Molyneux promoted to creative director of MS games

[Shifty Geezer]

How do you ever see the impact of a new system 9 months after it's release? It's a very odd expectation... you can't expect developers to incorporate entirely new play mechanics 6-8 months before release of their title.

I may be looking for reaction too early, you're right. Still, I'd expect developers of titles in development talking something along those lines, 'we are including emotional attachment characters', and the gaming media to be extolling the virtues in an over-the-top way if it was so genre defining. They certianly did with Gears - you knew it was something special before other FPSes were released, and you could see its influence on unreleased games from development vids.

But yet, we've not seen anything Populous like, nor anything all that similar to Magic Carpet or Dungeon Keeper.

Populous spawned the whole God-game genre. Syndicate was a landmark RTS strategy. And I'm not expecting every game to be world defining anyway! Just that the ideas are well executed and work. There's no point saying 'these AI whatnots are going to make you fall in love with this game' only to deliver AI whatnots that arse about and get in the way! Neither are you going to win friends by saying 'this is a huge, living breathing world where every citizen is living their own completely life' only to deliver a product that has the citizens wander back and forth on set routes and get stuck on fences. Overselling your product is going to damage reputations. Certainly my regard for Guerilla and the Killzone franchise is pretty low after my terrible online experiences. Whereas my regard for Ascalon isn't, despite Sacred 2 being a pretty mangy dog of a game, because I wasn't expecting that much anyhow. Lionhead has often managed to excite me with their ideas, yet not deliver the experience I was hoping for (though I haven't played anything from them for some years, so maybe they've turned this around?)

 

[Silent_Buddha]

After this reply I'm going to drop out, because honestly, either you're being obtuse on purpose or I'm somehow unable to make my point to you and I don't know what to do to remedy that.

What can be taken as a negative? Well, if his 'positive' experience is that he has directed very many successful games, then clearly, the fact that since Lionhead not a single one of his games have managed to deliver what was promised must be a negative. No, promising more than you can deliver is not a good thing. Being full of dreams is wonderful, but I don't play dreams, and unattainable dreams mean nothing to me, the consumer.

I suppose in that same vein both Carmack and Tim Sweeney can be considered partial failures as they've also failed to deliver on many of their claims/dreams. Yet in the end even cut back productions, they've had some critical successes.

Anyway, I suppose this is a point where we have to politely agree to disagree. As I feel Molyneux's only real failing is that he's always (from Populous to present day) envisioned and attempted more than he has delivered.

And yet in the end the games are still quite often revolutionary in some way and almost always enjoyable.

Regards,
SB

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Populous spawned the whole God-game genre. Syndicate was a landmark RTS strategy.

OK, Populous can probably be credited with starting the whole god game genre. That's a given. But some of it's more revolutionary features are nowhere to be seen. Terraforming as primary way to control your game? Something I'd love to see more of. That new Modracer thing that was demo'd at the PS3 keynote is exciting for at least having a terraforming track editor.

Syndicate/Syndicate Wars, I'm not sure too many followed that. As most RTS follows the Command and Conquer model that was pioneered a year or so before by Westwood Studios. And a year before that by Blizzard. Small squad RTS are pretty rare still, although I suppose Syndicate Wars can rightfully be credited as the father of this sub genre. But much of that isn't seen often even in the subgenre. Being able to swap weapons, R&D equipment between missions, etc. Although I suppose XCOM may have used it as a primary source of inspiration. And that game rocked also.

And while I can see the reasoning behind your points, I just don't necessarily agree with all of them.

Regards,
SB

 

[Malibu]

Rare hopes Molyneux will make it famous

Talking to us ahead of their appearance at next week's Develop conference, Ridgeway, Rare's Head of Animation, described Peter as "a legend."

"It's great that he's been promoted into this new creative position and encompassing Lionhead and Rare as well," she said. "He's been up quite a bit over the last few months. He comes up regularly and its great to see someone like Pete here. It gives us a little bit of a face because no-one knows who we are!"

Art Director McFarlane agreed. "Once we were bought up by Microsoft obviously things have changed within the top ranks and stuff," he told us. "And I think over the last few years maybe the awareness of Rare has dropped. And the idea of Pete coming in and being this new face of Rare it's a great thing for us. It's really just to get us out there a bit more."

 

[betan]

As most RTS follows the Command and Conquer model that was pioneered a year or so before by Westwood Studios. And a year before that by Blizzard.

OT but you lost me here. I must have missed Blizzard pioneering anything RTS a year before Dune II. What was the game?

 

[Kaotik]

OT but you lost me here. I must have missed Blizzard pioneering anything RTS a year before Dune II. What was the game?

He must have forgotten Dune II, as it was the first RTS, Warcraft was the 2nd.