Lionhead's original core Black & White team's secret next project is "as close to revolutionary as anything I have ever seen" according to studio boss Peter Molyneux.
Speaking in an interview with Next-Gen, at GDC, Monday afternoon, Molyneux hinted that the new game would revolutionize in-game AI. Although he refused to be drawn on details he said, "In the six years since Black & White [was released] they have been working improving the great things that underpinned that game, and now they are getting pretty close to something that is very significant. It's a very big thing. A new franchise and as close to something revolutionary as I have ever seen. And we're close to announcing it."
Molyneux - who has, it ought to be said, a bit of a reputation for getting overly enthused about projects in their earliest stages - was supposed to be speaking exclusively about Fable 2 (interview due to run here on Wednesday). But despite the protestations of his long-suffering publicity handlers he couldn't resist a detour on whatever the Black & White guys are up to.
"If you think back to the one thing about Black & White that was most fascinating, you'd have to say it was that creature that learned behavior and seemed, for a certain glimpse, to be alive. Imagine if you could take that and multiply it by a billion..." At this point Molyneux, an inveterate and entertaining chin-wagger, was firmly silenced by his publicist. But still, pretty interesting, especially if you're a fan of innovative Lionhead games such as B&W and Fable.
Some announcements about Fable 2 will be made at GDC later this week. They are under embargo until Noon Pacific (8pm UK) on Wednesday, when Next-Gen.Biz will publish our full interview.
