7 ms·

So this is a non-story. The royalty was based around a feature the company hasn't been able to deliver and was not contractually obligated to by any time. The k

by 3am 12y ago

So this is a non-story. The royalty was based around a feature the company hasn't been able to deliver and was not contractually obligated to by any time. The kid doesn't seem particularly upset, and while it's not heartwarming, there doesn't seem to be any wrongdoing anywhere (other than etiquette-wise for the studio staying in touch more frequently... and perhaps they didn't want to spill dirty laundry about execution/financial issues to a contest winning teenager). edit: Surprised by the negative reaction to this post. At least 5 downvotes altogether. I'm not endorsing Monyneux's actions in any way. I'm just saying that it's obvious what happened. They promised royalties on a product they failed to deliver for business and technical reasons. Now they are pivoting to a new game to try to stay in business. They should have owned up to it, and given the kid an apology, a check for 1000 GBP, and modelled a character in "The Trail" as damage control.

ngoldbaum 12y ago
I think it's more about them lying to their fans in an attempt to drum up publicity.
fit2rule 12y ago
I think this story is more about how hype on the Internet works more than anything else. When I first saw the Curiosity announcement, and then spent 20 minutes (not much more) playing the game, I was really intrigued by just what was happening. For it to have fizzled and turned into your typical Molyneux-bashfest, replete with corporate liability clauses and non-delivery of products, well .. its more like the more things change, the more they stay the same. Of course, a lot of us have gotten to the point where the hype around Molyneux is itself enough entertainment. I was there in the Black&White days, which I considered to be a really interesting concept, but as is so often the case these days, the Creator of that Universe got bored, and moved on. Maybe thats the real lesson here ..
JimmyM 12y ago
I think it's a story because of Molyneux. Peter Molyneux has failed to deliver completely for a long time. With Godus, with Curiosity, it increasingly seems as though he failed to deliver even a finished game and in addition it seems as though he failed to even try. For many gamers, it's the end of the final shred of Molyneux's respectability. People may snark about it, "Oh, what a surprise", but this was his last chance. The royalty (or at least some prize) formed part of a concept that was at the heart of Curiosity - some grand, real, reward that justified all the cow-clicking nonsense. As such, it was an essential part of the game that people played. Meanwhile, Godus continues to languish without the promised features. Comparing him with Shyamalan, this would be his Last Airbender. Not earth-shattering news that he messed it up completely, but final confirmation that his talent - if he ever had it - seems to have deserted him.
- nightski 12y ago
  I think this is vastly overstating the importance of respect for a developer. What it comes down to is if he released a respectable game tomorrow, it would sell. Despicable acts by game companies are nothing new, yet gamers continue to buy the games in droves. Ubisoft is a great example. All that matters is if a game is good or not. If the game is terrible then good karma or a massive marketing budget can win you sales but overall having a fun game is the most important factor imho.
  - fenomas 12y ago
    > if he released a respectable game tomorrow, it would sell. If it's already made, sure. But if he needs funds to finish it and tries crowdfunding, this may bite him pretty hard.
- actsasbuffoon 12y ago
  That's harsh. Molyneux has done incredible work in the past. He played a part in Populous, Syndicate, Dungeon Keeper, and Black & White. All of those games were ground breaking. Peter Molyneux's greatest strength is also his greatest weakness: he's incredibly creative and ambitious. He aims very high, often a little beyond his reach. Frankly, that's what we should all be doing. I don't quite remember the quote, or the person who said it, but it went something like, "If you're not failing the majority of the time, you're not aiming high enough." I'd rather play a game that was trying to be incredible but fell just short, rather than a game that aimed to be passable and hit the mark. Maybe that's what bugs me about Curiosity and Godus; these aren't the big, ambitious games I've grown accustomed to from Molyneux.
  - the_af 12y ago
    I don't disagree with you, but I was just googling the first three games you mentioned -- which I happen to agree are great games -- and I see that Syndicate, my absolute favorite, wasn't designed by Molyneux but by someone named Sean Cooper. Is it a coincidence that it's also not a God/sandbox game? Black & White was ground breaking but it was such a disappointment to me that I wouldn't include it in any list of great games...
joosters 12y ago
Tell that to all those people who funded Godus on kickstarter, based upon the promised feature list and goals. If you read some of the linked articles, Peter Molyneux basically admits to saying anything in order to get the backers' money. That's disreputable and unethical. But I doubt he cares at all, he's too busy over-hyping and over-promising on his next game.

