Glenn Corpes

Glenn Corpes is an independent video game developer.[1] He is best known for his work at Bullfrog Productions on titles including Populous (of which he was a co-creator), Magic Carpet, and Dungeon Keeper.[1] He left Bullfrog in 1999 to form Lost Toys, which developed two games including Battle Engine Aquila. He has since focused on mobile game development and has created Ground Effect for iOS and Topia World Builder for iOS and Android. His latest projects are Fat Owl With A JetPack, and powARdup.[1][2] His work has influenced games such as Minecraft.[1]

Glenn Corpes
OccupationVideo game developer
Known for
Notable work
Populous

Career

Prior to joining Bullfrog, Glenn had been a computer operator, and then a Telex machine OS programmer.[3] He joined Bullfrog after being made redundant from the Telex job,[3] as chief graphics artist.[4] He was a co-designer of Populous,[5] and also designed its graphics.[4][6] Corpes also created the 3D landscape, which Peter Molyneux and Les Edgar were intrigued by.[6] He also wrote functions enabling CGA, EGA, and VGA support,[7] and programmed the Atari ST version.[4]

In 1991, Corpes came up with the idea for Magic Carpet, and created its circular map.[8] He also refined its engine many times, and developed editors and landscape generators to facilitate its use.[9] Corpes wrote the engine of Dungeon Keeper (which was taken from Magic Carpet),[10][1] which became an inspiration for Minecraft.[1] Corpes has held various positions at Bullfrog,[5][11] including head of technology,[12] and head of research and development.[11]

In 1999, Corpes left Bullfrog and founded Lost Toys with Jeremy Longley and Darren Thomas.[13][14][1] The company developed two titles: Moho (also known as Ball Breaker) and Battle Engine Aquila before closing in October 2003.[1][15] Lost Toys had been developing a third title, Stunt Car Racer Pro.[16] Corpes stated that Battle Engine Aquila is "the best thing I ever worked on".[1] Corpes afterwards formed Weridwood, which focused on online-distributed games.[7] At some point, he worked for Kuju Entertainment and Electronic Arts.[1][17] He also worked with 22Cans for a year and did "a bit of work" on Curiosity – What's Inside the Cube?.[1] In May 2001, Edge described Corpes as "one of the most gifted coders working in the game industry".[18]

Corpes developed Ground Effect, a racing game featuring "ground effect vehicles (a cross between hovercraft and aeroplanes) released for iOS in 2009.[1][11] He collaborated with Crescent Moon to develop Topia World Builder, a world simulation game.[19][20] It was released on iOS in October 2012,[20] and its also available on Android.[1] Corpes is developing Fat Owl With A Jetpack, a "Lunar Lander-style game" for iOS.[19] Corpes has said "it's taken way too long!".[1] His latest game, powARdup, was developed with his son, Jack Corpes, and released in October 2017.[2] It is an augmented reality "futuristic collect-and-avoid arcade game".[2]

References
  1. "In The Chair With Glenn Corpes". Retro Gamer. No. 160. Bournemouth: Imagine Publishing. October 2016. pp. 92–97. ISSN 1742-3155.
  2. Jon Jordan (18 October 2017). "Twists and turns: How Glenn Corpes accidentally built the "fastest AR action game"". Pocket Gamer.biz. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  3. "Glenn Corpes Bullfrog". PC Gamer. No. 57. Bath: Future plc. June 1998. p. 38. ISSN 1470-1693.
  4. "Work In Progress Bullfrog". The One. No. 12. EMAP. September 1989. pp. 24–28. ISSN 0955-4084. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  5. "Bullfrog Productions: A History Of The Legendary UK Developer". NowGamer. 22 February 2012. Archived from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  6. "The Making Of: Populous". Edge. 8 May 2009. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  7. "The Making Of: Populous". NowGamer. 27 January 2009. Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  8. "Behind the scenes of Magic Carpet". GamesTM. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  9. "Now that's MAGIC!". PC Gamer. Vol. 1 no. 9. Bath: Future plc. August 1994. pp. 42–50. ISSN 1470-1693.
  10. "The Making Of: Dungeon Keeper". Retro Gamer. No. 143. Bournemouth: Imagine Publishing. pp. 64–69. ISSN 1742-3155.
  11. Spanner Spencer (12 October 2009). "Ground Effect racing toward the iPhone from former EA R&D guru". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  12. Jon Jordan (22 August 2011). "Populous man Glenn Corpes' iOS world manipulation, animal herding game Topia is shaping up impressively". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  13. "An Audience With Lost Toys". Audience. Edge. No. 71. Bath: Future plc. May 1999. pp. 107–111. ISSN 1350-1593.
  14. "The World According To Lost Toys". PC Zone. No. 88. London: Dennis Publishing. April 2000. pp. 158–161. ISSN 0967-8220.
  15. Rob Fahey (2 October 2003). "More UK development woe as Lost Toys shuts its doors". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  16. "Lost Toys to develop Stunt Car Racer Pro". Games Xtreme. 2 May 2003. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  17. Jon Jordan (22 October 2009). "One-man band: Glenn Corpes on how old skool tricks kept Ground Effect under 10MB". Pocket Gamer.biz. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  18. "FAQ Glenn Corpes". Edge. No. 97. Bath: Future plc. May 2001. p. 124. ISSN 1350-1593.
  19. Jared Nelson (29 August 2016). "'Fat Owl With A Jetpack' is a Fast-Paced 'Lunar Lander'-like from the Maker of 'Ground Effect' and 'Topia World Builder'". TouchArcade. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  20. Samit Sarkar (9 October 2012). "Topia World Builder coming to iOS from Populous developer". Polygon. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
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