Following yesterday's initial installment, here now is the conclusion to Chris Faylor's lengthy interview with designer Peter Molyneux. Topics include Lionhead's next project, Molyneux's thoughts on the PC gaming market, his enthusiasm for a Syndicate remake, and how he feels about playing the role of a "famed designer."

I am a big show-off, that's what I am. I'm just a kid showing off his toys, really. I love doing it so much.

I love showing things to people who haven't seen it before and I love having a tired, worn-out journalist come into a room and sitting him down and saying, "Look, this is the vision of what we're trying to create," and then get excited by that.

It's a wonderful feeling to be able to do that. I've kinda almost forgotten what it's like to be not like that, because it's been like that since 1992. It's been like that for a very long time. Read more..

After being mercilessly pranked, Shacknews editor Chris Faylor finally got a chance to chat with iconic game designer Peter Molyneux this week. Here now is the first part of the extensive interview, covering Connect Four strategy, Fable 2 features, and more.

When [these honors] were given to me I was in a room with someone who had explored Antarctica single-handedly, and another person who walked around the world backwards with no legs. It was like these true heroes, and then there was me. Everyone was going around saying, "What have you done?" and eventually it came to me. I said, "I make up computer games," and the whole room went quiet for a while. I don't feel I deserve that honor, at all. There's a lot more people in this industry that deserve that accolade than me. I'm just lucky to be British. Read more..

Acclaimed game designer Peter Molyneux has expressed a desire to someday remake Bullfrog's classic isometric sci-fi action title Syndicate.

"I really would love to redo a version of Syndicate. Syndicate was probably one of my favorites," he told Shacknews in a recent interview.

Syndicate was one of the many properties acquired by Electronic Arts when it purchased Molyneux's old studio, Bullfrog. Molyneux went on to found Lionhead, which was eventually bought by Microsoft and is currently developing Fable 2 (X360).

Molyneux also touched upon Electronic Arts' upcoming DS entry in the god simulator series Populous series, a franchise he helped create in 1989. "It has nothing to do with me," he noted. "I haven't seen it even."

Though the designer was clear that there has been no talk of reviving his past projects, including fan favorites Magic Carpet and Dungeon Keeper, he expressed optimism that he might revisit those franchises at some point.

"One day, I'm sure that opportunity is going to come up and I'd love to do it," Molyneux concluded.

In an interview today with Shacknews, Lionhead chief Peter Molyneux labeled the PC gaming industry as being in a state of reform, while saying that innovation is being pushed aside in favor of safe projects due to mounting production costs.

"I think the PC is just reinventing itself," said Molyneux. "It's being owned more and more by casual gamers, who are playing games from a variety of sites. They are really under the radar at the moment, but there's.. an awful lot of people playing Flash games."

The industry veteran and rabid Connect Four player is currently overseeing production of Fable 2--the Xbox 360 sequel to Lionhead's fantasy RPG--as well as a secretive project rumored to center around advanced AI simulation, codenamed Dimitri.

"What there isn't is the spectacular triple-A titles coming out on the PC with the same frequency," he added. "Which I think is sad, because there's no other gaming platform which is quite so comfortable to take on a plane and play. You've got handhelds, but they haven't got the same tour de force-type games."

Molyneux also noted that while the console market is seeing the most growth in terms of innovation, it has become harder to innovate across the board due... Read more

"I really love LEGO Star Wars," said Lionhead designer Peter Molyneux during his GDC lecture this afternoon.

An unlikely comment from a man involved in complex, high-concept titles, but easily explainable: cooperative play in his studio's upcoming RPG Fable 2 was inspired by the Traveller's Tales' series, featuring a single-screen co-op system for both players.

Molyneux then dropped a few more nuggets of information on the co-op gameplay. When another player is brought into your world, you have the power of deciding what percentage of experience someone recieves from combat. You can even hire your co-op partners on as henchmen, giving them no experience but compensating them monetarily.

As it turns out, Molyneux was only able to reveal 50% of the co-op feature... Read more

Echoing comments made last week by Epic designer Cliff Belszinski, Lionhead chief Peter Molyneux expressed frustration today at what he feels is an increasingly vapid PC gaming market.

