Epic Mickey was a Wii exclusive that launched to critical claim and an eager audience that quickly bought up more than a million copies. For its sequel, Disney decided to broaden the game’s potential market, releasing it on all major platforms. The end result was a game that sold half as well and scored poor to middle-of-the-road reviews from most critics. The studio behind the games, Junction Point Studios, is now paying for this twist of fate.
As a part of a larger restructuring of its video game business, Disney has closed Junction Point, laying of its staff, including acclaimed developer Warren Spector. This quickly confirmed the rumors initially reported just yesterday.
Disney officially said the following of the studio’s closing: “These changes are part of our ongoing effort to address the fast-evolving gaming platforms and marketplace and to align resources against our key priorities. We’re extremely grateful to Warren Spector and the Junction Point team for their creative contributions to Disney with Disney Epic Mickey and Disney Epic Mickey 2.”
These events leave several questions lingering in their aftermath. What will Mickey Mouse’s future in video games look like… aside from Kingdom Hearts? And what is next for Warren Spector, the man behind highly revered games like Deus Ex and Thief?
Source: Eurogamer