Jurassic Park (Mega-CD)/Development

The inaugural project of the newly organized Sega Multimedia Studio, undertaken as part of Sega of America's push to build in-house CD-ROM production capability for next-generation Sega CD titles. Conceived as both a showcase for the Sega CD's audio-visual capabilities and a proving ground for internal CD development, the game was built on the same high-end Silicon Graphics workstations used for the film’s computer effects, paired Sega’s engineers with production staff drawn from film, sound, and animation backgrounds. The project was conceptualized as a Hollywood-style collaboration between Sega, Universal Pictures, and MCA, serving as Sega of America's first Sega CD game and its first truly "cinematic" title, adapting the original film's setting into an entirely new story exclusive to Sega's new 16-bit platform. As recalled by studio audio head David Javelosa, "They were trying to throw everything at this game." Internally, Multimedia Studio characterized Jurassic Park as both ambitious and chaotic, reflecting the challenges of pioneering CD-ROM production within Sega of America for the first time. Frequent producer turnover culminated in lead programmer Tom Reuterdahl serving dual duties as programmer and producer, while director David Javelosa oversaw sound and systems integration. Despite its turbulence, the project became a proving ground for Sega’s multimedia workflow, establishing the pipeline and personnel that would inform the studio’s subsequent CD releases.