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Peter Molyneux leaves Lionhead and Microsoft to found 22 Cans
Peter Molyneux will leave Microsoft Game / Lionhead Studios once he's finished developing Fable: The Journey for Kinect. He'll be replaced by co-founder Mark Webley at the studio, with Redmond yet to name his successor at corporate level. Molyneux will partner with (Lionhead's) former CTO Tim Rance and Director Peter Murphy on 22 Cans, developing games under their own flag as he did when founding Lionhead and Bullfrog before that. The new company is based in Farnborough, 12 miles west of Lionhead's Guildford location and was registered on February 20th of this year. Given our childhood love of both Bullfrog and Lionhead's games, we wish both parties the very best -- you can check out when he visited The Engadget Show here.
Peter Molyneux brings Milo, Kinect, and snails to the TED stage
Poor Milo. Our virtual friend has been in our heart for about as long as Kinect (née Project Natal) has been in the public eye, always doodling, always playing with snail, rarely able to escape the confines of dark developer studio. When we talked to Milo's "father" Peter Molyneux at the last Engadget Show, he kept referencing this TED Talk demo he recently gave, and sure enough, video of that speech is now available online. The 11-minute presentation delves into a number of the setups / "magician's tricks" used to make Milo an interactive and at times empathetic character, and how natural voice recognition was implemented (thanks in part to Microsoft's TellMe database) so that the player isn't limited to simple yes and no responses. Curious about the moral ramifications of an artificial adolescent aggressive to mollusk? Definitely worth a look, as is our last Engadget Show episode if you missed it; video after the break.
The Engadget Show - 011: Peter Molyneux, Fable III, Milo, BlackBerry Torch, Windows Phone 7
Brace yourselves, humans, because we have an all new, amazing Engadget Show fresh out of the box! For your viewing pleasure, we sit down with insightful game designer Peter Molyneux to get the inside scoop on some of his ongoing projects, from Milo to Fable III. Then, Josh, Paul, and Nilay bust out RIM's latest, the BlackBerry Torch and put it through its paces live on stage. They dive into Windows Phone 7 and do battle with K-mart's Augen Android tablet, and a bunch of audience members walk away with giveaways. Oh yeah, we also have brain-busting music from Zen Albatross and mind-numbing visuals from invaderbacca that you will absolutely want to check out. What are you waiting for? Watch it now! %Gallery-98931% Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel Special guests: Peter Molyneux Produced and Directed by: Chad Mumm Executive Producer: Joshua Fruhlinger Edited by: Peirre Verna Music by: Zen Albatross Visuals by: Invaderbacca Opening titles by: Julien Nantiec Taped live at The Times Center Download the Show: The Engadget Show - 011 (HD) / The Engadget Show - 011 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V). [RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
The Engadget Show Live! with Peter Molyneux, Windows Phone 7, BlackBerry Torch, and more!
Keep your eyes tuned to this post -- because at 8:00 PM ET, we'll be starting The Engadget Show live, with Peter Molyneux! Josh, Nilay, and Paul are back of course, plus we'll have music from Zen Albatross and visuals from invaderbacca and much, much, more! You seriously don't want to miss it! Check out the live stream after the break!
Be the first to show up at the Engadget Show with Lucky Charms and Peter Molyneux will put you in Fable III! (We've got winners!)
Hey, Peter Molyneux is here at the Engadget Show, and his Fable III demo assistant Dimitri mentioned that he's looking for a box of Lucky Charms, since he can't get it in England. That prompted Peter to make an insane crowd-sourcing offer: the first person to bring a box of Lucky Charms to the Engadget Show will become a character in Fable III. Insane, right? What's more, everyone else who brings a box will get a free signed copy of the game, which is some seriously serious cereal. The show starts in 30 minutes -- we'll see you soon! Updated: See that lucky guy and girl right up there?! Yep, they're going to be characters in Fable III. Congrats, Monica and Jay -- we'll see you in the game.
The Engadget Show tapes tonight with game designer Peter Molyneux and much more!
