VentureBeat » Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two

Warren Spector wants game developers to think about their legacies

Dean Takahashi — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:00:46 +0000

At 57, Warren Spector is a famous and unemployed game developer. At last week’s DICE Summit, Spector gave a talk about his art form and acknowledged the “elephant in the room.” Disney had just shut down his video game company, Junction Point Studios, the maker of the Epic Mickey series.

He isn’t talking about exactly why that happened, but it’s no secret that the studio’s second release, Epic Mickey: The Power of Two, didn’t sell well. Spector made a lot of comments about how he felt like the oldest game designer, though he noted the presence of many “gray beards” in the room listening to his talk. Spector was understandably downbeat during his presentation, and he intimated that he felt like he was the oldest person still making games. But he found some silver lining in his tired but wise message.

“I worked with an amazing team on amazing projects,” he said. “I got to visit Disneyland as a contributor to the company.”

Quoting inventor Alexander Graham Bell, Spector said, “When one door closes, another opens. Another aphorism is more relevant. ‘Chaos is a friend of mine.’ Bob Dylan said it in 1965, and it is still true today. I have seen so much chaos in the last 35 years, you wouldn’t believe it.”

Being unemployed has given Spector a chance to reflect on the past. Lots of console-game developers are closing now. But Spector remembers how people thought gaming had no future when arcades died out. When the PC supplanted the Apple II, fans thought that was the end of games as well. Massively multiplayer online titles were going to put an end to single-player releases. Spector has heard it all, yet the interactive-entertainment industry continues to grow and spread out in all directions.

After Junction Point shut down, a programmer asked Spector if he wanted to retire. But Spector knew he wouldn’t.

“I still have stuff I want to make,” he said. “It was an eye-opening question. I am close to an end of a career. I’m not ready to retire yet.”

Spector believes, like Quantic Dream’s David Cage, that developers should grow up and figure out how to reach wider audiences with more diverse content. But he disagreed with every solution that Cage recommended in his own DICE talk, such as creating games with meaning.

Showing a slide of a violent scene, Spector said, “Some games should not be made.” He acknowledged that a time existed when he was young where a title only needed “transgressive adrenaline rush and spectacle.” Now he wants content that is relevant to him today, with intellectual offerings like Cage’s Heavy Rain and Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead.

Spector said, “I have no interest in guys who wear armor and swing big swords. I really don’t need to go there anymore. I want content that is relevant to my life. That is set in the real world.”

“If we are going to reach a broader audience, we have to think beyond teen boys and girls, about things that are relevant to normal humans,” he said.

Right now, games appeal to people who have a lot of time and the ability to master skills best done by 16-year-olds.

In his 50s, Spector feels confident in his abilities and doesn’t give a damn what others think. Emotionally, he’s in a good place. But he recognizes that time is scarce.

“You don’t have time to make mistakes anymore. You value passion over analytics,” he said.

He said that it’s OK to rely on others and slow down. It’s OK for him to think about helping others accomplish their goals and give back.

“Know thyself but be careful,” he said. Spector explained that you don’t want to work on a certain kind of game for 30 years because that is your habit. You have to think about what else you can do.

“You should push aside those geekish things quicker than I did because you don’t have as much time as you think,” he said.

And he has come to appreciate the importance of the word “legacy.”

He said, “Leave something behind. Most people who are working for 30 years. You are creating something new and different the world has never seen. Think of your legacy.”

What will he do when he is in his 60s?

“I cannot wait to find out,” he said.

Filed under: Games

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Layoffs at Disney-owned studios could signal increased focus on mobile and social

Jacob Lopez — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:52:18 +0000

The Walt Disney Company is shifting its gaming focus to mobile, social, and the upcoming Disney Infinity.

Disney’s game division, Disney Interactive, reportedly laid off 50 employees yesterday. This is in addition to the closure of Epic Mickey developer Junction Point Studios in Austin, Texas.

The Los Angeles Times report, spotted by Joystiq, cites a source that is “knowledgeable” but “not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.”

According to the Times, the cutbacks come as Disney Interactive aims for profitability this fiscal year. Last quarter, the company reported that interactive revenues for the year decreased 14 percent, and quarterly revenues were also down 14 percent. It also noted a reduction console game development as part of an ongoing shift to the mobile and social sector. Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two sold 529,000 units last year, reports the NPD.

The Times also obtained an internal email sent to employees from Disney Interactive copresident John Pleasants. In it, he mentioned the closure of Junction Point, noting that the “division operates in a rapidly evolving industry” and that it must “sometimes make difficult decisions to ensure we’re meeting market demands.” One of those decisions is increased focus on its upcoming project, Disney Infinity.

It’s likely that the ever-growing mobile and social space is taking priority for Disney’s gaming division, and Junction Point was one of the first casualties.

Filed under: Games

GamesBeat weekly roundup: Wii U launch, Hitman: Absolution, and Persona 4: Golden

Jasmine Maleficent Rea — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 00:00:41 +0000

If you follow VentureBeat but don’t regularly check our GamesBeat site, here’s a list of the best video game stories we ran over the last seven days that you may have missed.

This week, THQ is in talks with a mystery sponsor about “financial alternatives” after its chief financial officer resigned, Treyarch removes the Nuketown map from public matches in Call of Duty: Black Ops II, and Fable creator Peter Molyneux turns to Kickstarter to fund a new “god game” project for his studio 22Cans.

You’ll also find reviews for Hitman: Absolution, Persona 4: Golden, Epic Mickey 2, Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, and the Wii U.

