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batshit rumor time: Epic Mickey brought to you by Warren Specter

CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
edited December 2008 in Games and Technology
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=21537
Could Warren Spector's Junction Point Studios be at work on a title about Disney's seminal Mickey Mouse?

Gamasutra has seen concept art and information that indicates a title codenamed "Epic Mickey" may be in development at the Austin-based, Disney-owned developer.

Concept art from early versions of the game that we viewed showed mockups of the potential game's environment, including pencil sketches of cities assembled from junk.

Another sketch included a surreal seashore invasion scene, in which machines wearing the faces of the Seven Dwarfs deposit old-fashioned renditions of Disney characters onto the beach with mechanical hands.


Though the kooky environmental concepts, with visible large cogs, gears and even a large fork that serves as a building's awning, are somewhat reminiscent of Disney's Toontown Online MMO, the images -- particularly the cloud-stained seaside painting -- have a distinctly shadowed, steampunk vibe.

This information ties up with an early 2008 report from EGM Magazine columnist Quartermann that noted: "Word is that Spector's new Disney project will be a platformer looking to compete with a certain pesky plumber. And who's big enough to take on Nintendo's star? Only the mouse himself!"

Providing more background, this summer, Spector mentioned on his own Junction Point weblog: "My team and I have been working hard on our own and (get ready for the cool factor to go way up) in collaboration with folks from Disney Feature Animation and Pixar."

Junction Point itself is wholly owned by Disney since its acquisition in 2007, giving it the potential to use leading in-house IP in its games, including that of Mickey Mouse.

Deus Ex co-creator Spector has never provided further information on his current project. But around the same time as the summer's weblog comments, Spector noted at the Game Education Summit that "one hundred hour games are on the way out", and that he was "so tired of making games about guys in black leather carrying guns."

However, it's unclear whether the style of the concept art or the game's working title will fully carry through to this Junction Point project's conclusion -- or, indeed, exactly how far into development it is. Gamasutra will update with more information as it becomes available.
Yeah... o_O I don't care if the project is real. I just want to see a sketch like that.

Couscous on

Posts

  • PemulisPemulis Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Couscous wrote: »
    Another sketch included a surreal seashore invasion scene, in which machines wearing the faces of the Seven Dwarfs deposit old-fashioned renditions of Disney characters onto the beach with mechanical hands.

    Yeah... o_O I don't care if the project is real. I just want to see a sketch like that.

    This sounds almost... creepy.

    Pemulis on
  • UnbreakableVowUnbreakableVow Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I really, really want to claim this is bullshit. It sounds like a collaboration of things people feel the need to jizz about.

    1) Disney properties being presented in different ways in video games (like KH, for example)
    2) Warren Spector and the masses of Deus Ex fans
    3) Steampunk

    UnbreakableVow on
  • ButtcleftButtcleft Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I want to see this Matrix Sealand Mickey

    Buttcleft on
  • CrashmoCrashmo Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I hope this is real. It just sounds so completely ridiculous.

    They need to leak the sketches already.

    Crashmo on
    polar-bearsig.jpg
  • GuekGuek Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    epic mickey? what the target audience? either it'll have a wicked setting but be dumbed down for tots or it'll be too complicated for those that find mickey mouse still relevant. The only reason KH works as broadly as it does is because people will give their left nut for anything involving the concepts "final fantasy" and "crossover" in conjunction with one another.

    not saying it'll be a bad game, i'm just not sure who they'd be trying to market towards.

    Guek on
  • BiosysBiosys Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Nostalgic adults maybe?

    Seems a little too good to be true, seeing as this are the three things people seem to want most, it's kinda unbelievable.

    I want those sketches too though, sounds kickass.

    Biosys on
  • FuruFuru Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    This is probably real based entirely on it being too crazy to not be.

    Furu on
  • CherrnCherrn Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Hasn't he once confirmed that he did, in fact, work on a Mickey game?

    I'm certainly interested to see it even if it doesn't turn out to be this.
    Guek wrote: »
    either it'll have a wicked setting but be dumbed down for tots or it'll be too complicated for those that find mickey mouse still relevant.

    Not necessarily. It depends on how talented the team is, and how the game is structured. I don't see why it couldn't theoretically appeal to the exact same people that play Mario games. Remember the 16-bit Disney games and how they were all tremendously awesome? If they get back to that level of quality, the games will speak for themselves.

    Cherrn on
    All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
  • Unco-ordinatedUnco-ordinated NZRegistered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Cherrn wrote: »
    Hasn't he once confirmed that he did, in fact, work on a Mickey game?

    I'm certainly interested to see it even if it doesn't turn out to be this.

    Not did, is. Well at least according to the hints (that Junction Point Studios is 'classic hollywood cartoon' game) and rumours (which've existed well before this one). Disney bought Junction Point a couple of years back, so it's entirely possible.

    As for the new rumour, that sounds pretty awesome. If it turns out to be true, I'd be pretty interested in it (so long as it's on a system that I own; PC, PS3, DS or PSP).

    Speaking of Warren Spector, I really should get around to finishing Deus Ex one of these days...

    Unco-ordinated on
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  • BiosysBiosys Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Cherrn wrote: »
    Hasn't he once confirmed that he did, in fact, work on a Mickey game?

