Peter-Molyneux
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A handful of unofficial Fable 2 dog shots
Sure, we've heard plenty about Fable 2's new dog -- we talk about it at length in the latest Fancast -- but only those of us lucky enough to have been at GDC have actually seen it (outside of a few blurry shots that is). Luckily for us, our friends from GayGamer.net were sitting right next to us at the presentation and bagged a handful of decent shots of the dog in action. They also managed to snap a shot of Bowerstone, the game's central city. As you gaze at all the buildings and shops in the photo, remember that you can buy every single piece of property you see.Sort of makes the wait for Fable 2 seem even longer doesn't it?
GDC: More Fable 2 feature goodness
As we slowly recover from GDC jet-lag, we thought it would be best to post some of the other features that Peter Molyneux confirmed for Fable 2. After all, a dog can't be the only new feature in Fable 2. There really is quite a bit to consider, so we'll just dole out the info in bite sized bits via a handy bulleted list. Everyone likes lists. Players can pick a male or female hero Players can choose to have protected or unprotected sex (and yes, there are STDs) Female heroes can get pregnant Players can have children The world responds to your "hero-ness" Two new character morphs (besides Good/Evil): cruelty/kindness and wealth/poverty Own every single piece of property Players can become king Let's look at these more closely.
Fable 2 concept art includes that dog
Xboxygen posted a few new concept art images from Fable 2, which include that mysterious (yet revolutionary) dog. We now know why Lionhead Studios didn't release these images until after the big announcement, otherwise they'd have spilled the beans on the whole puppy thing and left people wondering "what the heck is that furry thing doing in my Fable 2 artwork?" So, go ahead and take a look, digest the recent Fable 2 news, pet your dog, and come back with a refreshed face and an optimistic outlook on life.
Revolutionary Fable 2 feature is a dog
There's a reason Peter Molyneux is smiling in this picture. He was nervous to reveal the "revolutionary" new feature in Fable 2. Several people on his own team told him not to do it. In fairness, it's definitely a risky feature. No one in their right mind would call it revolutionary at first glance. Yes, the intertubes were right: Fable 2's secret new feature is a dog. That's it. So, why is Peter smiling? He's smiling because he just convinced a room full of jaded journalists that a dog is revolutionary. Yup, it's a dog, but believe it or not, you will love it.
Fable 2: Man's best friend
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/New_Fable_2_feature_a_dog'; Though his calm and and exceedingly eloquent manner might suggest a more languid pace, Peter Molyneux wastes little time when raising expectations -- and he knows it. "I'm going to get into trouble for saying this," says the British game designer before launching into his Fable 2 GDC presentation. "If we don't think it's going to be a landmark game, it's going to be bloody pointless to make it." Several moments later, I find myself thinking about what a horribly cruel man he is.And that's a good thing. You see, one of Fable 2's key features is, well, a dog. Not some sort of magical beast or a disturbing, anthropomorphic St. Bernard. A tail-wagging, ball-chasing, honest-to-goodness dog. Fable's gesture system makes a return here, with petting and cries of scorn eliciting different reactions from the dog. At one point, Peter's on-screen character screams and waves his hands menacingly at the dog, frightening it into a quivering pile of fur. It seems mean, but the press members in the room chuckle appreciatively. Those monsters.
Fable 2 is getting a cute puppy dog
The French folks over at Xboygen posted pictures of a new "character" in Fable 2. It's a dog! Your own personal dog to play with, train, and love while exploring the lush green world that Fable offers. In one picture, Peter Molyneux is pointing to our furry little companion and probably explaining how to get your dog to attack on command ... or so that's what we want to believe. And of course these screen grabs beg the question to whether or not this is the big Fable 2 announcement or just one interesting addition to the game. Only time will tell, but we'll find out soon as our very own Richard Mitchell will be getting the complete dish on Fable 2 during his coverage of GDC: 07. Stay tuned.
Rumor: Peter Molyneux hints at online co-op?
