Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook

Uproar After NC State Agent 'Fixes' Girl's Lunch Preschooler has to eat chicken nuggets instead of mom's meal »

'Naughty' Mickey Hits the Wii

Disney dares to reimagine him for new generation

By Caroline Miller, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 5, 2009 11:14 AM CST

(Newser) – Mickey Mouse is going back to his papered-over roots as a mischief-maker as Disney reimagines its core property for a new generation, and perhaps a new revenue stream. The first vehicle is “Epic Mickey,” a video game for the Wii console in which players can choose to play Mickey as a gallant hero—or a cantankerous one. “I wanted him to be able to be naughty,” the game’s developer tells the New York Times.

The prerogative goes way back to Mickey’s 1928 debut in “Steamboat Willy,” where he is more of a troublemaker, even making lascivious advances on Minnie. That sort of subtext is precisely what bothers Azaria Jagger about the game. The image of “him as a coyly naughty-but-nice seducer is psychically troubling,” she writes on Gawker. But that’s as far as it goes, the developer swears. “Mickey is never going to be evil or go around killing people.”

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

How scandalous! (Getty Images)

Mickey Mouse's 1928 debut. (©Olivier Bruchez)

A screenshot from Epic Mickey. (Disney Interactive Studios)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

I wanted him to be able to be naughty—when you’re playing as Mickey you can misbehave and even be a little selfish. - Warren Spector, developer, Junction Point

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Shanghai Disney Under Way

CEO: It will be 'both authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese'

(NEWSER) - After a long wait , Mickey’s new home in China is officially under construction. The iconic mouse joined Disney CEO Robert Iger and top Shanghai officials—as well as Goofy, Princess Jasmine, and other friends—for a groundbreaking ceremony today at the future site of Shanghai Disneyland, the Los Angeles Times reports. The $3.7 billion undertaking marks “a defining moment in our company's history,” Iger told crowds. It will be “both authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese.” More»

Sorry, USA: No Wii Spanking Game for You

'We Dare' implies orgies will ensue, but it won't be released in America

(NEWSER) - Picture this: You're at a nice dinner party with friends, someone busts out the Wii, and before you know it, you're ... bent over a random guy's knee while he smacks your butt? That's the general idea of a UK video game called We Dare, in which a variety of innocent-looking games (the spanking one involves the video game characters flying around) require you to make out, spank each other, and apparently strip down. See the highly disturbing trailer to get the idea. More»

Ban Disney From Delivery Room

'Stop Disney sales reps from pouncing on newborns'

(NEWSER) - Popping out a baby is no Mickey Mouse experience—even though Disney would like it to be. Sales reps gone Goofy and laden with Disney products are invading maternity wards across the nation to turn very tiny Americans just hours old into cartoon character consumers. Reps at 580 hospitals are offering moms within hours of giving birth a free Disney Cuddly Bodysuit for their babe if they sign up for company email alerts. "Suddenly, the delivery room command to 'push' has a whole new meaning," complains Peggy Ohrenstein on NPR . More»

Slumping Wii Surprises Nintendo

Lack of hit games hits sales

(NEWSER) - With hit games few and far between, consumers aren’t exactly fighting in the aisles to get their hands on a Wii anymore. Nintendo slashed its full year sales forecast for Wii hardware 23% yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reports, and offered little hope of a swift turnaround. “Right now, the mood is not one where people feel like they have to rush out and buy a Wii,” Nintendo president Satoru Iwata told analysts. “We need a little time for things to pick up.” More»

Nintendo Cuts Wii to $200 in Price War With Sony

Console maker slashes price at opening of Tokyo Game Show

(NEWSER) - Nintendo is slashing the price of its Wii console by 20% worldwide, bringing the US price to $200—a cut announced just as Sony was beginning its presentation at the annual Tokyo Game Show. The prices of Sony's Playstation and Microsoft's Xbox were both dropped to $300 lately as the video game market endures its worst period in years. Nintendo's new price goes into effect on Sunday. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

'Naughty' Mickey Hits the Wii