The recent departure of Amy Hennig and Stig Asmussen from two of Sony’s most prestigious first-party studios has been a little unsettling for PlayStation fans. However, they are just two of many shifts that have occurred in the console industry during the past few years.
Peter Molyneux’s departure from Microsoft’s Lionhead Studios was a huge move two years ago. His move landed him in a leading role of an independent studio during a time when indie studios are exploding with popularity and success.
He wouldn’t be happy if he were still working under Microsoft, or so he shared with CVG when speaking about the indie scene and his current work. He said:
Personally, if I was still working at Microsoft I would be self-harming. It would be a horrible experience. I now feel like I’m back in an industry that’s truly fascinating and marvelous.
Molyneux is now working on Godus, a project he feels shows great artistic expression. He feels that if he were still under Microsoft’s umbrella he wouldn’t have the opportunity to explore as much as he is now. Truthfully, he’s right. Big investors are less interested in taking risks in this day and age after several huge losses during the past decade. On one hand you can’t blame them, while on the other their decisions stunt progression for the industry. New IPs are considered a risk rather than an opportunity.
We’ll get an idea of what development freedom for Molyneux means later this year when Godus arrives on iOS, Android, and PC.
