Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux departs

Lionhead logoPeter Molyneux, outspoken video game developer and longtime head of Microsoft’s Lionhead studio, has departed the company. In an interview with Kotaku he explains his decision:

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 toFable 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.

- Peter Molyneux

Molyneux got his start in the gaming industry with the PC title Populous, a widely regarded as the first entry in the “god” genre. His studio Bullfrog Productions also created the Dungeon Keeper franchise, an irreverent RTS game featuring a demon named “Horny” and focused on creating an underground dungeon to keep out unwanted do-gooders like crusading knights.

Molyneux was also the brainchild behind such iconic franchises as Black and White and Fable. While the latest Fable title, the Kinect-based Journey, will continue in development under Microsoft supervision, Molyneux will serve as a creative consultant. His new independent venture is called 22 Cans. The 22 Cans website, at the time of this writing, is simply a placeholder with a short mission statement and email address seemingly intended for job applications.

I have to wonder whether Molyneux’s cryptic statements about his departure have anything to do with other Lionhead devs leaving the company to form their own studio, Another Place Productions. What this means for Lionhead and Microsoft remains to be seen, and we will keep a watchful eye on the old and new companies alike.

Sources: Kotaku