Okay, who let Disney off their meds this time? (New Wii Game - Epic Mickey)

[Jragon]

From Warren Spector (System Shock, Deus Ex) is a new game that... I don't even know other than the concept art are going to haunt my dreams. It appears to be set in a steampunkish post-apocalyptic Disneyland.

A dam or something (http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/xblah/other/thin_wallhires.jpg)
Giant sea transport with what seems to be a ruined Epcot dome on it (http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/xblah/other/sea_transport.jpg)

What appears to be a partially ruined animatronic Goofy... THAT WILL HAUNT YOUR DREAMS (http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/xblah/other/goofy_zombie.jpg)
Cinderella's Castle on a weird landmass, shot from what appears to be the dam from screeny 1 (http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/xblah/other/castle_side02.jpg)

The castle from above, nice drop (http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/xblah/other/castle_dwn_view.jpg)
A giant jug of Mickey Mouse brand paint thinner. Oh and apparently an invasion by sea of dwarf-caterpillar monsters that are bent on killing old black and white cartoons. Nothing out of the ordinary there. (http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y24/DuelistGoku/2e3u34x.jpg)

A terrible hellbeast made up of the faces of several Disney characters (TIGGER!?) (http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y24/DuelistGoku/4630880_402x410.jpg)
Don't know, some sort of Grim Reaper thing except with a Mickey glove on a staff instead of a scythe (http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4972/blot35.jpg)

To prove it's real here's a Wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Mickey

And a Gamespot Piece:
http://www.gamespot.com/news/blogs/rumor-control/909119209/26978344/epic-mickey-spectors-first-disney-effort.html
Well, okay, the verdict is "looks not bogus," so it could still be a hoax, but still, damn.

I suppose at least it's not another Hannah Montana-like tween sitcom... though I'm debating the use of "at least" in that sentence. This is at least 10 times more twisted than American McGee's Alice.

[Tabby_Cat]

Want.

WANT.

And it's for a console that I actually own!

Steampunk Mickey.. mmmMMMMMMMMmm. I never thought I'd love anything Disney, but this is just so warped..

Gwaaaaaaaarsh.

Seriously though, I don't know how kids would react to seeing Goofy zombified. I mean, there's seeing your favourite cartoon character in a video game, and seeing.. that.



Waaaaaaaaant.

[Jragon]

Seriously though, I don't know how kids would react to seeing Goofy zombified. I mean, there's seeing your favourite cartoon character in a video game, and seeing.. that.

This is Warren Spector, the chances of it being under an M rating are approximately nil, so no kiddy trauma here (though I weep for the parents who see a creepy Mickey on the front and think "Mickey, my kid would like that!" without checking the rating).

Oh, and found two more images:
A cool robotish thing (http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/382/beetlethings.jpg)

A psycho multi-legged robot with mickey ears (http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/3075/beetleworx6.jpg)

ETA: Also, I know, isn't it just awesome? I forgot to make that clear in my OP.

[Jragon]

Read around and found the last little bits of info I could form various places. It appears to be a platformer starring Mickey (source is apparently Spector's blog, which has an entry some time back about making a platformer to complete with "the plumber himself"). It will rely on the pointer to draw, erase, and alter parts of the level, and the story may have something to do with old forgotten Disney (or Walt-created) characters like Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/oswald0730.jpg) (seen on the decal on the spaceship) attempting to get revenge on Mickey because he's popular and they've been cast aside.


ETA: And more art!

Pencil Sketches of the castle (http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/2m2hvno.jpg)
A run-down town with a conspicuous cog (http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/2h5si74.jpg)
More castle (http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/5mdzra.jpg)
More town (http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/2dqstuq.jpg)
Dumbo robot scaling a wall (http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/epicmickey072901.jpg)

[Aghris]

:O

This is so cool......

[Airk]

I keep waiting for this to be some sort of elaborate hoax. I can't -believe- the Disney lawyers signed off on this.

[Just Some Guy]

I suspect that if the game gets released (always a big if this early on) that it'll be much more toned down. We're probably only seeing the really extreme stuff like that killer Mouseketeer.

I've got my fingers crossed that this will finally be a good new game from Warren Spector. The last good game he made was Deus Ex and it's nearly ten years old at this point.

[xnylder]

I keep waiting for this to be some sort of elaborate hoax. I can't -believe- the Disney lawyers signed off on this.

I thought Kingdom Hearts was a hoax before it came out. Maybe the success of the KH franchise has convinced some Disney higher-ups that shaking up the franchise conventions can be a good thing? I really, really hope this game makes it into production.

[Cisco]

I officially want this more than I've ever wanted a game that I've only seen the concept art for. AND I ACTUALLY OWN THE CONSOLE THAT IT'S FOR! That's a rare combination.

I usually think this kind of genre-blending and fracturing of fairy tales is lame but something about this just screams awesome. I hope it's real and real good.

[Justin_Bailey]

I thought Kingdom Hearts was a hoax before it came out. Maybe the success of the KH franchise has convinced some Disney higher-ups that shaking up the franchise conventions can be a good thing? I really, really hope this game makes it into production.

See also: Lego Star Wars. That game was assumed to be a joke right up until it was released because no one thought that making a Star Wars game out of Lego characters (up to that point, there had never been even a passable Lego game) was the craziest thing they had ever heard.

[Revenant Threshold]

If this is accurate, and if this is close to what it actually comes out like, then i'll drop any and all of my complaints about Disney ever.

The weird thing is it's Warren Spector, so if it is dystopian weird Disney, then it's likely going to be pretty damn good. And Disney have already shown they can work with video game companies to make good spin-off affairs.