Well ladies and gentlemen, the time has come -- the Engadget Show is back tonight, August 4th at 8pm! This time around, we'll have the inimitable Peter Molyneux, one of the world's most forward-thinking game designers and creator of "Black & White" and the "Fable" franchise. What's more, we'll have a rousing roundtable with Josh, Paul, and Nilay, some fine, fine music from Zen Albatross, mind-bending visuals from invaderbacca, and a few other big surprises. As usual, we'll be doing tons of giveaways at the live show only, so make the trek and join us at The Times Center in person. If you're geographically incapable of joining us in New York City, just tune into the stream right here on Engadget starting at 8:05pm. The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint, and will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues (see map after the break). Tickets are -- as always -- free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served... so get there early! Here's all the info you need: There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free The event is all ages Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 5:30PM, doors will open for seating at 7:30PM, and the show begins at 8PM You cannot collect tickets for friends or family -- anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we're full, we're full The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break) The show length is around an hour If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com. Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V). [RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
The Engadget Show returns tomorrow, August 4th with game designer Peter Molyneux and much more!
Well ladies and gentlemen, the time has come -- the Engadget Show is back tomorrow, August 4th at 8pm! This time around, we'll have the inimitable Peter Molyneux, one of the world's most forward-thinking game designers and creator of "Black & White" and the "Fable" franchise. What's more, we'll have a rousing roundtable with Josh, Paul, and Nilay, some fine, fine music from Zen Albatross, mind-bending visuals from invaderbacca, and a few other big surprises. As usual, we'll be doing tons of giveaways at the live show only, so make the trek and join us at The Times Center in person. If you're geographically incapable of joining us in New York City, just tune into the stream right here on Engadget starting at 8:05pm. The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint, and will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues (see map after the break). Tickets are -- as always -- free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served... so get there early! Here's all the info you need: There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free The event is all ages Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 5:30PM on Wednesday, doors will open for seating at 7:30PM, and the show begins at 8PM You cannot collect tickets for friends or family -- anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we're full, we're full The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break) The show length is around an hour If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com. Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V). [RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
The Engadget Show returns Wednesday, August 4th with game designer Peter Molyneux, Windows Phone 7, and much more!
Well ladies and gentlemen, it's that time again -- the Engadget Show is back in a big way on Wednesday, August 4th at 8pm! This time around, we'll have the inimitable Peter Molyneux, one of the world's most forward-thinking game designers and creator of "Black & White" and the "Fable" franchise. What's more, we'll have a rousing roundtable with Josh, Paul, and Nilay, some fine, fine music from Zen Albatross, mind-bending visuals from invaderbacca, and a few other big surprises. As usual, we'll be doing tons of giveaways at the live show only, so make the trek and join us at The Times Center in person. If you're geographically incapable of joining us in New York City, just tune into the stream at right here on Engadget. The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint, and will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues (see map after the break). Tickets are -- as always -- free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served... so get there early! Here's all the info you need: There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free The event is all ages Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 5:30PM on Wednesday, doors will open for seating at 7:30PM, and the show begins at 8PM. It's probably going to be hot, so if you want to come early to wait for tickets, bring some water! Again, we won't be doing any ticketing prior to 5:30PM. You cannot collect tickets for friends or family -- anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we're full, we're full The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break) The show length is around an hour If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com. Sprint is also offering 50 guaranteed tickets to the Engadget Show taping to the first 50 entrants who text "ENGADGET" to 467467 or enter online! Standard text messaging rates apply. Click for the Official Rules and see how to enter online. Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V). [RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
The Engadget Show returns next Wednesday, August 4th with game designer Peter Molyneux, Windows Phone 7, and much more!
Well ladies and gentlemen, it's that time again -- the Engadget Show is back in a big way next Wednesday, August 4th at 8pm! This time around, we'll have the inimitable Peter Molyneux, one of the world's most forward-thinking game designers and creator of "Black & White" and the "Fable" franchise. What's more, we'll have a rousing roundtable with Josh, Paul, and Nilay, some fine, fine music from Zen Albatross, mind-bending visuals from invaderbacca, and a few other big surprises. As usual, we'll be doing tons of giveaways at the live show only, so make the trek and join us at The Times Center in person. If you're geographically incapable of joining us in New York City, just tune into the stream at right here on Engadget. The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint, and will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues (see map after the break). Tickets are -- as always -- free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served... so get there early! Here's all the info you need: There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free The event is all ages Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 5:30PM on Wednesday, doors will open for seating at 7:30PM, and the show begins at 8PM You cannot collect tickets for friends or family -- anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we're full, we're full The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break) The show length is around an hour If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com. Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V). [RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
Lionhead's Molyneux open to revisiting his past catalog
Though his vision usually outstrips his games' technical prowess, super developer Peter Molyneux is still responsible for some the most unique gaming experiences ever put to code. He's let us soar through the air on an enchanted rug, mow down civilians in a near-future dystopia, and has even let us play god once or twice. Unfortunately, after having the distinct 'pleasure' of being absorbed by larger studios on two separate occasions, many of his most memorable creations have since been left to the pages of history. Even so, while Molyneux is currently courting players with his canine-friendly Fable 2, he recently told Shacknews that he's open to revisiting his earlier games, particularly Syndicate. "I really would love to redo a version of Syndicate," he commented, adding that while he has not been given the go ahead to knock the dust off his past achievements, "one day, I'm sure that opportunity is going to come up and I'd love to do it." Of course, he's said this all before, but we continue to hold out hope. In a world filled with one mundane first-person shooter after the next, we could really use another Magic Carpet.
