Mike Pondsmith facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Mike Pondsmith
Pondsmith in 2017
Born	Michael Alyn Pondsmith Santa Cruz, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Alma mater	University of California, Davis
Occupation	Entrepreneur, game designer, graphic designer, writer, teacher
Notable work	Mekton, Teenagers from Outer Space, Cyberpunk 2020, Castle Falkenstein
Spouse(s)	Lisa Pondsmith
Children	Cody Pondsmith
Awards	2006 Origins Awards Hall of Fame 1994 Origins Awards Best Roleplaying Rules for Castle Falkenstein

Michael Alyn Pondsmith is a famous American designer who creates exciting roleplaying games, board games, and video games. He started his own company, R. Talsorian Games, in 1982. There, he created many popular roleplaying games. Some of his well-known games include Mekton (from 1984), Cyberpunk (from 1988), and Castle Falkenstein (from 1994). Mike Pondsmith also helped create parts of the Dungeons & Dragons game series, worked on various video games, and designed several board games. He also taught game design at the DigiPen Institute of Technology.

Mike Pondsmith's Early Life and School

Mike Pondsmith grew up in a military family. His dad was an Air Force officer and his mom was a psychologist. Because of his dad's job, Mike traveled all over the world for the first 18 years of his life. He went to the University of California, Davis. There, he earned two degrees: one in graphic design and another in behavioral psychology.

How Mike Started Designing Games

Mike Pondsmith remembers designing games even when he was a kid. But it wasn't until college that he found out about pen-and-paper roleplaying games. A friend showed him the first Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) game. Mike had a lot of experience with naval wargames, so he was interested in how D&D worked. However, he wasn't very interested in the fantasy world of D&D.

His interest grew when he found Traveller, a science fiction roleplaying game from 1977. He liked the idea but wasn't happy with how it played. So, he rewrote the game for himself and called it Imperial Star. Mike Pondsmith later said that Traveller was one of the best roleplaying games he had ever played.

Starting His Career

Before becoming a pen-and-paper game designer, Mike Pondsmith worked as a graphic designer in the video game world. His first job after college was designing boxes and ads for a company called California Pacific Computer Company (CPCC). This company mostly repackaged Japanese games for players in Western countries.

Later, he designed things for games made by Bill Budge and for the early Ultima games by Richard Garriott. All these games were published by CPCC. After his job at CPCC ended, he managed a typesetting business at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In the early 1980s, Mike Pondsmith started designing games for fun. He created Imperial Star to make Traveller's combat system better.

From Graphic Design to Game Design

Mike Pondsmith says that in the early 1980s, there weren't many opportunities in video game design. This was because the technology wasn't very advanced yet. Most games from CPCC were for Apple II computers. However, he knew a lot about pen-and-paper games, which he played often. He became very interested in designing these types of games.

Because of his side job in typesetting, he could use modern computers with advanced software for making books and magazines. He used this access to create a game called Mekton. This was a mecha game inspired by Japanese manga books he had found. People became very interested in his paper games, and game design soon took over his graphic design career. Even so, he continued to design and lay out most of the books for his company, R. Talsorian Games.

Early Roleplaying Games by Mike Pondsmith

The first game Mike Pondsmith designed from scratch was Mekton, a mecha game with strong manga and anime influences. It came out in 1984. Pondsmith said he mostly based his work on Japanese Mobile Suit Gundam manga books he had. Since he couldn't understand the Japanese text, he imagined the world dynamics just from the pictures.

The first public test of Mekton happened at a local convention. When it was first released, Mekton focused only on its battle rules, with no roleplaying parts. This made it a pure tactical war-game. The success of Mekton showed Pondsmith that he could make a living from designing games. So, he founded his company, R. Talsorian Games (RTG), in 1985.

In 1986, Mekton was re-released as a proper roleplaying game, with Mike Pondsmith and Mike Jones as authors. In 1987, RTG released another of Pondsmith's games inspired by Japanese manga, Teenagers from Outer Space. In 1987, Pondsmith released Mekton II, a new version of the game. It used rules based on the Interlock System, which was later used in the Cyberpunk games. Teenagers from Outer Space was re-released in 1989 with big changes to its rules. Games like Cyberpunk (later Cyberpunk 2020) and Cyberpunk V3 were translated into 9 languages. Castle Falkenstein (named Best Game of 1994), Cybergeneration, and Dream Park followed soon after. He also worked with designers from Hero Games on the Fuzion system.

The Cyberpunk Roleplaying Game

In 1988, R. Talsorian Games released Mike Pondsmith's Cyberpunk: The Roleplaying Game of the Dark Future. This game was set in the year 2013 and was often called Cyberpunk 2013. It came in a box with three separate books written by Pondsmith and other co-authors. Many expansions followed, and Pondsmith released Cyberpunk 2020 in 1990. This new handbook had an updated story and rules, but older expansions still worked with it.

Pondsmith designed Cyberpunk 2013 as the second game to use the Interlock system. He says he created Cyberpunk because he was very interested in the genre, especially after seeing Ridley Scott's movie Blade Runner in 1982. He wanted to recreate the technology and dark, detective-style feel of the movie in a roleplaying game. Cyberpunk is the largest series of products from RTG, with 44 sourcebooks and over 4,700 pages. About 5 million people have played the game so far.

