Video Game Developer Warren Spector Takes On Disney s Mickey Mouse AARP Bulletin
Video Game Developer Warren Spector Takes On Disney's Mickey Mouse - AARP Bulletin
Now Spector and his development team at in Austin have revitalized an aging cartoon giant with Disney Epic Mickey, an ambitiously clever adventure for the Wii home console in which players control a paintbrush-wielding Mickey Mouse. The game, set in a dystopian version of the Magic Kingdom, was one of the best-reviewed and hottest-selling titles of the holiday season. Here, Spector talks about his new hit, his legacy and what it's like to play in a young person's game. Q. How did you come up with Wasteland, the cartoon setting of Disney Epic Mickey? A. Wasteland was based on the simple idea that if Walt Disney couldn't bear to part with a cel or a model sheet, how could he bear the thought that his creations, his beloved characters and theme-park attractions, might be lost forever? The power of that idea, and Walt's imagination, was what inspired the game world, which is this alternate universe for all of Disney's forgotten and rejected creative efforts. Q. The game's protagonist, Mickey Mouse, dates back to 1928. Did you ever think a generation of tech-savvy kids might not relate to the original animated star? A. Never. I figured the worst case was that kids wouldn't know Mickey in the guise of story hero. But we could get past that by showing them just how cool the little guy could be. I prefer making games that allow players to solve problems the way they want to and at times even decide which problems are worth solving. Then we show them the consequences of their choices. In Epic Mickey, that plays out in how the characters in Wasteland react to Mickey, which missions you learn about, who you meet in the various lands, who's there with you at the end of the game. Q. How different is the video game industry today from when you arrived in the early '80s? A. So much has changed. I've been doing this for 27 years, and in that time I've seen video games go from an oddity for outsiders to a mainstream form of entertainment. Where gaming used to be a solitary experience, it's now often a social one. One of the most exciting things that's happened in gaming over the last five years is the ways in which you can reach an audience have simply exploded. It used to be that the only way to reach an audience was to get on store shelves with a boxed game on disc. … That model still exists, but now you have guys going directly to consumers through online distribution. Q. Is it getting harder for you to keep up with all the technological advancements? A. isn't the real challenge. ... If I have a problem, it's in the kind of content many game developers deliver to players. As I get older my interest in the mighty thews of fur-clad, sword-wielding warriors diminishes, my desire to spend 20 hours as the last space marine defending Earth from alien invasion wanes. Luckily, the audience for gaming is growing up at the same time and rate that I am, and the audience, at both the older end and the younger end, seems increasingly open to different kinds of content. It doesn't have to be all about shooting and skateboarding and spell casting — not that there's anything wrong with any of that! Sometimes it can be about a cartoon mouse rediscovering his past, reuniting with his long-lost brother and deciding for himself what it means to be a hero. Q. Where are you in your career? A. I'm one of the oldest people still involved in making video games, which is something I'm genuinely proud of. I have a ton of game ideas rattling around in my brain or on my hard drive, and the medium is still young enough that each game offers the promise of something new, something never before seen. But truth be told, I'm at a point where I get as much satisfaction from working with folks who haven't been at this as long as I have, and helping them in their careers, as I do in making any one game myself. I'm also at a point where it'd be fun to try some things outside of gaming. Designing a theme park attraction would be cool. I've never written a comic book. I'd also like to produce a movie. Q. You don't sound like someone who's ready to retire anytime soon. Do you still consider yourself young? A. I don't think about that much. I'm not as young as I used to be. But I still play games. I still read . I still love and basketball and playing the guitar very, very loud. I've always said making games will either kill you or keep you young, and I'm still kicking. I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's. Craigh Barboza is a writer in Washington, D.C. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
Warren Spector Mastermind Behind a Mickey Mouse Game
Video game developer 55 takes on Disney icon
Apparently, no one ever told Warren Spector to grow up. The 55-year-old video game whiz who's behind role-playing, sci-fi classics such as System Shock and Deus Ex is still obsessing about cartoons. Years ago, at the University of Texas at Austin, Spector even wrote his master's thesis on how animated characters evolve over time.Related
Now Spector and his development team at in Austin have revitalized an aging cartoon giant with Disney Epic Mickey, an ambitiously clever adventure for the Wii home console in which players control a paintbrush-wielding Mickey Mouse. The game, set in a dystopian version of the Magic Kingdom, was one of the best-reviewed and hottest-selling titles of the holiday season. Here, Spector talks about his new hit, his legacy and what it's like to play in a young person's game. Q. How did you come up with Wasteland, the cartoon setting of Disney Epic Mickey? A. Wasteland was based on the simple idea that if Walt Disney couldn't bear to part with a cel or a model sheet, how could he bear the thought that his creations, his beloved characters and theme-park attractions, might be lost forever? The power of that idea, and Walt's imagination, was what inspired the game world, which is this alternate universe for all of Disney's forgotten and rejected creative efforts. Q. The game's protagonist, Mickey Mouse, dates back to 1928. Did you ever think a generation of tech-savvy kids might not relate to the original animated star? A. Never. I figured the worst case was that kids wouldn't know Mickey in the guise of story hero. But we could get past that by showing them just how cool the little guy could be. I prefer making games that allow players to solve problems the way they want to and at times even decide which problems are worth solving. Then we show them the consequences of their choices. In Epic Mickey, that plays out in how the characters in Wasteland react to Mickey, which missions you learn about, who you meet in the various lands, who's there with you at the end of the game. Q. How different is the video game industry today from when you arrived in the early '80s? A. So much has changed. I've been doing this for 27 years, and in that time I've seen video games go from an oddity for outsiders to a mainstream form of entertainment. Where gaming used to be a solitary experience, it's now often a social one. One of the most exciting things that's happened in gaming over the last five years is the ways in which you can reach an audience have simply exploded. It used to be that the only way to reach an audience was to get on store shelves with a boxed game on disc. … That model still exists, but now you have guys going directly to consumers through online distribution. Q. Is it getting harder for you to keep up with all the technological advancements? A. isn't the real challenge. ... If I have a problem, it's in the kind of content many game developers deliver to players. As I get older my interest in the mighty thews of fur-clad, sword-wielding warriors diminishes, my desire to spend 20 hours as the last space marine defending Earth from alien invasion wanes. Luckily, the audience for gaming is growing up at the same time and rate that I am, and the audience, at both the older end and the younger end, seems increasingly open to different kinds of content. It doesn't have to be all about shooting and skateboarding and spell casting — not that there's anything wrong with any of that! Sometimes it can be about a cartoon mouse rediscovering his past, reuniting with his long-lost brother and deciding for himself what it means to be a hero. Q. Where are you in your career? A. I'm one of the oldest people still involved in making video games, which is something I'm genuinely proud of. I have a ton of game ideas rattling around in my brain or on my hard drive, and the medium is still young enough that each game offers the promise of something new, something never before seen. But truth be told, I'm at a point where I get as much satisfaction from working with folks who haven't been at this as long as I have, and helping them in their careers, as I do in making any one game myself. I'm also at a point where it'd be fun to try some things outside of gaming. Designing a theme park attraction would be cool. I've never written a comic book. I'd also like to produce a movie. Q. You don't sound like someone who's ready to retire anytime soon. Do you still consider yourself young? A. I don't think about that much. I'm not as young as I used to be. But I still play games. I still read . I still love and basketball and playing the guitar very, very loud. I've always said making games will either kill you or keep you young, and I'm still kicking. I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's. Craigh Barboza is a writer in Washington, D.C. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures