The first experience of a legendary Steam game developer with blockchain games: How do we make moral choices in the virtual world?

Source: TheVerge
Translation by: Translator Detective, Old Yuppie

Peter Molyneux, who once participated in the development of games like "Fable," "Populous," and "Black & White," has added another title to his legendary developer resume: NFT game developer.

Last Saturday in Las Vegas, Molyneux announced a collaboration with the cryptocurrency platform Gala Games to launch a game called "Legacy," a management simulation game that Molyneux first introduced in 2019. The new version of Legacy will incorporate a new digital currency called LegacyCoin (on the Ethereum blockchain), and players will join the game by purchasing NFTs. Players will establish businesses in the game, build towns around these businesses, and compete or cooperate with other players to increase their LegacyCoin funds. This game is expected to belong to the broad "play-to-earn" genre, similar to the more well-known "Axie Infinity," featuring the management systems and worldviews that Molyneux aims to create.

Although some companies, such as Ubisoft, have announced that they will allow players to acquire NFTs for in-game items, such as skins, vehicles, and weapons, which Ubisoft officially refers to as "Digits," issued on the Tezos blockchain.

However, Molyneux may still become the most accomplished game developer in the industry, and in this highly discussed field, he might achieve a magical synergy with NFTs.

Just before Gala announced the launch of "Legacy," I discussed his new project with Molyneux via Zoom. I was curious about how a developer known for fine-tuning fantasy worlds would apply his ideas to a game that people would play with real money, even using it as a legitimate job in the real world. I was intrigued by the structure of this game world, which, from previous introductions, intricately combines business simulation and city management. Most importantly, what impact does blockchain actually have on gameplay? These answers are always worth pondering.

*The interview has been edited for clarity

Q: I watched the trailer for the game. Are city building, business operations, manufacturing and production, auctions, and sales all part of the game?

Peter Molyneux: When I first thought about Legacy, I imagined how cool it would be to create a game that inspires everyone to feel creative. I found that I’m not very good at creative endeavors like painting, singing, composing, or gardening. Therefore, what we need is a game that can truly help you unleash your creativity.

I thought it would be very interesting to have a game where you can start your own business. Establishing businesses in small towns that grow into large cities through manufacturing—that's the essence of city building, as you are responsible for designing all the products your business will sell, managing production, and competing with other players' businesses.

But in reality, I think that's not enough. Just city building is insufficient. You also need to design other buildings that the city will use, like a narrative process, where buildings can work in harmony with the city's operations within a larger ecosystem.

In the production and management activities in the game, players can earn something called LegacyCoin. The simulation of competition is very advanced, dramatic, and even includes moral choices.

So players need to think carefully about what business they want to operate in the game. Will they become a morally conscious entrepreneur concerned about environmental pollution, or will they exploit the grassroots workers in their companies? This is a game that encompasses all these considerations. Such content represents a significant advancement in blockchain gaming.

Q: What role do blockchain and LegacyCoin play in the development of the plot, moral choices, and the growth of creativity?

Peter Molyneux: First of all, because players must compete with other players who are using blockchain, it brings a lot of interesting content that makes players unique. It's about choosing to be a loving person or a mean one, and that's the charm of a vibrant world.

I believe that being a vibrant world is very unique. Every building designed by players, every product created, every worker hired achieves an astonishing level of simulation. There are moral choices and competitive interests in the game world, and this richness is precisely the significance of combining blockchain with gaming.

Q: All of this could be achieved with a regular game database. Why do you believe blockchain is an important means to realize all of this?

Peter Molyneux: Players have certain rights to create their own blockchain projects within Legacy. For example, if you create a factory, whether that factory can do whatever it wants depends on the blocks you unlock. The factory, workers, and the entire world gain unique experiences based on how players progress in the game; all of this is embedded within. Players can build factories, run them for 100 hours or more, and then place that building on the blockchain itself, which is very impressive.

Q: Will real currency economics play a role in the game? This seems to add an influencing factor to moral choices, such as a conscientious boss potentially earning less.

Peter Molyneux: Absolutely, this is a real incentive. If players perform well in the game, they earn game points that can be converted into real-world money.

So far, my experience with blockchain games has felt more like a mechanism for making money rather than the game itself. I believe we need to have iconic features to bring some changes to the gaming industry.

The profits generated from choices in the game are not just about ownership; they are also about the consequences of those choices.

Q: If players earn enough money in the game, turning it into a full-time job like "Axie Infinity," leading to a sharp decline in profits affecting the economy, how do you balance and coordinate this phenomenon to avoid impacting players' real-life income?

Peter Molyneux: This is precisely the work we are currently doing. When entering a complex simulation world, players must achieve an absolutely correct balance and refinement. We have implemented all the features in the game, and now what we need to do is balance and coordinate it so that it does not tilt to one side in extreme situations.