In 1993, RTG released an alternate story for the Cyberpunk series called Cybergeneration. More expansions were added, and a second edition came out in 1995. In 1996, Wizards of the Coast licensed Cyberpunk for their collectible card game Netrunner. This game, designed by Richard Garfield, featured places, groups, and characters from Cyberpunk 2020. Netrunner was named one of The Millennium's Most Underrated Games in 1999 by Pyramid magazine. Mike Pondsmith is thanked in the game's credits and even appears as a character named "Omni Kismet, Ph.D." On May 10, 2012, Fantasy Flight Games announced they would release Android: Netrunner, a new card game based on Netrunner. Another card game based on Pondsmith's ideas was Cyberpunk CCG, released in 2003.

In 1989, West End Games released a crossover game between Cyberpunk and Paranoia. This game, called Alice Through the Mirrorshades, worked with both Cyberpunk and Paranoia rules. Two fan magazines, Interface Magazine and 'Punk '21, were also created with Pondsmith's approval during Cyberpunk's most popular time.

Castle Falkenstein Game

In 1994, R. Talsorian Games released Pondsmith's steampunk-themed fantasy role-playing game called Castle Falkenstein. This game used playing cards instead of dice for its rules and was designed for live-action role-playing. Castle Falkenstein is still one of Pondsmith's most praised games. It won the 1994 Origins Award for Best Roleplaying Rules and the 1995 Nigel D. Findley Memorial Award for Best Role-Playing Product. In 2000, Castle Falkenstein was changed to work with the GURPS system and released by Steve Jackson Games.

Other Game Design Work

Mike Pondsmith also worked briefly with TSR, Inc.. There, he helped create Buck Rogers XXVC, a science-fiction RPG. He also wrote two sourcebooks for Dungeons & Dragons: Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms for Oriental Adventures in 1988 and Hall of Heroes for Forgotten Realms in 1989. He also made small, uncredited contributions to the first Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game released in 1987.

Pondsmith was also the president of the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA). In 1993, as GAMA President, he helped settle a disagreement between Palladium Books and Wizards of the Coast.

R. Talsorian's Break and Video Game Design

Because of some challenges in the role-playing game industry, Mike Pondsmith announced on February 15, 1998, that R. Talsorian Games would only operate part-time. This meant pausing their main game lines. In late 2000, Pondsmith accepted a job at Microsoft to produce games for Xbox.

As a design manager at Microsoft, he helped create various games, mostly exclusive titles for the original Xbox console. In MechCommander 2, released in 2001, he played the character Steel in cut-scenes and voiced him in the game. He was also credited in Blood Wake (2001) and Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (2003). In 2004, he left Microsoft to join Monolith Productions, where he worked on The Matrix Online (2005). While he was at Microsoft, his wife, Lisa Pondsmith, kept R. Talsorian Games going with a few publications.

The idea for a Matrix game was first suggested by Pondsmith and a coworker at Microsoft. Even though they talked a lot with the Wachowskis, the movie's producers, the project didn't happen there. He later learned that a Matrix game was being made at Monolith. Given the chance to join the team that maintained the game and created new content after its launch, he decided to join Monolith. Pondsmith ended up designing missions for the game.

Cyberpunk v3.0 Game

In 2000, Pondsmith announced he was working on the third edition of Cyberpunk. The work had actually started earlier, right after the Dragon Ball Z Adventure Game came out in 1999. The third edition of Cyberpunk was expected to be released soon after. It was first called Cyberpunk 203X and was planned for release in spring 2001. The first two-page preview of the game was released on August 20, 2001, which was the first time the release date was pushed back.

During the long development, Pondsmith released another preview on December 31, 2004. The game's early manuscript was shown, and the first public playtesting happened at I-Con in Ronkonkoma, New York, from April 8 to 10, 2005. The game was written by Pondsmith and other co-authors. It was finally released on December 13, 2005, and received mixed reviews.

The pictures in the game were criticized because they were photos of slightly changed action figures that Pondsmith collected. However, the game was successful enough to lead to several accessories and supplements, which were announced right after the main book came out. These included DataPack, FlashPak, Gangbook, and AltCult Insider. Cyberpunk v3.0, like its earlier versions, was influenced by classic cyberpunk books by Neal Stephenson and William Gibson. It also included ideas from new books, Japanese animation, and movies. Pondsmith said it was designed to comment on the 21st century, how big companies affect daily life, group beliefs, the role of government, war, and advances in biotechnology.

Interlock and Fuzion Systems

Besides working at RTG, Pondsmith also helped with Hero Games' Champions series. He mostly worked as an editor on books like Alliances for Champions: New Millennium. This introduced him to Hero Games' rules (Hero System). He later decided to combine these rules with the Interlock System, which most of RTG's games had used until then. The result was the Fuzion system, used in later RTG games, especially the third edition of the Cyberpunk game. In the introduction to Cyberpunk's third edition, Pondsmith explained that these changes were needed to make the game simpler and attract new players. But like the game itself, these changes received mixed reviews. Pondsmith shares the rights to Fuzion with Steve Peterson and Ray Greer of Hero Games.

