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Epic Mickey 2 also coming to PC and Mac on Nov. 18
The plan is for Disney's Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two to launch on Xbox 360, PS3 with Move, Wii, PC and Mac on November 18, Junction Point founder Warren Spector said today at San Diego Comic-Con. The launch date was previously confirmed for consoles alone, including the 3DS tie-in title, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Illusion, which is also slated to drop on November 18.The Power of Illusion will pay homage to forgotten and rejected gaming features, drawing inspiration from 16-bit graphics and the 1990 Sega game, Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse.Spector said it was "totally dumb" that he had none of the characters speak in the first Epic Mickey, and he's rectifying that by having characters not only talk, but sing in Epic Mickey 2. Actor Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride, Robin Hood: Men in Tights) voices Gus, while Frank Welker (Nibbler in Futurama, at least one character in every cartoon you ever loved) plays Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.Epic Mickey 2 is mature on a level comparable to one of Spector's earlier titles, Deus Ex, backed up by the fact that 54 percent of Epic Mickey players were 18 or older, he said.A second iteration of the Epic Mickey digital graphic novel series, penned by comic veteran Peter David (The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man 2099), is due out this fall.
Warren Spector: 'Ultraviolence' in games going too far
Epic Mickey producer Warren Spector had only a limited view of E3 from within meeting rooms, but he still saw plenty of gruesome violence. "The ultraviolence has to stop," Spector told GI.biz. "We have to stop loving it. I just don't believe in the effects argument at all, but I do believe that we are fetishizing violence, and now in some cases actually combining it with an adolescent approach to sexuality. I just think it's in bad taste. Ultimately I think it will cause us trouble."Spector said he left Eidos in 2004 because of the over-the-top violence he saw overwhelming that company's lineup. "We've gone too far," he said. "The slow-motion blood spurts, the impalement by deadly assassins, the knives, shoulders, elbows to the throat. You know, Deus Ex had its moments of violence, but they were designed - whether they succeeded or not I can't say - but they were designed to make you uncomfortable, and I don't see that happening now." To call Spector's newer efforts "Mickey Mouse games" would be taken as a compliment in multiple ways, we expect.The other troubling trend Spector saw is an increased emphasis on non-game apps at E3, including services like Netflix. "When the games are the least interesting part, there's a problem."
Epic Mickey 2 paints a launch date of November 18 [Update: Platforms]
Epic Mickey 2: The Power of 2 is due out on November 18, Disney Interactive Media Group announced today.The above trailer comes straight out of E3, magically transported to computer screens around the globe. It features Oswald, Mickey, a baby, a movie-announcer-voiced narrator and, most importantly of all, friendship.Update: Epic Mickey 2: The Power of 2 is hitting all of its platforms -- Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii -- on that November 18 launch date, Disney clarified for us.%Gallery-157404%
Epic Mickey 2 and 'The Power of Next Gen'
Epic Mickey's first foray was a Wii-exclusive affair. This time around, Junction Point is bringing Mickey's epic-ness to what it's calling "next-gen consoles." We might call them "7-year-old consoles," but, well, Mickey's best bud is from 1920, so we can appreciate the anachronism at play here.
Report: Epic Mickey 2 making a splash on PC and Mac
In addition to debuts on the Xbox 360 and PS3, and a 3DS spinoff, Epic Mickey: The Power of Two is apparently taking a steamboat ride to the PC and Mac. During a London preview event, Junction Point representatives told GameSpy that PC and Mac versions were planned.We were able to check out the upcoming sequel at a recent Disney event -- all of our coverage can be seen through this handy link. We suggest you check out the prototype Wii controllers because oh man they are so adorable!We've contacted Disney to confirm the PC and Mac ports. Stay tuned.
Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion confirmed for 3DS by Nintendo Power
During all the Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two pre-announcement kerfuffle this week, we caught wind of a supposed 3DS version that, until now, has gone unmentioned by Disney Interactive. While we've still yet to receive an official announcement, Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion has appeared on the cover of the April issue of Nintendo Power, which is close enough for us.Dreamrift, the studio formed by Henry Hatsworth alumni that brought us Monster Tale, is listed as Power of Illusion's developer in an online preview of the cover story. The article also lists the game's release window as Fall 2012, indicating a concurrent launch with The Power of Two. Nothing else is currently known, but we're hoping Power of Illusion gets some adorable accessories like its console cousin.
Epic Mickey 2 controllers invoke the power of the brush, are made for you and me
Do you like your M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E with a side of eXtreme? So do the developers at Junction Point, which is why a sequel to the mouse's first Epic is on its way. But the impending release of that title's not all grown-up Mouseketeers-cum-gamers have to look forward to, as two special WiiMote peripherals are also apparently on deck. Shown off at a preview event for Epic Mickey 2, the prototype accessories are made to mimic in-game "weapons," like Oswald's controller and Mickey's paintbrush. The designs aren't final, but as you'll see in the source below, they should make for an excellent addition to any diehard's Disneyana collection.
