Former Microsoft employee, habitual liar, crazy person, and current head of 22 Cans Peter Molyneux has said all the backlash and ire directed at Microsoft following its botched Xbox One reveal just wasn’t fair. In particular, he feels the hate they received for the perception that they were trying to control your gaming habits was misplaced.
“It’s quite an unfair thought that Microsoft are trying to control our gaming,” Molyenux told TechRadar. “…they’re trying to force us to be online all the time. [People] didn’t really think that through.”
Molyneux believes that Microsoft was looking towards a long-term strategy, but its mistakes opened the company up to a public flogging.
“I know Microsoft,” he continued. “I know they were only doing things because they thought they were long-reaching and long-thinking. But the world we live in now is that we have to realise, especially if you’re a big corporation, if you make one step wrong, the world will leap on you, and unfairly, very unfairly, they will judge you.”
“Like everything else in our world, when something turns slightly bad it goes very bad and you have to make big correctional steps to get yourself back on track.”
Microsoft has since done a 180 on just about everything people bitched about; there’s no always online DRM; there’s a headset included in the box and Kinect will no longer be required; the system is friendly to indies. The last remaining issue is the price – but I just don’t see that changing any time soon.
What do you think? Were people too quick to bitch, or has the moaning actually been a positive thing – giving us a next-gen console that’s decidedly more appealing than when it was first revealed?
Last Updated: August 13, 2013
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
August 13, 2013 at 12:37
Ever wondered who’s the biggest xbot…? That would be Uncle Peter “I promise so much but deliver so little” Molyneux
Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer
August 13, 2013 at 12:38
Cry me a river Moly Moly
Mark Treloar
August 13, 2013 at 12:38
Yeah the guy who got paid for a Microsoft exclusive says don’t complain BOO HOO. This is what Microsoft Money buys.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
August 13, 2013 at 12:39
And now they’ve bought Ted Price…. (kind of ironic given the dude’s surname)
Mark Treloar
August 13, 2013 at 12:40
And they bought Notch sort of
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
August 13, 2013 at 12:44
Notch reminds me of that famous line in Hamlet, “the lady doth protest too much methinks”. He’s the epitome of gaming hipster, making the right sounds for his fans, but still being glued in solidly to Microsoft’s chequebook. Quite honestly, I don’t trust Notch as far as I can spit at him.
Maxiviper117
August 13, 2013 at 12:39
The whole problem was that Microsoft was thinking TOO far ahead, gamers arent ready for what they had originally planned, they keep forgetting that us “Unfair consumers” are the ones putting money in their pockets.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
August 13, 2013 at 12:41
Exactly, you can’t take a bungee leap without a bungee cord. Microsoft listened to their MBAs, instead of actually seeing what gamers want and whether what they’re offering would be realistic.
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 13, 2013 at 13:02
Well Bungie leaped without attaching the MS cord, it’s their Destiny 😀
Mook
August 13, 2013 at 12:42
Molyneux has gone Mugabe… nuff said
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 13, 2013 at 12:44
Get ready for bed everyone, Uncle Peter is going to tell us another fable.
Hammersteyn
August 13, 2013 at 13:14
Bwahaha
Brady miaau
August 13, 2013 at 15:50
That is just….. creepy.
HvR
August 13, 2013 at 16:00
“Once in a far away land lived a little prince and his cube…”
ElimiNathan
August 13, 2013 at 12:44
LOL
ALKi1234
August 13, 2013 at 12:46
Whahaha….. i saw one episode of Tosh.0 with this clip,never knew it was a dude.
Brady miaau
August 13, 2013 at 15:49
You sat through a whole episode of Tosh.0? Brains not come leaking out your ears? Nothing similar?
ALKi1234
August 13, 2013 at 17:17
Common now….it’s not that bad.
Martin du preez
August 13, 2013 at 12:51
Do not force change on people,they WILL rebel. It’s been happening for centuries.
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
August 13, 2013 at 12:54
Agreed dammit!!!
RinceThisandholiday
August 13, 2013 at 13:11
Lol! Here comes the troll do a luu a…
Hammersteyn
August 13, 2013 at 13:14
I can’t find the flag for troll button 🙁
RinceThisandholiday
August 13, 2013 at 13:16
FLAAAAAAAAG!
Convinced
August 13, 2013 at 13:11
And out in le wild we have 2 Sony fanbois agreeing…
Martin du preez
August 13, 2013 at 13:16
Keep it up! You are doing a SWELL job!!!
RinceThisandholiday
August 13, 2013 at 13:17
Sorry, you have nothing on Foxhound. Try harder, try again!
Brady miaau
August 13, 2013 at 15:47
Yeah. And Foxhound is probably back in the den complaining how everyone else missed the point and were just plain mean. Or something.
