Peter Molyneux Would Like To Redo His Classics

Fable 2 designer Peter Molyneux says he'd happily take the opportunity to update some of his past classics like Populous and Syndicate, but he's not expecting it to happen anytime soon.

Molyneux, who headed the famed Bullfrog Productions before it was purchased by Electronic Arts in the mid-90s, was the man behind hits like the ground-breaking god game Populous and Syndicate, an ultra-violent isometric action/strategy game. His work on those titles, as well as on other classics like Magic Carpet and Powermonger, established his reputation in the industry, and on the eve of the release of his latest effort, Fable 2, Molyneux told Videogamer.com that he'd welcome a chance to have another go at his back catalog.

"I think it would probably be Syndicate or Populous again," he said, before quickly pointing out that it was almost certainly never going to happen. "The rights are completely with EA," he continued, "They're hardly going to pick up the phone and say, 'Hi Peter. Why not do these games?' They'd want to keep it for themselves I would suspect."

Despite wanting to do it himself, Molyneux added that he'd have no problem at all if EA took it upon themselves to release updated versions of his older games as downloadable titles. "Oh I'd love it. It would be fantastic. I've got no qualms of somebody else doing it," he said. "I'd just love to see it updated, the concept kept alive. It would be second best but it would still be great."

I like to have a little fun at his expense now and then, but the truth is that games like Populous, Magic Carpet and my own personal favorite, Syndicate, were landmark games and established Molyneux in my estimation as a designer beyond all reproach. Regardless of the ultimate success of Fable 2, Molyneux's influence on the industry has been immense, and the opportunity to play an updated release of his greatest works would be sweet indeed.

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Syndicate was whole worlds of awesome. I enjoyed Syndicate Wars too but it felt so much like a different game that I could only really appreciate it on any level once I stopped trying to recreate the fun I had playing the original.

Some sort of updated - or hell, even just a rerelease in some form - Syndicate would be fantastic. It might even give me the chance to actually 'finish' the game. Hearing the words 'Atlantic Accelerator' together still gives me shivers.

Syndicate? Populous? When there's Dungeon Keeper? : (

Also valid. Hell, just rerelease the entire Bullfrog catalogue.

I wouldn't mind seeing an updated Populous, assuming it doesn't suck.

Yes, I would be all for a new Syndicate game. A good one. SELECTED.

Syndicate is one of my favorite PC games ever made. I don't know if there has ever been a game situation cooler than trooping around with a mob of mind-controlled citizens who have armed themselves from the corpses of your enemies.

I would systematically blow up all the cars. Yum Flamer and Gauss Rifle.

Virgil:
Syndicate is one of my favorite PC games ever made. I don't know if there has ever been a game situation cooler than trooping around with a mob of mind-controlled citizens who have armed themselves from the corpses of your enemies.

Particularly when said citizens have picked up mind control devices for themselves. I managed to crash my Amiga 500 with that scenario.

Good times.

Thermal Chest Bomb and Hammering Medikits...the only way to play Syndicate. :)

Someone put Molyneux in a padded room in the same insane asylum they ought to build to house George Lucas. I don't want to know what his re-imagining of those classics would end up like.

Rereleases of any of those titles would be awesome, and I'd love to see them, even more so if it means he'll stop talking for a while.

Lvl 64 Klutz:
Rereleases of any of those titles would be awesome, and I'd love to see them, even more so if it means he'll stop talking for a while.

Unless he Lucas's it up.

I would love to see the Bullfrog era games on XBLA.

Agreed. Maybe then he'll stop making new games!

Personally, I want even more new IP's from Peter, I love just about all of his games. They all have such charm to them that I just sucked into them every time. Its okay though if he goes back and brings those classics to a whole new generation of gamers...if he does it right of course =P

TsunamiWombat:

Lvl 64 Klutz:
Rereleases of any of those titles would be awesome, and I'd love to see them, even more so if it means he'll stop talking for a while.

Unless he Lucas's it up.

I find it hard to imagine Lucas'ing up Syndicate...

Actually, given the Australian Government these days, maybe not so hard.

"Bonzer game you got there mate, but can you cut out all the blood, burning and weaponary. And can you add in some quicktime events, inane chatter NPCS and leaps of faith?"

SimuLord:
Someone put Molyneux in a padded room in the same insane asylum they ought to build to house George Lucas. I don't want to know what his re-imagining of those classics would end up like.

They would probably contain a dog... that you couldn't control(!!!)

Allowing these old games to be digitally distributed: great idea.

Letting him alter the game to be re-released: don't feed Lucas v.2

Syndicate was a great game and Syndicate Wars was even better. I remember all the moving billboards in that game showed 2000AD comic strips. Judge dredd Rogue Trooper et al