Michael Cranford

Last updated
Michael Cranford
Michael Cranford 2021.png
Born (1963-06-05) June 5, 1963 (age 60)
Orange, California, U.S.
Alma mater University of Southern California
Occupations
Employers
Known for
Children3

Michael Cranford (born June 5, 1963) is a video game designer and programmer. As a designer and programmer his works include The Bard's Tale, The Bard's Tale II, and Dark Seed. Cranford left the video game industry in 1992 to pursue an academic career as an ethicist.

Contents

Game designer

Cranford was the designer and programmer of 1985's The Bard's Tale [1] and 1986's The Bard's Tale II: The Destiny Knight role-playing video games published by Interplay Productions. He also programmed the Apple II version of Donkey Kong , the Commodore 64 version of Super Zaxxon , as well as Maze Master (a spiritual predecessor of The Bard's Tale). His last video game was Dark Seed for Cyberdreams in 1992. He left the video game industry to pursue graduate studies, and thus was not involved in the creation of 1988's The Bard's Tale III . Almost thirty years later, however, he was approached by inXile Entertainment to assist with the development of The Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep and had agreed to provide feedback and advice for the new game. [2]

Games

NameYearCredited withPublisher
Story Machine (VIC-20 port)1983programmer Human Engineered Software
Maze Master1983designer, programmerHuman Engineered Software
Super Zaxxon (C64 port)1984programmerHuman Engineered Software
Donkey Kong (Apple II port)1984programmer Atarisoft
The Bard's Tale 1985designer, programmer Electronic Arts
Borrowed Time 1985writer Activision
The Bard's Tale II: The Destiny Knight 1986designer, programmerElectronic Arts
Centauri Alliance1990designer, programmer Broderbund
Dark Seed 1992designer Cyberdreams

Academic career

He was a professor for eight years at Biola University in La Mirada, California, gaining his Master of Divinity degree from Biola and a master's degree in Social Ethics from the University of Southern California. He is currently an Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at Concordia University in Irvine, California. He studied architecture at the University of California, Berkeley and he holds a degree in philosophy from the University of California, and has completed a Ph.D. in Religion and Social Ethics from the University of Southern California, with a focus on ethics and technology. [3]

Publications

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References

  1. ↑ Tresca, Michael J. (2010-11-16). The Evolution of Fantasy Role-Playing Games. McFarland. pp. 139–. ISBN   9780786458950 . Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  2. ↑ inXile Entertainment, 16 June 2017. "Update 37: Bringing an Iconic Series into the 21st Century". Kickstarter . Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  3. ↑ Cranford, Michael. "LinkedIn". LinkedIn Profile. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
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