Pieces of Flair

News

Reviews

Wii U

Previews

Ace of Spades is much more than just ‘Minecraft with guns’ (hands-on preview)

Filed under: Games

Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion is the mouse’s greatest gaming adventure in years (review)

Mike Minotti — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 05:01:37 +0000

The dreaded portable spin-off is the bane of many a gamer. You know what I’m talking about. When a major console release is coming up, a publisher often finds some second-rate developer to put together a sloppy portable version of the game that can launch on the same day. This is how we get things like Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified.

So I could forgive you if you’ve ignored Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion, a Nintendo 3DS game launching Sunday, the same day that Disney releases Epic Mickey 2 for consoles. But I will not tolerate your ignorance any longer! Power of Illusion is a game worth noticing — especially for fans of Disney and 2D platformers.

What you’ll like

Old school platforming with new school tricks
Despite the Epic Mickey branding, Power of Illusion takes most of its inspiration from Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, a 2D platformer for the Sega Genesis. Just like in that 1990 sidescroller, when you push the jump button again in the air, Mickey preps his mousey tush to bounce off his enemies. Time the attack right before contact and you’ll jet higher into the air, letting you access hard-to-reach areas that usually contain the best rewards. It’s satisfying when you properly butt-bounce your way through a level. I’m also immature, so the fact that I’m butt-bouncing constantly amuses me.

Power of Illusion also takes some cues from the Epic Mickey console games, notably with the ink-and-thinner mechanic. In the original Epic Mickey for the Wii, Mickey uses a magic brush to paint or erase objects in the world. You can do the same here, but instead of aiming and shooting a stream of paint, you tap on certain objects or characters outlined on the system’s bottom screen. You then use your stylus to draw or erase whatever is shown.

Having a hard time avoiding a cannon’s fire? Just erase it. Can’t reach the nearest edge? Then you can probably draw a moving platform to help you get there. You can use this system for some creative techniques, like removing a net hanging from the top of the screen so a canon ball can fall on top of Captain Hook. Also, it actually matters how well you draw. For example, if you only do an OK job painting a box into existence, then the game will cover half of it with spikes. It’s a delightfully clever use of the system’s touch screen.

You can also use paint and thinner for ranged attacks. Enemies that succumb to paint are more likely to drop health while thinner more often rewards you with tickets, which you can use to buy upgrades.

These diverse tricks give you plenty of options for passing through the levels, and you’ll likely need every last one of them for some of the more challenging stages at the end. More importantly, they’re all incredibly fun to use.

Expertly designed
Developer DreamRift created stages that offer fantastic playgrounds for bouncing, painting, and thinning. Levels often branch into multiple paths, with the harder-to-reach areas offering more difficult challenges but also more prizes. I never experienced a cheap death — you know, like a cannon shooting me into an inescapable hole.

Not that you won’t die. Power of Illusion has an appropriate difficulty curve (something of a rarity these days). It becomes more difficult the further you progress, encouraging you to spend some time collecting tickets so you can upgrade your abilities. You’ll only get one checkpoint during a level, so you can’t just willy-nilly your way through a stage on autopilot. If you die, you’ll have some ground to make up, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This forces you to actually play smart and learn from your mistakes.

Power of Illusion also looks gorgeous, with colorful character sprites and vibrant backgrounds. The music is also delightful and offers a few homages of its own to Castle of Illusion.

The gang’s all here
Disney characters litter the levels, ranging from old school guys like Donald Duck to new folk like Rapunzel. When you find one, he heads back to the “fortress,” where you can then go to talk, complete quests, and ultimately receive rewards. One of the first characters you find is Beast from Beauty and the Beast. When you first visit his room in the fortress, he wants you to paint his rose back into existence. Then, he tasks you with rescuing his friends from one of the levels. In exchange, you receive more tickets or upgrades for things like your attack power and health.

Some toons give you stamps, which let you draw a certain object (like a block) anytime you want or summon a character. The best is Uncle Scrooge, who bounces around the screen on his cane in a brilliant homage to Duck Tales for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Disney nerds like me will love seeing Mickey interact with this large cast of all-stars, and the substantial rewards make the effort of finding these characters and completing their tasks more than worthwhile.

What you won’t like

Length
Sadly, Power of Illusion isn’t a long adventure. It took me about five hours to beat the game. It does give you reason to go back through old levels to find more characters and retrieve items for quests, but I was really wishing for more worlds to explore.

Only three movies serve as inspiration for the game’s stages: Peter Pan, Aladdin, and The Little Mermaid. This also means you’ll fight only three bosses, which is a shame since these are some of the best moments. I would have liked to have seen more variety.

Conclusion

OK, so I wanted more, but I really don’t have any complaints with what I played. Power of Illusion is a delightful, engaging, and clever tribute to one of Mickey’s greatest games. In many ways, it surpasses the original Castle of Illusion. In fact, this is the best title starring Mickey in years.

Ah, the hell with that. This is one the best 2D platformers I’ve played in a long time. Yes, that includes any with game with “Mario” in the title.

Score: 88/100

Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion comes out on Nov. 18 for the Nintendo 3DS. The publisher provided GamesBeat with a copy of the game for the purpose of this review.

Filed under: Games

From pixels to polygons: Video games trade blocks for curves

Samir Torres — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 17:00:52 +0000

Modern technology sure makes video games look pretty — with their real-time shaders, virtual displacement mapping, and all that technical gobbledygook. But this wasn’t always the case.

Let’s take a few current generation characters (and a lethal sports car) back through time, strip them out of their sexy 3D curves, and see how they look as flat, two-dimensional sprites.

Filed under: Games