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Triple-A development is “Soul crushing,” says Warren Spector

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Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, nigh-legendary game designer Warren Spector has given a frank interview that reflects on his time at Disney and his experiences in game development. The designer behind the original Deus Ex, System Shock and Epic Mickey had lots to say and touched on topics like working for the Mouse and the closure of his studio, Junction Point.

Perhaps his most interesting comment is on the nature of triple-A development, which he described as exhausting, saying “As cool as triple-A games are, the time and money that go into them now is just soul-crushing, at least for me. There are so many voices you have to listen to, so many legitimate stakeholders, it’s just a lot less fun than making games should be.”

He paints a picture of a sometimes complicated development process, adding that he didn’t always know why things happened: “I just didn’t get how a lot of decisions got made – but I think that was my problem, not Disney’s.” He also had a few words of advice for any studio heads, should big business make you an offer for your studio: “The one thing I’d tell people is do NOTHING for money. Don’t make a game just to make money; don’t sell your studio just for the payday.”

Spector covers a host of other topics too, so you should read the full interview here on GamesIndustry.biz. Nice work, GI.