PlayStation architect Mark Cerny has revealed that he’s “nearing the end” of his career and as such wants to “pay it forward” by investing into future generations of game developers. To that end, he’s teamed with Geoff Keighley to form The Nova Games Foundation, which offers grants worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to aspiring developers.
Speaking with Game File, the pair revealed their g goal is to give $100,000 each to 20 young game developers annually, with eligibility for up to half-a-million dollars for the most promising projects. Nova will also work to connect developers with publishers and marketing their titles, but won’t see any financial reward from its investments.
“I’ve always wanted to give back, but given my role in the industry, I’ve never felt it appropriate to commercially invest in games,” commented Keighley. “I’ve never owned stock in a game company or taken a financial stake in a game. Nova is philanthropy: we aren’t taking equity or looking to recoup the grants. The return we’re hoping for is creative—helping new voices make games and find their footing. Mark and I have each made multi-million-dollar donations to establish the foundation, and we intend to keep contributing. We hope others will join us.”
“The industry has changed immeasurably since I started in games in 1982,” added Cerny. “These graduates have talent, training and tools that outclass what we had back in the day by an astonishing amount. But they face a tough road ahead getting traction in the industry, and many could benefit from our support. We want to be there to give it to them.”
Cerny has served as the architect on a number of key PlayStation hardware including the Vita, PS4, and PS5. He previously worked at Sega and worked on titles including Sonic The Hedgehog 2, and has also spent time at companies such as Atari, Crystal Dynamics and Universal Interactive Studios.