Warren Spector has announced his retirement from game development. He thinks so, anyway. Just about to tick over into his 44th year as a developer, Spector cites a mixture of “age and health” and the fact that the game business is “not as much fun for me anymore” as reasons for stepping back.
Spector has had his hands in many stone-cold classics. From producing the Ultima series and Wing Commander to helming Deus Ex and Thief, his influence on PC gaming can’t be overstated, and from his statement on LinkedIn, it sounds like he’s leaving with a bit of unfinished business.
“There are three games in particular I’d still like to make.” He goes on to hint that one of these is very big, one is very small, and one he doesn’t quite know how to make just yet. Kind of like if Goldilocks was super into immersive sim games and only so-so on porridge. With System Shock 3 reportedly “making good progress,” it would be a surprise to me if that wasn’t one of the three. We might never know.
Even with the last few games in his back pocket not doing too well – I’m looking at you, Thick as Thieves – Spector has a resume that would make most jealous. I feel like the urge to focus on that next big thing may never leave, but if it feels like the right time to call it a day, then who can argue with that?
He ends his post by saying that “games are not a solved problem” and that he hopes there is plenty of experimentation and innovation to come, telling young developers that “your job is to make people forget people like me ever existed.”
In terms of his post-game career, Spector says he wants to focus on writing books, doing a lot of reading, and maybe some consulting. There’s also a keyboard (musical this time) that’s been gathering dust.
“Will I come back? Never say never. But I think it’s time to ride off into the sunset.”