Peter Molyneux – who created Populous, Black & White and Magic Carpet and co-founded Lionhead – will be leaving Lionhead and Microsoft on the completion of the development of Fable: The Journey. He is to join a new Guildford-based company called 22 Cans.
Peter Molyneux’s statement via Eurogamer:
“It is with mixed emotions that I made the decision to leave Microsoft and Lionhead Studios, the company that I co-founded in 1997, at the conclusion of development of Fable: The Journey.
“I remain extremely passionate and proud of the people, products and experiences that we created, from Black & White to Fable to our pioneering work with Milo and Kate for the Kinect platform.
“However, I felt the time was right to pursue a new independent venture. I’d like to thank the team at Lionhead, as well as our partners at Microsoft Studios for their support, dedication and incredible work over the years.”
Microsoft’s response:
“Lionhead Studios Founder and pioneer game developer Peter Molyneux has made the decision to leave Microsoft. While his decision was a difficult one, he felt the time was right to pursue a new independent venture.
“As a co-founder of Lionhead and an integral part of Microsoft Studios, Peter was the creative visionary behind the blockbuster ‘Fable’ franchise and one of our most passionate and influential developers for the Xbox 360 platform.
“He has made an indelible mark on the games industry and we wish him all the best of luck in his future endeavours. Lionhead co-founder Mark Webley will assume the role of studio manager, while Peter wil remain a creative consultant on Fable: The Journey. The development of Fable: The Journey remains on track to be one of the year’s most anticipated Kinect for Xbox 360 titles.”
