Sewer Shark, Night Trap Developer/Writer Ken Melville Passes Away

The writer/designer of Sewer Shark and Night Trap for the Sega Saturn and co-founder of Digital Pictures, Ken Melville, has passed away at the age of 65.

Melville's game development studio, Digital Pictures, created a variety of full-motion video games for the Sega CD. While PC titles already used full motion video for a variety of titles. Digital Pictures used FMV technology to create entire games. The company's form of live-action, full motion video was a breakthrough in gaming technology and helped inspire other systems, such as the Sony PlayStation, to include the technology in creating in-game cutscenes.

IGN reported that Melville's death was likely due to a heart condition since he was scheduled for heart surgery next week.

Melville's Night Trap caught a lot of controversy in 1993 when anti-gaming Senator Joseph Lieberman opposed its release. Digital Pictures is also known for the amazing light gun game, Corpse Killer.

The folks here at Arcade Sushi would like to offer Ken Melville's family and our condolences, and we thank Mr. Melville for what he did for the gaming industry.