RipTen Videogame Blog » Peter-Molyneux

Is a New Xbox (“Xbox Next”) Coming in 2013?

Dave Oshry — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:00:25 +0000

Develop seems to be on a roll today. Just earlier they reported that the PS4 was in the works, and now we have news of a new Xbox that may be titled the ‘Xbox Next‘.

Multiple sources across the industry, from processor chip manufacturers to middleware firms, have told Develop they expect the console to be fully unveiled at E3 2013, months before its release. The collection of data points to a 2013 launch for the system across all main regions, though early 2014 remains a possibility.

They’ve also reported that Lionhead is working on a project named ‘Fable Next’, which will launch alongside the new console. Reports also say EA already has next gen xbox dev kits in house, but everyone has so far denied these claims… obviously.

Microsoft has refused to comment so until we have anything more solid, this is another one for the rumor mill.

Did you expect a new Xbox or Playstation by 2013? I’ll reserve my judgement for now.

Molyneux: “No Guns, No Swords” in Fable: The Journey

Matthew Sims — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:37:12 +0000

You guys remember Fable: The Journey? The game that Molyneux insisted would not be on rails, and even asked members of the press to sign a giant wall at E3 if they believed that. Our own Stephanie Gutowski, signed the wall. I’m not so sure I would. Well maybe if Peter asked me personally, I just can’t say no to that face.

Anyway, Mr. Molyneux has confirmed today that there will not be any melee attacks or shooting, at least by the player. When asked by OXM why the hell not? He responded with IT’S ALL ABOUT TACTILE FEEDBACK YOU GUYZ.

Here’s what he actually said, which is slightly different from my condensed, all-caps interpretation:

“We could have done melee weapons, but the one thing I hate about melee weapons, and guns as well, is that the human brain is encoded to expect recoil from those things.”

“Whenever I swing a sword and I hit something on screen, the visuals and the sound isn’t enough. We could have done what Zelda did well on Twilight Princess, where it doesn’t really matter what you do, what happens on-screen is the best thing. But I wanted people to feel powerful, to feel power, and that’s all about you.

“The thing about magic is there’s nothing encoded in your mind about how it should feel. So no guns, and no swords.”

So unless there’s a gun or sword peripheral coming to the Kinect (looking at you MadCatz) then it looks like Fable: The Journey may be yet another game where you just flail your arms around wildly and hoping for results. OH JOY!

Why Peter Molyneux Asked Me to Sign A Wall Saying Fable: The Journey Is ‘Not’ On Rails

Stephanie Gutowski — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:08:29 +0000

After viewing a disappointing demo of Fable: The Journey at E3, attendees were led to believe that this spin-off was merely more fodder for the Kinect, set entirely on rails. Fans of the series were outraged at the appearance of a watered-down adventure within the fantasy universe built up by the trilogy. Peter Molyneux of Lionhead Studios admitted that the choice to remove player navigation from the demo was a terrible mistake, but assured us that the actual game would incorporate full character movement.

Molyneux explained to me that players would be able to control their character simply by leaning in the direction they wished to go. Since the system hadn’t been implemented in the demo, I had to take his word for it– yet the idea didn’t seem so far-fetched as to warrant doubt. While Molyneux is somewhat infamous within the gaming world for dreaming big and delivering games that never quite live up to his ideas, he is an earnest and passionate creator who wants nothing more than to engage players in a tangible fantasy.

His only request of journalists like me was if they truly believed that the game was not on rails, they sign the wall.

I’m a believer and hell yes; I signed that wall.

Keep your eye on RipTen for our post-E3 demo impressions of Fable: The Journey and full interview with Peter Molyneux

Fable III Coming To Steam This Summer

Aaron Alexander — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 09:14:12 +0000

It’s no secret that Fable III is coming to PC, despite it’s predecessor Fable 2 never seeing the light of day on the personal computer. However Fable III making it’s transition from Xbox to PC isn’t really news in itself, it’s distribution method has my interest piqued.

Fable III is available for pre-purchase right now on Steam, and I speak on behalf of all PC players when I say “Thank you Microsoft“. Now please, bring Viva Pinata over to steam, and we’re cool.

You can pre-purchase Fable III right now for $49.99 USD, and for doing so, you’ll have access to 4 special weapons, and 5 new tattoo sets.

