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Peter Molyneux is no PR man, or so he would have us believe. The Lionhead legend, famed for his off-the-record and off-the-handle comments has been speaking on what price he has had to pay for his honesty about Fable II and the wider industry.

In an interview with videogamer.com Molyneux elaborated on recent comments he made in a separate interview with CVG about the ultimate quality of the soon to be released Fable II.

He said: "The point is I'm not a PR man, I'm just a developer. And when you sit down opposite people like yourself, and they look you in the eyes and they say 'are you happy with absolutely everything in Fable II?’ I can't hand on heart say that we have got a state of the art animation system.”

“The main thing here is, if I sit in front of a game and pretend that everything is absolutely perfect then you're not going to be able to trust me,” he continued. “It really was important to me to actually try and be honest, only show things when I could, and not spoil the story or give [anything] away. I'd just be in denial to say that I think it was perfect."

"Now Microsoft has put these PR policemen in the same room to make sure I don't trip over myself. I do feel a sense of responsibility to people,” he added.

The issue here is not whether Molyneux is right or wrong to be so honest with the press. Molyneux, in his mind at least, has a duty to his paying public and fans to give them the whole truth about the product he has had a hand in creating. Whether his superiors realise it or not, those values are an asset and integral part of the brand which has developed around Molyneux, Fable II and Lionhead.

Molyneux is right when he says that without trust fans would not buy into Fable II. While Microsoft might prefer it if he towed the corporate line and kept on message all of the time it is the fundamental tension between his down to earth, almost naive honesty and the dizzy corporate heights of AAA games publishing that makes the medium so pure and vibrant. Videogames have yet to succumb to the seeming soullessness and narcissism of Hollywood and it is the refreshing honesty of the guys on the front-line like Molyneux that has kept it alive.

Again, whether big publishers realise it or not, the fact that the industry’s spokespeople are more than corporate mouthpieces is in fact an essential part of their PR and wider communication. That is not to say that any conflict between development and PR is at all contrived, but it does play an important role in the minds of possibly cynical consumers and those with aspirations to work in the industry. Both of whom need assurance that they this is an industry that will treat them with respect as discerning and creative individuals.