Molyneux: Ive never made a great game

Peter Molyneux is a surprisingly critical man. Fable II is a great game, it has sold over 3.5 million units at retail and has a Metacritic score of 89. But during an interview with MCV, Molyneux highlights elements of it as ‘crap’, ‘gimmicky,’ and ‘a terrible crime’.

And he invites criticism from his fans, too. He goes on gaming forums under a pseudonym, he tells us, to spark debate. Why be so humble?

It’s not humility,” he insists. It’s the reality and the truth. I am a designer and I shouldn’t stand up and say everything is wonderful and shiny and great and we made the greatest game ever, because we didn’t. Being inspired by your mistakes is one way of breaking into that triple-A club. It will always be my consistent dream to break into that club. I’ve made a lot of good games, but never a great game.”

Never made a great game? What about Black & White? Populous? Dungeon Keeper?

I’ve never made a game that people will put in their Top Five list of all-time greats,” he says. You might consider one of mine, but I don’t think you’d put it in.”

Molyneux won’t rest until he breaks into that Top Five. He keeps referencing this ‘triple-A club’ – an elite group of games that includes the likes of Halo and Call of Duty, and he wants Fable to be a part of it. To do that the game needs to sell, a lot.

That club is five million units,” he says. Once you can sell that many, you can get into that elite group.”

To read MCV’s full interview with Peter Molyneux, check out this week’s new-look MCV magazine or check back on MCVuk.com later today.