Giddy up!
Lionhead boss spells it out
Peter Molyneux's Project Milo will never make it to gamers, but his studio's next effort Fable: The Journey is pacing its way to Kinect next year. Molyneux recently spoke to Gaming Union about getting to grips with recreating Fable's traditional freedom in a hands-free setting.
Speaking with his trademark candour, Molyneux was quick to admit there are serious issues to overcome in translating a game like Fable to Kinect:
I'll admit that Kinect has got some problems. As an input device it has some real problems. Without a thumb stick, navigation is a real problem. You haven't got any buttons, so ordering the player to do something can be somewhat of a problem.
Although the on-stage demo at E3 2011 caused many to peg the game as on-rails, Molyneux has been equally quick to dismiss this, stating categorically the game is not on-rails.
To a certain extent, we need to convince you that Fable: The Journey is a 90+ [review score] game, and if it was on-rails our chances just go through the floor. It's NOT going to be on-rails.
It'll be interesting to see how Molyneux and his team will overcome Kinect's inherent problems to create a 90+ scoring game when previous release Fable III sits on a Metascore of 80 — down from Fable II's 89 score (at time of writing) — but we'll find out next year.
User Comments
1. eclipticus
21 Jun 2011, 18:18 BST
I think navigation depends on the game. His Black&White games proves this is possible. I didn't LOVE the games, but enjoyed them. I wouldn't mind seeing a Black&White game on Kinect
2. d20Dark
21 Jun 2011, 21:11 BST
I don't think developers should be TRYING to make Kinect a navigation tool in the way of a controller. I know Peter knows this and that he's just stating the obvious, but still. I see so many cry baby "hard core" (go suck your thumb in the corner) gamers that whine about Kinect and they're grounds are based on the IDEA that Kinect is supposed to replace the controller. If I want to play Fable, I'm going to play with a controller. If I want to play Dance Central... guess what I'd use? That's what they need to do- make a cross input game and use cross input controls (pick up a controller for one part, stand up for the Kinect parts. No replacing one for the other.
3. w0nderboi
22 Jun 2011, 11:53 BST
The controls aren't the problem but the developers need to find new ways to control games not trying to emulate button movements to Kinect.
Oh and Molyneux always talks to much and half of it is just nonsense or will never happen.