It’s a glorious day, because I get to talk about the Molyneux Cycle once more. It’s the method by which Molyneux attempts to make his next game look good by trash talking the last one he made — the last game being one he hyped to the moon at the expense of whatever title came before that.
Ol’ Peter’s already had a pop at Fable III, but he’s doing it again, presumably to remind everyone how humble he is. This time, he’s gone so far as to skewer himself with criticism, taking personal responsibility for the sequel’s shortcomings.
“I take this as a personal failure. And it is a personal failure,” he told Eurogamer. “Not being persuasive enough that Fable III needed more time. That’s purely and utterly my fault. It’s me not being clear enough about it.
“As a creative director you always have to be clear about why you need time. Any publisher in my experience over the years, they don’t want to give you more time. Of course they don’t, because it means more money. But they equally don’t want you to make a mistake with the product.”
He added that publishers don’t often understand why games need more time, but it’s his job to make the situation clear. In a way, he’s really blaming the publishers, but not directly. I think we’re supposed to put a blanket around his shoulders and assure him that it really isn’t his fault. I’m pretty sure that’s how it works.
Still, I’ll say one thing for the Molyneux Cycle. It sounds like he really agrees with my review now. And they all called me mad at the time.
