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