GamePro recently had an interview with Peter Molyneux, president of Lionhead Studios, about Fable 2 wherein he used jujitsu to dodge some hard hitting questions. That being said, what he didn't say was definitely a lot. When asked about the Xbox 360's untapped potential, he brought up Xbox Live and its applications in a game like Fable 2, saying that four people going through a quest together in a self-contained environment as opposed to an open ended one hasn't been exploited yet. Unfortunately, he couldn't say explicitly how that pertains to Fable 2 and its online capabilities, if any. Still, it's interesting to hear how fascinated he is with the concept, and we can only imagine how it'd play out if it were true. Fable 2 co-op, eh? How do you like the sound ofthat?
Detailed Fable 2 info coming at GDC
This year's Game Developers Conference kicks off in March and it looks like we'll get the insider dish on Lionhead's Fable 2. GWN.com dugg up information on the GDC's conference sessions and found one on Fable 2 hosted by Peter Molyneux. We double checked this information and located a GDC session called "Innovations in Fable 2" hosted by Peter and starting on March 8th. The description says that the "talk will centre around revolutions in Fable 2." and "will examine how key game play elements have been refined and expanded". Will we finally get every last detail on Lionhead's highly anticipated sequel? Will we get to see actual gameplay videos? Will Molyneux start the hype machine and over promise on all levels? We don't have any answers now, but we know that there will be some Fable 2 information coming out of GDC ... how much is still unknown.[Thanks, Jonah]
Fable scraps: first (crappy) screen shots!
The latest issue of the Lionhead Times is out, and this month it brings us the first in engine screen shots of Fable 2. As you may have guessed, the shot you see above is not representative of the final game (like at all). Still, Lionhead proclaims to be making lots of progress in development. In fact, the shots released today aren't indicative of the current build, which is apparently looking "beautiful." Still, we would be remiss not to share even the slightest bit of Fable related information. Another new tidbit, water has made it into the game. Not only that, but Lionhead claims that we will be able to do things with this water. Given the piratical nature of the character art released so far, we'd say it's a safe bet you can sail on it. But what other possibilities could there be? Swimming? Deep see diving? Mermaid adventures? We're keeping our fingers crossed for that last one (and we just might hear more about it when Peter Molyneux lectures at GDC). Follow the "read" link for the latest info and a screen shot of the soon to be infamous "crotch cam."
Molyneux, others join GDC lineup, Fable 'talk' imminent
Having the inside scoop, Gamasutra reports that Peter Molyneux, Killer 7's Goichi Suda, and a team of Final Fantasy XII developers led by Taku Murata are joining the GDC 2007 lineup. Molyneux, well known for his mastery of hype-building (and subsequent apologies), will by lecturing on Fable 2, musing aloud about the brilliant innovations that might or might not make the final cut -- Molyneux promises to reveal "a totally unexpected feature" (we've heard that before).Teasing aside, Molyneux is one of the most forward-thinking developers in the industry today. He might not always deliver, but he's earned his street cred for being a risk-taker. Molyneux's colorful presence is a key addition to GDC.Also making appearances during the conference will be Goichi Suda, who will illustrate the experience of working on a small development team (in this case, Grasshopper), along with Taku Murata and other core members of the FFXII team, who will reflect on the lessons learned during the game's development.
New Fable 2 feature to be revealed at GDC
GDC 07 (Game Developers Conference) is set to begin in March, and speakers are already being announced. Among these scheduled speakers is Peter Molyneux, the man behind Fable and its upcoming sequel, Fable 2. Molyneux will be at the conference to perform a lecture entitled, "Innovations in Fable 2." The lecture will discuss how elements from Fable have been changed and made better for Fable 2. Furthermore, Molyneux promises to reveal a new and "totally unexpected" feature in the game. What could it be? We have no idea, and after the amazing amount of hype built around the first Fable, perhaps its best if we don't get carried away.Our readers (that's you), on the other hand, can get as carried away as they like. Do you have any ideas for a great new feature in Fable 2?
Havok to power Fable 2 physics & animation
Havok announced today that Molyneux and company have licensed Havok Complete for Fable 2. 'Complete' rolls Havok Physics and Havok Animation into one integrated package.As Molyneux iterated, relying on Havok allows Lionhead developers to focus on the team's lofty aspirations, most-simply defined as dynamic regions, unconditional love, wealth accumulation, constrained combat, and an as of yet undisclosed uber-feature. As with the original Fable, at this stage it's hard to distinguish fantasy from reality (what gameplay elements will and won't make it into Fable 2's final release). But there is now at least one certainty: ragdolls.[Via 1UP]
Fable 2: Havok in the land of Albion
IGN reports that Lionhead Studios has adopted the Havok physics engine for use in the upcoming Fable 2. Peter Molyneux, the man behind the Fable series, hopes that Havok will simplify and streamline the development process, allowing designers to bypass physics calculation and instead focus on creating the game world itself. Frankly, we don't really care what sort of physics the game employs as long as it makes it out before 2008. Hey, Lionhead, how about throwing us some in game footage? We need something to obsess about, and concept art just isn't cutting it anymore.
