DeNA to publish Peter Molyneux’s Godus mobile game

Peter Molyneux, the father of “god games” and founder of 22cans, has gone mobile and is announcing that his Godus title will be published by Japan’s DeNA.

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The game is an ambitious attempt to reinvent the god-game genre for mobile. And Molyneux, who has made heavy-duty console games like the Fable series, is bullish on mobile. His entry into that market is another sign that mobile is becoming to big a market to ignore, even for triple-A game developers.

DeNA, a mobile-social game network with a multibillion-dollar valuation, is expanding to publish Western content. Based in the United Kingdom, 22cans is developing its title for Android, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices. The game will use DeNA’s Mobage mobile-social game platform in the West, Japan, and Korea.

“We have huge respect for DeNA’s successes in mobile gaming. By fusing their expertise and experience with our passion and dedication, we are going to make Godus a truly groundbreaking reinvention of the god-game genre,” said Peter Molyneux said in a statement. “As a global leader in developing and publishing mobile games, DeNA is the ideal partner for us to collaborate with on the launch of Godus.”

In Godus, you play a god. You can wield divine powers over your devoted followers. It’s similar to Molyneux’s older title, Black and White. If you advance your civilization, your people will believe in you more. With that belief, you can sculpt entire lands, beautifying them with your touch.

But you face challenges from rival gods. You can also be an angry god, creating earthquakes, volcanoes, or tornadoes to unleash upon the rival gods and their worlds. You and your people will clash with other gods in multiplayer battles.

“One of my first jobs in the video game industry was working on the quality assurance team for Peter’s Populous 2. That title and its predecessor set the tone for a whole new generation of games,” said Clive Downie, the chief executive of DeNA West. “Fast forward to 2013, and it’s an honor to have the opportunity to work with Peter again on the launch of Godus. Our team is looking forward to working with 22cans on a game that we know will set a new standard for the mobile generation.”

No launch date has been set yet.