[E-Sabbath]

Notice the hull of the sea vessel is the whale from Pinocchio.

[bouv]

I have doubts that it will actually get made. I mean, this is pretty much all just concept art, and even as "dark" as Kingdom Hearts was, it was nowhere near this level. If it does get made, I expect it to get toned done a lot.

But damn, that wall-climbing elephant is the creepiest to me. For some reason, anytime I see an elephant that isn't "normal," it creeps me out. Regular ol' elephant with skin and such is fine, but a skeleton, or those paintings with the tall, skinny-legged elephant things? Creepy as fuck.

[Kalea]

Hope springs eternal. I, too, am pessimistic about this game hitting the shelves even close to as designed, but I will keep my eyes on this as more news becomes available.

[Steampunk Willie]

:eek::D:eek:

There is no better feeling in the world when a movie, comic, video game, etc. is announced and it seems you were the only person they thought about in the creative process.

[Jragon]

:eek::D:eek:

There is no better feeling in the world when a movie, comic, video game, etc. is announced and it seems you were the only person they thought about in the creative process.

Wow, excellent name/thread/game combination there.

[Cisco]

Wow, excellent name/thread/game combination there.

:eek: Seriously.

[Red Barchetta]

Wow, excellent name/thread/game combination there.

It'd be even more impressive if he hadn't registered the day after the news broke :)

[Gukumatz]

:eek::D:eek:

There is no better feeling in the world when a movie, comic, video game, etc. is announced and it seems you were the only person they thought about in the creative process.

Hah! I know what you mean. It irks me that I still have to wait for Brütal Legend, though.

[E-Sabbath]

But the lawsuit's over, and the game's still scheduled for ROCKTOBER!

[Other Dreams]

Death Mickey looks AWESOME.

I will definitely be watching this one. :D

[Steampunk Willie]

It'd be even more impressive if he hadn't registered the day after the news broke :)

Actually a lot of this artwork has been around for months as well as rumours of what they were. :rolleyes: I feel so welcomed.

[Red Barchetta]

Actually a lot of this artwork has been around for months as well as rumours of what they were. :rolleyes: I feel so welcomed.

Sorry man, I didn't mean it as a slight. I just meant that it wasn't a coincidence that your handle relates to the story. Nothing against you at all, as I think it's a rad name.

Oh, and welcome! :)

[Steampunk Willie]

Hah! I know what you mean. It irks me that I still have to wait for Brütal Legend, though.

When that first got announced I called up an old metalhead friend from high school to make sure he wasn't dying. It sounded like his "Make-a-Wish kid" wish and I got worried.

[Steampunk Willie]

Sorry man, I didn't mean it as a slight. I just meant that it wasn't a coincidence that your handle relates to the story. Nothing against you at all, as I think it's a rad name.

Oh, and welcome! :)

It's okay, I understand. Mistaking sarcasm or rudeness on the internet is fairly easy to do, and I fell into that trap.

It's one of those names I've used for years as a handle but have at the same time kept it mostly off the net. Lurking here for 6+ years only having only ever made 1 or 2 posts in the past using other screennames, I finally decided to make an account and choose a name I'd use over the years.

[BigT]

Actually a lot of this artwork has been around for months as well as rumours of what they were. :rolleyes: I feel so welcomed.

Well, that's par for the course around here. People will say things you will find offensive. They almost never mean it to be offensive. It's pretty much a universal concept.

I'm a Christian fundamentalist who is basically pro-life and a moderate conservative. If I can be around here without being offended, anyone can.

[Mervyn Pumpkinhead]

Any current news on this?

[borschevsky]

They showed a bunch of stuff at the E3 conference last month. There is lots of coverage on many game sites, such as IGN (http://wii.ign.com/objects/786/786198.html).

[kushiel]

WHAT I GET TO HAVE DARK DISNEY WITHOUT HAVING TO PUT UP WITH THIS (http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs40/f/2009/031/4/9/roxas_and_axel_by_einlee.jpg)?!

:D

[GameHat]

I love classic Nintendo and Disney.

I mostly hate everything "Wii" and what Nintendo has chosen to represent. And Disney has been a bit meh for a while.

So it's a bit of a shock for me - Epic Mickey looks fucking epic. The aesthetic value is through the roof.

Let's not misunderstand things - this has nothing to do with being "edgy" or "modern".

EM looks to be a proper Disney treatment of dark. Dark like kid's fairy tales used to be. Dark like the witch in Sleeping Beauty. Dark like Monstro. Dark like Belle first visiting the castle in Beauty and the Beast.

That it uses classic discarded Disney characters only makes it more cool.

I hate nearly everything about the Wii, but I'll be watching this one.

[Jragon]

The gameplay reminds me of Banjo Kazooie, actually. Not in a complete ripoff sort of way, obviously, but it's definitely the first comparison that pops to mind from the limited gameplay previews and the descriptions from E3.

[Airk]

People are still psyched for this? I dunno. I've been...following is too strong a word, but brushing up against the news about this one (http://www.joystiq.com/search/?q=epic+mickey&invocationType=wl-joystiq)from time to time, and it doesn't look good to me. They cut the "scrapper" (mischievous) Mickey after people didn't like him in focus groups, and the art style in the screenshots has been bright and shiny and not-at-all-like-the-concept-art, so I'm not all that optimistic that it's going to satisfy the people who fell it love with the idea initially.

Dunno. It could still turn out to be good, but even the preview I read was basically a fanboy saying "I really really want to love this game so I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt since it's not done yet." followed by a lot of really unremarkable stuff. I'm sure it'll be a pretty decent game, but I don't think it's going to be the really cool experience lots of people seem to have decided it will be.