For example, if players find some workaround to earn a lot of money, essentially through scamming, because it has become a job, players need that money, but it diminishes the fun of the entire game, and we need to pay attention to what consequences that might lead to.

We have to monitor closely and be aware of the impacts of small changes. I have created so many games, but the thought that someone could earn money by playing my game would be such a proud honor, which is why we must be more cautious.

Q: How much of your design is based on understanding and reflecting on economic development in real life, and how much is creative?

Peter Molyneux: When I made "Theme Park" and "Theme Hospital," I learned that creativity should be inspired by what happens in the real world. Running a theme park or a hospital, the economic benefits are a form of "temptation" for the business purpose. But the core of these games is: if the purpose of what you are doing hinders the game itself, I think you should resist that temptation. I wouldn’t want to go to a hospital inspired by "Theme Hospital," nor would I want to visit a theme park designed based on "Theme Park."

I want players to imagine not running a business in reality, but rather hypothesizing how a business might operate.

Q: Can "Legacy" be described as a game where players build and manage companies to create towns?

Peter Molyneux: Yes, look at Bournville, there’s a company called Bournville Chocolate. When it was founded, they paid with Bournville Chocolate tokens to build houses, schools, and everyone was employed by the chocolate factory. That’s real inspiration. If you look at China, many Chinese company owners provide dormitories for their workers; that’s a real-world example.

Q: In the U.S., "company towns" has a negative connotation, seen as synonymous with companies controlling workers' lives. Is that intentional?

Peter Molyneux: Not every time I go to my former company Microsoft am I looking for inspiration. You never know where inspiration will come from, but it does appear in mysterious ways. But everyone in the Microsoft gym is working for Microsoft. When you’re in the locker room, naked, you might think about Steve Ballmer or anyone else being there, and you suddenly realize, "Oh my God, I’m part of this family."

Q: When there is a prevailing view that this game is a utopia, is that the concept you hope to convey?

Peter Molyneux: I want to give players the absolute ability to create a perfect town, ensuring that all workers are happy and comfortable, with cafes, cinemas, schools, and the ability to marry, have children, and study, etc. But I also want players to understand that this will bring a series of consequences; businesses may not necessarily succeed, and problems can be handled in completely different ways. For example, instead of building cafes and cinemas, one might build more factories. The game has a complete pollution system; if players build many factories, the trees around will start to diminish, and workers will suffer from severe coughing. That’s the interesting and charming part.

For nearly twenty years, I have been obsessed with this; I have been obsessed with giving people the freedom to make such choices. For years, I have been trying to encourage players to be good or bad, but not to force them down a predetermined path. This is attractive, especially because it is in a blockchain world, where you can see what people are actually doing.

Q: Blockchain games have a characteristic where players' items can "live" outside the game. If someone creates something and mines it as an NFT, and for some reason, you decide to shut down the game, is there a way for it to continue being used?

Peter Molyneux: That’s a good question, and to be honest, I don’t know the answer yet.

But I feel very proud that if you create something in your world and then trade it to someone else, whether it’s a building or a worker, it will carry all the benefits you instilled in it. I think that’s what truly attracts me; what you gain on the blockchain will make your world better. If you take a worker and have them work in a mine, over time, that worker will become an expert miner. Then if you take that worker and have them run a bar, they will become an expert boss. This accumulation of experience runs throughout Legacy. It’s a fully connected system.

Q: I’m more interested in understanding the role of blockchain outside of the physical economy. Why did you choose to use a decentralized cryptocurrency ledger?

Peter Molyneux: Many things that you don’t want to happen always happen quietly. If everything is just built on a central database, it can lead to an imbalance in what should be a very enjoyable system.

First, the greatness of blockchain is that it brings "integrity" in a sense; placing something requires your LegacyCoin, and LegacyCoin means that the market won’t be disturbed by spam.

Second, Legacy is a game that inspires creativity. It makes you feel that your creations are meaningful; a delicious plate of pasta or a beautiful picture, if no one sees and appreciates it, and no one buys it, then it’s better not to make it. The fact that players’ designs are seen and appreciated by others and can earn money is the most important thing. Besides that, it’s a blockchain game where people can earn money while simulating business.

Q: Will Godus and Godus Wars exit Steam Early Access?

Peter Molyneux: I would love for them to exit Early Access. I hope the story of Godus can have a happy ending. The 22Cans studio has a dedicated team working on Godus, and they are full of motivation. Before Christmas, we will announce the first new features for Godus in nearly two years, which will be released around Christmas. I hope I won’t be blacklisted by the team for saying this. In a perfect world, I look forward to everything happening.