Jonathan Ackley

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Jonathan Ackley
Jonathan Ackley 2021.jpg
Ackley in 2021
Born
United States
Occupation(s) Game designer, writer, programmer

Jonathan Ackley is an American interactive theme park attraction and computer game designer, writer, and programmer. He is best known for being the Creative Director and Producer on Walt Disney World's Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom and co-project leader, with Larry Ahern, for LucasArtsGames The Curse of Monkey Island . [1]

Contents

He is an inventor who holds or co-holds more than 35 patents, including for novel game interfaces, theme park systems, rides and attractions, interactive merchandise, RFID, bar codes, consumer media platforms, mobile-powered reservation systems, and parental controls for cellular phones. [2]

Career

Jonathan Ackley began his career as a programmer at LucasArts on Day of the Tentacle in 1993. [3]

He was co-project leader on The Curse of Monkey Island in 1997, an animated pirate adventure that received critical acclaim. [4] The Curse of Monkey Island was nominated for or won many industry awards, including "best adventure game of 1997" by Computer Games Strategy Plus , [5] Computer Gaming World , [6] and PC Gamer US , [7] and GameSpot, which said "The Curse of Monkey Island has all the makings of a classic." [8]

He worked as an associate game designer for Rocket Science Games on Cadillacs and Dinosaurs: The Second Cataclysm in 1994. While there, he was an Associate Game Designer and also a voice actor for the game Loadstar: The Legend of Tully Bodine, playing the role of "Scorpion."

For Mindstorms, the LEGO company's flagship toy robotics line, Ackley crafted the interfaces for Mindstorms' "Robotics Invention System 2.0" and "Mindstorms Vision Command."

Starting in 2001, Mr. Ackley joined Walt Disney Imagineering creating interactive entertainment for their amusement parks. In this function, he co-designed Walt Disney World's Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom with his former Curse of Monkey Island co-lead, Larry Ahern, in 2012. [9] "Insidethemagic.net" called him the "Sorcerer behind 'Sorcerers'" in a 2012 interview with Ackley. [10]

As a Disney Imagineer, Ackley played a major design role in a number of innovative attractions. These included:

The New York Film Academy Game Design hosted Ackley for a 2019 in conversation as part of its "Masters of Game Design" series.

At the beginning of 2021, Ackley left the Walt Disney Company after nearly two decades of work. Most recently he has joined the mixed reality studio Animal Repair Shop as its Vice President of Product Innovation. [20]

Games

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<i>Day of the Tentacle</i> 1993 adventure game

Day of the Tentacle, also known as Maniac Mansion II: Day of the Tentacle, is a 1993 graphic adventure game developed and published by LucasArts. It is the sequel to the 1987 game Maniac Mansion. The plot follows Bernard Bernoulli and his friends Hoagie and Laverne as they attempt to stop the evil Purple Tentacle - a sentient, disembodied tentacle - from taking over the world. The player takes control of the trio and solves puzzles while using time travel to explore different periods of history.

Lucasfilm Games is an American video game licensor and a subsidiary of Lucasfilm. It was founded in May 1982 by George Lucas as a video game development group alongside his film company; as part of a larger 1990 reorganization of the Lucasfilm divisions, the video game development division was grouped and rebranded as part of LucasArts. LucasArts became known for its line of adventure games based on its SCUMM engine in the 1990s, including Maniac Mansion, the Monkey Island series, and several Indiana Jones titles. A number of influential game developers were alumni of LucasArts from this period, including Brian Moriarty, Tim Schafer, Ron Gilbert, and Dave Grossman. Later, as Lucasfilm regained control over its licensing over the Star Wars franchise, LucasArts produced numerous action-based Star Wars titles in the late 1990s and early 2000s, while dropping adventure game development due to waning interest in the genre.

<i>Monkey Island</i> Video game series

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">SCUMM</span> Game engine developed by LucasArts

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<i>Full Throttle</i> (1995 video game) 1995 video game

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<i>The Secret of Monkey Island</i> 1990 video game

The Secret of Monkey Island is a 1990 point-and-click graphic adventure game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games. It takes place in a fictional version of the Caribbean during the age of piracy. The player assumes the role of Guybrush Threepwood, a young man who dreams of becoming a pirate, and explores fictional islands while solving puzzles.

<i>The Curse of Monkey Island</i> 1997 video game

The Curse of Monkey Island is an adventure game developed and published by LucasArts in 1997. A sequel to 1991's Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge, it is the third game in the Monkey Island series.

<i>Monkey Island 2: LeChucks Revenge</i> 1991 adventure video game

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge is an adventure game developed and published by LucasArts in 1991. Players control the pirate Guybrush Threepwood, who searches for the legendary treasure of Big Whoop and faces the zombie pirate LeChuck.

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Ron Gilbert is an American video-game designer, programmer, and producer. His games are generally focused on interactive story-telling, and he is arguably best known for his work on several LucasArts adventure games, including Maniac Mansion and the first two Monkey Island games. In 2009, he was chosen by IGN as one of the top 100 game creators of all time.

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Larry Ahern is an American computer game designer, writer, artist, and animator. He is best known for being the co-project leader on The Curse of Monkey Island, alongside Jonathan Ackley.

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References

  1. "Ten Years Ago: LucasArts' Monkey Island Duo". Kotaku. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  2. "Jonathan Ackley Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  3. "LucasArts' Secret History: The Curse of Monkey Island: Captains' Logs: Ackley, Jordan, and Ahern". The International House of Mojo . Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  4. "Mike Levine & Larry Ahern". Adventure Gamers. January 17, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  5. "And The Winner Is..." February 6, 2005. Archived from the original on February 6, 2005. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  6. "CGW Museum - Galleries". www.cgwmuseum.org. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  7. PC Gamer 1998 12. December 1998.
  8. "The Curse of Monkey Island Review". November 25, 1997.
  9. "Jonathan Ackley ensures my future children get lost at Disney World (UPDATE: Ahern shares culpability!)". The International House of Mojo . Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  10. "Interview: Imagineer Jonathan Ackley details the creation of 'Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom' at Walt Disney World". Inside the Magic. February 27, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  11. "Thea Award recipients: 1994-2021". teaconnect.org. Archived from the original on January 11, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  12. "Kim Possible replaced by Agent P's World Showcase Adventure". Fort Fiends. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  13. Brigante, Ricky (March 28, 2012). "Sorcerers at Sea: Muppet Adventure Game adds high-tech hilarity to Midship Detective Agency aboard the Disney Fantasy". Inside the Magic. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  14. Gaudiosi, John (July 2, 2018). "Disney Turns to Video Games to Make Its Theme Park Lines Fun". Variety. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  15. Disney, Doctor (February 17, 2012). "My talk with Imagineer / Creative Director Jonathan Ackley on Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom". Doctor Disney. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  16. Brigante, Ricky (February 27, 2012). "VIDEO: Interview with Imagineer Jonathan Ackley about Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, Blue Man Group update, attraction opening and closing news, and more". Inside the Magic. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  17. "Magic Kingdom A Pirates Adventure: Treasure of the Seven Seas - Preview". AllEars.Net. April 8, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  18. "Play Disney Parks App". Family Choice Awards. July 15, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  19. "Jonathan Ackley - Animal Repair Shop". www.animalrepairshop.com. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  20. "Jonathan Ackley - Animal Repair Shop". www.animalrepairshop.com. Retrieved March 10, 2021.