Spector still has "Deus Ex stories to tell"

By Oli Welsh Published 3 November, 2009

He tried to acquire rights from Eidos.

Speaking to Variety, veteran designer Warren Spector has indicated that he'd like to make more games in the style of his classic Deus Ex. He even had a spiritual successor to it in development before he started work on Epic Mickey.

"There were and still are Deus Ex stories I would like to tell," Spector said. "That story is not done for me."

Spector tried, but failed, to secure the rights to Deus Ex from owner Eidos (which is currently developing a third game). Regardless, he began work on a near-future science-fiction game with similar themes at his new studio Junction Point. "I sort of filed the serial numbers off," he said.

It was one of two projects he began before accepting the challenge to reinvent Mickey Mouse from Disney, the other being a "big, BIG fantasy game that I had been wanting to do for about 15 years". Neither project is necessarily dead, since Disney acquired the rights to both when it bought Junction Point.

Spector also said that he was surprised and even disappointed that hardcore gamers haven't been more outraged by his decision to work on a licensed cartoon game for the Wii instead.

"I'm completely stunned," he said. "I’ve been donning my armour and girding my loins and getting ready for battle. To be honest, I was a little disappointed, because I'm a scrappy guy and I like to fight."

Offer him a fight in the comments thread. Go on. Alternatively, read about his plans for Mickey Mouse in our Epic Mickey preview.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (19) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • kangarootoo #1 2 years ago

    I knew he would rather be working on DE than Mickey Mouse.


    Also, I read in the Metro the other day that Mickey Mouse is to feature in a video game for the first time. The first time eh Metro? Fancy that.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #2 2 years ago

    @ kangarootoo - I bet the sub editor trimmed the words "on the Wii" or "this console generation" from the article :-)

    Good news that Spector is making a spiritual successor to DX. As much as I'm looking forward to EM, I'm more of a DX man myself. A "new" one could be the BESTEST GAME EVER.

  • HermitArcader #3 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • the_dudefather #4 2 years ago

    Lets hope Epic Mickey (or whatever it's called) turns out to be Oranges, and not lemon-lime

  • Evolution #5 2 years ago

    So you think the staff have some kind of plot...

  • dominalien #6 2 years ago

    Whatever pays the bills, I suppose. It's not like he can't go back to mature themes once he's done with the mouse.

  • tomjoadsghost #7 2 years ago

    Personally I'm all for great designers working on licensed games, any situation that reduces the chances of a)licensed games being crappy and b) good games not selling in one fell swoop has got to be applauded.

  • vegard #8 2 years ago

    so...we complain when shitty licensed games come out. and then we're supposed to complain when a good games designer jumps on board to make one?

    i'd rather wait and hope for a good game instead.

  • andromeda #9 2 years ago

    then please set about it Warren.
    In this dire world of fucking celebrity-hero games there's fuck all I want to play these days.

    Save us!

  • TheTingler #10 2 years ago

    All those other games sound excellent, but Epic Mickey sounds good too.

    The only thing that disappoints me is that it's only on the Wii. I want them to reach as big an audience as possible. Even a DS version would be great.
    Edited by 1 at 03/11/09 @ 13:44

  • toa_boa #11 2 years ago

    A new near-future sci-fi game from Warren Spector would be beyond fantastic.

  • GamesConnoisseur #12 2 years ago

    Aye one more hand up in response to spirtual successor of DE from me.

    Still also is open minded re EM as how he'll do we know what it's like without finished version in our hands?!

    I will rain shit when it's actually shit and not when it's still being digested!!

    Haze
    Resistance 2's Man Fishes inclusion

    Thought the concept of EM clever and may have multi audience in mind. Ie adults or savvy people getting the jokes or Easter eggs that kids ll miss out but which they ll appreicate the style and humours more than others.

    Suppositution I know.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #13 2 years ago

    Isn't eidos currently engaged in a deus ex 3?

  • smelly #14 2 years ago

    @vegard : A lot of gamers are teenagers.. Teenagers want "mature" games to make them feel like grown ups. Of course they're going to moan about a mickey mouse game.. Mickey mouse is for kids, not for mature grown up teenagers like themselves...

  • Pasco #15 2 years ago

    Dear Warren,

    Deus Ex 1 was ugly shit. It offered a lot of options but none of them was well implemented.

    Sincerely
    Pasco

  • smelly #16 2 years ago

    Dear Pasco

    You're wrong

    Signed

    Smelly

  • bionutz #17 2 years ago

    ngggg, mouse ... pulling ... my ... hand ... to ... ignore poster ... *click* - what? oh Pasco who?

  • bionutz #18 2 years ago

    yeah well no problem with license but Mickey Mouse? Wii has its success because it's bought by adults see Gim, Fitness, etc. Which adult will buy Mickey Mouse? FAIL.

  • smelly #19 2 years ago

    Quote : "Wii has its success because it's bought by adults see Gim, Fitness, etc. Which adult will buy Mickey Mouse? FAIL. "


    See - ADULTS dont mind playing games with cartoon characters in them. Only teenagers who think they're grown up by playing "mature" shooting games have this problem. See Adults like playing cartoon games and watching cartoon movies. In fact most kids growing up nowadays probably wont even recognise mickey mouse.

    One of these days teenagers will "get" the idea that they're not any more grown up by refusing to play colourful games or only playing violent "mature" shooters.