warren-spector posts

Holding court at the Game Education Summit which took place in Dallas last week, Warren Spector, VP of Internal Studios at Disney Interactive and keynote speaker at the Summit, expressed a desire for change. "[I am] so tired of making games about guys in black leather carrying guns," Spector said.

Spector is no stranger to change. "Back in the day only 20% of the team members had kids and now it's more like 50%, and the whole industry is getting older, having kids, and needing those nights and weekends," he said. Although he admitted that development cycles are still longer than he would like, "it was at least eighty hours a week when I started."

Facets of the industry such as long development times are part of the culture that makes the game industry so appealing -- or unappealing -- to its members. Spector relayed the importance of being a team as part of that culture, citing examples of "crappy" buildings but a fun, dynamic, worthwhile team environment. "The culture is critical. I think it's even culture and team over talent at this point in my career. Find a home in a place that's simpatico with you and make the games you like."

As the culture changes, so do many previously established concepts and practices. One such example is the length of time gamers need to invest in a game to properly enjoy it. According to Spector, "One-hundred hour games are on the way out."

The cost of development is always rising, with Spector estimating costs soaring to "$35-40 million, even $100 million, and the expectations are huge. ... How many of you have finished GTA? Two percent, probably. If we're spending $100 million on a game, we want you to see the last level!"