    I'm certainly interested to see it even if it doesn't turn out to be this.

    Not did, is. Well at least according to the hints (that Junction Point Studios is 'classic hollywood cartoon' game) and rumours (which've existed well before this one). Disney bought Junction Point a couple of years back, so it's entirely possible.

    As for the new rumour, that sounds pretty awesome. If it turns out to be true, I'd be pretty interested in it (so long as it's on a system that I own; PC, PS3, DS or PSP).

    Speaking of Warren Spector, I really should get around to finishing Deus Ex one of these days...

    Come on, it's Disney. It's going to be on every platform, even the Gizmondo.

    Biosys on
  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Spector's already said his Deus Ex days are behind him and he wants to make smaller, more family-friendly games. So... no idea.
    edit: I see this is mentioned anyway. I really should learn to read better.

    darleysam on
    forumsig.png
  • BiosysBiosys Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    You know, I've never actually played Deus Ex.

    Is it worth picking it up, x years later?

    Biosys on
  • EvanderEvander Disappointed Father Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Steampunk Mickey?

    I'd by that for a dollar.

    Evander on
  • FuruFuru Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Evander wrote: »
    Steampunk Mickey?

    I'd by that for a dollar.

    It'll probably be $60.

    Furu on
  • EvanderEvander Disappointed Father Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Furu wrote: »
    Evander wrote: »
    Steampunk Mickey?

    I'd by that for a dollar.

    It'll probably be $60.

    I didn't say I'd be buying at launch.

    Evander on
  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Holy crap, that sounds awesome. And given the success of Kingdom Hearts I wouldn't be surprised if Disney would pursue something like this. The company loves to repurpose their classic characters to keep sales of the source movies/cartoons brisk, not to mention they've been looking for a "boy" version of the wild success of the princess line for years now.

    Then again, they had the perfect opportunity to leverage the fuck out of Kingdom Hearts and appeal to boys, but noooo, their "heritage" department or whatever the fuck didn't want Goofy and Donald to fight like they did in the video game and they killed a promising Kingdom Hearts cartoon. Feh.

    cloudeagle on
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  • elkataselkatas Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I actually heard something like this from my own sources about nine months ago, but I still doubt its true. It is just too weird combination.

    elkatas on
    Hypnotically inclined.
  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Eh, no weirder than Disney characters teaming up with Final Fantasy characters, and that one happened.

    cloudeagle on
    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
  • grrarggrrarg Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    seminal Mickey Mouse

    The author of that article is probably so proud of himself for coming up with that phrasing.

    grrarg on
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    grrarg wrote: »
    seminal Mickey Mouse

    The author of that article is probably so proud of himself for coming up with that phrasing.
    pertaining to or containing or consisting of semen; "seminal fluid"
    germinal: containing seeds of later development; "seminal ideas of one discipline can influence the growth of another"
    :winky:

    Couscous on
  • skyknytskyknyt Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2008
    Biosys wrote: »
    You know, I've never actually played Deus Ex.

    Is it worth picking it up, x years later?

    YES

    skyknyt on
    Tycho wrote:
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  • emnmnmeemnmnme Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Ol' Spector's been working on this concept for a long time, right? When did Disney buy and develop his studio? 2005?

    emnmnme on
  • SpoitSpoit *twitch twitch* Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Biosys wrote: »
    Cherrn wrote: »
    Hasn't he once confirmed that he did, in fact, work on a Mickey game?

    I'm certainly interested to see it even if it doesn't turn out to be this.

    Not did, is. Well at least according to the hints (that Junction Point Studios is 'classic hollywood cartoon' game) and rumours (which've existed well before this one). Disney bought Junction Point a couple of years back, so it's entirely possible.

    As for the new rumour, that sounds pretty awesome. If it turns out to be true, I'd be pretty interested in it (so long as it's on a system that I own; PC, PS3, DS or PSP).

    Speaking of Warren Spector, I really should get around to finishing Deus Ex one of these days...

    Come on, it's Disney. It's going to be on every platform, even the Gizmondo.
    Except the PC
    Yes, I'm still unreasonably bitter about TFU

    Spoit on
    steam_sig.png
  • CherrnCherrn Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Spoit wrote: »
    Except the PC
    Yes, I'm still unreasonably bitter about TFU

    The PC is better off for not having it

    Cherrn on
    All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    skyknyt wrote: »
    Biosys wrote: »
    You know, I've never actually played Deus Ex.

    Is it worth picking it up, x years later?

    YES

    Yes it's definitely worth picking up. It's on Steam so there's no excuse.

    I wouldn't be alarmed if the rumor was 100% true though. I mean it's not like he's made a secret of his working for Disney on a more casual, cartoony game for a while now.

    TychoCelchuuu on
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    skyknyt wrote: »
    Biosys wrote: »
    You know, I've never actually played Deus Ex.

    Is it worth picking it up, x years later?

    YES

    Yes it's definitely worth picking up. It's on Steam so there's no excuse.

    I wouldn't be alarmed if the rumor was 100% true though. I mean it's not like he's made a secret of his working for Disney on a more casual, cartoony game for a while now.

    I believe it is still free on Gametap.

    Couscous on
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