Today's developers are "lucky bastards", says Molyneux

Lionhead Studios boss Peter Molyneux has declared that today's developers have more opportunities than ever to get their ideas noticed, following the release of Microsoft's XNA Game Studios Express platform.

His comments came at a launch event held earlier this week, where Microsoft's Chris Satchell explained, "Where our vision's really heading is taking that YouTube concept and bringing it into games."

In a speech of his own later that day, Molyneux told the audience, "You're lucky bastards, because the web is a fantastic place to get your ideas out there. If XNA really is going to be the YouTube of game design then that will be a brilliant, brilliant thing."

He also had some advice for would-be game designers. "If you want to get into the games industry there is nothing better than a demo. Nothing. Other than a huge wodge of money in my hand..."

Molyneux went on to observe that in order to make it in games design, "You have to have a great excitement for what you do. You cannot do this without finding it almost orgasmically exciting.

"There are times, honestly, that I've been explaining an idea to someone and I've just broken down in tears. That's just so compulsive, you cannot resist someone that is that excited about something."

While Molyneux described himself as "a very bad coder", he said that making games is a process he very much enjoys.

"For me, the rest of the world goes dim. It's one of the greatest pleasures the world can offer. I famously said that I'd rather do that than meet my girlfriend down the pub; I still feel that way actually. Coding lasts a lot longer than anything else.

"For me also, finding 23 music tracks - no less, no more - to listen to while I code its vital. That's the way I work, it's always got to be 23. Because, when you are in that world of coding, realising that you are creating something that didn't exist before, that is incredibly exciting."

Molyneux went on to discuss one of Lionhead's recent games, The Movies - which, he conceded, failed to sell as well as expected.

"I know why. It was an awful time in my career, and wonderful as well in a way. For various reasons The Movies, Black and White 2, Fable Lost Chapters Xbox and PC all came together at the same time," he explained.

"We were just stretched far too thin. We should have finished The Movies, played it, re-played it, realised that it was too manic with everything happening at once, and calmed it down."

A full interview with Molyneux and Satchell will be published on GamesIndustry.biz next week.