Core Mechanic

Because Every Game Should Have A Good Core Mechanic

The previous sentence has a double meaning. In addition to describing the need for every game to have a central game mechanic that is good, it also states something that is often overlooked: the game development process can be a complex and temperamental machine; one that requires mechanics such as master craftsmen and talented artists to keep it running and moving forward.

We Can Help

Whether you are a large and established company or a smaller independent studio, if your project can benefit from additional expert assistance (either short or long term), contact us. Maybe we can help.

Experience Counts

Most of the core members of our team have at least a decade of professional game development experience behind them. We know our stuff and we excel at what we do!

Whether it be console (last gen, current gen), mobile, pc, augmented or virtual reality, html5 or custom hardware, we can develop for it.

Make It Happen

Do you have an IP or great game idea that you'd like to develop but don't know how? We specialize in developing smaller, more focused games and can help you realize your vision.

We practice what we preach

When we're not helping others realize or achieve their goals we try to make time to tinker with our own stuff. When this happens we focus on building something that is fun and truly enjoyable.

About

Core Mechanic is a collaborative development firm made up of industry veterans.

Who we are

Core Mechanic is an independent game development studio headquartered in Newbury Park, California. Founded in 2010 by industry veteran Michael Donovan Mandap, Core Mechanic provides contract programming, art and production services to game development studios large and small. When time permits, we also make our own games!

Each of the founding members of Core Mechanic have been in the industry for over ten years. We also maintain a network of associates with equally impressive backgrounds. Core Mechanic team members are recruited by invitation only. All our members have professional game development experience with proven individual capabilities.
Past to Present

Prior to Core Mechanic, Michael Donovan Mandap was a co-founder and technical director of Seven Studios, an independent video game development studio for 10 years. They started with 7 veteran PC game developers and grew to over 125 developers with offices in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Taipei Taiwan. In April 2009 they sold the company to Activision, Inc. From 7 to 125, and variations in the middle, we know what it is like to work on small teams as well as within a larger organization.

These days our preference is to keep it small, keep it simple. Our goal isn't to be the next big commerical success, instead we simply want to practice our craft, to do what we are good at. And that means making games, whether they be yours or ours.
Be Part
Of Our
Story!

How we can help

We provide a variety of services to help you develop your ideas.

Contract Programming

Core Mechanic specializes in contract programming and consultation for game development studios. This specialization is due to the company founder's 25 years of professional software development experience, with 20 of those years focused on video game development.

Art Development

From concept art to 3D modeling and animation, Core Mechanic can provide some of the best content you've ever seen and worked with. Whether low poly (realtime use) or ultra-high poly (normal map generation), our modelers are equipped with the talent and expertise to deliver content that not only looks great, but also works correctly. In addition to modeling, our animation services are first rate, the passion our animators have for their craft clearly shows in their work.

Complete Game Development

Not only are we adept at providing the individual core services needed for game development, we also have the know how to coordinate these disciplines together to build a complete game from start to finish.

If you have a game idea or an intellectual property that you'd like to develop into a game please feel free to contact us. We have developed for all major platforms and may be able to help you realize your vision.