The Champion – Found in the ruins of the old Guild of Heroes, the Champion was wielded by a resident hero who protected the Guild from attacks.
The Shardborne – Forged from a piece of Shard washed up on Bloodstone Beach, this weapon is alive with power from one of Lucien’s greatest inventions.
The Channeler – Created by Garth in his later years, the Channeler was imbued with his Will abilities giving it powerful magical effects.
The Absolver – After Lucien was defeated, Hammer took this weapon and wreaked vengeance on evil in the name of her Father.

Let us know what you think of Microsoft’s move in bringing Fable III to Steam, and be sure let me know your thoughts directly via Twitter -@iamaaronalex

Peter Molyneux Was Robbed!! (Literally)

Dave Oshry — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:14:54 +0000

This just in: Peter Molyneux has been robbed! No, not of his intellectual property or an award at the BAFTAs. He has actually been robbed!!

If his tweets are to be believed:

Well, that sucks.

However, I think many people felt robbed when they bought Fable 3… ok, that was in poor taste. ^__^

Twitter

Shocker! Peter Molyneux: “I’ve slightly over-promised on things on occasion”

Sam Naylor — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:46:35 +0000

Accepting his BAFTA Fellowship last night, Lionhead’s Peter Molyneux has apologised for making outlandish promises about his games, saying that he’s sometimes “slightly over-promised.”

It’s hardly news to anyone who follows game culture that Molyneux might have promised more than he can deliver a fair few times, but the man himself has been big enough to admit it.

“I’d like to thank the press, by the way, for listening to my stuff… I could name at least 10 features in games that I’ve made up to stop journalists going to sleep and I really apologise to the team for that.”

“Sorry – I’ve slightly over-promised on things on occasion.”

I sincerely hope this isn’t the end of Mr Molyneux’s promises. Industry heroes like Molyneux, Jaffe and Blizenski are great fun to have around, and we’d all miss them if they went. If anything, make them bigger and better than before. I’ve though of a few to get you started.

Fable 4 will come with free hoverboards
Milo is coming out, and the AI is self-aware
If you become King in Fable 5, you become the real King of England
A time traveler has come back from the future and made clear that Milo becomes Skynet

Ripten Review: Fable III (Xbox 360)

Stephanie Gutowski — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:51:46 +0000

The Fable franchise has been the subject of harsh criticism over the past few years, but the discontent of the masses comes not from broken games, but broken promises. While Fable II was a massive step forward from its predecessor, the game did not deliver the entire experience promised by Lionhead Studios, developer of this fantasy role playing series. The third installment is another large leap forward, but definitely leaves one wondering if this road does, in fact, lead to revolution.

The tale of Fable is one of both love and hatred, of great ideas conceived by the game’s lead designer, Peter Molyneux. Molyneux has always dreamed big and made promises he’d very much like to keep, but whether it be the fault of technology or time constraints, some of these wonderful, occasionally lofty designs never come to fruition. Fable III, however, feels like the first real push towards the truly dynamic world we were promised back on the original Xbox. Fifty years after the events of Fable II, the curtain rises on the son or daughter of Albion’s last great hero, who also happens to be the protagonist you played in Fable II. You must set out on a journey to overthrow your brother, who is certain to drive your beloved country to ruin by if you don’t intervene. The plot begins rolling with minimal exposition and maximum tension as your first major moral dilemma is presented before you about ten minutes into the game. I won’t reveal what transpires, but I can promise you it won’t be an easy decision.

You will hate this man and his nonsense hair. Hate him so hard.

The voice acting is the first most noticeable difference in this game. You’re greeted by the vocal contributions of comedic genius, John Cleese, along with Michael Fassbender and even Sir Ben Kingsley. The sheer talent of the cast does wonders for the game’s atmosphere, creating a much more cinematic experience right off the bat. Even the playable character has a voice and this really does add that third dimension to your hero. Considering the unintelligible mutterings of Fable II’s protagonist, this a breath of fresh air.

