Eurogamer meets Monty Python

Terries Jones and Gilliam talk games.

Interview by Ellie Gibson Contributor

Published on 22 Dec 2010

EurogamerI think that might be sort of missing the whole point of the entire exercise, to be honest.

Terry Gilliam

Right, so that's... I won't be alone on Facebook, then.

EurogamerYou could create a sort of pseudo-Facebook where you're the only member and you don't let anybody else on. That might work.

Terry Gilliam

Could you be on Facebook and have a lot of heavies around you to make sure that nobody can talk to you, because you're so important or... Lonely?

EurogamerI think if you make your own Facebook you can do pretty much what you like... Then there's Twitter as well, are you on Twitter?

Terry Jones

Twitter! I find emails take up half my day. The idea of having to spend any more time being in communication with people is just... Aararhahrahrghh [does famous ratbag woman voice] CAN'T STAND IT, I CAN'T STAND IT TERRY ARRAGHGHG.

Terry Gilliam

It's OK, it's OK. We have a game that they will play. They won't bother you any more. They'll play this game and they'll [starts panting again] and they'll be like that forever. You'll be safe.

EurogamerSo basically you've invented this game as a means to stop people bothering you?

Terry Gilliam

Yes. Thank you. And...

Terry Jones

And making money. Quite honestly, that's what we're interested in. Terry's got to pay for his...

Terry Gilliam

My funeral. I'm raising money for that.

Terry Jones

And the gravestone.

Terry Gilliam

The gravestone. That's what we're talking about, I'll do one, a really beautiful one, big one, maybe an obelisk, and people who buy the games should be able to have their name on my gravestone. Wouldn't that be nice?

EurogamerThat would be lovely. I wouldn't be so rude to ask you exactly how much money you're getting out of this, but if I could just ask, is it upwards of a hundred pounds?

Terry Jones

We don't know yet! It depends whether...

Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam

Four million people...

Terry Jones

...Subscribe to the game. Then we might see some money. But we have no idea what we might make.

Terry Gilliam

Yeah. 3,999,999 won't do it. 4 million or nothing. There's this plateau. Then we're rich, beyond that. Below - paupers.

EurogamerSo presumably it wasn't your idea to do this Facebook game? Someone came to you?

Terry Gilliam

We were forced into it.

Terry Jones

Yes, we were forced into it.

Terry Gilliam

His child was held hostage for a period of months.

Terry Jones

Otherwise we wouldn't have done it, because I understand these games are addictive and that we extort money out of young children and things like that.

Terry Gilliam

And since mainly the Python income has been cocaine and other hard drugs, this is going to take away from our real business, which is drugs.

EurogamerI thought it was terrorism.

Terry Gilliam

Terryism?

Terry Jones

Terryism? Yes, that's a good idea.

EurogamerThe biggest game on Facebook right now is FarmVille, which it's claimed has 85 million active users per month.

Terry Gilliam

[Begins squeaking] Is that how you milk the cow? [More squeaking]

EurogamerDo you think the Ministry of Silly Games could be as popular as FarmVille?

Terry Jones

Well, we hope it will.

Terry Gilliam

We've got chickens.

Terry Jones

We've got chickens in there, yes. But you throw them at the castle, don't you?

Terry Gilliam

That's true, that is true. And we have a cow we throw. So this is practically the same business, it's practically the same game. You milk the cow on the other game and then you throw it in ours.

Terry Jones

I think the Ministry of Silly Games is complimentary to FarmVille.

Terry Gilliam

And Grand Theft Auto.

Terry Jones

Yes. And everybody who is on FarmVille will probably need to buy into the Ministry of Silly Games as well.

Terry Gilliam

You can milk the chickens on ours.