[quote= Otherside Employee ]
OtherSide Entertainment is thrilled to announce that Warren Spector, one of the leading creative minds in the game industry, will soon be joining the company.
Warren has been a producer, designer, and director behind some of the industry’s most beloved games, including System Shock, Deus Ex, and the Ultima series. He led Junction Point Studios in creating the best-selling Disney Epic Mickey and recently oversaw the Denuis-Sam Gaming Academy post-baccalaureate program at UT Austin.
Warren has acted as a Creative Advisor to OtherSide since the studio’s inception. Following the end of this semester’s classes at UT Austin, he will transition into a full-time position as one of OtherSide’s Studio Directors. Warren will continue to help in a creative capacity on Underworld Ascendant and, later this year, ramp up and lead the team developing System Shock 3.
Warren has a long history working with members of the OtherSide team, having collaborated with founder Paul Neurath on the original Ultima Underworld games, Thief: The Dark Project, and System Shock.
“I’ve loved working with students as Director of the Denius-Sams Gaming Academy in the University of Texas’ Moody College of Communication,” says Warren. “But when the opportunity to have a bigger role in bringing Underworld Ascendant to life, as well as playing in the System Shock universe once again, helping to bring these games to a 21st century audience, I just couldn’t say no. Working on System Shock was one of the most fulfilling things I’ve done in my career and it’s hard to describe how much I’m looking forward to sharing with players what SHODAN has been up to since the last game was released.”
Efforts on System Shock 3 will accelerate this year under Warren’s direction, while OtherSide continues working on Underworld Ascendant, the successor to the Ultima Underworld series.
Everyone at OtherSide is excited to add Warren to the team and System Shock 3 as the second title in the company’s growing stable of games.
[/quote]
[media]https://twitter.com/Warren_Spector/status/700064673836564481[/media]
[URL="https://www.othersideentertainment.com/forum/index.php?topic=1080.0"]Source 1[/URL] [URL="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2016-02-17-warren-spector-joins-otherside-entertainment"]Source 2
[/URL]
Additionally, [URL="https://www.facebook.com/warren.spector/posts/10208609662021880"]Warren Spector is also forming his own studio to help with the development of the game.[/URL]
I'm not so sure about how this will end up.
I'm pretty optimistic about this now.
He did make the original System Shock and Deus Ex, I am hopeful.
[QUOTE=The Baconator;49763297]He did make the original System Shock and Deus Ex, I am hopeful.[/QUOTE]
Only question is if he still got it, we've had several incidents where someone who created good games years ago creates absolute shit now(mighty number 9, anything touched by doublefine, etc)
[QUOTE=usaokay;49762262][URL="https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/34fdjb/hi_i_am_warren_spector_a_game_developer_from/cqu37qw"]He worked on the Rocky and Bullwinkle party game, so I have high hopes.[/URL][/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=The Baconator;49763297]He did make the original System Shock and Deus Ex, I am hopeful.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Crimor;49763525]Only question is if he still got it, we've had several incidents where someone who created good games years ago creates absolute shit now(mighty number 9, anything touched by doublefine, etc)[/QUOTE]
Lemme just point out that the last three games Warren Spector commanded were this mediocre, underwhelming sequel to a beloved franchise:
[IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/79/Dxinvwar.jpg/250px-Dxinvwar.jpg[/IMG]
This mediocre, underwhelming sequel to a beloved franchise:
[IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c3/Thief_Deadly_Shadows_boxart.jpg[/IMG]
And this (plus a sequel), which flopped hard enough to kill the studio Spector was heading:
[IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/59/Epic_Mickey.jpg[/IMG]
I'd like to be optimistic, but I really can't trust Warren Spector leading the System Shock 3 team. The last good game project he headed was Deus Ex back in 2000 and since then his gaming career has been a sequence of disappointments.
I'm pretty excited that one of my favourite franchises is getting a third installment.
I'd hardly call deadly shadows mediocre.
Epic Mickey was a fine game that took Mickey back to his roots, the sequel simply wasn't enough of an improvement.
[QUOTE=catbarf;49763695]And this (plus a sequel), which flopped hard enough to kill the studio Spector was heading:
[IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/59/Epic_Mickey.jpg[/IMG]
I'd like to be optimistic, but I really can't trust Warren Spector leading the System Shock 3 team. The last good game project he headed was Deus Ex back in 2000 and since then his gaming career has been a sequence of disappointments.[/QUOTE]
wasn't epic mickey not that bad though?
