai Run (1988; effects)
- Taxi (1988; software and effects)
- Black Knight 2000Black Knight (pinball)Black Knight is a 1980 pinball game designed by Steve Ritchie and released by Williams Electronics.This game is known for its two-level playfield , and introduced the patented "Magna-Save", in which a player-controlled magnet is used to prevent outlane drains. This was first of a series of four...
(1989; software and effects) - FunHouseFunHouseFunHouse is a pinball game designed by Pat Lawlor. It was released in 1990 by Williams Electronics. As its title suggests, the game is themed after the concept of a funhouse, a walk-through amusement park featuring many attractions....
(1990; Voice of Rudy)
Film
- Mortal KombatMortal Kombat (film)Mortal Kombat is a 1995 American action and adventure film directed by Paul Anderson. Based on the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games, the film was the first part of the Mortal Kombat film series...
(as the voice of ScorpionScorpion (Mortal Kombat)Scorpion is a recurring player and boss character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He has been a playable character in all the games, with the exception of the original version of Mortal Kombat 3.-In video games:...
) - Mortal Kombat Annihilation (as the voice of Scorpion)
- Mortal Kombat: LegacyMortal Kombat: LegacyMortal Kombat: Legacy is an American web series anthology that debuted on Machinima.com's YouTube channel on April 11, 2011. The show is an adaptation of the fictional universe of the Mortal Kombat video game franchise...
(Cameo appearance in Ep.#3)
External links
- E3 Video Interview
- Ed Boon at TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...