Mark Cerny: Our goal in developing consoles is not to create inexpensive PCs

Mark Cerny continues to build on his already impressive career accomplishments.

While last year's success of Spider-Man 2, where Cerny acted as executive producer, was notable, his latest feat is equally remarkable in its own right.

"I just completed Animal Well, and prior to that, I was deeply involved in Neon White, my first experience with speedrunning," Cerny shared. "Achieving platinum in that game was tough. I wasn't sure I had it in me because, heading towards 60, my reflexes are not what they were when I was a teenager playing in arcades. But pushing through it was a rewarding challenge, different from the character action games like Spider-Man that I’ve worked on."

Discussing his longstanding role in the industry, Cerny highlighted that despite being the architect behind PlayStation hardware, what intrigues him in a game is its novelty rather than its technical prowess. Throughout his 42-year tenure in the gaming world, Cerny has never relinquished the role of a gamer.

"I remain an avid player," he disclosed, "I started this journey over 40 years ago as an arcade enthusiast." He recounted his early days, particularly as one of the top Defender players in the country, which eventually landed him a job at Atari. A chance encounter with a reporter writing a book on arcade strategies led to an introduction at Atari Coin-Op, marking the start of his storied career.

From designing and programming titles like Marble Madness and Major Havoc in the '80s to producing classic platformers such as Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro the Dragon in the '90s, Cerny’s resume is diverse. More recently, he has been at the forefront of developing the PlayStation 4 and 5 hardware. His career's diversity, he believes, has been crucial to its longevity.

"The industry has evolved immensely over the past four decades, and those who stay active long-term often have varied experiences," Cerny said. He mentioned his conversations with Amy Hennig, noting that her multifaceted roles in writing, animating, and directing resemble his own diverse technical roles, ranging from programming to hardware development.

"It's not bittersweet at all to say that instead of creating games, I've chosen to support the creation of the games."

At the beginning of his career, specialized roles in game development were not common. When he joined Atari in 1982, one person often performed multiple functions such as programming, designing, and creating artwork. Only in the 1990s did specialization start to become the norm.

Although Cerny continues to engage in multiple facets, today's gamers might primarily recognize him as the mind behind the PlayStation 4 and 5 architectures. With the PS5 approximately halfway through its lifecycle, Cerny has observed some surprising uses of its features by developers.

"The extent of ray-tracing utilization has been unexpected," he remarked. "Including it was a late and significant decision, and I thought its use would emerge gradually. However, we saw it being used in launch titles itself. This early adoption was delightful. Similarly, the push towards 60 frames per second has been notable. Contrary to previous generations where 30 frames per second was common to allow for more detailed artwork, the trend now is for games to run at 60 frames per second, which gamers greatly prefer."

Discussing the creation of consoles, Cerny noted that it typically takes around four years, which is now less time than what is often required to develop triple-A games. Currently, there’s substantial focus on the lengthy development cycles of these major titles, a path ultimately chosen by the developers themselves.

"When it comes to consoles, my goal has been to significantly reduce the time developers need to start working on their games. I refer to this as 'time to triangle'. Essentially, it measures the duration required to get a basic graphical element, like a triangle, displayed on the screen. While this might seem straightforward, with the first PlayStation, it took around a month. However, by the time PlayStation 3 was out, it demanded about six months to a year. I have been striving to shorten this duration. For PlayStation 4 and 5, it now takes only about a month or two to set up the basic graphical framework on these systems.

"I often browse online forums and notice questions about why, despite reduced 'time to triangle', modern game development still takes years. The reason lies in the ambition of game development teams. These teams aim to create expansive projects that require four to six years to complete."

"To have a compelling career in gaming, don't limit yourself to one role... After decades, diversifying your responsibilities will keep your work interesting."

The trend in game development is increasingly shifting towards creating titles for multiple platforms. Even PlayStation is releasing its games on PC, although typically a few years after the console launch. The bespoke technologies in consoles can sometimes complicate porting games to other platforms. Cerny acknowledges this issue but sees it as an opportunity for leadership.

“One thrilling aspect of designing console hardware is the flexibility in what we can incorporate," Cerny says. "Unlike building a budget PC, we're not restricted by any norms. For instance, if we believe immersive and dimensional audio can be enhanced by a dedicated complex math unit, we can integrate that. If fast SSDs are the future over HDDs, we can introduce a comprehensive system in the console to ensure full adoption.

"I like to think we occasionally guide the broader industry, benefiting PC gamers as well. For example, the efficient GPU interfaces on PS4 possibly influenced the improvement of DirectX. Similarly, launching PS5 in 2020 with a high-performance integrated SSD might have pressured the PC sector to expedite their DirectStorage API development for gamers.

"Another recent trend is console exclusives, initially tailored for PlayStation, being adapted for PC. This transition has been easier than expected, mainly resulting in higher minimum specifications for the PC versions, like more CPUs or RAM to make up for the missing console systems.”

Players now have the option to enjoy PlayStation games on PC and can use PlayStation hardware like the DualSense controller and PlayStation VR 2. Simultaneously, AAA game developers are adapting their titles for mobile platforms, leading to a blurred line between different gaming platforms. However, Cerny believes consoles still hold a vital place in the gaming ecosystem.

He cites an entertaining video by Linus Tech Tips, where an attempt was made to build a $500 gaming PC that surpasses the PlayStation 5.

"They had to use a second-hand motherboard," he notes. "That was their only way to match a PlayStation 5's performance at the same price. And with used parts, you could just get a used PlayStation 5 on eBay for about $300."

"As long as we offer an appealing package, the future of consoles remains promising."

This year, Cerny turns 60, a milestone that often prompts reflection on one's career. While he avoids nostalgia, he fondly remembers when a single designer could manage a significant portion of a game, or even an entire game.

"As long as we offer an appealing package, the future of consoles remains promising."

"I'm not referencing what are now deemed indie games, but what were considered AAA titles back then. Take Crash Bandicoot 2, for example—if you found an apple on your path, chances are I placed it there."

From the Atari era to today, Cerny has transitioned from direct game creation to more supportive roles, enabling him to collaborate with various developers on diverse projects.

"I'm witnessing incredible games coming to life," he reveals. "It's not bittersweet to say I've opted to support game creation rather than making games. Exceptional work is underway."

With a major birthday approaching, retirement crosses his mind.

"It's something I contemplate," he admits, "yet I believe I still have time left in the industry."

Some might have wished for a firm statement against retirement.

"Clint Eastwood serves as a good role model," he concludes, apparently inspired by Eastwood's film directing well into his 90s, though not his movies with a chimpanzee co-star."