Known as PlayStation’s lead architect, Mark Cerny recently revealed he’s “nearing the end of his career” but has no plans to fully retire. Instead, he’s thinking about how to pass on his years of experience and resources to the next generation of game developers. Cerny has teamed up with The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley to establish the “Nova Games Foundation”, aiming to help young creators just entering the industry through long-term funding. Cerny has been in the gaming industry since 1982, accumulating roughly 45 years of experience.
20 Newbies Per Year, $100K Each to Start?
Nova’s program isn’t about handing out symbolic certificates—it’s about putting real money behind new talent. The foundation plans to select 20 young game designers annually, providing $100,000 (approximately NT$3.15 million, HK$784,000, or RM406,000) per person. The most promising projects could receive additional funding of up to $500,000—roughly NT$15.77 million, HK$3.92 million, or RM2.03 million. In other words, a standout newcomer could receive enough capital to get a small team seriously moving. Exchange rates calculated based on recent Bank Negara Malaysia data.
No Equity Taken, No Platform Requirements
Nova emphasizes this isn’t another “I give you money, so the game is mine” investment model. The foundation doesn’t take equity stakes in funded works or require future repayments—developers can choose their own publishers and platforms. Beyond funding, Nova will also help newcomers find publishers, conduct marketing, and provide mentorship from industry veterans. Already, Josef Fares from It Takes Two and Split Fiction developer Hazelight has joined as a supporter, with dozens of other notable game directors expressing interest.
Cerny Wants to Nurture Not the Next PS, But the Next “Game Makers”!
Nova plans to start recruiting from the 2026-2027 academic year, with partnerships spanning 13 universities across 8 countries, including NYU, USC, Abertay University, and more, with applications opening in December. Cerny hopes this fund can sustain 10-20 years, giving capable, visionary developers stuck with “no money, no resources, no industry connections” a real chance to bring their projects to life. For a veteran who helped design PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and multiple generations of hardware, this time his next “platform” isn’t a console—it’s the next generation of game developers.