Warren Evan Spector (born October 2, 1955) is an American

role-playing Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-playing a ...

and

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

designer A designer is a person who plans the form or structure of something before it is made, by preparing drawings or plans. In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, products, processes, laws, games, graphics, services, or exp ...

, director, writer, producer and production designer. He is known for creating

immersive sim An immersive sim (simulation) is a video game genre that emphasizes player choice. Its core, defining trait is the use of simulated systems that respond to a variety of player actions which, combined with a comparatively broad array of player ...

games, which give players a wide variety of choices in how to progress. Consequences of those choices are then shown in the simulated game world in subsequent levels or missions. He is best known for the critically acclaimed video game ''

Deus Ex ''Deus Ex'' is a series of role-playing video games, set during the mid 21st century. Focusing on the conflict between secretive factions who wish to control the world by proxy, and the effects of transhumanistic attitudes and technologies in a ...

'' that embodies the choice and consequence philosophy while combining elements of the

first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...

, and

adventure game An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or Puzzle video game, puzzle-solving. The Video game genres, genre's focus on story allows it to draw ...

genres Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

. In addition to ''Deus Ex,'' Spector is known for his work while employed by

Looking Glass Studios Looking Glass Studios, Inc. (formerly Blue Sky Productions and LookingGlass Technologies, Inc.) was an American video game developer based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The company was founded by Paul Neurath with Ned Lerner as Blue Sky Produ ...

, where he was involved in the creation of several acclaimed titles including ''

Ultima Underworld ''Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss'' is a first-person role-playing video game developed by Blue Sky Productions (later Looking Glass Studios) and published by Origin Systems. Released in March 1992, the game is set in the fantasy world of ...

'', '' Ultima Underworld II,

System Shock ''System Shock'' is a 1994 first-person action-adventure video game developed by LookingGlass Technologies and published by Origin Systems. It was directed by Doug Church with Warren Spector serving as producer. The game is set aboard a space s ...

'', and '' Thief: The Dark Project''. He is employed by

OtherSide Entertainment OtherSide Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 2013 by Looking Glass Studios co-founder Paul Neurath. In June 2016, the company opened a second studio in Austin, Texas, led by Warr ...

, where he was part of the development team for now-cancelled '' System Shock 3''. He is currently working on a new immersive sim based on an original intellectual property.

Early life

Spector grew up in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, which he described as a sometimes hostile environment where "short, pudgy, Jewish kids didn't fare well". He showed an intense devotion to whatever topic became his focus at any given time, from dinosaurs and airplanes as a small boy, to an interest in law by the sixth grade. At age 13, Spector had decided he wanted to be a film critic, and by high school, his interests expanded to include cars and basketball. Spector and game designer

Greg Costikyan Greg Costikyan (born July 22, 1959, in New York City), sometimes known under the pseudonym "Designer X", is an American game designer and science fiction writer. Costikyan's career spans nearly all extant genres of gaming, including: hex-based wa ...

were friends since high school. Spector attended

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

in Illinois, still intending to become a film critic, stating that he "knew more about movies than a lot of my teachers". Spector earned his BS in Communications at Northwestern, and went on to earn his MA in Radio-TV-Film at the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

in 1980. His thesis was a critical history of Warner Bros. cartoons. All through college, Spector enjoyed gaming, and recalls that he "played

Avalon Hill Avalon Hill Games Inc. is a game company that publishes wargames and strategic board games. It has also published miniature wargaming rules, role-playing games and sports simulations. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, and operates under the company' ...

games mainly, and a lot of ''

OGRE An ogre ( feminine: ogress) is a legendary monster depicted as a large, hideous, man-like being that eats ordinary human beings, especially infants and children. Ogres frequently feature in mythology, folklore, and fiction throughout the wor ...

'' and '' G.E.V.'' games, and ''Rivets'' from

Metagaming Metagame, Hypergame, or game about the game, is an approach to a game that transcends or operates outside of the prescribed rules of the game, uses external factors to affect the game, or goes beyond the supposed limits or environment set by th ...

. It was all boardgames until I became friends with science-fiction writers who were into '' D&D'' games, so I gave the game a try. I was hooked." Spector taught several undergraduate classes at the University of Texas at Austin, on the history, theory, and criticism of film.

Career

Tabletop role-playing games

In 1983, after a job at the

Harry Ransom Center The Harry Ransom Center (until 1983 the Humanities Research Center) is an archive, library and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe for the pur ...

as an archivist in charge of the David O. Selznick collection ended after a few months, Spector recalls that he "was sitting around, wondering how I was going to pay the next month's rent, when I got a call from Chris Frink. He was a writer for a weekly entertainment magazine I used to edit in college. Anyway, he said that he was now editor of ''

Space Gamer Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider ...

