Spector: ‘It’s a crazy time to be an independent’

In an interview with Next-Gen.biz Deus Ex and System Shock creator Warren Spector has been discussing his decision to sell his independent studio Junction Point to Disney Interactive Studios, saying that the company’s vision matched closely with his.

The deal between Spector and Disney was announced during E3. It was just the latest step in Disney Interactive Studios’ agressive games development expansion plans. Last year it acquired Climax Racing (now called Black Rock) and founded a new Wii-focused studio in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA – and signing Spector adds a key talent to the DIS empire.

"I’ve just been a Disney geek all my life," he said, explaining that Disney’s heritage in making story-driven experiences aligns closely with his plans for games.

"The Disney organization has given Junction Point and me the opportunity to work on an incredibly cool project that I really can’t say anything about. The company’s always been at the forefront of technological innovation and storytelling, and the more I talked to people about Disney Interactive, the more I got the sense that they really embrace the whole Disney heritage."

When asked about the decision to go back into the in-house fold (Spector previously founded Ion Storm Austin for Eidos before leaving to open Junction Point), he explained: "It’s kind of a crazy time to be an independent if you really look at all the increased costs of next-gen."

He added: "I know the ups and downs of both and at this point I think this is a really good time for us to become part of Disney. I’ve got a track record and certainly I’ve got a team of people here who’ve worked on some amazing projects but we were still a start up and it was kind of a dicey sort of time, and so again the opportunity to work specifically with Disney, it was just too good to pass up."

The full interview can be found here.