When Microsoft revealed Kinect at E3 last year, it was tentatively named Project Natal. At that time, Lionhead had showed off Project Milo as a proof-of-concept for Microsoft’s motion camera. Project Milo allowed players the chance to interact in real-time with a young boy named Milo. Yet for some reason, Milo remained absent at this year’s Kinect unveiling.
Peter Molyneux, head of Lionhead, recently said that Milo & Kate had missed E3 due to the team deciding it was best to hold the title back. He was emphatic that the title was still in development and called it “the most interesting and fascinating thing I've ever done in my life.” Unfortunately, Microsoft Product Management Director Aaron Greenberg says that’s not the case.
In a segment on ABC TV’s Good Game last night, Greenberg said that Milo was little more than a technology demo.
“Milo, he’s safe and sound back in England. No… the Milo Project is something that Lionhead Studios in their labs had developed. Last year we unveiled the Project Natal technology, we showed a bunch of technology demos as part of that. And obviously [Milo] is a technology demo that continues to exist, but right now it’s not a game that we’re planning to bring to market.”
Looks like players may not see the most interesting thing Molyneux has ever done with his life.
Update: Although we might not ever see Milo as a retail product, Microsoft has said that the technology behind it is finding its way into other games, like the virtual animal title Kinectimals, which enables players to interact with tigers and other wildlife.
Update 2: It seems like Lionhead and Microsoft are changing their story somewhat on this one. Lionhead Studios' Sam Van Tilburgh has now emphasized that there are 50 people on the Milo project [thanks Joystiq], which would seem to be more than needed just for a tech demo. Moreover, Greenberg has clarified his earlier comments: "Project Milo absolutely continues in development at Lionhead Studios, it is just not a product we plan to bring to market this holiday." So there may be hope yet for people looking to see Milo at retail some day.
[Thanks Kotaku]
