is a Japanese

computer graphics Computer graphics deals with generating images with the aid of computers. Today, computer graphics is a core technology in digital photography, film, video games, cell phone and computer displays, and many specialized applications. A great de ...

artist for films as well as a

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

director. He has served as

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

for numerous

computer game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...

s and has provided CG work for motion pictures with , where he serves as corporate representative. He is best known to Western audiences for his

steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...

-inspired

visual novel A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...

, ''

Gadget A gadget is a mechanical device or any ingenious article. Gadgets are sometimes referred to as '' gizmos''. History The etymology of the word is disputed. The word first appears as reference to an 18th-century tool in glassmaking that was develo ...

'', and for his work on the 2004 film, ''

Casshern ''Casshan'', also known in Japan as , is an anime series created by Tatsunoko Productions founder Tatsuo Yoshida in 1973. The ''Casshern'' franchise also includes a 1993 original video animation titled '' Casshan: Robot Hunter'', and a 2004 ...

''. Shono's creative career began in 1985 with the formation of ''Radical TV''. Shono was hired as a member of the visual performance unit, and here he gained an interest in the visual aspects of the film industry. With evidence of visual artistry talent already apparent, Shono was entrusted with the responsibility to act as lead visual display artist in ''Radical TVs audio-visual display showcase at

Expo '85 Expo '85, officially called the , was a world's fair held in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan (Tsukuba Science City, a planned city focused on technology north of Tokyo) between Sunday, March 17 and Monday, September 16, 1985. The theme of the fair was " ...

entitled ''TV War''. The display would be recognized as one of the most significant affirmations of the Japanese IDM subculture.de Figueiredo, Bruno. Tilley, Sorrel (trans)
Haruhiko Shono: Prophet of the Digital Age
. CoreGamer. 30 October 2009. Shono's first solo-work came in the form of ''

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

'' (1991),
庄野晴彦　Haruhiko SHONO
'. Synergy, Inc. 14 April 1997. a highly stylistic

based on the ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...

'' stories. This game won Shono the Multimedia Grand Prix MITI Minister's Prize. In 1992 Shono would again win the MITI Prize for his game ''L-Zone'', which would remain on Japan's list of best-selling CD-ROMs for several years. In 1993, Shono was again awarded the MITI Prize as well as the Multimedia Association Chairman's Prize for his game, ''

''. For his striking visual style and his mastery of lavish computer graphics at the dawn of the

point-and-click adventure game An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based me ...

genre, Newsweek named him one of the "most influential people to watch in Cyberspace," and coined the term "cybergames" to describe his highly-realistic visual games whose visual style have been compared to those of

Cyan Cyan () is the color between green and blue on the visible spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a predominant wavelength between 490 and 520 nm, between the wavelengths of green and blue. In the subtractive color system, or CMYK color ...

's 1993 best-seller, ''

Myst ''Myst'' is a graphic adventure/puzzle video game designed by the Miller brothers, Robyn and Rand. It was developed by Cyan, Inc., published by Broderbund, and initially released for the Macintosh in 1993. In the game, the player's character t ...

''.

Film

* 1992 - ''Virtual Drug Trance'' (director) * 1992 - ''Virtual Drug Zone'' (director) * 1995 - ''Gadget Trips/Mindscapes'' - A kaleidoscopic 79-minute retelling of the 1993 ''

'' story intended to explain the development of the Sensorama weapon and the war that serves as backdrop to the game. (director) * 1998 - ''Gadget Trips/Mindscapes'' - A remake of the earlier ''Mindscapes'' employing enhanced graphics. (director) * 2001 - ''Virtual Drug VRD 2001'' (voice actor) * 2002 - ''Tokyo Noise'' (interview) * 2004 - ''

'' (Conceptual design / CG Supervisor) * 2006 - (Mechanical designer) * 2011 - '' Eiga Kaibutsukun'' (CG Modeling director) * 2016 - (CG director) * 2016 - '' Kōkaku Kidōtai - Shin Gekijōban: Virtual Reality Diver'' (Digital art)

Television

* 1985 - ''Radical TV'' (Video performance unit) * 1989 - (Opening CGI)

Games

* 1991 - ''

'' (PC) (director) * 1992 - ''

L-Zone ''L-Zone'' is a 1992 video game published by Synergy Inc. Gameplay ''L-Zone'' is a game in which the player explores the setting in the far future, in a valley by the deserted Dome City of No Name. Reception Tony Reveaux reviewed the game for '' ...

'' (PC) (director) * 1993 - ''

'' (PC) (director) * 1997 - ''GADGET Past as Future'' (director) - An

enhanced remake A video game remake is a video game closely adapted from an earlier title, usually for the purpose of modernizing a game with updated graphics for newer hardware and gameplay for contemporary audiences. Typically, a remake of such game software sh ...

of the 1993 ''Gadget'' (PC) (director) * 1997 - ''Preview & Reprise Haruhiko Shono'' (PC) - Including preview version of the unreleased ''Underworld'' * 2002 - (PS2, PSP) (CG Supervisor) - Sequel to Chunsoft's 1994 ''

Kamaitachi no Yoru , released in English as ''Banshee's Last Cry'', is a visual novel created by Chunsoft. It was first released for Super Famicom (the Japanese version of the Super NES) and was later ported to other consoles. An English localized version of the ...

'' * 2007 - ''

Imabikisō is a visual novel developed by Chunsoft for the PlayStation 3. It is the first visual novel to be released on a seventh generation console. It was later released for the Nintendo Wii under the title Imabikisō: Kaimei-hen with additional conte ...

'' (PS3, Wii) (art director, CG work)

Books

* 1994 - - A detailed look at the

-inspired world of ''

''.

Awards and honors

* 1991 - (for ''

'') * 1992 - (for ''L-Zone'') * 1993 - MITI Multimedia Grand Prix Award (for ''

'') * 1995 - Named one of the "most influential people to watch in Cyberspace" (

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...

Magazine)

References

External links

WILL,ltd.
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shono, Haruhiko 1960 births Computer graphics professionals Living people Japanese video game directors VJ (video performance artists)