The Rise and Fall of Project Milo: A Revolutionary Kinect Game

Some games become legendary for their potential, even if they never see the light of day. Examples include Rockstar's Agent, Star Wars 1313, and StarCraft: Ghost, which have become the subject of lengthy discussions and analyses. Peter Molyneux, a renowned game developer, has had his share of cancelled projects, including the prehistoric game BC for the original Xbox. However, his most notable lost game is arguably Project Milo, a Kinect game that was revealed at E3 2009. The game allowed players to interact with a young boy named Milo using voice and gesture commands, and it generated significant buzz in the gaming community. The actual game, titled Milo & Kate, was meant to be a unique experience that explored the relationship between a boy and his family. Unfortunately, the game never released, and its ideas were later incorporated into Fable: The Journey, which received mixed reviews. During a recent fireside chat at Nordic Game 2025, Molyneux shared his thoughts on the project, including his initial reaction to the Kinect technology. He recalled being shown a demo of the device by Alex Kipman, which could recognize faces and had a wide field of view. Molyneux was impressed but also had concerns about the device's potential, particularly with regards to gesture recognition. He decided to create a demo to showcase how the technology could be used in a game, and the result was Project Milo. The game was designed to be an immersive experience that allowed players to interact with Milo in a natural way, using voice commands and gestures. The team at Lionhead worked on the demo, collaborating with another technology company to develop the voice recognition system. The game was meant to be a magical experience that explored the relationship between a boy and his family, and it had the potential to be a revolutionary title. However, the project was ultimately cancelled due to Microsoft's changing priorities and the high cost of the Kinect device. The company decided to focus on casual games, such as sports and dancing titles, and Project Milo no longer fit into their plans. Molyneux reflected on the experience, stating that the game was a magical thing that explored the idea of hanging out with someone who loves you. Although the game was never completed, it remains a memorable example of what could have been.