Frédérick Raynal#No Cliché

Frederick Raynal was born in 1966 in Brive-la-Gaillarde, Corrèze (France).[https://web.archive.org/web/20070228225111/http://www.sanqualis.com/index.php?in=26&it=0 The Road of Trials]. Sanqualis. pp. 24-37. 8 September 2005. Beginning in his high school years, Raynal made early LED games including Laser (1979) for the ZX81. Shifting to software programming and working at his father's computer shop, Raynal's first commercial game, Robix 500 (1983), sold around 80 copies.{{cite web|url=http://www.theswapmeet.com/articles/raynal2.html |title=Frederick Raynal Interview - Game Design Tools, Methods and Technology |publisher=Theswapmeet.com |date=1998-10-21 |accessdate=2012-10-09}} During his time working here, Raynal also designed a suite of Minitel emulators: Minitelec (1986) for the Amstrad 464 through 6128 (Minitelec and Transmitelec), the Amstrad CPC 6128 (Servitelec), and the PC-1512 (Minitelec Pro).http://ludoid.fr/ludographie.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100728031455/http://ludoid.fr/ludographie.htm |date=2010-07-28 }}, Retrieved on October 21, 2010 He also produced graphics for the game PopCorn (1988), which was a moderate commercial success.

After joining the infant Infogrames he ported Alpha Waves (1990), a game which pushed new boundaries in gaming and is considered the first true 3D platform game. The port, from Atari ST to DOS, was actually a complete rewrite in C of the original Motorola 68000 assembly language code written by Christophe de Dinechin, after Raynal convinced Infogrames to make an exception to their policy of not porting assembly-language games. Convinced by his experience with Alpha Waves that the time was ripe for 3D graphics,[https://web.archive.org/web/20080516162704/http://www.adventure-eu.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=207&Itemid=29 Interview with Frederick Raynal] from Adventure Europe[http://uk.retro.ign.com/articles/883/883558p1.html Alone in the Dark retrospective] from IGN he and his team soon went on to produce Alone in the Dark (1992), and worked on parts of the direct sequel (Alone in the Dark 2) before leaving the company. Alone in the Dark was a major contributor to the growth and success of Infogrames, and has since come to be widely regarded as a forefather of the survival horror genre.Leigh Alexander, [https://www.gamedeveloper.com/audio/gdc-2012-inside-the-making-of-i-alone-in-the-dark-i- Inside the Making of Alone in the Dark], Gamasutra, March 9, 2012Fahs, Traves. [http://uk.ign.com/articles/2008/06/23/alone-in-the-dark-restrospective?page=4 Alone in the Dark Restrospective [sic]], IGN, June 23, 2008 More importantly to Raynal himself, he became romantically involved with the game's graphic artist, Yaël Barroz, who gave birth to his first child shortly before Alone in the Dark was released.{{cite magazine|date= May 11, 2010|title=The Making Of: Alone In The Dark|url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/making-alone-dark/|magazine=Edge}}

Raynal formed Adeline Software International under Delphine Software International in 1993 with several former Infogrames members. With this new team, Raynal produced Little Big Adventure (1994), Time Commando (1996), and Little Big Adventure 2 (1997). He was also given special thanks on the PlayStation port of Fade to Black (1995).

{{Infobox company

| name = No Cliché

| logo =

| former_name = Sega Software (1999)

| type = Subsidiary

| predecessor = Adeline Software International

| foundation = {{start date and age|1999}}

| defunct = 2001

| fate = Dissolved

| location = France

| key_people = Frédérick Raynal

| industry = Video games

| products = Toy Commander
Toy Racer

| num_employees =

| parent = Sega

}}

Raynal founded Sega Software in 1999 under Sega after they acquired Adeline, rendering it defunct and pivoted their goals to develop games for the Dreamcast; it was renamed No Cliché shortly after.{{cite magazine | title=In the Studio | url=https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_34/page/n27/mode/2up | magazine=Next Generation | publisher=Imagine Media | issue=34 | date=October 1997 | page=26 | accessdate=October 22, 2020}} Delphine Software International retained rights to their prior games.

No Cliché was best known for its first Dreamcast title, Toy Commander, released in 1999. In 2000, it produced Toy Racer and helped Raster Productions into coding localisation for the European release of its Dreamcast Quake III Arena port. In 2001, Sega Europe stopped development on many Dreamcast European games, causing the company to cease development on its current project at the time, Agartha, a survival horror game.{{cite web | author=Fahs, Travis | date=June 23, 2008 | title=Alone in the Dark Retrospective | url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/06/23/alone-in-the-dark-restrospective | website=IGN | publisher=Ziff Davis | accessdate=October 22, 2020 | archive-date=January 21, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121155409/https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/06/23/alone-in-the-dark-restrospective | url-status=live }} No Cliché remained together for a little while after the cancellation, attempting to create a PC port of Toy Commander. However, the group split before it could be finished.