R. Talsorian Games Company

R. Talsorian Games is a game publishing company based in Washington. Mike Pondsmith founded it in California in 1985. It was one of the first roleplaying game publishers to use desktop publishing. Today, Lisa Pondsmith, Mike Pondsmith's wife, is the general manager of the company. Mike Pondsmith remains the owner, CEO, and lead designer. About the company's name, Pondsmith has said that "R. Talsorian is a real person who never plays RPGs." In a 2016 interview, he explained that "R. Talsorian" came from one of the company's investors, a "raisin farmer in Fresno." Another game designer, Warren Spector, advised him not to name his company after himself. So, Pondsmith and his partners named their company after "the one person who would never show up at a convention ever," Talsorian.

Maximum Mike

Mike Pondsmith uses his other identity, "Maximum Mike," in many of the Cyberpunk books. Unlike other characters, Maximum Mike talks directly to the reader. Pondsmith's image and name were also used in the Cyberpunk world under a different name. He appears as "Omni Kismet, Ph.D.," a character in the Netrunner CCG.

Cyberpunk 2077 Video Game

Pondsmith in 2012

On May 30, 2012, it was confirmed that Pondsmith was working with CD Projekt Red on a video game set in the Cyberpunk universe. On October 18, 2012, the game's name was revealed to be Cyberpunk 2077. Immediately after, it was confirmed that Pondsmith was also working on a new edition of the Cyberpunk pen-and-paper RPG. In an interview, CD Projekt's Marcin Iwiński said that Pondsmith's role in the video game development mostly focuses on the game world and its rules. His input is constant, but not daily, because of the distance between them. The video game creators, Mike Pondsmith, and other RTG designers contribute to the newly formed cyberpunk.net blog.

Mike Pondsmith also voices two characters in Cyberpunk 2077. One of them is Maximum Mike, the DJ of Morro Rock Radio, continuing his character from the Cyberpunk sourcebooks.

Mike Pondsmith's Personal Life

Mike Pondsmith is married to Lisa, and they have a son named Cody. Both Lisa and Cody work at RTG. Mike and Lisa met earlier, but their relationship started around 1977 when they were in college. They got married in February 1982. Lisa is the general manager of RTG and has been credited in various games. Cody is credited as part of the production staff in the Cyberpunk V3.0 supplement Flashpak. He also helped promote and communicate about RTG's steampunk game, Castle Falkenstein. Before designing games, Mike Pondsmith worked as an amateur paleontologist, studying fossils. In his free time, he collects plastic GI Joe action figures, which were shown in the Cyberpunk v3.0 rulebook. He also enjoys outdoor activities, reading, and playing with radio-controlled cars and planes.

Public Appearances

Pondsmith has been very active in gaming communities and has appeared at many gaming conventions over the years. He attended many Gen Con events, and his memories from these experiences were featured in Robin D. Laws' book 40 Years of Gen Con. He also attended I-CON, A-Kon, Norwescon, Origins, DexCon, DunDraCon, and others. Pondsmith was a special guest at Ropecon 1999, Astronomicon 2001, and I-CON 25 (March 24–26, 2006). Both Mike and his son Cody run various games at different gaming conventions. Pondsmith also spoke on stage about the Cyberpunk 2077 video game at two of CD Projekt Red's conferences.

Teaching Career

Between 2010 and 2011, Pondsmith worked in the Department of Game Software Design and Production at the DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond. He taught classes on game design, including Game History (GAT 110) and Game Mechanics I (GAT 210).

Awards and Recognitions

Many games designed or co-created by Mike Pondsmith have won awards over the years:

Teenagers from Outer Space received the RPGA Gamer's Choice Award.
Castle Falkenstein received the Best Roleplaying Rules of 1994 Origins Award.
Castle Falkenstein received the 1995 Nigel D. Findley Memorial Award for the Best Role-Playing Product.
Six Guns and Sorcery for Castle Falkenstein received the Best Roleplaying Supplement of 1996 Origins Award.
Teenagers from Outer Space received the Best Other Category Role-Playing Game of 1987 Origins Gamer's Choice Award.
Cyberpunk received the Best Science-Fiction Role-Playing Game of 1989 Origins Gamer's Choice Award.
Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms received the Best Role-Playing Accessory of 1989 Origins Gamer's Choice Award.

On July 1, 2006, Mike Pondsmith was added to the Origins Awards Hall of fame. On September 12, 2020, he received the Jerry Lawson Lifetime Achievement Award at the fourth annual Black in Gaming awards.

Board Games Designed

In 1990, while working with TSR, Pondsmith co-designed three two-player board games:

Attack in the Asteroids with Paul Lidberg and Kim Mohan
Battle for the Sprawls with Paul Lidberg
Craters of Tharsis with Paul Lidberg

In 2006, R. Talsorian Games also released Pondsmith's board game GoDice!. The first release of Mekton is also considered a board game.