Fable 3 getting 'smartphone' tie-in game called 'Kingmaker'

Just the other day, I was talking about larger gaming companies using iPhone games to promote their major titles, and here you go: Microsoft and Lionhead Studios' Peter Molyneaux are set to introduce a "smartphone" game next week (presumably that means iPhone, although given that it's Microsoft, it might not be) that will tie-in to the upcoming Fable 3 release on the Xbox 360. The game will be called "Kingmaker," and it sounds like it'll be an augmented reality title, with UK players able to explore their real-world town and "plant virtual flags for the Royals or the Rebels." Every flag planted will earn in-game gold, and that gold will transfer over to the full console title when it is released later this year.

Unfortunately, there are still a few questions -- a release about the game only mentions the UK, and of course, that "smartphone" label means it might not be coming to the iPhone. But there's not long to wait, at least. The official site for the game says it's coming out on October 1st. We'll keep an eye on both the site and the game -- even if this doesn't end up being an iPhone title, there's no question that other developers will be watching to see how it works, and thinking about how they might use this strategy for their own titles.