New Fable scraps for Thanksgiving
The latest Fable 2 community update went live on Friday -- factoring in the international time change, that's technically next Tuesday -- and we're left with ... not much. Unfortunately, we still have virtually no gameplay details to give you. What we do have is this lovely drawing of a street corner. There are a few tiny details to give. The first of which is that the game looks "stunning." According to the update, the game is leaps and bounds ahead of the teaser trailer that was released at E3. Also, Fable 2 will feature new vertical elements that were absent from Fable. For example, water levels could rise, giving you access to higher areas, or you can jump down a hole to enter a subterranean dungeon. It's a simple idea, but it could add a lot to Fable 2's overall geography -- Fable was pretty flat when you think about it. The only other tidbit revealed is that development is proceeding on schedule, which doesn't help us if we don't have an actual release date with which to gauge Lionhead's progress. Still, this is the last community update this year, so we'll have to take what we can get.The question is, with only the odd piece of artwork now and again to keep you going, are you still excited for Fable 2?[Via Xboxygen]
Fable 2 is playable! ... sorta
Word from Lionhead is that Fable 2 has reached the "FP" milestone -- that's dev-speak for "first playable." Don't get too excited, this just means that Microsoft has been sent a few functional areas of the game, so the publisher can be confident its money isn't only being blown on "office refurbishment" and pizza parties.The FP build also included a never-to-be-released quest, which, according to Lionhead's most recent community update, featured, "a magical potion, some pretty messed-up, dandy-dressed, wizard-types and most importantly such a dramatic outcome of a twisted nature, that it would make Joe Average Jr. freak out." We don't even wanna know ...
Molyneux: "I'm lazy... motion sensing may be annoying"
All right, so the subject line isn't a direct quote, but it's exactly how many gamers from days gone by feel. Lionhead's Peter Molyneux spoke at the Games Convention, talking about ways to switch up traditional combat games by removing hit points, adding one hit kills (Bushido Blade, anyone?) and more environment-player interaction. Valid points, sort of. An audience member asked how the Wiimote would treat these ideas and he responded thus: "If you wanted to make a big difference, where's the best place to make that difference? I think the controller is definitely it. There's no doubt in my mind that controllers are changing, and they're changing really fast."Good answer, right? He wasn't done. "I've realized I'm an incredibly lazy person when I play games, and actually slouching back on the sofa, playing on my beer belly, is my most comfortable position. When I have to get up, it's painful. I make noises and start grunting." Yeah. Many will agree that sitting in a straight, upright position (let alone having room to stand to move around with your controller) isn't their favorite way of playing games. Basically, the rest of his argument stated that the physical exertion (though little) isn't what gamers want to do for hours at a time. 20 minutes, sure. What does everyone think? If more subtle, creative ways were thought up to utilize the motion-sensitive controllers of tomorrow, is that better than waving it around like a sword for however long a game is? Or do you not mind swinging a fake sword, baseball bat, etc, for more than an hour at a time?
