Fri, Oct 03, 2008 | 11:59 BST

Sports games “don’t seem to be changing,” says Molyneux

The sports genre is at an impasse, Peter Molyneux has told VG247, and is seemingly failing to make any real step forward.

The designer had previously said he may like to work on a sports title, but informed that the comment was merely made out of the desire to try something new.

“As far as the sports game’s concerned, what I was saying at that time is that, for me personally, it’s the challenge of doing something I haven’t done before, and obviously I’ve never done anything like a sports game before,” he said.

“I think sports are a done a certain way, and it seem like a very solid, very solid way, and they don’t seem to be changing. There’s obviously refreshes of technology in there, but there’s not that step-change which you can see other genres taking.

“That was the fascination. It wasn’t an announcement of, ‘I’m going to be doing a sports game,’ or anything like that.”

So no sports game, but Molyneux has already said his said game is to be an AI breakthrough. No more hints?

“I can’t really give you any more clues,” he added. “I mean, I got in trouble for saying that.

“Obviously, theses days, when there are millions and millions of dollars at stake, you’ve got to be responsible about this, and I did anyway say that I wouldn’t talk about anything unless I could show it, prove it and it was ready to be unveiled.

“So, I’m afraid that’s going to be ‘no comment.’”

Peter’s answer was given to a question supplied by poster dEM0NSVK, as you can see in this thread.

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7 comments

Syrok
03/10/08, 12:10 pm

Well, there is only so much you can do in the sports genre.

Shatner
03/10/08, 12:30 pm

Quite.

The sport that a typical sports game is based upon (let’s use soccer as an example) hasn’t changed. Why should a simulation of something that’s not really changed be expected to change??

Has soccer “taken a step forward” in the last few years? If not, why are we meant to be bothered that a simulation / game based on it mimics its subject’s lack of evolution?

By contrast, sports games are now online. They feature rule and roster updates. When something in the original sport changes the newer iterations of the corresponding game tend to change too.

Still Pete – you’re not a PR man, right?

Tonka
03/10/08, 12:45 pm

Wii version of PES is a pretty big change from other football games.

redlander
03/10/08, 1:34 pm

Is anyone else getting sick of “Peter Molyneux says”

dEM0NSVK
03/10/08, 1:34 pm

Thanks for choosing my question! Nice to have a reply from Peter. I guess Lionheads new project will be unveiled later.

It looks like they have to experiment with AI a lot to be ready. So … We can just wish them good luck!

patlike
03/10/08, 1:42 pm

No probs