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Molyneux: Fable series not 'limited' by trilogy formula
Three: it's just a nice, round number. You have a beginning, middle and end. Good things are also said to come in threes, but according to Lionhead's Peter Molyneux, Fable 3 doesn't necessarily close the book on Albion and the franchise. During an Inside Xbox segment at Eurogamer Expo (transcribed by GamerZines), Molyneux said he hates "limiting" the studio to a trilogy. "Forget about the word 'trilogy.' I'm not going to tell you what happens at the end of Fable 3 but I don't think you'll feel in any way that you've reached the end of a trilogy." It's by no means confirmation the series will extend past the third entry, sure, but if Fable 2 is any indication, we'll likely feel the same way at the end of Fable 3 as we did two years ago: wanting more regardless.
Fable 3 preview: It's the economy, stupid
If you played Fable 2 anything like the way I played Fable 2, you ended the game a very, very, very rich player. Why work a virtual job pouring cold beers when you could buy a piece of virtual property, turn off your Xbox, pour yourself an actual cold one (or 10), and when you come to in the morning, you're dehydrated and groggy -- oh, and you've been earning rent money in-game, too? That feature -- the ability to earn rental income while away from the game -- went a long way towards making Fable 2's Albion feel like a living world; one that went on regardless of whether or not your hero was there to see it. That feature won't be returning for Fable 3. "It was a Fable 2 feature," Lionhead lead designer Josh Atkins tells Joystiq. "With every feature, we spend a lot of time reevaluating new things that make sense for the emotions we want to impact and get from players in Fable 3." %Gallery-105085%
Fable 3 Kinect minigames involved statue making, tomatoes
Though Fable 3 creative lead Peter Molyneux has kept mum every time we've asked him what Kinect functionality was to be implemented in his studio's forthcoming game, a Fable rep casually let slip to Kotaku that the game at one point included statue making and tomato throwing. Wait, huh? Unfortunately, the representative realized the err of their ways and wouldn't say anything else about the cut minigames. Molyneux explained to us back in August that the Kinect functionality had been cut from Fable 3's launch due to the need for more time to fully develop the experience. "Is this what people would expect Kinect to be in something like Fable?," Molyneux rhetorically wondered at the time, clarifying that "the answer, quite frankly, was 'no.'" Though Microsoft and Lionhead have yet to confirm as much officially, Molyneux also teased the possible inclusion of Kinect features in the future of the Fable series, saying, "I think the future for Kinect and Fable is probably bright." We expect, for example, that the technology harvested from Milo's virtual corpse is likely coming to the Fable franchise in the future. It appears, however, that the future won't be bright red.
Fable 3 launch trailer is all about the slow motion, slow rock
You know, we thought we'd seen everything presented in slow motion, thanks to Hollywood, but it turns out we've missed out on one thing up until now: the slow-motion handshake. Thanks for making our life complete, Fable 3 launch trailer!
Fable 3 Kingmaker app not coming to North America; Lionhead releases trailer
Fable 3 Kingmaker, which we've learned is an initiative by the Xbox team in Europe, won't be helping North American "smartphone" owners stuff their in-game coffers before Fable 3's October 26 launch. A Microsoft representative told Joystiq today, "Kingmaker is a Europe only digital marketing promotion. No U.S. integration." That's a pity, especially since the Foursquare-style app looks like it would've been good for getting the Albion-American faithful out of the house. Oh well, with pre-order they can still participate in creating their own NPC. A full list of smartphones capable of playing Kingmaker still isn't available, but a safe bet is integration with Windows Phone 7 (once it's released). Check out the Kingmaker trailer after the break and imagine all that gold you won't be making by walking around.
Fable franchise expected to incorporate Milo's technology
It seems like just a couple months ago that Peter Molyneux was on stage at the prestiguous TED conference sharing "Project Milo" with the attendees, and now rumors suggest the virtual boy-shaped tamagotchi has been put down and carved up. We spoke with Microsoft Game Studios boss Phil Spencer in Tokyo last week and asked him about the commercial prospects of the always commercially vague Milo project. "If I had to bet, which I guess I do, I think you will see the innovation that that team put forward come to market, absolutely," Spencer told Joystiq. "Will it be under the idea and framework of 'Milo,' I'm not as convinced of that."
Rumor: Project Milo 'canceled,' tech moved to Fable project
Milo may have wandered off from the safety of the pond and into the jaws of a balverine. A Eurogamer source tells the site that Lionhead's Kinect-powered Project Milo was canceled yesterday, with 19 contractors let go. Surviving staffers on the boy simulator team will allegedly use the tech on a "Fable themed Kinect game." Lionhead told Joystiq today that it "cannot comment on rumors or speculation." In late June, the studio dismissed prior cancellation rumors by showing a photo of the team hard at work. That didn't happen this time. Studio head Peter Molyneux had mentioned in recent months that Milo had become a "very, very big tech demo." Perhaps it was time to finally focus on a commercial product and bury the boy alive. (Wow, that's terrifying imagery.)
