Ferrago.co.uk has conducted an interview with Harvey Smith of ION Storm Austin about Deus Ex 2. There are questions and answers about the weaknesses in DX1 they hope to correct in the second game, the storyline, the technology they are using, locations the player will visit, the new gameplay elements, dialogue and facial expressions, if there will be any multiplayer and when the game will come out (nothing on that though).

Planet Deus Ex has posted the first Deus Ex 2 development update, where project leader Harvey Smith finally tells us some more about the game. Harvey talks some about the current status of the project and what they have been working on, and then talks about the game itself. You can't really miss this if you are looking forward to Deus Ex 2.

From an RPG character standpoint, we've planned more character-building choices (the player-character can be optionally male or female), we've unified some of the game systems and added some interesting player-character capabilities. We feel like we now have a much clearer idea about which aspects of DX1 were important to players, what worked well and what didn't.
The game environment itself in DX2 is something that has us completely excited. Our plans include a higher-fidelity world, with weather, greater object density, more capable (and clearer) unit behaviors and a deeper physics/object-interaction simulation.

Over at PC.IGN you can find a preview of Deus Ex 2, currently in development at ION Austin. The preview has several quotes by Warren Spector, about such things as the modified Unreal Warfare engine, and the gameplay, which should be partly similar to Deus Ex 1 but Warren mentions ION will be encouraging non-combat options (they hope to be able to create a way of getting through the game where you never draw a weapon)

As good as the gameplay was, Warren is committed to pushing it into new directions. The team's goal is to craft a "much more robust simulation on all levels." This means creating a wider range of natural reactions on the part of the NPCs to the player's actions. The ability of the player to feel like he or she is in control of his or her own destiny is paramount. There were far too many pre-scripted events in Deus Ex -- moments where the game took over and forced the player into or out of particular situations. But although the goal is to make "the game world work the way the real world works" the team ardently follows the rule of all good game designers: "Anytime reality gets in the way of fun, fun wins."

Ah yes some good old speculation of this Saturday morning. PC.IGN is featuring a Deus Ex 2 preview, mainly taking a lot of guesses about this upcoming ION Austin game, and not containing much new info. There are several concept art images you can check out too, of planned weapons/locations/weapons.

As you'd expect the team is frustratingly tight-lipped about the story in Deus Ex 2. We do know that the story picks up where the previous game left off. Or at least in that general vicinity -- we're not sure which of the game's three endings the sequel will branch from. Writer Sheldon Pacotti again provides the dialogue and much of the scripting for the game (although the designers themselves are very involved in crafting the overall shape of the story). You'll be able to reprise your role as J.C. Denton in the sequel or adopt the distaff option. That's right, distaff. That just means you can also play as a woman this time around.

What would you like to see happen in Deus Ex 2?

ION Storm's Warren Spector was kind enough to make this post in the comments of yesterday's Deus Ex Designer Quits story. Warren explains Bob White's role in the Deus Ex team, and why he quit.

Harvy "Witchboy" Smith of Ion Storm loves him some interviews. Tolstiy.ag.ru has an interview with the developer discussing Design and other things. Harvey worked on Deus Ex and is currently working on the sequel.

PlanetDeusEx has a new interview with Harvey Smith of Ion Storm discussing things about Deus Ex of course and more interestingly the fabled sequel to Deus Ex codenamed Deus Ex 2.

Warren Spector Interview, is, indeed that, a Q&A with ION Storm Austin's Warren Spector. Voodoo Extreme's Robert Headley asks him about his start in the industry, why he wanted to make games, if he has any "primary design philosophies", games that he enjoys and of course there are Q&A's on Thief 3 and Deus Ex 2.

The ION Storm Bulletin Board has a post by Harvey Smith stating that they are seeking designers for Deus Ex 2. The forum post has the requirements and all that other info. Saw this on Stomped.

DeusEx.de has a 15 question interview with the man Warren Spector (Thanks Blues)who is currently working on the sequel to Deus Ex. The hot rumor floating around is that the game will be called Deus Ex 2.

The guys at SomethingAwful have managed to dig up an exclusive on the sequel to Deus Ex, with a slightly surprising but seemingly fitting name for the game.

There is a short interview with ION Storm designer Harvey Smith on RPGVault, discussing Deus Ex 2.

Along with the announcement of Deus Ex 2 comes the question of what engine technology will these guys use? GameSpy got a hold of Warren Spector (the project lead) and asked that question among others. Its some pretty interesting stuff, Here was his response on the engine:

We're evaluating engine technology now. Whatever we use--whether it's the next generation of Unreal technology, Quake 3, LithTech or whatever--we'll make sure it has no problem with nVidia.

No problems with NVidia = a good thing.

With the announcement of DeusEx 2 here is the first interview with Ricardo Bare of Ion Austin. No word on the plot of the game but he does give a bit of info on other plans.(Thanks JayZee)

In DX 1, early on, we sort of conditioned the player with the notion that "you can try almost anything you can think of and the game will support that." But, later in the game, in one instance we explicitly thwart that expectation when we forced the player to go to prison. [...] many players tried escaping the capture by UNATCO and Gunter because they expected it [...] in DX2 anytime the player has a reasonable expectation about a scenario we're going to do our best to make those options available.

Gamespy has the scoop on the other ION Storm Austin project (besides Thief 3) - Deus Ex 2, a sequel to the sci-fi RPG that was released a few months ago. They (Gamespy) will be publishing a full article on Saturday, but they do have a partial list of team members and word that the sequel will be focused on more depth and freedom than the first game. Warren Spector will be overseeing the development of the game.