Molyneux: Don't Judge Kinect by its Launch Titles

[Logan Westbrook]

Molyneux: Don't Judge Kinect by its Launch Titles

Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux believes that there will be truly great games made for Kinect, but they won't be the ones available when it's released later this year.

The surfeit of casual titles in Kinect's [http://www.amazon.com/Kinect-Sensor-Adventures-Xbox-360/dp/B002BSA298/ref=sr_1_2?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1281448706&sr=1-2] launch line-up has inspired a certain degree of disappointment amongst the Xbox 360's core audience, but Molyneux says that it's the games that come after the launch are the ones that gamers should really judge Kinect by.

Molyneux says that adapting to a new input device like Kinect takes time, and that it took Lionhead years to get used to making games for a controller after developing for the PC for such a long time. He firmly believes that Kinect will enable a leap forward in the medium, but says that it's not been long enough for developers to really be able to understand how to use it.

Molyneux added that it's not easy being a launch title, and the developers of games like Kinect Sports and Adventures have created "pretty good" experiences in just a few months. But it's the second wave of titles, he says, that hardcore games should be looking forward too. "I think anybody that gets Kinect and buys those [launch] titles, they're not gonna be disappointed," he said. "But they should really, really be excited by what comes next. 'Cause what I judge Kinect on is what the next step is."


Molyneux isn't alone in his belief that motion controls will make some really unique hardcore games possible, BioWare's Greg Zeschuk recently said [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/102059-BioWare-Motion-Controls-Will-Make-Games-Better] that his studio was looking forward to seeing how it could implement motion controls into its games. As Molyneux says, it's going to take time for developers to really get to grips with Kinect, but when they do, there's going to be a lot of interesting things they'll be able to do with it.

Source: Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/06/interview-peter-molyneux-talks-kinect-milo-and-fable-3/]
















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[Cabisco]

Oh Moyneux I love how full of optimism you are but I can't help but feel the Kinect will flop horribly and regular xbox users will have to pay up to try and make the massive investment break even.

I hope he is right though, I love the idea of Kinect but so far I've been completely dissapointed.

 

[Pendragon9]

Well, that's too bad for him. Launch Titles determine what we're going to be in for, so you better make them good or expect a bad season. That's just how I feel anyway.

 

[Maze1125]

Maybe he'll make Black and White 3 on the Kinect, it certainly seems to be the control system he was always going for right from the start of that series.

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

Yeah I've thought this all along and I agree with him.

Kinect has a lot of potential... unfortunately due to the nature of what it is it will also have a lot of shovelware... a lot of half-assed crap and a lot of hate.

But as soon as they release my dream RTS where you control everything using your voice and hands I will be down the shop buying a brand new boxed Kinect with Kinectimals... it'll be so funny to teach the tiger to eat people...

 

[Eruanno]

Oh, Peter. You should adress the people during an apocalyptic scenario.

"Don't worry, everyone! This will be just fine! I have all the confidence that we're going to develop spacecraft, and we can all fly away from this and colonize an entirely new planet, it'll be fantastic...!"

And then a house falls over and crushes him. And the people rejoice.
And then they die. Because hey, it's an apocalypse.

 

[latenightapplepie]

Fine. I can accept that.

I just hope Mr Molyneux can accept that I won't be buying the Kinect until these supposedly good titles emerge. If they emerge.

 

[UltimatheChosen]

For once, he may have a point.

Usually, I think the man is full of it, but in the case, he's making a fair case. The Kinect is new, and launch titles often have big issues. For instance, I'm hard-pressed to think of more than one or two good DS launch titles.

So while I won't judge Kinect on the basis of the godawful launch titles, I will instead judge it by the fact that motion controls are a terrible fit for most games, and will end up getting shoehorned in... just like the touch screen on the DS.

 

[Jared]

Peter' optimism is nothing new, but, there are likely grains of truth in there...the problem is, it may take longer than he things. And, even then the Core audience does not want to flail around...

 

[mad825]

don't judge on the launch titles?

are MS paying you to say this?.....how much are they paying you!?!?

If the launch titles cannot show that the technology is solid then how do you expect the other games to work better?

 

[Mutie]

Molyneux... I believe you.

 

[The Admiral]

I can't help but feel that this is a cop out, but the PS3's launch titles were a very short stack of shitty games. Now it is doing just fine.

 

[Banana Phone Man]

The problem is that we have nothing to judge it on. There is so little (even less now that Fable 3 has pulled out of the project for now) going for it that I wouldn't even risk buying it. If there was a second wave of games that I knew about then things might be looking up, but I haven't heard about any of them.

 

[JaymesFogarty]

Isn't that like asking consumers to ignore the terrible first few hours of a video game? Or like asking viewers to ignore the shitty first half of a season of The Simpsons, because of the empty promise that it will get better? Sorry Molyneux, but that's not going to slide.

 

[The Procrastinated End]

Can anything crush Molyneux's optimism?

 

[Baby Tea]

Well, that's too bad for him. Launch Titles determine what we're going to be in for, so you better make them good or expect a bad season. That's just how I feel anyway.

But look at the PS3! The system had a not so great launch in terms of good games.
It's certainly a great system now, but it's launch library was pretty poor.

I'll be getting Kinect for my wife and my non-gaming family. I think it'll be a blast for them to play!
And I hope Mr. Molyneux is right about the 2nd wave of games!
Plus Dance Central and Child of Eden both look sweet.

I think it'll find it's market.

 

[Flamezdudes]

Can anything crush Molyneux's optimism?

Punching baby seals? Anyone? Or perhaps killing puppies and dolphins.

Kinect hasn't interested me from the start it was announced as Natal, i don't see the appeal and definatly won't buy it until some good games come available for it. Perhaps some RTS games for the Xbox 360 would work better with it, or turn based isometric RPGs!

 

[paketep]

Me, I'm judging Kinect on it being hyped by Molyneux. Thus, good for nothing.