If you fail Mickey in gaming, then it’s a safe to say that the studio responsible, earns a one way trip to the chopping block. Another one bites the dust.
With the refining of Disney’s interactive entertainment department and the lackluster reception of Disney’s Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two - which sits at a dismal 59% on metacritic - it comes to no surprise that Junction Point Studios, the developers behind DEM, have officially closed its doors.
“It was with much sadness that we informed our teams today of changes to our Games organization, which include the closure of Junction Point Studios,” said Disney in a press statement today. “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.” The company concluded.
This closure marks the third studio shut down in the past three years for the company. On the upside, Disney did acquire LucasArts back in Oct, however, success is key to longevity.
As for Warren Spector, I’m sure he is no dire hunt for a job in the industry. We’ll hear of his next project soon enough: Warner’s Epic Bugs Bunny has a nice ring. In truth, all developers, even the great ones, have bad games, it’s the nature of the business.
Disney’s fate in gaming now lies with their newest entry, Disney Infinity. Whether you love it or hate it, there’s no denying the intrigue within the concept and how that translates to gameplay experiences. It’s success is favorable and one thing’s for sure, no longer does Mickey have to carry the reigns alone.
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