'' magazine and asked if I wanted a job. So, in the fall of 1983, I started as an editor." Within a short time, Spector became the editor-in-chief for all

Steve Jackson Games Steve Jackson Games (SJGames) is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and (until 2019) the gaming magazine ''Pyramid''. History Founded in 1980, six years after the cr ...

products, the company that owned and published ''Space Gamer'' magazine. Spector began producing

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...

s for the company, stating, "I supervised game development, typesetting, and the art and graphic departments."

developed '' Toon'' (1984), based on an idea by

Jeff Dee Jeff Dee is an American artist and game designer. He was the youngest artist in the history of pioneering role-playing game company TSR when he began his work at the age of eighteen. He also designed the ''Villains and Vigilantes'' superhero gam ...

; Costikyan only intended the game to be an article in ''

Fantasy Gamer ''The Space Gamer'' was a magazine dedicated to the subject of science fiction and fantasy board games and tabletop role-playing games. It quickly grew in importance and was an important and influential magazine in its subject matter from the la ...

'' magazine, but Spector liked the idea and expanded it into a complete role-playing system, publishing it as the first full role-playing game from

. Spector wrote the early ''

Paranoia Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concer ...

'' game supplement '' Send in the Clones'' (1985) with

Allen Varney Allen Varney (born 1958) is an American writer and game designer. Varney has produced numerous books, role-playing game supplements, technical manuals, articles, reviews, columns, and stories, as well as the fantasy novel ''Cast of Fate'' ( TSR, ...

. Spector also worked on the ''

GURPS The ''Generic Universal RolePlaying System'', or ''GURPS'', is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting. It was created by Steve Jackson Games and first published in 1986 at a time when most such systems ...

'' role-playing game. In March 1987 he was hired by TSR, initially working on games such as '' Top Secret/S.I.'' and the '' Marvel Super Heroes'' role-playing game. He also worked on '' The Bullwinkle and Rocky Party Roleplaying Game'', and the second edition ''AD&D'' rules set, as well as board games, choose-your-own-adventure books, and novels. Spector spent some time in TSR's R&D department, helping launch, among other things, ''

Spelljammer ''Spelljammer'' is a campaign setting originally published for the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (2nd edition) role-playing game, which features a fantastic (as opposed to scientific) outer space environment. Subsequent editions have included ' ...

''.

Origin and Looking Glass Studios

In 1989, Spector entered the

video game industry The video game industry encompasses the development, marketing, and monetization of video games. The industry encompasses dozens of job disciplines and thousands of jobs worldwide. The video game industry has grown from niches to mainstream. , ...

and joined

Origin Origin(s) or The Origin may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Comics and manga * Origin (comics), ''Origin'' (comics), a Wolverine comic book mini-series published by Marvel Comics in 2002 * The Origin (Buffy comic), ''The Origin'' (Bu ...

, where he co-produced ''

Ultima VI ''Ultima VI: The False Prophet'', released by Origin Systems in 1990, is the sixth part in the role-playing video game series of '' Ultima''. It is the third and final game in the "Age of Enlightenment" trilogy. ''Ultima VI'' sees the player retu ...

'' and ''

Wing Commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...

'' and produced ''

'' and '' Ultima Underworld II'', '' Ultima VII Part Two: Serpent Isle'', ''

'', '' Wings of Glory'', '' Bad Blood'', '' Martian Dreams'', and others. He later became general manager of Looking Glass Austin. He worked briefly on ''Dark Camelot'', which later became '' Thief: The Dark Project''. However, Spector left Looking Glass soon afterward, just before ''Thief'' shipped, to pursue other interests. According to Spector, his decision to dissolve the Austin branch was prompted by the company's ongoing financial struggles and the realization that "continued existence of the Austin Studio was going to jeopardise the existence of Looking Glass overall".

Ion Storm

In 1996, Spector was about to sign a contract with EA to do an unannounced project (which was revealed to be a "''Command & Conquer'' Role-Playing Game") when he got a call from

John Romero John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

to join him at

Ion Storm Ion Storm, L.P. was an American video game developer founded by video game industry veterans John Romero and Tom Hall, both formerly of id Software. Despite an impressive pedigree and high expectations, the company only produced one commercial ...

