Peter Molydeux

Peter Molydeux is a Twitter account presented as a parody of the game designer Peter Molyneux. Created by game artist Adam Capone in 2009, it posts audacious game design ideas in the style of Molyneux. The account presents Molyneux as a tragicomic character with unrelenting, creative ideas that are continually received by an apathetic audience. Over time, the account evolved from a Molyneux-based persona into a list of potential game concepts. A common theme of the tweets is the untapped potential of emotional game experiences. Molyneux came to appreciate the parody, and has since met Capone in person.

The account went viral in 2011 and led to the reinvigoration of Molyneux's legacy. To many, the two became entwined. Molyneux's reputation as a dreamer was reclaimed as a positive trait in light of growing opposition to conservative game design, and the parody account became a mouthpiece for that population. The tweets contributed to Molyneux's decision to leave Microsoft Game Studios and pursue riskier game ideas. They also inspired a game jam, in which about 1,000 game developers worldwide created about 300 games based on the tweets over the course of a weekend. The game jam also brought Molyneux fame within a burgeoning indie game movement. Notable games based on the parody account's ideas include Donut County.

I imagined him going through the supermarket with a digital recorder and coming up with ideas while shopping ... And over dinner, he’s rearranging his peas and saying. 'Is this giving me a game idea?' And his wife is saying, 'Shut up, Peter. Just eat your food.'

In June 2009, Adam Capone created a Twitter account, @PeterMolydeux, as a parody of the game designer Peter Molyneux and the audacious game design ideas for which he was known. The account became a touchpoint for people in the game industry interested in more adventurous game concepts. Capone was inspired by Molyneux's games in his youth, particularly by the open choice structure of the 1994 simulation game Theme Park. Capone, a game artist who worked on titles including Gears of War, Kinectimals, and Saints Row, thought that Molyneux's ambition outweighed his propensity for overstatement, and appreciated the game designer's moxie in an industry known for safe ideas. Capone viewed Molyneux as a tragicomic character: full of creative ideas that are continually received by an unkind or indifferent audience. Capone did not expect the parody account to last long, but he became drawn to the persona. The parody's content came to Capone "naturally" from games, game podcasts, and game news websites. He liked that he was able to give away his ideas—good and bad—while actual game designers must protect their ideas and implement them before others.

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