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Warren Spector Shuns Talk Of Retirement
Disney may have closed the 57-year-old developer's Junction Point studio, but he still has the burning desire to create games.
During his D.I.C.E. speech entitled "The Graying of Gaming," Warren Spector outlined how his perspectives, ambitions, and priorities have shifted from his time as a wide-eyed game creator in his 20s, an accomplished talent in his 30s and 40s, and into his current role as a senior member of the game development community.
Though his passion for video game staples like space marines and iron-clad warriors has dimmed as his age has advanced, Spector was quick to dismiss the idea that he's ready to ride off into the sunset.
"One of my programmers said, 'Why don't you just retire?'" Spector recalled of a conversation he had a few weeks ago. "The answer was easy: I still have things I want to make. I'm not ready to go live on a farm."
Two games that appeal to his evolving sensibilities are Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain and Telltale's The Walking Dead, both of which are driven by player choice (an idea Spector has championed for decades) but whose mature subject matter and simplistic interfaces allow the games to appeal to a much wider audience than just the core gamer.
"I want content that is relevant to my life, set in the real world," Spector said, echoing the sentiments of David Cage's keynote on Peter Pan Syndrome yesterday. "If we're going to reach a new audience, we have to stop making games for teenage boys."
Spector ended his speech by relaying his new contact information to the audience. If a publisher or developer is interested in creating a game that appeals to a wider audience, he's available! We wish him well in the job search.
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