Fuck yeah! itshappening.gif
[QUOTE=Mabus;49764924]I'd hardly call deadly shadows mediocre.[/QUOTE]
True that. While it wasn't as sprawling as Dark Project or Metal Age, I still friggin' loved Deadly Shadows. Hell, it was the first Thief game I played thanks to old-school GameTap.
At any rate, I'd say it's a lot better than Thief 2014. Now THERE's a game I'd call frickin' mediocre. Many moons ago, I had a LOT to say about Thief 2014, not a lot of it good.
[QUOTE=catbarf;49763695]Lemme just point out that the last three games Warren Spector commanded were this mediocre, underwhelming sequel to a beloved franchise:
[IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/79/Dxinvwar.jpg/250px-Dxinvwar.jpg[/IMG]
This mediocre, underwhelming sequel to a beloved franchise:
[IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c3/Thief_Deadly_Shadows_boxart.jpg[/IMG]
And this (plus a sequel), which flopped hard enough to kill the studio Spector was heading:
[IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/59/Epic_Mickey.jpg[/IMG]
I'd like to be optimistic, but I really can't trust Warren Spector leading the System Shock 3 team. The last good game project he headed was Deus Ex back in 2000 and since then his gaming career has been a sequence of disappointments.[/QUOTE]
Say what you will but this is his comfort zone and the logic dictating DX and System Shock is something you genuinely can't fuck up unless you slack off. Given his commitment to the player power ethos and unless they end up having to redo everything from scratch ala Duke Nukem Forever there's little chance this is a bad scenario.
I only hope they don't dumb it down to make it more marketable to casual gamers. SSII's inventory system and skill system aren't perfect and could certainly use refinement, but scrapping them entirely would create another Bioshock. And frankly, I'm of the opinion that gameplay wise, Bioshock could never hold a candle to its spiritual predecessor.
[QUOTE=spekter;49769931]Say what you will but this is his comfort zone and the logic dictating DX and System Shock is something you genuinely can't fuck up unless you slack off. Given his commitment to the player power ethos and unless they end up having to redo everything from scratch ala Duke Nukem Forever there's little chance this is a bad scenario.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=archangel125;49770735]I only hope they don't dumb it down to make it more marketable to casual gamers.[/QUOTE]
So, here's my concern: Spector has expressed that he's all for streamlining and mainstreaming AAA games. The decisions that led to T:DS and DX:IW being more casual, accessible iterations of their respective franchises were Spector's doing, explicitly to bring those franchises to a wider audience. He's stated in interviews that his goal is to deliver an enjoyable experience for as many people as possible. He's a fan of the [URL="http://criticalpathproject.com/?v=38452167"]'cinematic experience'[/URL].
We already have a casual, accessible System Shock sequel, it's called Bioshock. And it's a fun game in its own right, but it's not the SS3 that fans of Looking Glass Studios wanted.
I readily accept that maybe I'm being overly pessimistic. Maybe he's had enough time to reflect on his mistakes, and he undeniably brings a wealth of experience to the table. It's been a long time since Invisible War, plenty of opportunity to change his outlook on gaming. And it's totally possible that some of his decisions, and some of his comments, were the product of having to deliver a AAA title while beholden to a money-conscious publisher, and now that he has free reign he can spearhead the proper sequel I've been wanting for... geez, seventeen years now.
But I just don't know. He's too much of a wild card for me to be as excited as if it were, say, Doug Church.
[QUOTE=catbarf;49763695]Lemme just point out that the last three games Warren Spector commanded were this mediocre, underwhelming sequel to a beloved franchise:
[IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/79/Dxinvwar.jpg/250px-Dxinvwar.jpg[/IMG]
This mediocre, underwhelming sequel to a beloved franchise:
[IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c3/Thief_Deadly_Shadows_boxart.jpg[/IMG]
And this (plus a sequel), which flopped hard enough to kill the studio Spector was heading:
[IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/59/Epic_Mickey.jpg[/IMG]
I'd like to be optimistic, but I really can't trust Warren Spector leading the System Shock 3 team. The last good game project he headed was Deus Ex back in 2000 and since then his gaming career has been a sequence of disappointments.[/QUOTE]
Deadly Shadows is a good game tho. Epic Mickey was fairly decent as well.