Fable 3 video models home interiors
Fable 2's interior design aesthetic was pretty much always "country drab," with the occasional mansion to customize with "nouveau riche gauche." Fable 3 is adding loads of new choices for the aspiring virtual decorator. See Lionhead's crib creation tour right after the break.
Fable 3 preview: A second date with co-op
We know Fable 2 didn't quite get co-op right. To hear Peter Molyneux talk about it, it was a "poorly implemented feature." And that's where Fable 3 comes in. The threequel promises to fix three specific shortcomings of Fable 2's co-op experience: bringing your hero into another player's game; returning to your game with the gold and items you earned; and (yes!) detaching the camera. First, the henchman problem. Since the concept of co-op was introduced into Fable 2 later in development, the game's quests were never designed to accommodate two heroes with all of their possible abilities and characteristics. Instead, when joining another player's game, your carefully curated hero would be replaced with a generic henchman. Hardly the kind of experience that drew players to Fable in the first place. In Fable 3, you take your hero – weapons and all – with you into a friend's game. %Gallery-102560%
Fable 2's co-op shortcomings as explained by Molyneux
"I think we're taking a poorly implemented feature in Fable 2 and really making it shine in Fable 3." Peter Molyneux's enthusiasm, equally infamous and infectious, doesn't necessarily extend into the past. The creative director of Microsoft Game Studios Europe guided us through Fable 3's improved co-op design during a Friday morning TGS session, eagerly contrasting new features with some earnest recollection of the previous game's shortcomings. "Well, to be honest, the problem we had -- it was a bizarre problem -- is that every time you do something different, and this will sound horribly mechanical but it comes down to this at all times ... When you create a different version, then that needs a complete test pass," Molyneux explained. "So we had in Fable 2, because co-op came in quite late, couch co-op and we had [Xbox] Live co-op. We hadn't really planned for the fact that we were going to have to do a test pass. An entire test pass for the single player; an entire test pass for the couch co-op; an entire test pass for the Live co-op." Intent on adding online co-op to Fable 2 within a limited time frame, Lionhead Studios essentially went for a prudent two-for-one deal: take the working couch co-op online. "We could save a whole test pass if we made Live and couch co-op almost identical in Fable 2, and we were kind of running low on time so we had to do that," said Molyneux. Since the game essentially believed it was running on one screen, both players had to relinquish control of the camera -- and one had to settle for playing as a generic impostor in place of a true hero. In Fable 3, you're allowed to take your hero into someone else's game, along with your upgradeable weapons, abilities and fluffy, canine companions. You can marry your co-op partner, divorce them, go into a business partnership and even play pat-a-cake with them. And -- finally -- both players have a fully controllable camera. This is how the best internet romances start.
Watch the Fable 3 Collector's Edition unboxing
Honestly, we don't know why we do this to ourselves. Here we are, just sort of casually wanting the Fable 3 "Limited Collector's" Edition and we have to go and watch the unboxing video after the break. So now it's all we want. But look at the thing! It looks like a book! What are we, made of stone?
Fable 3 preview: a reason to believe
Albion has entered its industrial age. Not that I need the helpful, disembodied voice to tell me that in Fable 3's opening, of course. The change is evident in how the once colorful landscape seems to be covered in soot. It's clear from a single glance at the sorrowful, broken eyes of a townsperson worked to the bone. "The Fable team hasn't changed very much, it's generally the same people and because that's the case, for us, there's a love there for the world, and there's a love there for the characters," design director Josh Atkins tells me. "We can't afford, emotionally, to be complacent." It's a little ironic that it was the team's commitment to do right by Fable 3, to not play it safe, that forced them to make Albion such an unfortunate place in which to live. %Gallery-101206%
Molyneux's Milo demo from TED conference now available
Lionhead Studio creative lead Peter Molyneux gave a TED talk last month featuring a whole mess of information about his team's "very big tech demo," Milo & Kate. Milo squashed snails and discovered the garden of his freshly minted New England property -- it was nothing short of moving. Now, through the magic of the internet, Molyneux's TED presentation is available for all to see (just after the break). Learn why snails are replaced with butterflies when you're playing with Kate and how that whole "hive mind" thing works -- no two Milos or Kates are the same, Molyneux claims. Also, you won't want to miss what happens just beyond the 10-minute mark. Check it out.
