Junction Point Studios Closes; Warren Spector Leaves Disney
I reported on this yesterday at Examiner, based on a tweet from Chris Roberts’ new game development company, which has since been deleted it would seem. But in essence, it offered a “21-gun salute” to Junction Point, noting the studio’s closure. This came a full day before news actually broke.
Today, as reported on by Wired, GamesRadar, and other sites, it has been confirmed: Warren Spector’s Junction Point Studios has been shuttered by Disney, and Spector himself has left the employ of the Mouse. There’s really not much more to be said: Epic Mickey was a modest success, but Epic Mickey 2 bombed. Junction Point staff had basically been on holiday since the latter game’s release (never a good sign).
So that’s that, then.
Spector, for his part, is likely already looking toward what’s coming next:
In an interview with Polygon last year, Spector said he saw a future in connectivity between smartphones and traditional gaming platforms.
“I make the games I want to make,” he said. “I’m going to continue to do that. Anybody who doesn’t work for Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo, who isn’t thinking about ‘How do I get a billion people with an Android, iOS or Microsoft phone in their pocket? How do they interact with my hardware?’ If they’re not thinking about that, they’re not thinking hard enough.”
Is it just me, or have an awful lot of former Origin Systems developers ended up focusing their energies on the social and mobile gaming spaces?
Mobile is where the money is. I wouldn’t mind being able to hook up my phone to a tv and a controller to play my games. But until it’s not all touch screen, I’m just not interested.
Agreed, although Valve has a seemingly pleasant alternative to that in the works. If the phone, personal computer and living room television could be united we’d be in an unparalleled utopia for certain. That’s the holy trinity I see coming.