Peter Molyneux bored with modern games, ashamed of Fable III reviews

In a couple recent interviews Peter Molyneux (creator of Fable, Populous, big promises he can't possibly keep) was being the type of loose-lipped interviewee that we love. Where would news writers be without quotes from Molyneux about the state of gaming today? This time around Peter%26rsquo;s got something not so nice to say about most modern games, while simultaneously taking the blame for the less than perfect reviews of Fable III.

In GR%26rsquo;s UK sister publication Xbox World, Molyneux was quoted as let down by the current state of gaming. %26ldquo;I'm trying to think of a more diplomatic way of saying this, but I'm just a little bit bored of doing things the same way in games. While I love all the drama of modern games, there is this sameness about it. They're essentially the same - one's got a green palette, one's got a grey palette; you're shooting and ducking and diving and it just seems almost on the point of being a little bit like Hollywood where they have got into this rut with their action films.%26rdquo;

We%26rsquo;re not sure what Pete%26rsquo;s talking about. Is it the fact that seemingly once a week another explodey shooter goes on sale? Or is it that we%26rsquo;ve been overwhelmed by FPS after FPS this year, with twin behemoths Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3 plus all their imitators are just over the horizon? Don%26rsquo;t be so cynical Pete.

One of our favorite things about Molyneux is that even when throwing stones at other games, he seems nearly as open to admitting his own mistakes. In a talk with Gamasutrahe copped to some of complaints about the ambitious Fable III.

%26ldquo;I know I probably should say it's a great game just respective of whatever it was, but the Metacritic score was sort of low-80s. I'm pretty ashamed of that, to be honest, and I take that on my own shoulders, not the team's shoulders.%26rdquo;

What was one of Fable III%26rsquo;s biggest problems? Not surprisingly, it stemmed from a common complaint lobbed at Lionhead: failure to properly deliver on a promising game mechanic. Molyneux said, %26ldquo;It didn't end up being the game that I dreamed it would be, because I thought the mechanic of the ruling section were really good ideas. I thought they were good ideas, but we just didn't have time to exploit those ideas fully.%26rdquo;

Don%26rsquo;t worry Pete, there%26rsquo;s always your next game, which is the definitely not on-rails Fable: The Journey. Until then, why don%26rsquo;t you treat yourself to a collection of classic Molyneux quotes.

Jun 29, 2011

Henry Gilbert

Henry Gilbert is a former GamesRadar+ Editor, having spent seven years at the site helping to navigate our readers through the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation. Henry is now following another passion of his besides video games, working as the producer and podcast cohost of the popular Talking Simpsons and What a Cartoon podcasts.