Disney Epic Mickey Screenshots and Art Unveiled-1.052009-10-29 19:54:17Maura SFollowing weeks of speculation, Disney Interactive Studios today officially announced the development of Disney Epic Mickey for the Wii™, and also released some stunning screenshots and character art. In what Disney is calling “an adventure-platforming game with light role-playing elements”, players use the Wii Remote™ to transform the world around them with magical paint and thinner.
“Mickey is an adventurous and rambunctious mouse,” said Warren Spector, creative director and vice president, Junction Point. “I want to bring his personality to the forefront, place him in a daunting world and connect his spirited character with video game players worldwide. Ultimately, each player decides for him-or herself what makes Mickey cool.”
“The core of this game is the idea of choice and consequence, and how that defines both the character and the player. By putting the mischievous Mickey in an unfamiliar place and asking him to make choices – to help other cartoon characters or choose his own path – the game forces players to deal with the consequences of their actions. Ultimately, players must ask themselves, ‘what kind of hero am I?’ Each player will come up with a different answer.”
In the game, a sorcerer called Yen Sid (the sorcerer from the Disney movie “Fantasia”) creates a Cartoon Wasteland, where old and forgotten Disney creations happily exist, including Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who arrives there after Mickey Mouse is created by Disney, taking Oswald’s place in the cartoon limelight. The more Mickey grows in popularity, the more bitter and resentful Oswald becomes as he watches from the obscurity of Cartoon Wasteland. When Mickey finds Yen Sid’s map, he unwittingly causes untold devastation to Cartoon Wasteland when he makes a simple mistake. This leads him to eventually wind up in Cartoon Wasteland himself, where he comes face to face with the consequences of his actions.
“Having Warren combine creativity and innovation with one of the world’s most famous characters takes Mickey back to his creative roots and allows fans to deepen their engagement with him as a character – especially in video games,” said Graham Hopper, executive vice president and general manager of Disney Interactive Studios. “In addition to Warren’s lifelong love of cartoons, films and comics, his visionary approach to game design and storytelling will make certain that this heroic tale of discovery and redemption resonates with Disney fans and gamers alike.”
Disney Epic Mickey is currently scheduled for a fall 2010 release.