Lionhead wants your insults for Fable 2
Fable 2's combat and canines aren't going to be the only next-gen things about the game. Developer Lionhead also wants to replace the tired old "Arseface" insult that villagers yell at the hero when they hate him. They've turned to their community of loyal fans (yes, you!) for a replacement on their official blog.The comments section is already filling up with soon-to-be-classics, but we're especially fond of "Groin Crab," "Loner McLonelyton" and the puzzling "Big Girls Blouse." Your own personal chance at immortality is just one click away.[Via CVG]
Peter Molyneux's Populous coming to Nintendo DS
Before he was integrating man's best friend into Fable 2, Peter Molyneux designed a little game called Populous, which was subsequently the inspiration for an entire genre of simulation games known as "god games." Though it was officially (and quietly) announced two months ago, the Populous DS buzz is finally beginning to build, with screens and details of the portable remake appearing in a recent issue of Famitsu Magazine.According to our buddies over at DS Fanboy, the remake will feature wireless multiplayer for up to four people, and options for both stylus-driven and classic control. The game's levels will be collected from the original's numerous sequels, expansions, and editions. Famitsu reports a February 2008 release for the game in Japan.
Lionhead Video Diary 3: The Core Technology Group
So, we might have sort of wanted to work at Lionhead Studios before we saw this latest video diary from the company, but now, after seeing the way they rung in their 10th anniversary, we're putting it on our lifelong to-do list, along with "skydiving," "Rocky Mountain climbing" and "going 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fu Manchu." After all, this diary focuses on the nerdiest guys at the company, the guys coding the development tools for Fable 2, and even they manage to seem cool. ... Well, as cool as someone who takes two days off to make a Pyramid Head costume can seem. It's all relative, we guess. If you're behind, catch up with part 1 and part 2.
Molyneux says Live "more impactful" than Wii remote
In a recent interview, Peter Molyneux stated that he believed Xbox Live will be "far more impactful" to video gaming than the Wii remote in the long term. As Xbox 360 Fanboys, we can certainly understand his sentiments, though current sales numbers might suggest otherwise. Still, it raises an interesting question. Both the Wii remote and Xbox Live have changed console gaming as we know it. Sure, there have been motion controls before, and there have been online games on consoles, but the Wii remote and Xbox Live represent the most successful iterations of both concepts. The question then is which will have the most impact on the industry, input or networking? Motion controls may bring more gamers into the fold with intuitive input, but networking brings those gamers together with online play and downloadable goodies.Our instinct tells us the end result will be combining the two (Xbox ThWii-Sixty?) but, for the sake of discussion, why not share your thoughts on the importance of motion controls versus social networking in gaming.[Via Joystiq]
Molyneux: Xbox Live 'far more impactful' than Wii waggle
During an otherwise pedestrian interview, Peter Molyneux opened that big mouth again, this time putting the burden of another potential overstatement squarely on Microsoft's shoulders. The Fable man has predicted that Xbox Live "will ultimately be far more impactful on video games in the long term than something like the Wii controller."Molyneux isn't alone, but his view goes against the current (but possibly transitory) trend, which sees Wii demand reaching nothing short of phenomenon. Though, in practice, Wii is still an inconsistent technology; whereas Xbox Live is a stable and consistently growing platform that has changed the way publishers and developers create and deliver game content, and is inspiring competitors, namely Sony, to launch their own grand social networks for the console market. Is Molyneux dead on?[Via NeoGAF]
X3F interview: Peter Molyneux
In another of our rapid fire, 4 minute interviews with Microsoft VIPs, we had a chance to chat with Peter Molyneux, mastermind behind Fable and the upcoming Fable 2. During our chat, we go in depth with Molyneux about the new scarring system employed in Fable 2. We also discuss the property system (which Molyneux is particularly fond of) and seafaring. And, just for grins, we ask about ninjas. If you'd prefer to listen to this interview (as well as interviews with Frank O'Connor, Brian "Ske7ch" Jarrard, and Peter Moore himself), you can check it out in our latest Fancast. Otherwise, read on.
