According to the Los Angeles Times, Graham Hopper is leaving Disney Interactive. He is the man who made Epic Mickey happen. Under Hopper’s watch, Disney acquired Warren Spector’s studio.
Spector is designing Epic Mickey.
As Hopper leaves, Disney Interactive is focusing more on browser-type and mobile games. Last month, it was confirmed that Disney was canceling Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned, a console title the company had already spent millions on.
“The time has come for me to move on from the company and set my sights on new horizons,” wrote Hopper in an internal email.
Longtime Disney video game chief Graham Hopper latest to exit interactive group [LA Times]
Adam Ruch
Wednesday, November 24, 2010 at 8:58 AMOh man that sucks… I missed the story about Pirates being canceled. I actually flagged that as a really interesting game. That makes me sad.
At least Spector got to finish Epic Mickey–of course once he got going he probably could have fueled development with fusion of hydrogen sucked directly out of the air around him, such was his passion for that project.
AmbroseIV
Wednesday, November 24, 2010 at 9:07 AMPretty slack on Disneys behalf and doesn’t show a lot of commitment or loyalty. A school student sitting in his bedroom can make browser/mobile games, they’re ruining a chance to share a brand with games who’re not your typical Disney movie watchers.
Best of luck to Graham Hopper though, obviously he’s got a fair bit of talent and ambition.