Peter-Molyneux
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Molyneux's Curiosity cube concludes [Update: Winner's video added]
22 Cans' Curiosity: What's Inside the Cube ended today, revealing a live stream of tweets using the hashtag #whatsinsidethecube to the public. Peter Molyneux noted via Twitter that the last person to chip away at the cube is located in the UK, and was the sole person to see what's actually at the middle of the cube, which is seemingly a link to a video and more than just a collection of tweets. "The winner should have a message on their cube now!!! Asking them to email a special email address, hope they share," Molyneux tweeted. Curiosity launched in November 2012 on the App Store, and had players around the globe chipping away at pixel-like squares on the multi-layered cube to collectively get to its core. We will update as we learn what was really inside the cube, providing the winner decides to share it with the world. Update: The video given to the winner of Curiosity has been shared by Molyneux and 22 Cans, and can be seen above. Update 2: Spoiler alert! The prize for the winner of Curiosity, as outlined in the video by Molyneux himself, is that they "will be the god of all people that are playing Godus. You will intrinsically decide the rules that the game is played by." Godus is a god game in development by 22 Cans, which received over $852,000 in Kickstarter funding for the project in late December 2012. Molyneux added that the winner, a certain Bryan Henderson of Edinburgh, Scotland, will also "share in the success of the product," in that "every time people spend money on Godus, [he] will get a small piece of that pie." Molyneux said he'll reveal details on how the prize will be carried out at a later date.
Molyneux's Godus goes mobile, Mobage with publisher DeNA
Godus, the Kickstarted god game from Peter Molyneux's 22Cans, will be published on mobile devices by DeNA in western territories, Japan and Korea. Godus raised £526,563 ($852,000) with Kickstarter in December, exceeding its goal of $£450,000 ($730,000). It will launch on PC and Mac, alongside mobile devices Android, iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Godus will use DeNA's Mobage platform for mobile and social games, joining previous handheld iterations within the No More Heroes, Final Fantasy and Professor Layton franchises, to name a few.
DeNA to publish Godus on iOS
Peter Molyneux's studio 22cans has been working on a Populous followup game called Godus, and the company has just announced a deal for a publisher. DeNA, the Japanese company behind the Mobage social platform, will be publishing Godus on iOS. And the game will also connect up to Mobage in Western companies and in Japan and Korea. DeNA is an interesting choice for Molyneux -- the company is usually known for casual games, and the audience is largely Japanese so far. But DeNA has definitely been looking to expand to the West and seeking well-known developers to do that with, including a game they're working on with former EA designer Ben Cousins. Plus, Molyneux has released Curiosity on iOS already, and that game didn't quite have the reception that he hoped for. So it sounds like this teamup will be good for both sides. Godus is set to arrive, after being previously crowdfunded on Kickstarter, sometime this year.
Will Wright shares admiration for the three Ms: Miyamoto, Molyneux, Meier
Bespectacled brain Will Wright is one of the world's most revered game designers, both within the industry and in the more mainstream eye. But which game designers does he admire the most? Speaking at the Game Horizon conference in the UK via a video stream, Wright said he regards a great number of designers highly, including many up-and-comers. However, the Sims creator reserved special praise for three luminaries from his generation: Shigeru Miyamoto, Peter Molyneux, and Sid Meier. Nintendo veteran Miyamoto was "obviously" Wright's first choice. "He always takes the player first," Wright said. "Right off the bat he works with the controller, what does it feel like, how tactile and kinesthetic is what he's working on. He works from the inside out: 'what is the first five second player experience?' So his games have this craftsmanship behind them that's amazing and unique." The feeling is mutual; a few years back, Miyamoto said he was particularly impressed by Wright as "a very unique person and someone very special." Aw.
Peter Molyneux speaks on the Fable MMO
Even though Fable creator Peter Molyneux left Lionhead Studios last March, he still has a lot to say about the gaming industry and genre he helped revolutionize. In an interview with IGN, Molyneux talks candidly about the upcoming new Xbox and the possibility of a Fable MMO. "I can see that that would work. The thing about Fable is that it was such a rich world. It was, well, what the name says it is. It's all about Fable and Albion and this idea of legends and humour. RPGs are great for MMO transitions. I can see that that concept works, and works quite well. I think the charm of Fable was in the feeling of the world and definitely the humour. If they keep that in an MMO, then there's no reason why it shouldn't do reasonably well, I don't think." Of course, Molyneux's successor at Lionhead is an MMO vet himself, so let's all hope that the MMO pieces come together.