"The Sims and World of Warcraft [are] sucking all the air out of the PC market. It's just incredible," said Molyneux to GamesIndustry.biz. "I think it's a huge tragedy. The weird thing is everyone's got a PC, they're just not buying software for it."

Gears of War creator Bleszinski had similar comments to make last week on the topic, categorizing the PC market as being in "disarray."

"That's driving the PC right now is Sims-type games and [World of Warcraft] and a lot of stuff that's in a web-based interface," said Bleszinski. "You just click on it and play it. That's the direction PC is evolving into."

Molyneux elaborated on the web-based sector of the market, complaining... Read more

Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello has admitted the company made serious mistakes in integrating several well-known developers, including Bullfrog and Westwood, into its corporate structure, Game|Life reports.

"We at EA blew it, and to a degree I was involved in these things, so I blew it," Riccitiello said at this week's DICE Summit in Las Vegas. "When I talked to the creators that populated these companies at the time, they felt like they were buried and stifled."

EA acquired Bullfrog Productions, creator of the Populous and Theme Park series and former home of industry veteran Peter Molyneux, in 1995. Two years later, Molyneux had left the company. "The command and conquer model doesn't work," noted Riccitiello. "If you think you're going to buy a developer and put your name... Read more

Blizzard Entertainment co-founder, president and CEO Mike Morhaime (pictured left) is the latest addition to the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' Hall of Fame, the academy announced today.

Morhaime marks the eleventh inductee into the Hall of Fame, joining renowned industry figures such as Sid Meier, Will Wright, Shigeru Miyamoto, Richard Garriott, Peter Molyneux, Trip Hawkins, and Yu Suzuki.

"This is a great honor, and I'm proud to receive it," said Morhaime. "The success that Blizzard Entertainment has had over the years would not have been possible without the enthusiasm and support of players around the world, and the passion and dedication of our employees, so I thank all of them for contributing to this achievement."

Though Morhaime has contributed to beloved Blizzard franchises--including Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo--it is the company's work with its ludicrously... Read more

Overzealous studio head Peter Molyneux revealed Lionhead's upcoming sequel to fantasy RPG Fable will be coming in fall of next year. Molyneux gave the information to Eurogamer readers in an online interview, as the title had previously been given a broad 2008 release window.

The notoriously outspoken developer said the title would be arriving by "Late 2008. Maybe when the leaves have a slight brownish tinge - but are still on the trees, if you see what I mean."

Molyneux also mentioned another project in development at the studio, unrelated to the company's previously revealed secret project known as Dimitri. Describing it as "kind of a hybrid of Dimitri," the studio head said he couldn't talk about the game yet.

"I am really, really pushing the powers-that-be to allow me to tell/show the world this new project," Molyneux said. "I know I am prone to say things like 'great', 'revolutionary' and 'ambitious', but this new project its absolutely great, revolutionary and ambitious!"

There's a brief Fable 2 Q&A on 1UP, asking Peter Molyneux five questions about the role playing game sequel.

More E3 coverage can be found at Boomtown, where they have Fable 2 impressions based on Peter Molyneux presentation of the Xbox 360 RPG sequel.

Lionhead Studios fansite Loinhead has posted a video interview with Peter Molyneux, also transcribed on the same page. The interview covers various topics like Black & White 2, Fable 2 and the mysterious Project X.

France has granted accomplished game designer Peter Molyneux membership in the government's distinguished Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knighthood in the Order of Arts and Letters), recognizing him as a significant contributor in the field of art and literature. Molyneux is the founder of the now-defunct Bullfrog Productions as well as Lionhead Studios, acquired by Microsoft last year. Amongst his long list of design credits are Populous, Syndicate, Black & White, Fable, and the upcoming Fable 2 (preview).

"I am particularly glad to salute today a veritable visionary, who shows for every creation of his own how video games have their place in this stateroom," commented France's minister of culture, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres.

In spite of the prestigious award, Molyneux remained modest. "I would also like to say that I see this as a credit for everyone at Lionhead Studios, all our games are a team effort," he said. "I am just the figurehead. It is fantastic to see video games honoured in this way."

