Warren Spector
Latest
Warren Spector (note: not 'War Inspector') GDC Lifetime Achievement award video loosed
During GDC this year, Warren Spector was honored with the Lifetime Achievement award for ... uh ... his life, and Mega64 was there with an amazing video to celebrate as much. Starring Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski, you'll find out that Spector's name isn't just a guise for his secret job as a "War Inspector." Finally! The truth!
Warren Spector writing new monthly DuckTales comic
It may not be the DuckTales game he wants to make, but Warren Spector is getting the opportunity to write some stories in the DuckTales universe after all. BOOM! Studios revealed that the Epic Mickey designer has signed on to write an ongoing DuckTales comic series, in which he will most likely solve a mystery and/or rewrite history as he chronicles the ongoing adventure of a rich Scottish duck and his nephews. This proves that yes, Spector loves Disney enough to step outside of his game design job to tell Disney stories. Art for the monthly series will be provided by longtime Disney comic artist Miquel Pujol. The first issue will be out in May. [Thanks, Edward O]
Disney Interactive implements mass layoffs; status of Junction Point, Black Rock currently unknown
Beyond Disney Interactive's layoffs today at Junction Point and last week's closure of Propaganda Games, sources tell Joystiq that the division's job cuts go much deeper. We've been informed in this "first round" of layoffs that 250 people have been let go. Numerous attempts to obtain an official statement from Disney have gone unanswered. There is currently no word on the overall status of Split/Second developer Black Rock Studios nor Warren Spector's Junction Point, which recently released Disney Epic Mickey, a title we've been told has not sold as well as expected. Sources also tell us that the fate of Spector could be separate from that of the studio. Massive changes at the division have come at a steady clip ever since Disney bought social game developer Playdom for upwards of $563.2 million. Then there was the double-barreled resignation of longtime boss Graham Hopper and bigwig Steve Wadsworth. It is currently the era of James Pitaro and former Playdom CEO John Pleasants, who are seeking not to repeat the division's $234 million loss this fiscal year. Update: Disney's terse official statement: "As part of setting a strategic direction for future success in the digital media space, the Disney Interactive Media Group today began a restructuring process"
Source: Epic Mickey dev suffering layoffs
Despite a number six debut on December's NPD charts, Epic Mickey apparently can't save Junction Point Studios from post-launch staff cuts. Sources speaking with Joystiq confirm that Disney Interactive issued layoffs at the Warren Spector-helmed studio today, though exact numbers are unknown -- we've contacted Disney for comment, but we imagine those plans for sequels to Epic Mickey aren't looking so solid right now. Following last week's closure of Disney Interactive-owned Propaganda Games, today's layoffs represent further steps back for the publisher in terms of "core" game development endeavors, and, we fear, may not be the last of Disney's cuts. Disney also owns Split/Second developer Black Rock Studios, and most recently acquired social game developer Playdom. Update: Layoffs hit entire Disney Interactive division. [Image credit: Flickr user 'junctionpoint']
Warren Spector says reviewers 'misunderstood' Epic Mickey's camera
Though plenty of reviewers (our own included) were swept up by the enchanting world of Epic Mickey, its shoddy camera has been pretty much universally maligned. Creator Warren Spector leaped to his team's defense while speaking with MTV, saying, "First, there has never been a game that I couldn't break if you give it to me for 30 seconds. I mean, I will break a camera in any game ever made. [Ed.'s note: Well, clearly.] Third-person camera is way harder than I even imagined it could be. It is the hardest problem in video game development. Everybody gets it wrong. It's just a question of how close to right do you get it." Spector went on to claim that the issue stems from the fact that his game isn't a pure platformer, so the camera couldn't be tuned just for that purpose. "If reviewers want to give us a hard time about it because they're misunderstanding the game we made, it's not for me to tell them that they're wrong," he continued, "absolutely not." Listen, we love Warren Spector, and Epic Mickey has plenty of good points, for sure. But "We tried to do something that was crazy hard and it didn't work" is not a suitable excuse -- unless you're going house to house and explaining the "right" way to play. (P.S. If Spector does start doing that, you probably shouldn't let him near your cameras.)
Deus Ex: Game of the Year just 99 cents today on Games For Windows
It seems the Games for Windows Marketplace is trying its darndest to establish itself as the premiere source of awesome games that cost less than a 20 oz. bottle of soda. For example, today, you can pick up Warren Spector's epic FPSRPG Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition for just 99 American cents.
