Lionhead: Gaming Is Being Reborn on PC!
Is gaming entering a new era on the PC, or is it changing on a whole no matter the platform?
While speaking with Switched during SXSW in Austin, Lionhead Studios head-honcho Peter Molyneux said that games are virtually “being reborn" on the PC. The statement follows his claustrophobic-laced comment about developing games for consoles, saying the process initially gave him a sense of being imprisoned in a box.
But he also added that console development was a nice experience in that the "box" offered nothing more and nothing less. There were no system variants or an infinite number of software/hardware conflicts. On consoles, it's all “set in stone.” However with new hardware heading to the consoles-- Natal and Move-- he said they feel a bit more PC-ish.
"The surprising thing about the PC that’s just starting to happen now, is that gaming is being reborn on the PC," he said. "You’ve got Facebook, everybody’s talking about Facebook games and there’s this company called Zynga and they make games with 88 million people [Farmville]. It feels like the whole thing with gaming is changing radically… and I don’t see why all those others like AAA blockbusters can’t incorporate that sort of level of interaction."
Naturally he goes on to talk about his upcoming game, Fable III. The self-promotion started with the overall picture of gaming within the next two or three years-- how the gaming industry will change the overall "gaming" definition, or at least, redefine the term as we know it now.
"The problem is that the word 'game' just sounds so trivial compared to what we are trying to do," he said. "We are just now at the point to where were are smart enough to create a character that can meet you. Just imagine, a character on that screen who can meet you, engage with you, and see you, and has empathy with you."
For more, check out the video interview here at Switched.
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Fable III??? Where is Fable II on PC?? Oh yeah, right... forgot about how they are "imprisoned" in that box on consoles... or maybe he meant the Microsoft license Lionhead setup with them??
I am tired of ppl trying to promote their games by making bold statements about the future of gameing
its about time the pc started to get going again..
it fell down hill when microsoft lost its way with Vista.
Although Vista wasnt really that bad, many didnt like it, or couldn't use it.
Windows 7 is a Vista 2 if you like. Shame the OS was not more Windows XP compatible...
I want gaming to return to the pc and, I REALLY want Halo 3 on the pc as I've missed that one (purchased a damn xbox to play Halo 2!).
As long as devs take the time, then please do so, unlike the release of Gears Of war that required a patch and Windows Live in order to work.
PC is still the ultimate format imho, albeit a costly exercise to build a decent gaming rig
Just a shame that so much of the gaming industry has all but abandoned the format - just look in GAME at the crappy little shelf they allocate to PC gaming right at the back of their shops.
The decline started a few years back and from what I remember the 'excuses' were centered around piracy - funny thing is consoles are no better protected either ...
I'd like to see better support for PC gaming but can't see it ever being anything more than "enthusiast" based now ... *sigh*
Meh, publishers brought piracy to the masses themselves constantly blaming it, and promoting it indirectly to people who would otherwise not have knew such thing existed, it could have just been and underground thing but then all the media start coming onto it giving it more publicity and now everyone knows about it and even start to think it's a norm. talk about digging your own grave.
Well he says one thing and does another.
That exclusivity lock in Microsoft license deal must be running out soon. So there must be a games to pump out using old IP.
Hope it doesn't need a windows live account.
PC Gaming was never declining, it just veered away from mainstream and went a little more underground, and i don't feel that suggests PC gaming is dying in the slightest.
There are literally hundreds of thousands of PC gamers keeping the scene going with fresh content, and even new stuff is getting made all the time for new and existing games ranging from a minor modification for a game, going to a new episode for a game, right the way to an entirely new game in itself.
Just look @ open source games on the PC....loads of them...cave story, penumbra, Nexuiz, warsow to name a few and even some of IDs games are now open source i think.
well in most game stores and game station stores, i would say the shelf space for NEW games is about the same for all formats, its just they dont sell pre owned pc games. most of the games at my local stores are preowned, and this is what bulks up their shelves
i dont think pc gaming will ever go away, we are just in decline at the moment but when developer start to feel restricted by what the consoles can do we will be back in force this cycle continues to repeat itself.