Joystiq impressions: Fable 2 'Combat Testbed'
Peter Molyneux describes Fable 2's combat as "kind of a little bit mad." It's just one blue button; a system that doesn't punish casual gamers (button-mashers), but still satisfies hardcore players. The number of experience points earned in any given skirmish is determined by how skillfully one uses the X-button. Timed button presses, including counters, are worth more than mashing, while incorporating blocking and charge attacks (both accomplished by holding X) will net you even more points to build your hero. The attack button is also context sensitive, as you'll automatically pick up and toss items strewn about the ground if your foes are at a distance, or you'll grab an enemy and shove him into a wall if you're battling in close quarters.Magic and ranged attacks (mapped to the Y- and B-buttons) will apparently operate in much the same way, but only the X-attack was on display at E3 in Lionhead's "Combat Testbed," a visually-lacking demo not meant to impress, but to arouse curiosity. "I know, it's bloody awful," Molyneux said of the current level of polish, while urging us to focus on more abstract concepts, like the amount of dedication that the development team has put into Fable 2's design. Molyneux is still haunted by his bold claims about the original Fable, lamenting his infamous 'greatest RPG evar' comment, made while Fable was still a rough draft. But the celebrated game designer insists that this -- to be the greatest -- is the goal for Fable 2, he's just not as (publicly) convinced he'll get there.%Gallery-4807%
Fable 2 seafaring nixed, ninjas added?
Whilst chatting with Peter Molyneux during a lightning fast, round robin interview session (8 tables, 8 Xbox luminaries, 4 minutes each: more at X3F), we learned two surprising things about Fable 2. First of all, we have bad news for all the would-be Fable 2 pirates: seafaring has been cut from the game. Molyneux told us that Lionhead had intended to allow players to become ship captains and sail the ocean blue, but eventually made the decision to cut the concept from the game. According to Molyneux, it's part of his job to cut things out of Fable 2 so that what is left -- the combat, for instance -- is really polished. Molyneux did inform us that the game will still contain pirates though, so that should serve as some consolation. As for the (possibly) good news: since we were on the subject of pirates, we cheekily asked Molyneux if Fable 2 will have ninjas. Molyneux responded, "Ninjas? Well, we aren't saying anything about that. It's funny you should ask that question." Why, Peter? Why is it funny that we should ask that question!? Tell us more!So then, for those keeping score on Fable 2:Death -- NoSeafaring -- NoPirates -- YesNinjas -- Mmmm ... could be.
X3F hands-on: Fable 2's musical combat
You may or may not know this, but Peter Molyneux has something of a silver tongue. Having witnessed its power at GDC when he revealed "the dog," we weren't sure what to expect at the E3 Fable 2 presentation. Of course, Peter employed that same silver tongue to describe the original Fable, which, while being a good game in its own right, wasn't exactly what he promised. So, when he told us that Fable 2's combat is controlled with one button, we were a bit skeptical.
Molyneux: no death in Fable 2, but scars
After sampling the delights of Fable 2 (more on that soon) we had a little chat with Peter Molyneux about death. Specifically, we talked about how death would be treated in Fable 2. Typically, death in video games means loading the previous checkpoint or restarting a given level. According to Molyneux, such will not be the case in Fable 2. Instead, when overpowered and bested by an enemy, players will be left with a permanent reminder of their defeat: a scar. Granted, the scars are cosmetic, but they do affect how NPCs perceive the main character. The idea apparently came to Molyneux after watching Casino Royale, in which James Bond undergoes particularly brutal torture during one scene and finds himself in the arms of a woman during the next. According to Molyneux, "In Hollywood, heroes always win the day." That's all well and good, but what if you don't like the idea of being disfigured? Players will have two choices it seems: don't lose, or you can pay a hefty fee to keep your attackers from scarring you. Molyneux revealed that testers are willing to lay down hefty sums of gold -- 1000, which is enough to buy a hut -- in order to avoid scarring. So there you have it, you won't die in Fable 2 -- even bosses can't kill you, but they leave deeper scars -- but you'll pay a price (one way or another) for failing in combat.
