Peter Molyneux Asks Reviewers To Ask Around

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Peter Molyneux Asks Reviewers To Ask Around


Peter Molyneux has made an interesting request of reviewers who have received advance copies of Fable 2 [http://www.lionhead.com/fable2/]: Find out what other people think of it.

Variety [http://weblogs.variety.com/the_cut_scene/2008/10/peter-moores-re.html] reports that review copies of Fable 2, Molyneux's latest effort, included a letter from the famed designer asking that reviewers make special effort to take into account the opinions of non-gamers as part of their examination of the game. "I have a favor to ask you - we build this game not only to appeal to gamers like yourself, but to appeal to anybody," Molyneux wrote. "So please, please, please, please, please find somebody who doesn't play games, watch them play it and see how their world turns out, because I think it's only when you see those differences that the unique experiences comes through."

He also asked that reviewers wait until after the game's cooperative online mode becomes available, "perhaps in the first week" after the game comes out, before doing their reviews. Online co-op play will be a major part of the experience, but publisher announced [http://www.microsoft.com] in late September that the system was still being worked on, and no firm date for a patch to enable the game mode has been given.

It'd be nice to look at his appeal to reviewers as an honest attempt to ensure the game isn't inappropriately and unfairly judged, but it's far easier to see it as something else entirely: Pre-release excuses for a game that's not going to live up to the hype. Hopefully that's not the case, but Molyneux's impassioned plea sets a tone of desperation that almost unavoidably drives down expectations. I do think that waiting to review the game in a fully-functioning state is a good idea, as long as the online co-op mode arrives in a reasonably timely fashion, but the inevitable stampede to be first out the gate makes it awfully unlikely to happen.

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DiamondJim

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Sep 27, 2008
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It does sound a bit on the desperate side, but I can see his logic on a basic level.

When I play a game for the first time, I sometimes ask a friend who doesn't play games often how they like it. Sometimes it takes an outsider's perspective to clear up a foggy opinion of a game.

But, again, it's almost as if he is already taking refuge in his bunker from the inevitable shitstorm of reviews. (Not to say that it will be bad, but hey, we don't know)
 

jamestoo

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Aug 29, 2008
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All I've seen is "please please please please please wait until the game is finished because we're going to release it half done and then let you download the rest over time".

Not good enough. Again.
 

TsunamiWombat

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Sep 6, 2008
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Every time I hear someone made a game for people who don't play games, I laugh- whilst my soul cries.

Still maybe he's for real. However it's no exscuse for a bad game- A GOOD game should work for new players and experianced players both. Catering to one or the other is a failure in design.
 

tendo82

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Nov 30, 2007
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This is called a vote of no confidence from no less than the game's creator.

It can't be good that Mr. Molyneux feels he has to qualify how Fable 2 should be reviewed. To begin with, what sort of non-gamer would want to play Fable 2 anyway? In concept alone the game is far too expansive in scope to attract a non gamer - Boom Blox this is not.

The only non-gamers that will be playing Fable 2 are the ones forced to do so by reviewers both foolish and spineless enough to act on Mr. Molyneux's advice.
 

Rooster Cogburn

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May 24, 2008
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How was the community supposed to take this? I can't imagine reading anything besides desperation out of this clearly desperate plea.

Besides, if the game is for non-gamers, that cuts out a pretty large demographic from the total who normally by games.
 

SomeBritishDude

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Nov 1, 2007
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I never understood why PM is trying to make Fable 2 appeal to non-gamers. Its a fantasy RPG. On the 360. Why would a non gamer pick up Fable 2 when theres Raving Rabbits or some other crap to choose from.

The little signs are starting to build up, the ones that may point towards a less than brilliant game, or infact, a shit game. Im not worried about this being another Fable, as I liked the game even if it was a little short and not up to expectations. Im worried about this being another Black & White 2. Because if it is, Im never buying another thing with Peters name on it.
 

BleachedBlind

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May 19, 2008
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It sounds like some lazy attempt to get people to artificially raise their review scores. I don't want a review from a non-gamer. I want game reviews to come from people who play games and know what they're talking about. A non-gamer may find SSBB to be the most graphically beautiful in deeply complex game around, but serious gamers know better. Also, telling reviewers to wait until they put in the online co-op? Straight bullshit.
 

AuntyEthel

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Dunno if its just me, but aren't the people who read reviews in mags/websites usually gamers anyway?
 

partyguy

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Sep 16, 2008
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I want a review from someone who isn't biased. If anything any developer can say to make a review biased should be ignored. Along the same lines, I think ole Pete is trying to say "Once again my foot is in my mouth and all the content wont actually be in the game." Reminds me of my disappointment at B&W and B&W2. Somehow he manages to still talk with all those feet in his mouth...
 

Blayze

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Dec 19, 2007
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watch them play it and see how their world turns out, because I think it's only when you see those differences that the unique experiences comes through."
Translated: "I really fucking hope they can find somebody who actually likes this game, so we can ignore all the bad reviews and focus on the minority who would actually want to play it."
 

bodyklok

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Feb 17, 2008
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Meh, the less we expect the better it will be or the less our expectation will be ruined.
 

Dapper Ninja

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TsunamiWombat post=7.73509.797959 said:
A GOOD game should work for new players and experianced players both. Catering to one or the other is a failure in design.
I recall him stating that he tried to make Fable II a game that will be simple to play through in order to appeal to casual gamers, yet will have a deep full experience in order to appeal to experienced players.
 

TsunamiWombat

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L1250 post=7.73509.798572 said:
TsunamiWombat post=7.73509.797959 said:
A GOOD game should work for new players and experianced players both. Catering to one or the other is a failure in design.
I recall him stating that he tried to make Fable II a game that will be simple to play through in order to appeal to casual gamers, yet will have a deep full experience in order to appeal to experienced players.
Except- why would a casual gamer buy anything with 2 in the title? The very fact it's a sequel implies some necessary experiance if not with the first game, then gaming in general.

Also, "making a game for casual gamers" is code for "making it ass". The 'Birdman' Article explains this very eloquently- you shouldn't make games for casual gamers or hardcore gamers, you should just make GOOD GAMES.