Warren Spector, the veteran video game developer behind Deus Ex, System Shock, and Thief, has announced he is retiring from game development – this time for good. In a long post on LinkedIn, Spector wrote, “Let me cut right to the chase. I'm retiring from game development. At least I think so. I've been here before and changed my mind but this time I'm pretty sure I mean it.”
A 43-Year Career in Gaming
Spector explained that he has worked as a game developer for 43 years, delivering 17 full games and nine add-on packs. “I've run teams as small as a dozen and as big as 800. I've worked for big companies and done startups,” he said. “I like to think I've helped some insanely talented people along in their careers. (That last is the most important.)”
His career began at Steve Jackson Games, where he ran the games division and edited the Space Gamer and Fantasy Gamer magazines. He later spent four years as an executive producer at Electronic Arts and Origin Systems, where he worked on the original System Shock, widely considered the first immersive sim game.
Creating Iconic Franchises
Spector contributed to the creation of Thief in 1998 and Deus Ex in 2000, titles that inspired later games like Dishonored and Bioshock. He cited his age and health as reasons for retiring now, though he preferred to keep the latter private. Primarily, he feels he has “done what he set out to do.”
Regarding retirement, Spector wrote, “It's time to write some books, do a lot of reading, do some lecturing, maybe do some consulting. (Feel free to get in touch about those last two.) Also there's a keyboard here just waiting for me to get my piano chops back.”
Mixed Feelings and Future Plans
Spector teased that he has three more game ideas he might never make: “One is very big... one is very small... and one I don't know how to make which scares me.” He added, “But the game business has changed and it's just not as much fun for me anymore. Plus there's a new generation of developers coming up who deserve their time in the sun.”
He said “never say never” about returning, but for now, it's “time to ride off into the sunset.”
