Peter Molyneux and his 22Cans Studio are currently developing the god populous game, Project Godus. The creator of Dungeon Keeper and Black&White wants to reinvent the god genre and make a new modern version. The game is estimated to be available for Mac, PC, Mobile iOS & Android.
From GI.biz: "UK developer 22cans has suffered a round of redundancies, GamesIndustry.biz has learned.
The studio, founded by Fable creator Peter Molyneux, has laid off multiple employees, although an exact figure has not been disclosed.
A spokesperson said: "Unfortunately, due to a number of factors including projects reaching a certain stage in their development, we can confirm that a number of roles at 22cans have been made redundant."
Doesn’t that always happen with every studio lol? Contract workers for certain stages.
I'm just surprised 22cans is still in business. They aren't communicating at all with their customers and they've abandoned their games in early access. Godus is still a mess that they're happy to keep selling without support. I kickstarted that game, and I have regrets.
Wow that blows. I haven’t heard anything about them either, I just figured they were quietly working on something like ken Levine’s ghost story games.
Seriously, what is Peter Molyneux up to these days? In his prime, he was the most famous western developer in the world. Now he's doing f all.
People became privy to his practice of promising big and delivering small. He is the perennial example of an artist that has huge ambition but not the resolve to follow through with those promises. I don't dislike him, as he has brought us some good games. But he is a constant punchline for me when I think of developers getting high and mighty.
I saw an interview a few years ago saying he was inspired by the mobile gaming market and that anyone can become a “gamer”.
Such a shame, for all his critics he’s brought us some fantastic games and I’m sure he’d still be able to contribute something to the core gaming market.
They're not actually layoffs, they're fantastical multi-faceted journeys into lands of unimaginable unemployment giving the worker near-infinite freedom of choice.
In his first major interview in over a year, Molyneux opens up about his legacy, his empathy for the 'No Man's Sky' team, and redefining himself.
Bring him to PlayStation and do a spiritual Successor to Fable. PlayStation will fund the game and give full creative control over the game.
only with the exception where he doesn't over sale and not deliver like he did with Fable 1-3
Yea he had part in some neat games, (fable, black and white) but i think all im gonna remember him for was his pre-fable 2 interview.
"You dont control the dog, the dog acts on its own." Feel like that was the most proud hes ever been about a feature in his game. "You dont control the dog" kinda funny
Yeah the time where people got excited about Peter's promises is long long gone. He has to deliver...
Knowing Molyneux, this talk about regrets might be another one of his promises he's not gonna fulfill.
I want a new Populus game for the new generation. Played that game to death on the Genesis. It's too bad that Peter's ambitions always seemed to exceed his final product. He always had big dreams though.
I miss this crazy fool. Microsoft could use a game developer like Molyneux again.
Dude, you really should get a life. No matter what developer comes on board, you'll find some way to make it out as a bad thing. Save some of that surplus of criticism for things that really matter, you know things like Donald Trump.
Whaaa. Im just saying they dont show a lot of movement in terms of first party. If we all sit back and dont say nothing, it will continue to be that way.
No, just need to loosen the reigns - a lot. Realize that not everything needs to be online so as to need a paying sub just to access.
@omega
Actually, thinking on it, maybe you could name one high profile game designer that works for Microsoft?
Without a google search.
There's a reason that high profile game designers become high profile....it's usually because they make some rather iconic, impressive, or innovative games.
MS is literally in the shape they're in because of this guy. Especially regarding Kinect.
So he wasn't in charge of Kinect game development at one point? Never delivered with Milo?
That was Kudo and Don Mattrik. They pushed the motion gimmicks and Molyneux simply believed in the project enough to stage a phony demo as proof of concept.
The only other notable instance of him ruining Xbox was that completely on the rails Fable that he argued and had 50 idiots from gaming media to sign their names stating the game wasn't on the rails.
While I do believe Kate and Milo sold a dream to millions (many of whom still argue the potential for Kinect), at that point in Xbox history the Kinect was entirely optional.
He has zero to do with Forced Kinect, DRM, no used games, and all of that deal from the Xbox launch and he certainly doesn't have anything to do with Phil's mission to gut the Xbox one of all exclusives
@InTheLab:
How as the face of Kinect is the man as if not more culpable? By all counts he had skill and resources in excess to deliver Milo, but instead held up an empty example expecting 3rd parties to do as well if not better? And since, apparent grand tradition of overselling and at some point walking back, shareholders bought something yet to be proven never to actually work as Mattrick only saw the money to be made through watching XB1 owners, how was Molyneux and Milo not responsible for Kinect being mandatory on the next system?
The XB1 was built around Kinect, Kinect never worked as advertised, effectively crippled the XB1, and that's on Molyneux and a proof of concept.
He sure talked big about his games. As for them hitting the mark, at least he has an ambitious imagination. He walked the line of what is barely acceptable to promise to gamers without getting huge backlash. Unlike a certain game publisher with their procedurally generated universe.
Replies(2)
Georgi Trenev writes: "What we are currently seeing could very well be described as a final push aimed at fixing the damage that has already been done, and only time will tell whether Godus Wars ends up being successful. But one thing’s for sure – you know things are bad when people are still giving you a tough time even after releasing a product for free."
I can't think of many other kickstarter that are a bigger disaster than this one.,oooh.
