AAA game development can be 'soul-crushing,' says Warren Spector

@macross61 Five years... that's nothing. Some people work 40-50 years in factories with much lower pay. So excuse me if I don't show that much sympathy toward these people.

@queuing_for_PS4 @Sardinar have you played Deus Ex?

He is right. Face it, AAA development nowadays is risky, due to higher development costs of making those games. If a certain AAA title doesn't sell enough copies to make back the investment (& I mean, a ton of copies), then the company either winds up losing a ton of money (like Square-Enix with Tomb Raider), or the studio risks going bankrupt (see the huge list below for that).

Don't you dare to touch Phineas & Ferb, Warren. I like that show and I still wanna like it.

That's why I don't watch the Disney Channel!

And putting out two lackluster games in a row isn't "soul-crushing" Warren? What happened to him? o_O

Come on Mr. Spector, stop giving excuses... your Mickey game sucked!!! Deal with it!

I realize that was the genius behind the original Deus Ex, a defining and inspirational piece of gaming that set the standards for generations to come, but...face facts. Warren is just losing it these days (I'm not 100% certain this is correct but) look at the games he's made after that: Invisible War? Epic Mickey? Epic Mickey 2? He's losing it.

It's sad to see, really, how big he got thanks to Deus Ex and now to see just how far he's fallen. He's got good intentions and knows well about the industry but I can just barely agree with him these days due to all the mediocrity that he's produced. He may have made Deus Ex but does one amazing game truly allow him to get away with such poor quality games? I hope you find work someday Warren and I also hope it ISN'T with Deus Ex. I want you to move onto something new, not like Epic Mickey but something really new like Deus Ex when it came out, something different. I don't want you end up as being known as JUST the guy who made Deus Ex.

If you decide to stay in the field, I wish you the best of luck.

The fact that you can't make a decent game anymore is also soul crushing Spector. What happened? Or were you not really behind Deus Ex?

@queuing_for_PS4 gross. a high rated queuing for ps4 comment.

Warren, don't make AAA games then. Go back to making A games which were spectacular.

Managing the competing interests and trying to come out with something enjoyable is the challenge... and it was your job! Stop whining. Plenty of tougher jobs out there.

He can always follow Tim Schafer's lead and just give up. Start making forgettable, disposable downloadable titles and waltz around like some sort of creative hero.

Your ideas are soul crushing. For children.

If that's how he feels, I hope he is able to get involved in some smaller projects. Digital distribution is stronger than ever.

Another crybaby that earns 500k a year and still has his "soul crushed" for making a game. If you don´t like it drop out and let another more competent person take your place. Gosh.

Know what? Only that the long night is over. The crown of government is tarnished, but that will fade in time. The riots, a fever dream; the plague, a horrible nightmare; and like everything else that's happened such things will only be dimly remembered upon waking to their normal lives. In the end, all sins are forgiven. Even yours.

@queuing_for_PS4 They had two chances. TWO!

If you're being controlled by a greedy publisher - then yes, it's not fun. As simple as that.

I bet CDProjekt Red enjoy their job to the last.

Hey Warren - enough of your boring talks. You've wasted enough time with Disney. It's time for you to return to your roots. Pack your bags and head to Montreal. I'd like to see you work on Deus Ex.

Well i hope Epic Mickey 1 or 2 were not considered AAA or had the budget of one. They were both pretty bad. It used probably the most famous cartoon character yet the games have horrible limited animations. Bad production values period. Paint/thinner was completely stupid for a Mickey game. Then he does co op\AI partner ugh. For months leading up to Epic Mickey 2 all he was doing was talking about these improvements. Blah blah blah game turned out shit and he disappeared.

Seems a lot of people like to bad mouth big developments once they arn't working on them anymore or when they can't land a job with them. Who'd have thought?

Again, what is the point of this story? Is this what passes for journalism?

So and so says X which is related to but opposite of when so and so said Y just days before. End of story.

Really? I mean, really?

Go back to Deus Ex if you can, you tried Mickey two times Warren, and that didn't work out too well.

Epic Mickey was far from epic. Trying to make a "AAA" game and not delivering is probably even more soul-crushing. I really think a lot of money gets wasted when developers make games. I can see why big investors aren't killing themselves to invest in games. The return is far from a guarantee.