Molyneux: Games to have Godfather-quality storytelling by 2016

Speaking in the latest issue of Edge, Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux's predicted "Godfather" levels of storytelling in games by 2016.

"We’re starting to realize our uniqueness, and that we’ve got the ability to do things that no other medium has had before", he said.

"I think by 2016 we’re going to have a truly amazing story, which will be cited as the equivalent of ‘The Godfather’ on film.

"The uniqueness and adaptability of the content, the fact you feel you are the hero character more than you are empathizing with the hero — these are all things you can see evolving. I look at ‘Grand Theft Auto‘ and the Niko Bellic character, and I realize that we’re really getting a handle on how to characterize somebody."

Continuing on the subject, Molyneux said that early games were more plot-oriented instead of focusing on the characters.

"If you look at early storytelling in film, it was much less character-driven and much more plot-driven: Harold Lloyd falling off a skyscraper or trying to move a piano", he continued.

"Part of the revolution that Niko Bellic started to unveil — and what we’re attempting with Fable — is to say the characters, especially who you are as a character, matter as much as the plot.

"Moving forward to 2016, you’re going to see new forms of characters that we’ve never seen before, and those characters totally adapting to what you’re like as an individual."

Thanks, MTV.