Derek Yu
| Derek Yu | |
|---|---|
 Derek Yu at GDC 2007 | |
| Born |
July 2, 1982 Pasadena, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Game designer, artist, blogger |
| Website | http://www.derekyu.com/ |
Derek Yu (born July 2, 1982) is an independent video game designer,[1] game artist,[2] and blogger.
Yu is best known for his games Spelunky, Aquaria, and Eternal Daughter. An early exposure to the Nintendo Entertainment System explains why older titles provide him with inspiration.[3]
Games
Blackeye software
Early in his game-creating career he was associated[4] with a freeware game website solely distributing its own wares, including Diabolika and Eternal Daughter.[5]
Eternal Daughter
Eternal Daughter (2002) is a platform game that was developed over a two-year period.[3][5]
I'm O.K.
A platformer that Yu helped create, I'm O.K - A Murder Simulator, was a response to Jack Thompson's open letter "A Modest Video Game Proposal".[6]
For-profit games
Yu has worked on several games sold outside of traditional distribution channels.
Aquaria
A collaboration between Yu and Alec Holowka,[1] Aquaria is a a side-scrolling video game that takes place underwater.[1] It won the Independent Games Festival's 2007 Seumas McNally Grand Prize,[7][8] was available as a download,[7][9] and was also sold in a Humble Indie Bundle.
According to Yu, "Not only did Aquaria sell well enough that [Alec Holowka and I] could continue making games full time, but the positive feedback we received from players and critics also validated us as artists and helped to put to rest our doubts about whether we were making something worthwhile."[10] However, Bit Blot has yet to produce another title, and the last update to the company's website occurred in 2011.[11] Yu and Holowka live in separate countries,[1] and Holowka cited the long distance nature of the collaboration as a source of tension during a 2008 interview.[2]
Spelunky
Spelunky is a platform game with randomized level generation similar to roguelike games. It is reminiscent of the 1983 game Spelunker. It was released as a freeware game in 2008 and was remade for Xbox 360 in 2012.[12]
PC Gamer UK chose the remake of Spelunky as its 2013 game of the year.[13]
Other games
- Graphical tileset for DoomRL
- Yu has designed a level in Super Mario Maker for Polygon's "Devs Make Mario" series.[14]
References
- 1 2 3 4 Road To The IGF: Bit Blot's Aquaria gamesutra.com, October 23, 2006
- 1 2 Inside Job: Interview; Aquaria Creators Derek Yu, Alec Holowka (page 2/5) escapistmagazine.com, 18 January 2008
- 1 2 4cr Interview - Derek Yu 4colorrebellion.com, September 30th, 2005
- ↑ Blackeye software profile reloaded.org
- 1 2 Eternal Daughter the-underdogs.org (Archive.org cache)
- ↑ Wallis, Alistair (2006-10-23). "Road To The IGF: Bit Blot's Aquaria". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
- 1 2 IGS: Inside The Making Of Aquaria gamesutra.com, February 18, 2008
- ↑ 2007 Finalists and Winners: 2007 Independent Games Festival Winners Independent Games Festival Official Site
- ↑ Aquaria Sets Sale On Steam kotaku.com, Dec 17, 2008
- ↑ Yu, Derek (2016). "1". Spelunky. Los Angeles, CA: Boss Fight Books. p. (kindle ebook location) 117.
- ↑ Holowka, Alec (3 November 2011). "AQUARIA FOR IPAD RELEASED!". bit-blot.com. Bit Blot. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
- ↑ "Major Nelson Xbox Live Marketplace Release Schedule". Retrieved 2012-06-26.
- ↑ "Game of the year 2013: Spelunky". PC Gamer UK. Future plc. 1 January 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
- ↑ Robinson, Nick (2015-08-26). "Watch Spelunky's creator build a hellish stage in Super Mario Maker". Polygon.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Derek Yu. |
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