Metareview: Disney Epic Mickey
Disney Epic Mickey has received no small amount of praise for receiving the kind of TLC rarely visited upon third-party Wii titles -- but did that attention actually translate over to, you know, becoming a good game? Or was that TLC simply wasted upon a mediocre platformer? More importantly, why do we find ourselves suddenly overwhelmed by a powerful urge to listen to "Waterfalls" on repeat? You've heard our take on Junction Point's paint-splattered vision of Disney's timeless mascot; now let's see what the rest of the peanut gallery has to say: GamesRadar (9/10): "It's a life-affirming tribute to both forgotten characters and game genres well worth remembering, with an all new added twist. And contrary to how it looks, there's a startling amount of maturity and replayability wrapped within this family-friendly package." IGN (8/10): "Ultimately, the positive elements of Epic Mickey do manage to make this worth a shot. Going in with the proper level of expectation should manage to keep some of the WiiMote throwing to a minimum... just keep that wrist strap tight." CVG (7.5/10): "Disney Epic Mickey, with its freeform nature and deep exploration, has plenty of appeal - and completists and adventure fans may even adore it. But its rough edges ultimately dampen its potential. If only it had been given an extra lick of paint..." Game Informer (7/10): "Epic Mickey goes out of its way to show gamers Walt Disney's body of work, but rarely fires on a level that turns this beloved content into exciting gameplay." Eurogamer (6/10): "Fundamentally, Epic Mickey misunderstands what people love about Mickey Mouse. He simply doesn't fit in this grim, post-modern dystopia, dripping with bitter-sweet nods to forgotten corners of Disney lore, nor does he need to confront his dark commercial heart to stay relevant in 2010."
Disney Epic Mickey review: A brush with greatness
The unlikely creation of Deus Ex designer and industry legend Warren Spector and his imagineers at Junction Point, Disney Epic Mickey is the single most ambitious Wii exclusive outside of Nintendo's own releases. "Epic" is not a misnomer -- from the quality of the art and animation, to the level design, scale and even score of the game, it's clear that massive amounts of resources, both of the creative and financial variety, were lavished on it. There are moments in Epic Mickey that are so good, so polished and so full of charm I would have sworn that I was playing a game Shigeru Miyamoto had a hand in. If only the whole game was like that.%Gallery-76724%
Disney Epic Mickey trailer dives into the Disney archives
The latest Disney Epic Mickey trailer shows developer Junction Point diving into the Disney archives for game ideas and feeling overwhelmed by the rich content. Is this the first time we've been excited for a history lesson?
Disney Epic Mickey's 'Tomorrow City' revealed
G4 recently spoke with Warren Spector about Tomorrow City, a newly-revealed level in the upcoming Epic Mickey, and you can watch the interview after the break. Tomorrow City is based on Disneyland's Tomorrowland and features landmarks including the Moonliner Rocket, the Carousel of Progress and the PeopleMover. The video also shows off more 2D gameplay, plus some solid platforming challenges. "The structure of the game is very Zelda-like," says Spector, "but once you get into those action spaces, we really wanted more platforming action." Epic Mickey will be out on Wii on November 30.
Epic Mickey developer diary explores the plight of Oswald
In an alternate universe, we could be anxiously anticipating the release of Warren Spector's upcoming platformer, based on the world's most recognizable cartoon character, Epic Oswald. Check out the developer diary below to see how we ended up with that round-eared sopranist instead.
Disney Epic Mickey trailer goes behind story
Disney Epic Mickey has a heavy emphasis on storytelling. If the seven minutes of previously released cutscenes didn't already bang that over your head like an Acme anvil (mixed cartoon metaphor), here's Junction Point's Warren Spector to tell you more.
Warren Spector: diversity puts video game industry in a 'great place'
Choice has been a crucial and critically acclaimed component of games benefiting from Warren Spector's involvement, and this November's Disney Epic Mickey is no exception. It pervades the entire industry, an optimistic Spector believes, telling VideoGamer that the diversity on offer, both for consumers and developers, puts us in a "great place." "Actually, I think that this is kind of a Golden Age," Spector said in a Gamescom interview. "I can make a Wii-exclusive game featuring Mickey Mouse. Someone else can make an all-original $100m MMO. I've got friends who are literally working alone on indie games that have no prospect of profit or commercial success. I've got guys working on iPhone games." Spector noted that a widening audience and abundance of platforms makes it easier to find a fit. "There's something for everyone, which means there's something for every developer to do that's meaningful for them, that will ignite their passion." And while Spector admitted to not quite getting social games, he wouldn't succumb to the unfortunate tendency to cast judgment on their audience. "Gaming is in a very special place right now and we should be reveling in it, enjoying the parts that we love and letting other people enjoy the parts that they love. The more people who game, the better for everyone." If anybody should be pleased to hear an even-handed, inclusive opinion on today's multifaceted gaming, it's those Farmville weirdos.
Warren Spector pitched Deus Ex 'spiritual successor' to Disney
Square Enix Europe may be working on an official Deus Ex sequel, but that didn't stop Warren Spector -- one of the creators of the original game -- from pitching a "spiritual successor" to his new employer, Disney. According to Develop, Spector delivered a presentation for a new "futuristic sci-fi game," one that he believed Disney wouldn't be interested in. Spector walked out of that meeting with a new game deal, but not on the project he expected. "We have a concept for Mickey, we want to show you our idea," the designer recalls the execs telling him during that meeting. "And they gave me this pitch." That pitch ended up being Epic Mickey, an unexpected (but certainly not unwelcome) departure from Spector's earlier, more mature works. With Spector's Junction Point studio nearing the end of Epic Mickey's development, we can't help but wonder if the team will move on to the pitched (but seemingly ignored) sci-fi idea. Spector doesn't offer an answer, but there's clearly some interest from the Disney higher-ups. "Disney now owns the IP to it," Spector said. "So who knows?"