22Cans speeds up the Curiosity cube
Peter Molyneux's 22Cans studio put out Curiosity on iOS last year, as a sort of a social game-slash-experiment. The idea was that hundreds of thousands of people would be able to download the app, and then use it chip away (by tapping) on a virtual cube, unearthing layer after layer of virtual cubes, with only one person getting the chance to eventually tap on the center. Originally, the project was scheduled to end sometime next year, but that's become too long for 22Cans: The company has decided to update the app down to the last 50 layers. "I think six months is a long time for this to go on," Molyneux has told Wired. "We're on the cusp of it being forgotten about." That's certainly true -- the iOS market moves quickly, and Curiosity never really did catch players' attention the way 22Cans hoped it would. But Molyneux believes that even though the app may have fallen down many players' priority lists, the project is worth following through on. "It is life-changing in any measurable way," he says about the reward hidden at the center of the cube. "I'm telling you, you want this." Interesting. Curiosity has also been playing with monetization, offering in-app purchases to both remove cubes from the game more quickly, and even offering to put them back on for a certain price. But for all of its experimenting, Molyneux says the game has only made "a few tens of thousands" of British pounds. 22Cans is also expected to announce another new title -- the company is currently working on a followup to Populous called Godus, which it ran a successful Kickstarter campaign for, and boosting Curiosity's interest will help them promote the next title after that. So if interest picks up again, it may not be long at all before we finally see these last 50 layers chipped away. And then, we'll all get to finally find out just "what's in the cube."
Curiosity's end may coincide with new Xbox reveal
Curiosity: What's Inside the Cube is now officially down to its last 50 layers. Even Peter Molyneux is impatient for 22Cans' bizarre iOS experiment to end, telling Polygon: "Enough's enough, for crying out loud." The game, which is about tapping to remove dots from a cube to reveal the "life-changing" secret within, features a countdown timer running toward the projected end of the experiment, when one person will clear the final layer. "I thought six months was about the length of time that Curiosity should go on before it closed, and this is almost exactly the six month anniversary of the end of Curiosity," Molyneux told GameSpot. "Bizarrely, as part of that controversy, is that the end of the cube – the last layer of the cube – might well be, I mean probably if you look at our analysis of probability, the same day that the next Xbox is announced. Which would be a bizarre twist of fate." The next Xbox is due to be revealed May 21. Or a bizarre twist of Pete? Regarding the coincidence, he told GameSpot, "There's an interesting opportunity, possibly, for me to ... well, I can't say any more than that. There may be some words from me around that time. I'm not saying any more." Confirmed: The next Xbox will come in a box made of billions of tiny cubes. Along with today's news, 22Cans released the above video, which features visual proof that people like Curiosity at least enough to scrawl dirty words into the cube.
Assassin's Creed 3 director Jamie Stowe joins 22cans
Assassin's Creed 3 level design director Jamie Stowe recently joined Peter Molyneux's 22Cans studio. Stowe will assume the role of technical director for Godus, the developer's spiritual successor to Populous. Stowe worked at Codemasters as a QA lead and level designer prior to joining Ubisoft Singapore in 2009.22Cans successfully raised £526,563 ($852K) on Kickstarter in December 2012 to fund Godus' development. Molyneux and his crew posted a new video update to 22Cans' Facebook page, which welcomes Stowe to the team.
Godus Kickstarter concludes at £526K
Peter Molyneux's 22cans studio has completed its Kickstarter for Godus with £526,563 ($852K) in funding, from 17,184 backers. The game, which is a spiritual successor to Molyneux's Populous, reached its Kickstarter goal of £450,000 two days ago.If you'd like to check out some prototypes for Godus, 22cans gave an overview earlier this week, following up with a multiplayer video. The game will be out when Molyneux says it's out.
Molyneux's Project Godus reaches Kickstarter goal
Peter Molyneux's studio 22cans has reached its £450,000 ($730K) Kickstarter goal for Godus, a spiritual successor to Molyneux's classic game Populous. The Project Godus Kickstarter reached its goal with a little under two days to go.The studio has been a PR kick the past couple of days, summoning a pair of prototype videos that helped drive donations for the game's final days on the crowdsourcing site. The first gave a basic overview, while this morning's showed off the prototype for Godus' multiplayer.
Molyneux plays, shows off Godus multiplayer
Peter Molyneux sits down and plays some Godus multiplayer in this latest update to the Kickstarter project, which is entering its final two days. If you're a fan of Molyneux's classic game Populous, you'll recognize a lot of the ideas in Godus with prettier packaging. It also ends in the classic "have all your followers kill all the other God's followers" cataclysmic showdown.Project Godus has two days to go before its Kickstarter campaign concludes and it's looking on track -- as of this writing it's at £429,000 -- to hit its £450,000 ($730K) goal.
