Dear GS Homeslices,
Just today, I read the Gamespot interview with Peter Molyneux. Despite the excessive hype the guy has gotten, I found myself in agreement with him on some things.
Of course, the hate-boys came in droves to dis him. And, while I fully agree that Molyneux is hyped to all Hell, I also found it rather distasteful that the comments mentioned nothing of any of Molyneux's better points. As if they didn't even read the interview and just went straight to the insults. Some going as far as slander in regards to comparing Molyneux to Steve Jobs.
NEWS FALSH: Steve jobs made his millions of dollars off of the backs of Chinese sweat shop laborers. Jobs was practically the modern equivelent of an 1800s southern cotton plantation owner. Nothing Molyneux has ever done has been remotely as horrendous. Just thought I'd clear that up.
While I do feel that Molyneux gets too much hype, I also acknowledge that his most groundbreaking years weren't very hyped at all when they were happening. I also acknowledge that the "hype" started with his move to Micro$oft because M$ hypes everything attached to their brand.
As a creative person, I found myself agreeing with two (2) of Molyneux's remarks:
(1) Authorship is authorship. There are stories and games and books and songs that I have felt let down by. But, I wouldn't go and tell the creators "You better make YOUR creations MY way!" At that point, it stops being "their" art and becomes "my" product. At that point, it stops being art.
And, as an American, I'm fully aware that the bulk of complaints [ME3], come from these very whiny, spoiled, entitled, "consumer cultured" Americans. People who treat everything like a product that they should dictate. We want games to be taken seriously as art. Yet we play right into the idea that they are merely consumer product. Roger Ebert probably rolled his little fat ass on the floor laughing in victory when he read about the ME3 situation. And victorious you all made the arrogant little twit. Thousands of, primarily American, gamers validated his snobbery.
(2) I don't feel comfortable in a highly controlled, corporatized environment either. Everything becomes about "absolutes" and nothing is left to chance. And I do mean nothing is left to chance. If M$ cranks out Halo -you're expected to do something equally as financially ambitious.
In that environment, the desire for creative risks needed to break ground or experiment becomes nullified. Even if they don't pressure you...you're still gonna feel excessive amounts of pressure and you're gonna end up bending your work in the direction of your peers. At that point. it stops feeling like art and begins to feel like a very expensive assembly line.
Take Care & Try to be Objective in Your Judgements
-nate1222