Epic Mickey preview: Small mouse, big decisions
Mickey Mouse isn't supposed to be in situations like this. Though I'd been having a great time spraying paint on enemies and wiping out obstacles with magical paint thinner in my PAX demo of Epic Mickey , I found myself absolutely stymied during a crucial moment. Here on my one hand was a helpless gremlin in a cage, begging for rescue. On the other, a treasure chest full of the game's currency, E tickets. The tickets were counter-balancing the catapult in which the gremlin was confined, so snatching them would lead to his doom. But I was told that the tickets would be lost if I freed the gremlin. I had to get one of the two, but as soon as I did, the other would be lost forever. %Gallery-101451%
Video: Part two of Disney Epic Mickey's opening cinematic
During his keynote speech at PAX yesterday, Warren Spector revealed the second half of Disney Epic Mickey's opening cinematic, which you can find and watch right after the break. The first half, you'll remember, set Mickey up as a mischievous type who'd played around with a magical paintbrush and eventually fallen into a spinning vortex of darkness. In this half, Mickey is dropped into a mad scientist's castle in the Wasteland, where we get to meet Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, the Phantom Blot and a cast of other characters who will undoubtedly appear elsewhere in the game. And just like the first half, this one is presumably full of old school Disney animation references and in-jokes, none of which we actually get (although Google helped us out with this one). Any Disney scholars want to call out Spector for showing off?
Warren Spector says game devs are 'still making cartoons'
When Warren Spector told Gamescom attendees that the denizens of his chosen profession are "still making cartoons," he wasn't referring to his upcoming illustrated opus, Epic Mickey. Rather, he was voicing his opinion on what he sees to be one of the biggest challenges facing the industry today: game developers' proclivity for attempting (and ultimately failing) to mimic the storytelling techniques of movies, comics and other forms of popular media. Of course, one of his main problems with games' stories is their tendency to be dude-centric -- he warned the Gamescom crowd "if we don't break out of big buff guys with swords and guys in tights and space marines in armor, we're going to get marginalized in the way comics have been in the United States." He also warned about attempting to ape blockbuster films by filling games with obscenely expensive visuals, as "we still fall far, far short of what people expect from a movie." Ultimately, the only form of storytelling Spector thinks games should attempt to emulate is oral conversation, as the person interacting with the game is equally responsible for shaping its story. "Player experience comes first," Spector explained, "we have to allow them to show their creativity. No other medium has allowed them to do this. We are unique in the history of humankind. Every player becomes an author when they play a game."
Disney Epic Mickey's opening cinematic is probably over your head
Finally, with the release of the opening cinematic for Disney Epic Mickey, we're getting a bigger look at the story going on behind Warren Spector's ode to Disney animation. As expected, it involves some shenanigans with Mickey and a sorcerer (Yen Sid from Fantasia), a magic paintbrush, some paint and paint thinner. But even more intriguing are the many nods to old-school Disney cartoons, from all of the hats and objects placed on the walls to the dates and movie stills flying past in the quick montage near the end. Of course, it would probably take a Disney aficionado like Spector to catch all of those references zipping by, but even if you don't get everything, you can at least see that Mickey has unintentionally created the Phantom Blot, and has caused a little bit of chaos in Yen Sid's alternate reality, turning it into the Wasteland that the big-eared hero gets tossed into. Hopefully the game will be just as fun without knowing why that calendar above says "March 25."
Warren Spector really wants to make a DuckTales game
When we talked to Warren Spector back at E3 this year, he specifically named the Capcom's DuckTales as one of his favorite Disney games. In a new interview with Industry Gamers, he now says that, "A day does not go by where I don't tell somebody at Disney: 'Uncle Scrooge, come on! Donald! Huey, Dewey, and Louie! Come on, let me do a duck game!' So yeah, I would love to do a duck game." Of course, being the animation geek that he is, Spector prefers the Carl Barks version of Uncle Scrooge and the nephews, so we probably won't get any Fenton Crackshell cameos (even though that would be awesome). If Epic Mickey does take off, you never know what franchise Disney may let Spector put his own spin on next.
Warren Spector will keynote at PAX Prime 2010
The official Twitter account for the Penny Arcade Expo has announced that this year's PAX Prime keynote speaker will be none other than Warren Spector, driving force behind the classic Deus Ex and System Shock games, and current boss behind the upcoming Disney Epic Mickey. Spector's no stranger to the keynoting game, having spoken at GDC and other conferences before. We got to talk to him back at E3 this year, and he's right in the thick of Epic Mickey, thinking about accessible gameplay and how to build very famous and licensed characters into his game in a fun way. Spector will also be at Comic-Con later this week, speaking at a panel with writer Peter David about bringing Mickey and his less famous friends to life in the video game medium. PAX Prime is going down the first week of September up in Seattle, WA, and tickets are still (barely) available.