; Romero persuaded Spector by offering him the chance to make the game of his dreams with no creative interference and a big marketing budget. Spector later agreed. In 1997 he founded Ion Storm's Austin development studio, and his "dream project" later became the award-winning action/RPG called ''

''. As Ion Storm studio director, he oversaw development of '' Deus Ex: Invisible War'' (2003) and '' Thief: Deadly Shadows'' (2004). In 2004, Spector left Ion Storm to "pursue personal interests outside the company". Ion Storm was closed by owners

Eidos Interactive Square Enix Limited (formerly Domark Limited and Eidos Interactive Limited) is a British subsidiary of the Japanese video game company Square Enix, acting as their European publishing arm. The company formerly owned ''Tomb Raider'', which was in ...

in February 2005.

Disney

In 2005, it was announced that he had established a new studio

Junction Point Studios Junction Point Studios (JPS) was an American video game developer based in Austin, Texas founded by ''Deus Ex'' creator, Warren Spector, in 2004. Disney Interactive Studios acquired Junction Point Studios in July 2007 to develop a property based o ...

. Somewhere between the end of 2005 and mid-2007, Junction Point Studios and Warren worked on an additional

Episode An episode is a narrative unit within a larger dramatic work or documentary production, such as a series intended for radio, television or streaming consumption. The noun ''episode'' is derived from the Greek term ''epeisodion'' (), meaning t ...

for

Half-Life 2 ''Half-Life 2'' is a 2004 first-person shooter game developed by Valve. It was published by Valve through its distribution service Steam. Like the original ''Half-Life'' (1998), ''Half-Life 2'' combines shooting, puzzles, and storytelling, and ...

that was ultimately cancelled by

Valve A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...

. A job advertisement for the studio called for artists for a game that has "classic Hollywood cartoons" featuring "cartoon mice, cats and wabbits". On July 13, 2007, it was announced that

Disney Interactive Disney Interactive is an American video game and internet company that oversaw various websites and interactive media owned by The Walt Disney Company. History 1995–1996: Formation and beginnings In December 1994, Disney announced that it wa ...

had acquired Junction Point Studios. His first project with Disney Interactive was a project involving Disney characters, titled ''

Epic Mickey ''Epic Mickey'' is a 2010 platform game for the Wii developed by Junction Point Studios and published by Disney Interactive Studios, except in Japan, where it was published by Nintendo. The game focuses on Mickey Mouse, who accidentally damag ...

''. The game is steampunk-themed and designed exclusively for the

Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...

; the game was released in 2010. In January 2013, it was announced that Warren Spector had left

following the closure of

University of Texas

After leaving Disney Interactive, Spector worked with the University of Texas at Austin to build a new post-baccalaureate game development program – the Denius-Sams Gaming Academy. He worked with UT staff to create a curriculum and plan out courses and labs.

OtherSide Entertainment

In February 2016, Spector announced he had joined

, a studio formed by

Paul Neurath Paul Neurath is a video game designer and creative director. He founded both Blue Sky Productions (later renamed Looking Glass Studios) and Floodgate Entertainment. He was the creative director of Zynga Boston. In 2014 he founded OtherSide Entertain ...

in 2014 and includes several previous Looking Glass developers, as their Studio Director, after having been in an advisory role from its inception. He will be helping the studio with their current development of ''

System Shock 3 ''System Shock 2'' is a 1999 action role-playing survival horror video game designed by Ken Levine and co-developed by Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios. Originally intended to be a standalone title, its story was changed during product ...

'' and ''

Underworld Ascendant ''Underworld Ascendant'' is a first-person action role-playing game developed by Otherside Entertainment and published by 505 Games. It is the sequel to '' Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss'' and '' Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds ...

'', the spiritual successor to ''

'' which both Spector and Neurath worked on in the early 1990s. Though Spector had completed only two-and-a-half years of a three-year commitment to the University of Texas, he jumped at the chance to work on ''System Shock'' when Neurath approached him with the offer. He also believed the opportunity would help garner good favor from players that had been disappointed by his choice to work on ''Epic Mickey'', even though he states that game had still been based on his past design philosophy used in the development of ''System Shock'' and ''Deus Ex''. OtherSide Entertainment announced in November 2022 that Spector is working on a multiplayer game with immersive sim elements entitled ''Argos: Riders on the Storm.''

Personal life

Warren met Caroline Chase in 1984 at a comic book store in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

, where she was employed. After Chase got a job at

, the two began a relationship. They were married on April 11, 1987. The couple sometimes worked together, such as on game supplements for the '' Marvel Super Heroes'' role-playing game. The two reside in Austin, Texas. Caroline is a fantasy writer.

