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Head of Lionhead Studios Peter Molyneux has said that 2009’s gaes slate is looking a bit dry” – and predicted that economic pressures will see the price of new releases tumble.
Writing for the BBC, Molyneux says:
‘Next year, well, it’s all looking a bit dry. All the triple A titles came out this Christmas and while there is stuff in 2010 we can look forward to, off the top of my head I cannot think of anything next year that really excites me.
‘Everyone says games are good value for home entertainment, despite the relatively high price. I’m not so sure. I think we’re going to see a lot of price pressure put on games.’
He also pointed to Lionhead’s next secret project – but gave very little away. He added:
‘And as for Lionhead: now we’ve got Fable II out of the door we can focus on our other project – it’s super secret for now – but we might announce it next year.’
Discussing 2008, Molyneux said:
‘2008 was the year that the Nintendo Wii got even better, more than anyone really thought possible when it first launched. The 360 did well, although it was put into the shade somewhat by the Wii. PlayStation 3 has been disappointing to say the least.
‘On the gaming front, GTA IV was a real moment for the industry. Rockstar nailed how you characterise a game and their engine and cut sequences are state of the art. However, only a few people actually saw all the cut sequences because the game was so tough to play. Are we making games too difficult? That’s a question the industry has been asking itself of late.
‘We – as developers – are finally comfortable with the next-gen consoles and we saw a slew of sequels this year. Gears of War 2, Fallout 3, Fable II, the seventh Tomb Raider.
‘One of my personal favourites was Little Big Planet; superb artistry and a fantastic marketing job by Sony – yet it didn’t make the numbers. I wonder if Christmas is really the right time to release a new title. We’ve got into a rhythm [of sequels at Christmas] which is all fair and well while people are buying games but we have to make sure we don’t get complacent.’
