The Wii needs some more sweet ass Collector’s Editions to make things a bit more interesting for its hardcore audience. And there’s no ass sweeter than Mickey Mouse’s! ‘Cept maybe Minnie’s, of course.
E3 2010: Epic Mickey Hands-On
On June - 16 - 2010
I had a great time being able to try the upcoming Disney title Epic Monkey. I was able to speak with one of the game’s animators, and she gave me the run down of this very stylistic title that is just oozing with cool. Even the cutscenes are amazing and reminiscent of something you see during the credits of a Pixar movie. They have this storyboard look that the developers created, and the end result was simply stunning.
E3 2010: Nintendo’s big Wii games for 2010 unveiled
On June - 15 - 2010
There were some fantastic announcements during Nintendo’s E3 press conference this year, both announcements of new games, as well as an update on games we already knew about. This post is a quick summary of the games we’re expecting during 2010, which were all shown off during Nintendo’s press conference.
Warren Spector planning for Epic Mickey sequels
On November - 4 - 2009
It seems Epic Mickey might be too epic to be limited to a single game. According to creative director Warren Spector, he’s already got a couple of Epic Mickey sequel ideas bouncing around in his head.
“I don’t do anything that isn’t extensible,” Spector told 1UP. “And I will certainly feel like that I have not done my job if we can’t make other games in this world with these characters. In my head, I’ve got two more planned.”
But don’t get your hopes up yet. Just because movie franchises seem to be made on a trilogy basis, not all videogame franchises are.
“In the business world of reality, those games have not approved, and who knows if we’ll ever see them. I had three games planned for Deus Ex, and you see where that got me.”
Epic Mickey officially annouced by Disney
On October - 29 - 2009
Epic Mickey has been in the works for a while and most of us have been following it since day one, yet it’s never been officially confirmed by Disney Interactive. So put on your best act of surprise as Epic Mickey has been officially announced today through a press release by Disney.
Epic Mickey is described as an adventure-platformer wit light RPG elements. A sorcerer named Yen Sid has created an alternate world where forgotten and retired Disney characters live. Within this world (the Cartoon Wasteland) lives Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney’s first cartoon star created in 1927, who’s made this cartoon world quite comfortable to live in. Mickey discovers Yen Sid’s map to the Cartoon Wasteland and inavdertently devastates Oswald’s world. Even when Mickey messes up it turns out epic.
“Mickey is an adventurous and rambunctious mouse,” said Warren Spector, creative director and vice president, Junction Point. “I want to bring his personality to the forefront, place him in a daunting world and connect his spirited character with video game players worldwide. Ultimately, each player decides for him- or herself what makes Mickey cool.”
It’s still Wii exclusive, so suck it, PS3 and 360 owners!
Epic Mickey formally revealed in next Game Informer
On October - 6 - 2009
EDIT: Game Informer has recently removed their claim that Epic Mickey is a Wii exclusive game. The claim did raise a few eyebrows among certain gamers, especially considering the game’s “artwork” nature. So I guess we shouldn’t make more core games for the Wii after all, despite the fact that’s what everyone’s going on and on about.
For those of you who didn’t catch the news the first time around, Epic Mickey is an upcoming video game designed by Warren Spector, the man behind Deus Ex, for Disney Interactive Studios. The game is being developed by Junction Point Studios and has been described as a Wii exclusive steampunkesque title.
Game Informer is currently finishing up on their next issue, the cover of which will feature artwork from Epic Mickey, with the subtitle “Disney’s iconic mouse as you’ve never seen him”. Over the month of October,
GameInformer.com will feature exclusive screenshots, animation, concept art and music from the upcoming game, kicking off with an interview with Warren Spector at 4PM CST today.
I’m a huge steampunk fan, and a pretty big Mickey Mouse fan, and I can’t wait to see how this game turns out.
Warren Spector celebrates 25 years in the games industry
On September - 23 - 2008
Legendary games developer Warren Spector has updated his blog recently, reflecting on the fact that he’s been in the games industry for 25 years now.
I realized that this month, September, was my 25th anniversary in the game business. Yow!
I remember vividly walking into Steve Jackson’s house for my interview back in September of 1983. (Heck, I remember exactly what I was wearing: a khaki shirt, green military-style pants, a green vest and some stupid brown suede-covered athletic shoes — Italian, which at the time I guess signified cool, to me, even if they did hurt like the dickens.) Anyway, I remember marching up to Steve’s house for an interview that felt like a fun conversation with a gaming buddy, and I remember him offering me a minimum wage job as an Assistant Editor, and I remember leaving feeling like the happiest guy on Earth.
And he certainly deserves the recognition for it. Along with working on the first 3D game ever to use texture mapping, Ultima Underworld I, and its sequel, Ultima Underworld II, Spector also produced the legendary System Shock, the Thief series, and co-creating Deus Ex.
Deus Ex is famously known for giving the player an extensive ilusion of free choice, something which games are often applauded for but rarely live up to.
Here’s to another 25 years Warren, and the many future classic which will hopefully follow.