Credits

Video games

* '' Ultima VI: The False Prophet'' (1990),

Origin Systems Origin Systems, Inc. was an American video game developer based in Austin, Texas. It was founded on March 3, 1983, by Richard Garriott and his brother Robert Garriott, Robert. Origin is best known for their groundbreaking work in multiple genres ...

, producer/writer * ''

'' (1990), Origin Systems, producer * '' Wing Commander: The Secret Missions'' (1990), Origin Systems, producer * '' Bad Blood'' (1990), Origin Systems, producer * '' Ultima: Worlds of Adventure 2: Martian Dreams'' (1991), Origin Systems, producer * '' Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss'' (1992), Origin Systems, producer * '' Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds'' (1993), Origin Systems, producer * '' Ultima VII Part Two: Serpent Isle'' (1993), Origin Systems, producer * '' Ultima VII Part Two: The Silver Seed'' (1993),

Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...

, producer * '' Wing Commander: Privateer – Righteous Fire'' (1994), Electronic Arts, producer * ''

'' (1994), Electronic Arts, producer * '' Wings of Glory'' (1995), Electronic Arts, producer * '' CyberMage: Darklight Awakening'' (1995), Electronic Arts, producer * '' Crusader: No Remorse'' (1995), Electronic Arts, producer * ''

'' (2000),

, director/producer * '' Thief: Deadly Shadows'' (2004),

, producer * ''

'' (2010),

Disney Interactive Studios Disney Interactive Studios, Inc. was an American video game developer and publisher owned by The Walt Disney Company through Disney Interactive. Prior to its closure in 2016, it developed and distributed multi-platform video games and interactiv ...

, creative director * '' Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two'' (2012),

, director * ''

'' (2018),

505 Games 505 Games S.p.A. is an Italian video game publisher based in Milan. It was founded in 2006 as a subsidiary of Milan-based Digital Bros. History 505 Games was founded in 2006 in Milan as a subsidiary of Digital Bros. The company found its earl ...

, creative consultant * ''

'' (TBC), OtherSide Entertainment * '' Argos: Riders on the Storm'' (TBC), OtherSide Entertainment

Role-playing games

* '' Toon'' – Developer (1984),

* '' Bullwinkle and Rocky Role-Playing Party Game'' –

Editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

(1988),

TSR, Inc. TSR, Inc. was an American game publishing company, best known as the original publisher of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D''). Its earliest incarnation, Tactical Studies Rules, was founded in October 1973 by Gary Gygax and Don Kaye. Gygax had bee ...

* ''

Uncanny X-Men ''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of superheroes called the X ...

Boxed Set'' –

(1990),

Novels

* ''Double Agent: Royal Pain/The Hollow Earth Affair'' by Richard Merwin/Warren Spector

Comics

* ''

DuckTales ''DuckTales'' is an American animated television series produced by Disney Television Animation. The original cartoon series premiered on syndication and on Disney Channel on September 18, 1987 and ran for a total of 100 episodes over four seas ...

'' –

Boom! Studios Boom! Studios (styled BOOM! Studios) is an American comic book and graphic novel publisher, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. History Origins In the early 2000s, Ross Richie and Andrew Cosby had been working in Holly ...

– (2011)

Gamebooks

* '' One Thing After Another'' –

Puffin Books Puffin Books is a longstanding children's imprint of the British publishers Penguin Books. Since the 1960s, it has been among the largest publishers of children's books in the UK and much of the English-speaking world. The imprint now belongs t ...

– (Marvel Super Heroes Gamebook #5)

Awards

On 2016, Spector won the Honorific Award at the

Fun & Serious Game Festival Fun & Serious Game Festival is a video game festival that takes place, in Bilbao, Spain, from late November to the beginning of December since its foundation in 2011. Its main objective is to recognize the cultural importance of video games. To do ...

References

Sources

External links

Junction Point Studios developer blog (usually Warren Spector, but sometimes other team members)

Junction Point Studios, Inc. official website
* *
Spector is interviewed on a variety of game industry related topics

* ttp://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=65751 Interview at EuroGamer* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Spector, Warren 1955 births 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American Jews American male novelists American video game designers American video game producers Dungeons & Dragons game designers Game Developers Conference Lifetime Achievement Award recipients GURPS writers Jewish video game developers Living people Moody College of Communication alumni Northwestern University alumni Origin Systems people People from Manhattan Place of birth missing (living people) Ultima (series)