Molyneux: Milo killed because industry isn't 'ready' for such emotions

Perhaps the most interesting use for the Xbox 360's Kinect controller was Lionhead Studios' virtual child simulator Milo and Kate, though a lot of questions lingered over it. We first met the young lad Milo in 2009, carefree and innocent as he chatted with the player, but the project slipped out of sight and was eventually shelved. This, Peter Molyneux has said, is because the industry simply isn't ready for a such game built around forming an emotional bond.

"The problem with Milo wasn't the ambition," Molyneux told VG247 at the Game Developers Conference earlier this month. "It wasn't the ambition or the technology; it was none of that. I just don't think that this industry is ready for something as emotionally connecting as something like Milo."

Lionhead's virtual boy Milo was introduced to the world at E3 2009, alongside Kinect, but there was never a clear view of when we would get to play with him ourselves. Come June 2010, Xbox product director Aaron Greenberg said, "Project Milo absolutely continues in development at Lionhead Studios, it is just not a product we plan to bring to market this holiday." In September 2010, word came that Milo had been killed, though some of his tech would live on in what became Fable: Journey.

"The real problem with Milo, and this is a problem we had lots of meetings over, was where it would be on the shelves next to all the computer games? It was just the wrong thing. It was the wrong concept for what this industry currently is," Molyneux explained. "Maybe this industry one day won't be like that, but at this particular time, having a game that celebrates the joy of inspiring something and you feel this connection, this bond; it was the wrong time for that."

During GDC, after this interview, Molyneux announced his departure from Lionhead Studios and Microsoft, joining mysterious startup 22 Cans. Maybe, one day, he'll bring us Milo's offspring.

Here, for old times' sake, is when Peter introduced Milo to the world in 2009: