“I was amazed at how the life of a freelancer differed from running a remote studio for another company. I thought I knew what I was doing in 2004 when I left Eidos because I had run Ion Storm Austin, which was my own independent studio. I had run a business unit inside Origin, but being part of a startup is crazy.”

Warren Spector is an American retired role-playing and video game designer, director, writer, producer, and production designer. He is known for shaping immersive sim games and for his work on influential titles such as Deus Ex. His games are built around player choice, with consequences that carry forward in the game world. At Looking Glass Studios, he helped create Ultima Underworld, Ultima Underworld II, System Shock, and Thief: The Dark Project, and Deus Ex became his best-known work for blending first-person shooter, role-playing, and adventure elements.