How the power of 700 goes into one Epic Mickey 2
Warren Spector recently told GamesIndustry.biz that over 700 people worldwide were working on his next game, which of course turned out to be Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. To us, that seemed unfathomably vast -- it's larger than Capcom's estimate for Resident Evil 6 by 100 heads. So, in order to get a handle on it, we asked Spector how that roster breaks down."'Breakdown' is a good word for it, actually," he joked. "The internal team size at Junction Point is about the same as it was on the first game. To have any chance [with an AAA game] -- I'm not saying we did succeed or will succeed, that's for you guys to decide -- you need 150-200 people these days. You just can't do it with less."
The power of inclusion in Epic Mickey 2
In retrospect, it's obvious that Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two would be a musical. It's the natural path toward making the Disneyest thing possible, and that's where Junction Point creative director Warren Spector's interests lie. Before I played a demo, I and other press were presented with a cutscene setting up the story.The Mad Doctor makes a dramatic return to Os Town, amidst rumbling earthquakes (thanks for physically making my seat rumble in the theater, Disney), claiming to be reformed and seeking a hero to help him save the people from some unknown calamity.And all this claiming and seeking is done in song. "Help ME, help YOU!" he sing-talks in heavily accented English. It works to convince Oswald to join him, and it worked to convince me that Warren Spector is all about the principles of Disney. I guess I didn't need much convincing there anyway.%Gallery-151342%
Look at these adorable Epic Mickey 2 Wii controller prototypes
You may not get HD graphics if you stick with the Wii for Epic Mickey 2, but you will have the opportunity to experience a more tactile verisimilitude. During a preview event for the sequel, Junction Point showed off prototypes for two new Nunchuk controllers based on in-game items.The first is an updated version of PDP's "Paintbrush Chuk" accessory, designed to mimic Mickey's paintbrush. The new version has the Epic Mickey 2 logo and a glowing blue paint blob at the end of the brush. The second, and inexplicably more desirable of the two, is a Nunchuk based on Oswald's remote device, silver and boxy. It's like a literal "Wii Remote" (except, of course, it's a Nunchuk attached to an existing Wii Remote).Being that these were both prototypes, and the game hadn't even technically been officially announced yet, there weren't any details to be had about pricing or availability. We'll keep you updated, because these silly controllers are fun.%Gallery-151326%
Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two's debut trailer is all about togetherness
Wait, there's a second Epic Mickey game? It's got colors! And a second dude (Oswald)! And ... did we mention colors? Go grab a friend and watch this together.
Epic Mickey 2 on PS3 supports Move, but no Kinect on Xbox
The first Epic Mickey made extensive use of the Wii Remote's pointer, to control the direction of Mickey's paint and thinner. The PS3 version of Epic Mickey 2 will use the PlayStation Move accessory to replicate that experience, though I was unable to see this functionality in my hands-on demo this week.The Move support is optional, however -- you're free to control Mickey's paintbrush with the right analog stick of the DualShock 3 as well. The regular controller even retains a bit of motion control, allowing you to shake the DualShock to do a spin attack.Junction Point reps told me that Kinect support wouldn't be part of the Xbox 360 version, so don't expect to wave a real paintbrush around.%Gallery-151342%
See Epic Mickey 2 in motion and in Warren Spector's words
In the foreground of this video, you see Warren Spector talking about Oswald's role in Epic Mickey 2, and his enthusiasm for musicals; in the background, you can see footage of the new game for the first time. The two elements cooperate, just like Mickey and Oswald.
Rumor: Epic Mickey 2 coming to 3DS, along with 'classic' 2D game
Some kind of "presentation" of Epic Mickey 2 will occur next week, according to a tweet from France's Nintendo Magazine. Being a Nintendo magazine, the publication specifically highlights a 3DS version called "Power of Illusion" – a name that recalls classic Mickey games like World of Illusion and Castle of Illusion. The tweet also points to a "classic" 2D game that will be shown during next week's event, but stops short of providing any actual details.A sequel to 2010's Epic Mickey has been rumored for some time, to the extent that box art for the game has even been bandied about by a marketing survey. Warren Spector's Junction Point Studios, the development house behind Epic Mickey, was hit by layoffs last January after the Wii-exclusive title launched, likely due to massive losses in Disney's interactive (read: games) department.Update: Disney Interactive declined to comment, saying it had "no information to share at this time."
Rumor: Epic Mickey 2 appearing in online surveys
Epic Mickey 2 is running the rounds of Disney online-marketing tests, complete with box-art and title variations, according to an anonymous source at Destructoid. Disney is apparently getting a feel for the Epic Mickey 2 audience, asking which of the above box arts is most pleasing and which of the following titles most inspires test-takers to open their wallets: Epic Mickey 2: Return of the Mad Doctor, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, Epic Mickey 2: Mystery on Mean Street or simply Epic Mickey 2. The prototype game Disney is marketing features two-player split screen with Mickey and Disney's first cartoon star, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who uses his ears to fly like a helicopter. Mickey and Oswald are thrown back into the annals of Disney classicism, armed with paint and thinner, just as in the previous title. We can't help but imagine what the box art would be if Don Draper was working on this project -- Mickey painting the town with a bottle of whiskey, Minnie in a bikini on one arm and a new title, Simply Mickey.
