Media Molecule’s next project is ‘more of a game than a creative tool’, co-founder claims

Media Molecule co-founder Mark Healey has claimed that the studio’s next project will be more of a game than a creative tool.

Speaking to journalist Ben Hanson on MinnMax, Healey, who departed the company last year, spoke about what’s next for the British studio behind Dreams and Little Big Planet.

“I don’t know exactly what state their project is in now, I don’t think it’s secret news that they’re working on a new IP, for example,” Healey told Hanson.

“I would dare to go as far as saying it’s more of a game than a creative tool, from what I understand about it.”

Healey then addressed the worry some Media Molecule fans have about the future of the studio, given the recent spate of high-profile studio closures and the decision in October to lay off 15-20% of Media Molecule staff. 

“Sony has still got a lot of faith in Media Molecule, at the very least they’re going to get to make this game,” Healey said.

Sony ended support for Dreams, Media Molecule’s last project, in September. Following this, a number of staff departed the studio.

Just last month, Sony indefinitely shuttered the online servers for PlayStation 4’s LittleBigPlanet 3, months after it claimed it “temporarily” took the game offline while it resolved technical issues.

Healey co-founded  Media Molecule in 2006, following his roles at Bullfrog and Lionhead, where he worked alongside Peter Molyneux on such titles as Magic Carpet, Dungeon Keeper, Black & White and Fable.

After Media Molecule was set up, Healey was creative director on the first two LittleBigPlanet games, before moving on to Dreams, where he served as director during the game’s lengthy development (it was first mentioned by the studio in 2012 and was released in 2020).