[QUOTE=catbarf;49763695]Lemme just point out that the last three games Warren Spector commanded were this mediocre, underwhelming sequel to a beloved franchise:
This mediocre, underwhelming sequel to a beloved franchise:
And this (plus a sequel), which flopped hard enough to kill the studio Spector was heading:
I'd like to be optimistic, but I really can't trust Warren Spector leading the System Shock 3 team. The last good game project he headed was Deus Ex back in 2000 and since then his gaming career has been a sequence of disappointments.[/QUOTE]
Eh IW was actually great in terms of characters and writing. The areas it had big issues were mostly related to consolitidis and a programmer who got a bit too intimate with unreal.
Which led to a somewhat shitty UI and miniscule levels. IW may have been bad if you expected another DX1. It was still better than average games of that era. Sure there were better games (Hl2 and Riddick instantly come to mind. But otherwise? Not to mention IW is like a year younger than those)
[QUOTE=Cone;49765261]wasn't epic mickey not that bad though?[/QUOTE]
Very true. Epic Mickey was a good game. Epic Mickey 2, however...
I thought Thief Deadly Shadows was good? I've only ever heard praise. It's rocking a very positive reaction on Steam and an 85 on metacritic with an 8.4 user score.
Like RichyZ said, before Thi4f's shittiness caused everyone to reevaulate T:DS as 'well, not bad in comparison', T:DS's main redeeming feature was The Cradle. Otherwise it was extremely small maps, poor writing, frustrating linearity, and heavily streamlined, simplified gameplay in comparison to its predecessors. Like Invisible War, it's not a [I]bad[/I] game, but because Spector wanted to bring the franchise to a wider audience it was simplified compared to its predecessors.
[QUOTE=catbarf;49763695]Lemme just point out that the last three games Warren Spector commanded were this mediocre, underwhelming sequel to a beloved franchise:
[IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/79/Dxinvwar.jpg/250px-Dxinvwar.jpg[/IMG]
This mediocre, underwhelming sequel to a beloved franchise:
[IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c3/Thief_Deadly_Shadows_boxart.jpg[/IMG]
And this (plus a sequel), which flopped hard enough to kill the studio Spector was heading:
[IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/59/Epic_Mickey.jpg[/IMG]
I'd like to be optimistic, but I really can't trust Warren Spector leading the System Shock 3 team. The last good game project he headed was Deus Ex back in 2000 and since then his gaming career has been a sequence of disappointments.[/QUOTE]
dunno, i thought invisible war was alright, but the stealth was pointless since everyone could see and hear you really easily despite crouching, so i just went with fully upgraded melee and just smacked everyone in the face. only other stealth option is running past everyone with cloak but that doesnt sound as fun. i also used sniper because other weapons consumed too much ammo.
also thief 1 (the original one) had some pretty terrible levels like the lost city and everyone seems to complain about thieves guild too. i felt deadly shadows and thief 2 were far superior in every way
also why do people complain about new game releases? if human revolution never came out no one in this age would even know what deus ex was except for some niche audience. same with thief. same will go for system shock. it puts the franchise on the map again.
[QUOTE=Crackodile;49777156]dunno, i thought invisible war was alright, but the stealth was pointless since everyone could see and hear you really easily despite crouching, so i just went with fully upgraded melee and just smacked everyone in the face. only other stealth option is running past everyone with cloak but that doesnt sound as fun. i also used sniper because other weapons consumed too much ammo.
also thief 1 (the original one) had some pretty terrible levels like the lost city and everyone seems to complain about thieves guild too. i felt deadly shadows and thief 2 were far superior in every way
also why do people complain about new game releases? if human revolution never came out no one in this age would even know what deus ex was except for some niche audience. same with thief. same will go for system shock. it puts the franchise on the map again.[/QUOTE]
I wouldn't say Deus Ex was niche, it was massively successful and has been topping "Best of" lists since its release. The fact that people go crazy at the announcements of these sequels shows that they're still a pretty big deal to a lot of people.
[QUOTE=Cone;49765261]wasn't epic mickey not that bad though?[/QUOTE]
It also got fucked by Disney. The game was supposed to be really dark, twisted, and highly steampunkishly stylized (after all, it was based on those creepy sketches of a cybernetic Goofy and whatever), but Disney allegedly didn't want anything that dark to be associated with their classic characters.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.