by 3am 12y ago

ngoldbaum 12y ago

I think it's more about them lying to their fans in an attempt to drum up publicity.

fit2rule 12y ago

I think this story is more about how hype on the Internet works more than anything else. When I first saw the Curiosity announcement, and then spent 20 minutes (not much more) playing the game, I was really intrigued by just what was happening. For it to have fizzled and turned into your typical Molyneux-bashfest, replete with corporate liability clauses and non-delivery of products, well .. its more like the more things change, the more they stay the same. Of course, a lot of us have gotten to the point where the hype around Molyneux is itself enough entertainment. I was there in the Black&White days, which I considered to be a really interesting concept, but as is so often the case these days, the Creator of that Universe got bored, and moved on. Maybe thats the real lesson here ..

JimmyM 12y ago

I think it's a story because of Molyneux. Peter Molyneux has failed to deliver completely for a long time. With Godus, with Curiosity, it increasingly seems as though he failed to deliver even a finished game and in addition it seems as though he failed to even try. For many gamers, it's the end of the final shred of Molyneux's respectability. People may snark about it, "Oh, what a surprise", but this was his last chance. The royalty (or at least some prize) formed part of a concept that was at the heart of Curiosity - some grand, real, reward that justified all the cow-clicking nonsense. As such, it was an essential part of the game that people played. Meanwhile, Godus continues to languish without the promised features. Comparing him with Shyamalan, this would be his Last Airbender. Not earth-shattering news that he messed it up completely, but final confirmation that his talent - if he ever had it - seems to have deserted him.

nightski 12y ago
I think this is vastly overstating the importance of respect for a developer. What it comes down to is if he released a respectable game tomorrow, it would sell. Despicable acts by game companies are nothing new, yet gamers continue to buy the games in droves. Ubisoft is a great example. All that matters is if a game is good or not. If the game is terrible then good karma or a massive marketing budget can win you sales but overall having a fun game is the most important factor imho.
- fenomas 12y ago
  > if he released a respectable game tomorrow, it would sell. If it's already made, sure. But if he needs funds to finish it and tries crowdfunding, this may bite him pretty hard.
actsasbuffoon 12y ago
That's harsh. Molyneux has done incredible work in the past. He played a part in Populous, Syndicate, Dungeon Keeper, and Black & White. All of those games were ground breaking. Peter Molyneux's greatest strength is also his greatest weakness: he's incredibly creative and ambitious. He aims very high, often a little beyond his reach. Frankly, that's what we should all be doing. I don't quite remember the quote, or the person who said it, but it went something like, "If you're not failing the majority of the time, you're not aiming high enough." I'd rather play a game that was trying to be incredible but fell just short, rather than a game that aimed to be passable and hit the mark. Maybe that's what bugs me about Curiosity and Godus; these aren't the big, ambitious games I've grown accustomed to from Molyneux.
- the_af 12y ago
  I don't disagree with you, but I was just googling the first three games you mentioned -- which I happen to agree are great games -- and I see that Syndicate, my absolute favorite, wasn't designed by Molyneux but by someone named Sean Cooper. Is it a coincidence that it's also not a God/sandbox game? Black & White was ground breaking but it was such a disappointment to me that I wouldn't include it in any list of great games...

joosters 12y ago

Tell that to all those people who funded Godus on kickstarter, based upon the promised feature list and goals. If you read some of the linked articles, Peter Molyneux basically admits to saying anything in order to get the backers' money. That's disreputable and unethical. But I doubt he cares at all, he's too busy over-hyping and over-promising on his next game.