• Toy Commander (1999)
• Quake III Arena (2000) (European release coding localisation)
• Toy Racer (2000)
• Agartha (cancelled 2001)

Raynal went on to form F4-Toys (later F4) with Bruno Heintz where he began work on an action adventure game Trium Planeta. The game was to follow the style of Little Big Adventure, but was cancelled after a few months. Raynal also worked briefly at Little World Studio before forming his current company, Ludoïd. In 1997, Raynal was credited in the short film, Double Jeu.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121217/fullcredits#cast|title=Double Jeu|publisher=IMDb.com|accessdate=2012-10-09}}

On March 13, 2006, Raynal along with Shigeru Miyamoto and Michel Ancel were knighted by French Minister of Culture and Communication, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, as Knights of Arts and Literature. It was the first time that video game developers were honored this distinction.{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20060315/boissiere_01.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061016122828/http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20060315/boissiere_01.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 16, 2006 |title=Features - From Paris with Love: de Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres |website=Gamasutra |date=17 May 2005 |accessdate=2012-10-09}}

Later, Raynal was involved as a consultant in the design of Soul Bubbles, a game for the Nintendo DS, published by Eidos Interactive.{{cite web|last=Karabinus |first=Alisha |url=http://www.dsfanboy.com/2008/01/31/parisian-studio-popping-out-soul-bubbles/ |title=Parisian studio popping out Soul Bubbles | Joystiq |publisher=Dsfanboy.com |date=2008-01-31 |accessdate=2012-10-09}} He left the project in the spring of 2006 to start a new game with Ubisoft Montpellier: Battle Tag,{{cite web|author=Ubisoft |url=http://battle-tag.uk.ubi.com/ |title=Home | Battle Tag | Ubisoft |publisher=Battle-tag.uk.ubi.com |date= |accessdate=2012-10-09}} a laser tag shooter game, which was released in November 2010. In 2010, he was linked to Treasure Hunter Institute, a MMO adventure game developed by Ubisoft. This project was canceled in April 2011.{{cite web|url=http://thi-dev.ubi.com/index/closedbeta |title=Ubisoft |publisher=Thi-dev.ubi.com |date= |accessdate=2012-10-09}}

In 2014, he founded a new studio, Gloomywood, and announced his new survival game 2Dark.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}

Several years later, in September 2021, Raynal joined a newly formed studio named [2.21] {{Cite web|url=https://www.2point21.com/team|title = Team - [2.21]}} for the production of a new installment to the Little Big Adventure franchise.{{Cite web|url=https://twinsenslittlebigadventure.com/the-journey-for-a-new-little-big-adventure-twinsen-game/|title = The journey for a new Little Big Adventure / Twinsen game|date = 8 September 2021}} The release date is still unknown.

Raynal listed Age of Empires, Alien 8 on the ZX Spectrum, Alone in the Dark, Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now, Little Big Adventure 2, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Manic Miner on the ZX Spectrum, Marble Madness{{'s}} arcade version, and Nibbler{{'s}} arcade version as his favorite games in 2000.{{sfn|Edge|2000|p=57}}

;Independent:

• Laser (1979, ZX81)
• Robix 500 (1986, PC) (A.K.A. Robix)
• PopCorn (1988, PC)

;With Infogrames:

• The Toyottes (1990, PC port of an earlier Amiga game)
• SimCity CDTV (1990, PC port of an earlier Amiga CDTV game)
• Alpha Waves (1991, PC port of an Atari ST game by Christophe de Dinechin)
• Alone in the Dark (1992, PC)

;With Adeline Software International:

• Little Big Adventure (1994, PC/PlayStation) (A.K.A. Relentless: Twinsen's Adventure)
• Time Commando (1996, PC/PlayStation/Sega Saturn)
• Little Big Adventure 2 (1997, PC) (A.K.A. Twinsen's Odyssey)

;With No Cliché:

• Toy Commander (1999, Dreamcast)
• Toy Commander: Christmas Surprise (2000, Dreamcast)
• Toy Racer (2000, Dreamcast)
• Agartha (canceled, Dreamcast)[http://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/10/agartha-dc-cancelled/ Agartha [Dreamcast - Cancelled]]. Unseen64. 10 April 2008.

;With F4:

• Trium Planeta (canceled)

;With Mekensleep (as contractor):

• Soul Bubbles (2008, Nintendo DS) – consultant (2006)

;With Ubisoft:

• Battle Tag (2010) – creative director
• Treasure Hunter Institute (canceled)

;With Ludoïd (as developer):

• bOxOn (2011, PC/iPad/iPhone/iPod)

;With Gloomywood (as developer):

• 2Dark (2017, PC/PS4/Xbox One)

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite magazine |date=2000 |title=The 100 best games of all time |volume= |issue=80 |magazine=Edge |publisher=Future plc |url=https://archive.org/details/Edge_Gaming/Edge%20Gaming%20Magazine%20080 |ref={{harvid|Edge|2000}}}}

{{Commons category|Frédérick Raynal}}

• [http://www.ludoid.fr Ludoïd official website]
• {{moby developer|id=65713|name=Frédérick Raynal's profile}}
• {{IMDb name|1403301}}

{{Frédérick Raynal}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raynal, Frederick}}

Category:1966 births

Category:French video game designers

Category:Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

Category:People from Brive-la-Gaillarde

Category:Living people

Category:Video game programmers