On off button is sometimes required, or (as a general point in life) an “Are you sure?” question
FoxOneZA - X-Therminator
August 13, 2013 at 13:07
Try telling that to Apple. The biggest control freaks of the industry an watch as the iFools accept it.
Martin du preez
August 13, 2013 at 13:16
Yeah let’s compare apples with oranges.
Trolls Slayer
August 13, 2013 at 14:17
Oranges are better for you.
Martin du preez
August 13, 2013 at 14:22
Then why do they say ” An apple a day keeps the doctor away”?
Please respond.
Troll Slayer
August 13, 2013 at 14:23
It’s a lie. A LIEEEEEE!!!!
Martin du preez
August 13, 2013 at 14:25
It isn’t. If an apple didn’t fall on Newton’s head we wouldn’t have physics. Therefore,
Apples > Everything
Jakster
August 13, 2013 at 14:37
And from that day on, Newton ate an apple a day and never saw a GP.
Brian Murphy
August 13, 2013 at 15:42
It actually depends on the apple, some of the 100 year heirlooms (like Golden Delicious) are pretty much worthless for nutritional value. Granny Smith’s are among, if not the healthiest.
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
August 13, 2013 at 15:50
Only if you throw them hard enough. And it’s “zombies” not doctors.
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
August 13, 2013 at 12:54
My god!!! thing is….there was NO,NOOOOOOOOO choice….there would have been less of a backlash if we weren’t forced to comply with all those features….You know what’s unfair? being promised a huge open RPG with a deep story and dynamic gameplay…what did we get???? Chicken Kicking:The Game
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 13, 2013 at 12:57
I crashed Fable to desktop playing Kickin’ Chicken heh.
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
August 13, 2013 at 13:05
PC couldn’t handle cock physics?…wait…….
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 13, 2013 at 13:13
Why can I only give that 1 upvote…
Troll Slayer
August 13, 2013 at 13:13
I’m sure you dream of Last Guardian every night and wake up with drool over your DS3 controller.
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
August 13, 2013 at 13:13
Actually i do…why are you stalking me!
Martin du preez
August 13, 2013 at 13:29
Almost..but no.
0/10
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 13, 2013 at 12:56
Does he not realise that people don’t actually hate MS?
People want the Xbox One to be even better than the 360, but while what they revealed was technically superior, it’s utterly different in the way it works to what people are used too. Those differences were poorly explained to put it mildly, and when people questioned it, they were met with contempt & doublespeak. THAT is why people got upset & started bashing the crap out of MS.
Kromas
August 13, 2013 at 13:00
The announcement came just after MS was caught in bed with the NSA. What else should we have thought?
Lance Kilkenny
August 13, 2013 at 13:03
No one held gun to their heads and forced them to do anything. Gamers just merely stipulated that they would be buying another, less restrictive console from Japan. All the while stating that they don’t wanna be watched while playing COD in their underwear. I fail to see what this clown is complaining about…
Wyzak
August 13, 2013 at 13:04
““It’s quite an unfair thought that Microsoft are trying to control our gaming,” Molyenux toldTechRadar. “…they’re trying to force us to be online all the time. [People] didn’t really think that through.””
ROFL, just ROFL. Rape is only forced sex against your will, nothing more!
PsiCoRe
August 13, 2013 at 13:06
I don’t think there’ll ever be a future where Always Online will be a necessity. It could however serve as an enhancement to our gaming experience. This is not what Microsoft wanted to implement though. Always online could’ve allowed for a number of improvements to online distribution and content sharing such as lending or trading games amongst a whole slew of other features that I do not have time to think about right now. What Microsoft did implement in their Always Online system was not to control your game but to control their property. Their decision was to lure the investors, the EA’s and the Activision’s in supporting their draconian system. Peter knows that the concern was over MS trying to control our content and used his words wisely. Just more convoluted corporate lies.
Hammersteyn
August 13, 2013 at 13:13
We just wanted a choice, that’s all. Don’t force anything on us. DRM, always online SP games and draconian sharing policies is no way to gain fans.
Brady miaau
August 13, 2013 at 15:40
Yes, but Molyneux bashing totally is.
Brian Murphy
August 13, 2013 at 15:54
Actually, the Xbox bashing is the only way consumers have to affect change in the industry. They’ve railroaded us with things we didn’t like, but many people just accepted as the new norm. This gen…doesn’t seem like people are willing to tolerate well, not what Microsoft was cooking up, that’s for sure.
Fuck you Molyneux, the consumer is in charge, not Microsoft.
silverscorpio
August 14, 2013 at 08:11
With Microsoft backtracking on the Xbox One, it is safe to asume that even Microsoft agree that the backlash is fair. Moly should not talk because he also is a King at causing a backlash.