Molyneux interested in revisiting old franchises
Speaking to Gamespot UK, the ever-enthusiastic and monochromatically inclined Peter Molyneux expressed interest in revisiting some of his old franchises. Licensing complications aside, he asserts that "some sort of next-gen online version of Syndicate would certainly be popular with gamers," and that new versions of Dungeon Keeper and Populous would be equally exciting to him. Having been purchased by Microsoft certainly makes the prospect of these sequels appearing at Lionhead (and not EA) less likely, but not impossible.In fact, we're already swooning over the idea of a sprawling Syndicate sequel -- perhaps a next-gen variant might even give us that real ending we were so rudely cheated out of years ago. Then again, sprawling development costs might say otherwise. "But it should be remembered that there is a law of diminishing return here, so if you spend $5 million and double that to $10 million, you don't get double the quality. This trend really can't continue, and the industry must face the fact we need to stabilize our costs. This will mean that reuse of technology and assets needs to be much better managed." For further Molyneux insight, check out Joystiq's "But you said that about Fable 1!" interview conducted at last month's Develop Conference.[Via GamersReports]
The latest Fable scraps
The latest Fable 2 update gives us a few tidbits to enjoy -- namely the solitary piece of concept art above. Of particular interest -- especially to those who were disappointed by Fable's restrictive pathways -- is level designer, Charlton Edward's comments on the game:"The world definitely is much bigger and it also feels better. There are more things to do within each area and we absolutely have to make them interesting and absorbing. Too many times have I spent playing RPG's set in vast barren wastelands. Fable 2 retains the Fable 1 organic, intimate feel, while giving players tons to explore and discover. We are really trying to pack the world with exploration, interaction and secrets."While this doesn't necessarily mean the end of Fable's linear paths, it at least promises we'll have more to do on said paths. Anybody have this in their top five most wanted yet?[Via Xboxygen (watch out, it's in French)]
Hype begins and ends with the gaming press
Wanna see a hype fest? Do you? You do?! Well just head over to Eurogamer, where the site decided to give Peter Molyneux a free license to hype up his unannounced projects. In an "interview" that in fifty years will be regarded by scholars as the definitive example of hype creation, Eurogamer asked Molyneux "what's your next game, and when are we going to find out about that?" The rest of the interview consists of Molyneux spouting hyped, fluffy nonsense about how he can't tell us what the game is about, but that it'll definitely be awesome+1 to the max! I just can't blame Molyneux for this mess -- if you give one of the game industry's most savvy game developers/marketers an open microphone, it's practically a law that he will use it to hype his product. Since Molyneux didn't actually say anything about his next game that might not be included in the game (like what happened with Fable) Molyneux is totally covered. The real blame lies with Eurogamer. This goes way beyond them failing to rein him in; they've gone out of their way to construct hype out of the interview. The accompanying article is dedicated to encouraging readers to guess the word that defines Molyneux's next project. Do they think that the average Eurogamer reader is five years old?! As Winston Smith says in 1984, "if there is hope, it lies in the proles gamers", so it's encouraging to see commentators calling Eurogamer out on this trash. Stoatboy says "Oh ffs - that was a terrible interview. Love him or loathe him - that interview said NOTHING above any beyond "it'll be GREAT", which is the very least anyone would say about any game they happened to be working on." See also: Joystiq's interview with Peter Molyneux
Molyneux - "Apple needs to get behind games"
Last week I carried out an interview with Peter Molyneux (the founder of Lionhead Studios which has games like Black & White, Fable and The Movies to its name) over at TUAW sister site Joystiq. I made sure to ask him a question or two about the state of Mac gaming because one, I *used* to be a relatively hardcore Mac gamer and two, Lionhead has a track record of bringing all of its games to the Mac. That isn't changing with Microsoft's recent acquisition of the company (haven't we heard all this before?!).The relevant part of the interview:"There's this Catch 22 situation where not many people play games on the Mac and therefore developers don't want to make games for the Mac. Exactly. I think it would need Apple to get behind games. There's nothing in their operating system that panders to games at all and I take my hats off to Microsoft. I think they've realized that games are important."Macworld's Peter Cohen suggested that Molyneux was referring to Apple's lack of a unified application programming interface that would make the jobs of game programmers much easier. I think this suggestion is spot on, but not the only thing that Molyneux was referring to. One passive improvement could include getting Apple to kick its recent integrated graphics habit (Molyneux called my MacBook "a perfect thing" in the interview - pity it can't play games). Sure, we'd all like an iTunes Games Store, a mid-range upgradeable Mac with a decent graphics card and an Apple that publishes games, but it ain't gonna happen while you-know-who is still around.Unless Apple gets off its arse and gives game developers more than the bare minimum of support, Mac gaming is going to disappear thanks to the rapid emergence of easy access to Windows games via Boot Camp or GPU virtualization (when it finally appears). Only then will we see articles on Apple.com about how awesome Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter looks on the Mac, instead of long features about how the GRAW music was composed using a PowerMac G5.