Fable 3 Gamescom screens are fit for a king
We've got to hand it to Lionhead -- those guys sure know how to put together a compelling cross-section of their game using just a handful of still images. Take, for instance, the Fable 3 screenshots posted in the gallery below. Therein, you'll witness: A dude with a giant hammer A bunch of skeletons who are about to be shot with a pretty, pretty gun A Napoleonic lookalike who's wielding offensive magic What appears to be an exploding train engine So, so many fancy articles of clothing Check out the ten new screens below as you try to decide exactly what type of frock coat your royal protagonist will sport. We're thinking of going with a high-waisted, double-breasted robin's egg blue frock coat with white trim and gold buttons. Something subtle yet elegant, you know? %Gallery-99612%
Fable 3 designer explains overhauled magic system
Lionhead Studios' senior design director, Josh Atkins, recently informed CVG of yet another batch of changes the developer is incorporating into Fable 3 -- the most notable being the game's completely overhauled Will (see: Magic) system. Whenever a player learns a new spell, they'll automatically be able to charge it up to its maximum level without investing additional points into it. As a player levels up in a particular spell, they'll be able to charge it much more quickly, even to the point of "insta-cast" -- a boon for those who found Fable 2's slow-charging magic to be prohibitively unwieldy. In addition, young mages will be able to mix and match their spells in up to 20 different combinations -- for instance, Vortex plus Fireball equals Fire Vortex, a spell that's just as delightful and destructive as it sounds. For more details on the game's overhauled arcane arts, check out Atkins' discussion with CVG.
The Engadget Show - 011: Peter Molyneux, Fable III, Milo, BlackBerry Torch, Windows Phone 7
Brace yourselves, humans, because we have an all new, amazing Engadget Show fresh out of the box! For your viewing pleasure, we sit down with insightful game designer Peter Molyneux to get the inside scoop on some of his ongoing projects, from Milo to Fable III. Then, Josh, Paul, and Nilay bust out RIM's latest, the BlackBerry Torch and put it through its paces live on stage. They dive into Windows Phone 7 and do battle with K-mart's Augen Android tablet, and a bunch of audience members walk away with giveaways. Oh yeah, we also have brain-busting music from Zen Albatross and mind-numbing visuals from invaderbacca that you will absolutely want to check out. What are you waiting for? Watch it now! %Gallery-98931% Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel Special guests: Peter Molyneux Produced and Directed by: Chad Mumm Executive Producer: Joshua Fruhlinger Edited by: Peirre Verna Music by: Zen Albatross Visuals by: Invaderbacca Opening titles by: Julien Nantiec Taped live at The Times Center Download the Show: The Engadget Show - 011 (HD) / The Engadget Show - 011 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V). [RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
Interview: Peter Molyneux talks Kinect, Milo, and Fable 3
Just after Engadget Show host Josh Topolsky finished grilling Peter Molyneux on stage this past Wednesday, we wrangled Molyneux for another interview. First and foremost, we had to clear up what happened to the promise of Kinect in Fable 3 -- and we already told you his answer to that -- but we also wanted to venture into more general discussion. Molyneux spoke openly to us about the potential of Kinect, his personal struggle with promising game mechanics that may or may not end up in the final release, and how the success of Fable 2's episodic release will influence his studio's future.
Be the first to show up at the Engadget Show with Lucky Charms and Peter Molyneux will put you in Fable III! (We've got winners!)
Hey, Peter Molyneux is here at the Engadget Show, and his Fable III demo assistant Dimitri mentioned that he's looking for a box of Lucky Charms, since he can't get it in England. That prompted Peter to make an insane crowd-sourcing offer: the first person to bring a box of Lucky Charms to the Engadget Show will become a character in Fable III. Insane, right? What's more, everyone else who brings a box will get a free signed copy of the game, which is some seriously serious cereal. The show starts in 30 minutes -- we'll see you soon! Updated: See that lucky guy and girl right up there?! Yep, they're going to be characters in Fable III. Congrats, Monica and Jay -- we'll see you in the game.
Fable 3's opening cinematic is chock full of chicken
There is no possible way we could ever prepare you for the Fable 3 opening cinematic awaiting you just past the break. Imagine the worst series of circumstances that could befall a chicken and you're on the right track. It's both incredibly inspiring and sad, with just a hint of The Little Mermaid tossed in for good measure.
Peter Molyneux on the App Store, RPG design and more
Peter Molyneux foretells the end of the App Store's gold rush in an interview with Develop. "I think there's this opportunity now for game developers," he said, discussing the case of creative director Dene Carter, who left to Lionhead form an iPhone studio. "I think of the iPhone and Facebook and all these types of channels offer a window of opportunity for small developers to experience what it was like in [the bedroom coding era of] the late eighties." Unfortunately, that ends, he says, when big companies start pouring money into iPhone games. "It's inevitable that a Star Wars or Disney game, a five million dollar iPhone project, will be released. And when it does, consumers are going to like it. They're going to say "I can pay 59p for this [indie iPhone game] or I can pay 59p for this [triple-A iPhone game]." He's cultivating creativity in his staff now (giving them less incentive to, say, go make iPhone games) by instituting a one week period in which Lionhead staff can work on whatever they'd like. "And at the end of the week we're all going to come together look at people's ideas, and that's going to form the foundations of what happens next at Lionhead." Speaking about his own game, Fable 3, Molyneux dismissed the most notable features of many RPGs. Most developers took the wrong inspiration from Dungeons & Dragons, Molyneux believes, emphasizing stats and random numbers. "But actually," he said, "the purity and the core element of role playing games is to feel more powerful. That's the true core of them. It's about growing as a character, finding and collecting things, and freedom. What we want to do is amplify those feelings with Fable 3."