Star Citizen's Roberts supports Elite, Project GODUS, says you should too
Star Citizen head honcho Chris Roberts may be busy heading up the revival of the space sim genre, but he's not too busy to make a case for a couple of high profile Kickstarter projects. In a lengthy post on SC's official site, Roberts shows his support for Elite: Dangerous and Peter Molyneux's Project GODUS and urges backers of Star Citizen to do the same. Roberts outlines a number of reasons why SC's overwhelming Kickstarter success has invigorated the dev team, chief among them the sense of satisfaction stemming from the ability to send a message "to the business and marketing machines that normally decide which games are made. You said they are not the taste makers for you, that you want your voice heard on what kind of game you play and you want to have a greater involvement and connection to the development of that game." Both Elite and GODUS are well short of their Kickstarter goals and nearing the end of their fundraising window. Roberts outlines what each game brings to the table and even touches on Molyneux's tendency to over-promise and under-deliver before ultimately concluding that Elite and GODUS are worthy of support for both gameplay reasons and the opportunity they're affording gamers to continue changing the industry. With crowdfunding you cut the middle man out. No retailer. No publisher driven by the demands of its shareholders for quarterly profits. Instead you build the game directly for the audience that wants the game for the right reasons -- because they want to play it. This is an exciting shift in the dynamic and something gaming needs unless everyone wants no other choice other than to buy yearly sequels to one of a limited number of gaming brands that the big publishers focus on. [Thanks to Ken for the tip!]
Godus prototype video released as Molyneux Kickstarter teeters
With three days left to go, and another £80,000 needed to reach its Kickstarter goal, Peter Molyneux's studio 22cans is throwing out a "hail mary" prototype video of Godus.22cans also plans to post a second prototype video sometime today with commentary from Molyneux, detailing Godus features found in and missing from the current prototype video.Project Godus currently has about £389,000 ($630K) in pledges, with a goal of £450,000 ($730K) and three days to go. Per the basic rule of Kickstarter, the project will not receive the pledged funding if it doesn't reach the goal. You can explore more about Godus and Molyneux's move back into indie development in our Super Joystiq Podcast Special.
Molyneux hopes to have Godus prototype available on Friday
Peter Molyneux and his experimental game studio 22 Cans hope to have a prototype of project Godus available tomorrow, December 14, the famed creator tells Ars Technica."I've seen the prototype, I've actually played it... I've got a few changes I'd like to be made, but the progress has been pretty constant, so Friday is going to be the time when we show the rest of the world what the prototype is," Molyneux says.Godus is a reimagining of Molyneux's breakout 1989 god game Populous, and the new prototype should be available for PC and mobile download. Earlier this month, Molyneux told us he hoped to have a prototype out by Christmas."[The prototype] is not the most beautiful piece of computer interaction ever, but you knead it and you touch it and you get the idea that sculpting the landscape is amazing, seeing things react in the landscape is incredible, and it's definitely going to work," Molyneux says.The Godus Kickstarter has seven days to raise £180,000, to reach its goal of £450,000.
Super Joystiq Podcast Special: A chat with Peter Molyneux
It's time for a chat with another game industry luminary.On this Super Joystiq Podcast Special, Peter Molyneux joins Alexander and Sinan to discuss 22 Cans, Godus, Kickstarter and much more. Godus is currently on Kickstarter with 16 days left in its funding period, and almost £200,000 of its £450,000 goal raised. Molyneux also touches on Curiosity, and how 22 Cans' first experiment has panned out so far.Don't miss this candid interview with one of the most charismatic people in games, Peter Molyneux.Listen to the Super Joystiq Podcast: Subscribe to the Super Joystiq Podcast in iTunes Super Joystiq Podcast is also available in the Zune Marketplace Add the Super Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator Download the MP3 directlyDetails about each segment are available after the break.
Molyneux has 'hope' for downloadable Godus prototype by Christmas
22 Cans Kickstarter project Godus will hopefully have a downloadable prototype by Christmas, Peter Molyneux told us in a recent interview. The 22 Cans founder, who is painfully aware of his public persona of over-promising over the years, recognizes Kickstarter projects are currently in that same precarious position."I hope by Christmas we have a prototype that people can download and say, 'Actually, you know what, they're already doing good work,'" Molyneux told us. "And this is what needs to happen with Kickstarter and games. The promises... wouldn't it be amusing if I was the one to prove this right? These promises have to result in great games."Godus reaching its Kickstarter funding goal isn't a guarantee. The game (as of this writing) has £193,613 pledged of a £450,000 goal, with 18 days left to go. According to Kickstarter stat tracking site Kicktraq, the game will just make its funding goal if it sustains its average per day pledge total, but backers have been diminishing every day.
