The infamous crowdfunded disaster, Godus, and its spin-off Godus Wars, have finally been removed from sale on Steam. After years of minimal updates and overwhelmingly negative reviews, the studio 22cans claims that the removal is due to a technical change in Amazon Web Services. However, looking back at the tumultuous journey of these games, it becomes evident that the blame lies not only on technical difficulties but also on the broken promises and overpromising of its creator, Peter Molyneux.
Godus, which raised over £526,563 on Kickstarter in 2012, was supposed to be a reinvention of the god game genre by the renowned Peter Molyneux. However, when it launched in 2013, players were met with a barebones experience that shared little resemblance with Molyneux’s earlier classics such as Populous and Black & White. The game was slow, lacked key features promised during the Kickstarter campaign, and showed a clear inability of 22cans to deliver on their extravagant claims.
Unattainable Dreams and False Hopes
It became apparent that many of the promised features, including multiplayer, a Linux version, and independence from a publisher, were unfeasible from the start due to the various middleware the studio was using. Molyneux himself admitted in interviews that the pressure to secure funding led to overpromising, creating unrealistic expectations for the game. This behavior not only deceived backers but also tarnished the reputation of Molyneux, who seemed more focused on making grand proclamations about future projects than delivering on his current promises.
Following the failure of Godus, 22cans released Godus Wars in 2016 as a combat-oriented spin-off with multiplayer support. The studio marketed it as a free game for owners of the original Godus, only to surprise players with a sudden £5 charge to continue beyond the first continent. Godus Wars, like its predecessor, was never completed, leaving players with yet another incomplete and unsatisfying experience.
Molyneux’s Ever-Shifting Focus
Peter Molyneux’s track record since the Godus fiasco has been questionable, to say the least. His next project, The Trail, was the only other game released by 22cans on Steam, but even that failed to live up to expectations. Molyneux spoke of building on untapped emotions and feelings, but the game ultimately fell short. The studio’s most recent release, Legacy, a business management and invention sim, seems to harken back to Molyneux’s earlier successes with Theme Park and The Movies. However, Legacy’s reliance on Web3 blockchain technology and the sale of £40 million in NFT land raises concerns about the prioritization of profit over genuine game development.
In hindsight, it is not surprising that Godus and Godus Wars have been removed from sale on Steam. The lack of updates and the overwhelmingly negative reviews made their continued presence questionable. These games should be remembered as cautionary tales of a once-promising game developer who has failed to deliver anything of worth in over a decade. The removal of these games from sale ensures that future players will not accidentally invest their money in yet another broken promise.
The True Nature of Molyneux’s Promises
It is essential to recognize that Peter Molyneux’s overpromising and exuberant interviews are not the traits of a benevolent, irrepressibly creative figure like Willy Wonka. Instead, they reveal a businessman desperate for financial support but unable to deliver on his ambitious claims. The failures of Godus and its spin-off serve as a stark reminder that lofty promises without substance can lead to disappointment and the erosion of trust within the gaming community.
The removal of Godus and Godus Wars from Steam marks the end of a tumultuous chapter in the gaming industry. While technical reasons may be cited for their removal, it is crucial to reflect on the broken promises, overpromising, and lack of substance that plagued these games from the beginning. The disappointment surrounding Godus should serve as a reminder to both developers and players that transparency, honesty, and the ability to deliver on promises are paramount to building a successful and trusted gaming franchise.
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