Molyneux represents the latest in a growing number of game designers to be recognized by France's Order of Arts and Letters. Last year, Mario and Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto, Rayman and Beyond Good & Evil creator Michel Ancel, and Alone in the Dark creator Frederick Raynal were honored with the same distinction.

Joining a group whose ranks include industry luminaries such as Will Wright, John Carmack, Shigeru Miyamoto, Sid Meier, Peter Molyneux, Richard Garriott, and Trip Hawkins, late M.U.L.E. designer and multiplayer innovator Dani Bunten will next month become the latest inductee into the American Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.

Bunten's seminal 1983 multiplayer turn-based strategic simulation M.U.L.E., delivered by her studio Ozark Software for Electronic Arts, was not a commercial success but became a widely played and massively influential work, one frequently cited to this day among designers. The less ambitious but more commercially palatable adventure The Seven Cities of Gold followed, and was a rare strong seller for Bunten, spawning the successor Heart of Africa. Continuing with her multiplayer innovation, Bunten released the modem-compatible Modem Wars, which suffered due to low modem penetration at the time. Two more networked games followed, Command HQ in 1990 and the four-player landmark Global Conquest in 1992, both at friend Sid Meier's studio Microprose.

In 1992, Bunten--born Daniel Bunten--underwent a male-to-female sex change operation and took the name Dani Bunten Berry. Around that time she became less publicly involved in the games industry and her design output dropped. Nonetheless she continued working on games on a more infrequent basis, gave talks, and published her writings on her personal site. About her chosen field of multiplayer items, she remarked, "Art, animation, sound, music, and people playing together! Who could ask for more in a medium!" In 1998, Bunten passed away at the age of 49 due to lung cancer.

Bunten's legacy remained strong in the development community, particularly PC design circles, during and after her life. Just prior to her passing she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Computer Game Developers Association. Will Wright dedicated his 2000 hit The Sims to her.

The award will be presented at the annual D.I.C.E. summit on February 8. Legendary designer Sid Meier will accept the award on her behalf.

Over at Computer & Video Games you can find an interview with Peter Molyneux. Part one of this article deals with the current buzz at Lionhead, the commercial failure of The Movies, working with Microsoft, and console support.

Being Peter Molyneux is a Gamasutra interview with the famous Lionhead designer. Topics include the company, Bullfrog, indie developers, Fable 2 and more.

Lionhead's Molyneux roars on GameSpot is a new interview with game designer Peter Molyneux, asking him about the company, the Microsoft buyout and game development.

The guys at Joystiq have posted a new interview with Peter Molyneux, asking him about a wide variety of topics related to game development and the PC market.

Microsoft announced that it has acquired Peter Molyneux's Lionhead Studios, which will now develop for Xbox 360 and Windows exclusively as a part of Microsoft Game Studios. The purchase has been rumored for months, and nearly confirmed for weeks. Known as a pioneer in the games industry for games such as Populous and Syndicate, Molyneux continues to enjoy wide exposure and recognition (he was granted an Order of the British Empire last year) though several high profile Lionhead games in recent years have failed to see retail performance living up to their substantial hype. One of the company's three internal studios was recently shut down.

The studio's biggest success story has probably been its partnership with Microsoft Game Studios; 2004's Fable (Xbox) and its followup Fable: The Lost Chapters (Xbox, PC) have sold over 2 million units and the original game was the highest selling non-sequel on Xbox in the year of its release. The game is mentioned frequently throughout the press release, and is almost sure to have further titles in the series. Microsoft has also acquired the rights to other Lionhead franchises such as Black & White and The Movies, though existing contracts with other publishers will be honored.

"We could not be more excited about being part of MGS. They have long supported our creative vision, and this teamwork resulted in the hugely successful 'Fable' franchise," said Molyneux, managing director of Lionhead Studios. "This acquisition gives Lionhead the stability and opportunity to focus on creating world-class next-generation titles. We are joining some of the most incredible game creators in the industry, the combined talent of which will truly take next-generation gaming to a new level."

Molyneux has been in a corporate buyout situation before. His original studio Bullfrog, founded in 1987, was fully acquired by EA in 1995. In 1997, Molyneux left the company to found Lionhead.