41 min.
Matthew Hawkins
This weekend, game designers from across the globe will get together to create games in just 48 hours. Usually, such events are based around a theme, and the MolyJam is no different; the goal is to create games that are inspired by, or pays tribute to Peter Molydeux.
No, he's not the creator of such hits as "Populous" and "Fable." That's Peter Molyneux. We're talking about a parody Twitter account that politely pokes fun at the slightly crazy things that the noted game designer often says. Got that?
@PeterMolydeux has been all the rage among game designers since it first hit the scene almost a year ago. In addition to comping up with absurd, stream of consciousness ideas ("Have you ever played a racing game and wanted to play as the road rather than the cars? I know I have…"), are the occasional YouTube clips that further drives the insanity home.
For example, there's the following idea, which would allow gamers to stage a protest -- in game -- over any challenge he or she feels is unjust:
The account became so popular that high profile members of the game industry began to notice, often saying how Peter Molydeux's wacky ideas are not the least bit shabby. A few outspoken individuals firmly believe they are indicative of how stale game industry has become, and some of the ideas should be developed into actual games.
This led to Anna Kipnis, programmer at Double Fine, to jokingly tweet that an indie game jam with teams should actually happen. The idea quickly caught on, with participants from across the globe eager to make the Peter Molydeux's dreams a reality.
By the way, who exactly is behind Peter Molydeux? No one really knows, but an interview conducted by Kotaku Australia last year paints the picture of a game designer who is simply a big fan of Peter Molyneux's bigger than life ideas. The satire is all just for fun.
As for what the true inspiration thinks of all this, he's actually a fan, and according to the Escapist, Molyneux himself will be participating in the MolyJam.
Matthew Hawkins is an NYC-based game journalist who has also written for EGM, GameSetWatch, Gamasutra, Giant Robot and numerous others. He also self-publishes his own game culture zine, is part of Attract Mode, and co-hosts The Fangamer Podcast. You can keep tabs on him via Twitter, or his personal home-base, FORT90.com.
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