Cory Barlog
{{Short description|American video game developer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Cory Barlog
| image = Cory Barlog, Gamelab 2019 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Barlog in June 2019
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|9|2}}
| birth_place =
| occupation = {{hlist|Video game designer|director|writer}}
| years_active = 2000–present
| known_for = God of War series
}}
Cory Barlog (born September 2, 1975) is an American video game designer, director, and writer who is the current creative director of video game development at Santa Monica Studio. He is best known for his work on the God of War series.
Early life
Barlog was born on September 2, 1975,{{cite tweet |number=1565814901641461760 |title=another lap around the sun for us both, huh Keanu? |last=Barlog |first=Cory |user=corybarlog |date=September 2, 2022 |accessdate=December 23, 2024 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902213358/https://twitter.com/corybarlog/status/1565814901641461760 |archivedate=September 2, 2022 |url-status=live }}{{cite tweet |number=1553548652546703361 |title=Im 46, been making games for 24 years. |last=Barlog |first=Cory |user=corybarlog |date=July 30, 2022 |accessdate=December 23, 2024 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731100257/https://twitter.com/corybarlog/status/1553548652546703361 |archivedate=July 31, 2022 |url-status=live }} the son of fantasy novelist J. M. Barlog.{{cite web |url=http://jmbarlog.com/ |title=Home |website=jmbarlog.com}}
Career
In his early career, Barlog worked as a lead animator at Paradox Development on Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home and X-Men: Next Dimension. After joining Santa Monica Studio, he was the lead animator for God of War (2005) and directed God of War II (2007), for which he won a BAFTA for his writing work on the game. He also served as game director of God of War III (2010) for the first eight months of its development.{{cite web | title=God of War III officially PS3-bound | publisher=Gamespot | url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6182430.html|date=2007-11-06| accessdate=2007-11-07}} Although not part of Sony at the time, he helped in writing God of War: Ghost of Sparta (2010).
Barlog was a keynote speaker at ECAROcon 2008, and later worked at LucasArts. In an interview, he announced that he was working on a tie-in video game for the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road. He was reported to be in Sweden to develop the title with Avalanche Studios, best known for Just Cause. Despite various gaming websites confirming that the game was in development over the coming years, Barlog had left Avalanche Studios early in its development and the game never materialized.
In March 2012, it was announced that Barlog had joined Crystal Dynamics to direct the cinematics for the new Tomb Raider game and direct an unannounced game.{{cite news|title=Ex-God of War director joins Tomb Raider developer|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-03-02-ex-god-of-war-director-joins-tomb-raider-developer|accessdate=2012-03-02}}{{cite news | title=Cory Barlog joins Crystal Dynamics to work on Tomb Raider and unannounced game | url=https://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/3/2/2839697/cory-barlog-joins-crystal-dynamics-to-work-on-tomb-raider-and|website=Polygon|accessdate=June 16, 2019|date=March 2, 2012}} However, he left the company in April 2013.{{cite web| title=LinkedIn profile | url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/corybarlog}}
In August 2013, it was announced that Barlog would return to Santa Monica Studio.{{cite web | title=Cory Barlog Returns to Sony Santa Monica Studio | publisher=PlayStation.Blog | url=http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/08/09/cory-barlog-returns-to-sony-santa-monica-studio/|date=2013-08-09| accessdate=2013-08-09}} He is the studio's creative director and directed God of War (2018). For the game, he won awards for Best Game Direction and Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2018,{{cite web |last1=Gach |first1=Ethan |title=God of War Wins Game Of The Year At The 2018 Game Awards |url=https://kotaku.com/god-of-war-wins-game-of-the-year-at-the-2018-game-award-1830927034 |website=Kotaku |date=7 December 2018 |accessdate=7 December 2018}} Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction and Game of the Year at the 22nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards,{{cite web |url=https://www.interactive.org/games/video_game_details.asp?idAward=2019&idGame=1613 |title=D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details God of War |publisher=Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences |website=interactive.org |access-date=22 February 2024}} and the BAFTA Games Award for Best Game. He also wrote the foreword to the novelization of the game, which was written by his father. He also produced the sequel God of War Ragnarök (2022).{{Cite web|date=2021-06-02|title=Hermen Hulst Q&A: What's Next for PlayStation Studios|url=https://blog.playstation.com/2021/06/02/hermen-hulst-qa-whats-next-for-playstation-studios/|access-date=2021-06-02|website=PlayStation.Blog|language=en-US}}
Games
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ !Year !Game !Role !Studio |
| 1999
| Artist |
| 2000
|Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots Arena | Animator |
| 2002
| Lead animator | Paradox Development |
| 2003
|Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home | Lead animator | Paradox Development |
| 2005
| Lead animator |
| 2007
|Game director, story writer | Santa Monica Studio |
| 2008
|God of War: Chains of Olympus |Story writer | Santa Monica Studio |
| 2010
|Initial design, story layout | Santa Monica Studio |
| 2010
|Story writer | Santa Monica Studio |
| 2013
|Cinematics director |
| 2018
|Game director, story writer | Santa Monica Studio |
| 2022
|Creative director, producer | Santa Monica Studio |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://corybarlog.blogspot.com/ Cory Barlog blog]
- [http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,73050/ MobyGames profile]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080602133414/http://www.mega64.com/marcus101.htm Cory Barlog interview with Mega 64]
{{portal bar|Video games|United States}}
{{Santa Monica Studio}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barlog, Cory}}
Category:American video game designers
Category:People from Sacramento, California