Jonathan Ackley Explained

Jonathan Ackley
Birth Place:United States
Occupation: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 LucasArts Games The Curse of Monkey Island.[1]

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 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

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ten Years Ago: LucasArts' Monkey Island Duo . https://archive.today/20130127110021/http://kotaku.com/threepish/ . dead . January 27, 2013 . . July 11, 2012 .
  2. Web site: Jonathan Ackley Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications - Justia Patents Search. 2021-03-10. patents.justia.com.
  3. Web site: LucasArts' Secret History: The Curse of Monkey Island: Captains' Logs: Ackley, Jordan, and Ahern. . July 11, 2012.
  4. Web site: Mike Levine & Larry Ahern . . July 11, 2012.
  5. Web site: 2005-02-06. And The Winner Is.... 2021-03-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20050206152953/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/009/194/1997_cgsp_awards.html. February 6, 2005.
  6. Web site: CGW Museum - Galleries. 2021-03-10. www.cgwmuseum.org.
  7. Book: PC Gamer 1998 12. December 1998.
  8. Web site: The Curse of Monkey Island Review.
  9. Web site: Jonathan Ackley ensures my future children get lost at Disney World (UPDATE: Ahern shares culpability!) . . July 11, 2012.
  10. Web site: 2012-02-27. Interview: Imagineer Jonathan Ackley details the creation of 'Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom' at Walt Disney World. 2021-03-10. Inside the Magic. en-US.
  11. Web site: Thea Award recipients: 1994-2021. 2021-03-10. teaconnect.org. January 11, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150111192454/http://www.teaconnect.org/Blog/THEA-Blog/index.cfm?id=2261. dead.
  12. Web site: Kim Possible replaced by Agent P's World Showcase Adventure. 2021-03-10. Fort Fiends. en-US.
  13. Web site: Brigante. Ricky. 2012-03-28. Sorcerers at Sea: Muppet Adventure Game adds high-tech hilarity to Midship Detective Agency aboard the Disney Fantasy. 2021-03-10. Inside the Magic. en-US.
  14. Web site: Gaudiosi. John. 2018-07-02. Disney Turns to Video Games to Make Its Theme Park Lines Fun. 2021-03-10. Variety. en-US.
  15. Web site: Disney. Doctor. 2012-02-17. My talk with Imagineer / Creative Director Jonathan Ackley on Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. 2021-03-10. Doctor Disney. en-US.
  16. Web site: Brigante. Ricky. 2012-02-27. VIDEO: Interview with Imagineer Jonathan Ackley about Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, Blue Man Group update, attraction opening and closing news, and more.. 2021-03-10. Inside the Magic. en-US.
  17. Web site: 2013-04-08. Magic Kingdom A Pirates Adventure: Treasure of the Seven Seas - Preview. 2021-03-10. AllEars.Net. en-US.
  18. Web site: 2018-07-15. Play Disney Parks App. 2021-03-10. Family Choice Awards. en-US.
  19. Web site: Jonathan Ackley - Animal Repair Shop. 2021-03-10. www.animalrepairshop.com.
  20. Web site: Jonathan Ackley - Animal Repair Shop. 2021-03-10. www.animalrepairshop.com.

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