Peter Molyneux on the Future of PC Gaming

With Fable III destined for the PC later this month, Goozer Nation chatted up Lionhead’s Peter Molyneux about his experiences in PC game development and how it differs from console development.

DIG: Some studios and designers are transitioning to multiplatform development. But you continue to bring blockbusters like Fable III to home computers. What makes the PC platform a favorite after all these years?

Peter Molyneux: I love the PC, but over the past 10 years I have worried about its future as a gaming platform. I think we’re now coming out of the dark days of retail-shunning core games and into the bright new world of simultaneous digital and retail releases. Ever-growing digital platforms, like Games for Windows Marketplace , mean we can start to believe that we can get great games to an audience who want to play them.

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DIG: You’ve worked extensively on computers and consoles. What are the fundamental differences of gaming experiences on these platforms?

P.M.: Obviously there are several major differences in approach, as a PC is fluid, while a console is fixed. I always think a PC audience is more understanding; after all, a PC owner will be very aware of its idiosyncrasies, while a console owner is more demanding.

But the main and obvious difference is between the mouse and controller. I have played some very lackluster conversions on a PC where it is plain that not much thought has gone into the huge differences between mouse and controller.