22 Cans talks Curiosity: What's in the Cube and more
22 Cans is Peter Molyneux's latest endeavor -- a smaller indie game company from the creator of titles like Populous, Black and White and Fable that's putting together more experimental games on platforms like iOS. The company's first title is Curiosity, a game/experience that arrived on the App Store a little while ago. And now the developers are doing some interviews talking about how Curiosity is doing, and what's next for 22 Cans going forward. Jack Attridge is up first; he's a game designer at 22 Cans, and he recently talked with 148Apps about how Curiosity has changed during development. Initially, it was very straightforward (and the game is still very simple): Players would just tap away "cublets" off of a gigantic cube, in a sort of massively multiplayer attack of destruction. But the devs found that the game needed even more rewards, so they added in combo bonuses and a clear screen bonus for clearing cubes completely off of the iPhone or iPad's screen. He hints at what's next with the game as well: "There is something that people tapping on the cube are doing, and are already involved in that they are unaware of," says Attridge. "I can't say what that is yet, but in the future...that tapping will have counted for something." We're not sure what that means, but Curiosity has been interesting so far, and odds are it will continue to be so. Over on RockPaperShotgun, Molyneux himself chimes in to say that 22 Cans has been overwhelmed by the reaction to Curiosity, both in terms of its servers being overrun, and Molyneux's own emotional state (at one point in the interview, he reportedly breaks down and cries when considering just what he wants the experiment to mean to the world). 22 Cans has also just launched a Kickstarter for another game, called Project Godus and supposedly based on Populous itself, so Molyneux talks about how he's approaching game design these days. It sounds much more agile and responsive than the big titles he's worked on in the past. Both interviews are definitely worth reading, especially if you've been as fascinated by the experiment behind Curiosity as I am. It'll be interesting to see what happens with the 22 Cans model as it continues forward.
Peter Molyneux looks to crowdfunding for 'Godus' on iOS
The creator of 1989's seminal "God game," Populous, is returning to the genre on iOS with a new title called Godus. Peter Molyneux and his recently formed indie software house 22 Cans announced the game today by launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund its development. iOS gamers will know 22 Cans as the creator of Curiosity, the massively multiplayer collaborative title we picked as our Daily iPhone App on November 6. Godus will deliver "exciting global co-operation, competition, creation and destruction to a whole new generation," according to its developer. In it, you'll work to build a civilization that worships you and lead them into war against other gods and their followers. 22 Cans is looking to raise £450,000 (US$616,953) in order to complete Godus in the next nine months. Some of the Kickstarter rewards available to backers include a piece of titanium jewelry emblazoned with the game's logo and beset with an actual diamond and an all expenses paid trip to E3 2013 as a guest of Molyneux himself. [Via Joystiq]
Molyneux reinventing Populous with 'Godus,' calls on Kickstarter for help
Peter Molyneux's next experiment with his new studio, 22 Cans, is a "reinvention" of his classic god game Populous, fittingly titled Godus. "Project Godus" is now live on Kickstarter, where 22 Cans is asking for £450,000 to develop this rebirth of god games for PC, iOS and Android."Godus blends the power, growth and scope of Populous with the detailed construction and multiplayer excitement of Dungeon Keeper, and the intuitive interface and technical innovation of Black & White," its Kickstarter description reads. It will be multiplayer, probably with up to eight players at a time (though it seems Molyneux would like more). 22 Cans expects Godus will take seven to nine months to develop.This is the second endeavor from 22 Cans, following Curiosity: What's Inside the Cube. Check out the Kickstarter video for Godus below.
Molyneux's Curiosity getting six new, big features
Curiosity: What's Inside the Cube, Peter Molyneux's first experiment with 22 Cans, will be updated with six big, new features, possibly added next week.Curiosity has players on mobile devices chip away layers of a gigantic cube in the hope of discovering what's at the center. Apparently, it's something pretty special. As of today, players have removed 30 layers, but it seems there are still plenty more to go.The updates are designed "by looking at how people interact with Curiosity," Molyneux tells CVG. Considering the game has been plagued by server issues and bugs since its launch on November 6, perhaps the updates are "a better connection" and "a refund for all those coins you lost."Now, before we see another barrage of comments complaining that a story on Molyneux isn't necessary, remember that CVG has a Curiosity liveblog. You're welcome.
