Peter Molyneux - £50,000 DLC "experiment"

[Kaneiac]

Came across this as I was digging through articles this morning.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...ng-pound50000/

Peter Molyneux's first post-Microsoft game will feature a piece of DLC priced at £50,000.

Titled Curiosity and set for release on PC and mobile platforms in about six weeks, it will be the first of 22 experiments that help shape the final design of a game the former Lionhead boss aims to release in two years.

Molyneux told New Scientist that Curiosity will place all players in the same virtual room containing a single black cube that users tap away at, causing fractures.

Eventually the cube will break open, revealing something "truly amazing, absolutely unique", he said. However, only the player who delivers the decisive final tap will get to see the contents of the cube.

"We will rely entirely on social media," Molyneux said. "How will this person prove it? That in itself becomes a fascinating aspect of this experiment."

At some point before the cube opens, players will be able to buy one of a limited number of chisels that increase their tapping strength. The chisels will range in price and strength, from an iron chisel priced at 5 pence that's ten times more powerful then a normal tap, to a diamond chisel that's 100,000 times as powerful and costs £50,000, of which there'll only be one available.

"It's an insane amount of money," Molyneux said. "This is not a money-making exercise; it is a test about the psychology of monetisation."

I'm not sure what to think of it, honestly. It sounds like a really interesting experiment, but it seems quite sour.

I also can't imagine what they'd ever put inside the cube. Imagine if they immediately refund your money, or it's just something completely terrible.

[Tommy2er]

Peter Molyneux has just gone off the frigging rails. He's a creative mind, I'l give him that. But a fucking idiot too.

He tries to give all of his titles this sort of new-age edge to them to make them all trendy and cool, but at the bottom of it, it's all just crazy bullshit. This entire "game" sounds like a joke to me.

I do wonder if he struggles with some kind of mental issues.

[namelessone]

"truly amazing, absolutely unique"

Bring it on, internet. My bet is it would be an online copy of Fable 3.

[Crableg]

What would be really cool is if there was £50,000 in the cube for the winner, that way he gets his money back, while still achieving what Peter Molyneux wants to achieve.

Whatever that really is

[Deleted]

"truly amazing, absolutely unique"

Bring it on, internet. My bet is it would be an online copy of Fable 3.

Peter Molyneux has nothing to do with fable anymore.

Cool game experiment though.

[Deleted]

Anyone remember when we used to play well designed games and enjoy them?

[Mondroc]

I think it's an interesting experiment to prove is curiosity can outweigh common sense.

[Deleted]

Anyone remember when we used to play well designed games and enjoy them?

Sure, when coming across new IP was like shooting fish in a barrel. Research is required now, and he's using a more public approach.

This topic is misleading. The point of this all isn't about the 50k chisel, but about the cube and how it will spread on the internet. Ignore the diamond chisel.

[Coldpro]

Anyone remember when we used to play well designed games and enjoy them?

There are still well-designed games out there that you can enjoy, the problem is they're extremely rare. Thats not to say that back in the 80s and 90s there weren't games with a ton of glitches and bugs though. I can remember finding bugs and glitches as far back as Legend of Zelda actually.

Can't say I agree with what Molyneux is doing here, but it is an interesting experiment nonetheless, and a good way to make money too :P

[shimargh]

"It's an insane amount of money," Molyneux said. "This is not a money-making exercise; it is a test about the psychology of monetisation."

riiiiiiight

[namelessone]

I just re-read it. A cube? People chip on it, causing fractures? There are different chisels, made of iron or diamond? Why does that sound so familiar?

[snowcrash512]

Cool concept, of course everything he ever promises ends up being far more than what he delivers so im sure it will never amount to much.

[xskarma]

"This is not a money-making exercise; it is a test about the psychology of monetisation."

Why in the world would people be interested in it, it sounds frightfully dull and expensive. It sounds more like part art project, part psychological project. But what's the pay-off for the consumer? Sounds like some high flying idea that needs to be toned down rather severely for people to do more than just watch the project to see what idiot gets fooled into spending cash on it.

[Harry Botter]

riiiiiiight

Why can't it be? This is a very interesting idea to see just how much some people would care to be the only one to see something like this. The curiosity factor would just eat and eat at some people.

[Endus]

Why in the world would people be interested in it, it sounds frightfully dull and expensive. It sounds more like part art project, part psychological project. But what's the pay-off for the consumer? Sounds like some high flying idea that needs to be toned down rather severely for people to do more than just watch the project to see what idiot gets fooled into spending cash on it.

That IS exactly what it is, and exactly how he described it. This isn't a "product", it's an experiment he's running, one of a planned series, that he's going to use the results from the shape a future game he's planning.

[shimargh]

Why can't it be? This is a very interesting idea to see just how much some people would care to be the only one to see something like this. The curiosity factor would just eat and eat at some people.

I'm not saying it cant be, but if you don't want something for the money of it, you just don't ask money for it, there are other currencies, and by those other means you can say more accurately how curious ppl are.

[Woebegone]

I'd guess the nature of the experiment is not to get people to buy chisels, but rather to see if they will buy chisels.

It's a perfectly valid experiment and I can easily see how the data could be really useful. I don't see a reason to dismiss Molyneux over this.

[Krolikn]

Its not for the money, eh? Well they will still pocket it. Greed covered in chocolate and sprinkles

[Shinzai]

Peter Molyneux reminds me of the OP's avatar these days.

[Woebegone]

I'm not saying it cant be, but if you don't want something for the money of it, you just don't ask money for it, there are other currencies, and by those other means you can say more accurately how curious ppl are.

It's a series of 22 experiments. Maybe the next experiment will involve some sort of virtual currency that you have to spend time to earn. Then they'll be able to compare the results and see how much people value their time and how much they value their money.

In other words, maybe using real money is an integral part of the experiment.