Molyneux promised players that many issues with Fable II were going to be resolved and replaced by an organic, intuitive system in Fable III. So, Lionhead did away with the slate-like lists of the past and replaced them with in-game vendors. Gone are the days of sifting through menus and here are the hours spent scouring cities for pedestals offering up goods you deem worthy of purchasing. The only menu you’ll find in this game is the one that prompts you to save your progress. It’s an impressive feat that really ensures that players will stay in the game rather than get lost in column after column of items. The only drawback is that it’s a tad difficult to find that item you’re hunting for in the world. Merchandise is harder to spot and fewer in numbers. Vendors’ stores change depending on how much gold you’re willing to spend. Tired of seeing the same old hairstyles in the salon? Well you’ll just have to buy them all in order for the stylist to restock. This is compensated by the increased rate in which the player obtains gold. Jobs seem to pay more and faster. Plus, they’re just a little less boring.

Players were also promised a dynamic world that would evolve based on their choices. This is true, in a sense. A pivotal choice during a quest may change an entire alleyway for the better, though the options are fairly black and white. An immoral choice may push a town towards chaos while a righteous one betters the lives of villagers. Still, you’re presented with the opportunity to have a hand in the evolution of these cities, as minuscule or major as they may be. Yet these towns still lack some soul, never thriving or truly blossoming. While the world around you may not change quite so drastically, your actions are still visibly reflected on your person. Take the dark path and you’ll become a fearsome-looking tyrant while do-gooders remain unmarred and socially approachable. This will also have an effect on how you’re regarded as king or queen of Albion after your takeover. Remember, the road to revolution is only part of this experience. Many choices lie before you after you’ve seized the crown and you will have to decided whether or not the promises you made to your followers are worth keeping.

Pew... pew pew pew?

Combat remains essentially the same, with the three buttons assigned to magical, ranged, and melee combat. Flourishes seem easier to execute and the evolving weapons allow players to focus more on leveling up their preferred fighting style rather than amassing piles of swords and pistols. Weapons are named and given goals that, when achieved, lead to bonus such as extra damage or more experience gained during combat. The Road to Rule has replaced the experience orb system. Now, the player departs for an otherworldly road, littered with chests that contain combat upgrades, expressions, and other perks that will assist the player on their road to revolt. While gaining followers to bolster the impending uprising, the hero will spend experience on these chests. Weapon upgrades will alter the appearances of each weapon as you progress. This system is simple, but easy to get the hang of. It does remove some of the individuality from the game as all weapons eventually evolve into similar shapes. Their attributes just differ.

The Sanctuary replaces the main menu. The player presses start and is transported into this realm where all gear is stored without having to suffer load times or a long journey across valley after valley. Walk to one room to change clothing and store unwanted outfits on mannequins. Wander into another to view your trophies and achievements. Weapons and gold are also monitored and stored in a similar fashion. This ends up being far more convenient than sorting through an entire menu of loot.

The social experience has received an overhaul. Rather than performing actions in an expression wheel to crowds, you interact one on one with villagers, gaining experience for making acquaintances and establishing friendships. This makes each and every endeavor to obtain an ally much more personal. Romances begin similarly and culminate with a date rather than a come hither stare and crook of a finger. Sure, the expressions are still essentially the same silly displays of humor that Lionhead is known for, but then it just wouldn’t be Fable if you were denied the ability to walk up to a homeless woman and belch in her face.

Despite all its improvements and efforts to become the organic gaming experience Peter Molyneux so wants it to be, Fable III seems to be missing something. Players will quickly take note of its simplicity and the nagging feeling that this is no longer an RPG, but a fantastical romp through a world filled with turmoil and dark humor. Weapons don’t evolve based on your specific fighting style, but on a predetermined schedule of upgrades. Each new found friendship begins the same: a villager will command you to deliver some inconsequential package to another random village in a neighboring town. These events make sense when you’re doing errands for delivery boys, but housewives and town criers all share an eerily identical need to have secret notes delivered to the mountains.

Sir Ben Kingsley RAGE.

Cut scenes now actually play out like proper movies, with dynamic camera angles rather than a static character standing at point A while the hero stands rooted at point B until the quest can continue, but there is still a sense of wanting. Some quests glitch along until the the objective is finally registered on the map. Your dog seems a bit slower to tag along, frequently stuck on rocks or behind treasure chests. In Fable II, my dog often beat me to treasure long before I knew it was there. Now, I find myself standing in front of my prize, waiting for my dog to return from its latest bought of glitch-spinning.

The problem is that for all its improvements and attempts to make good on those promises, it still shares so many similarities with Fable II that I almost don’t feel like I’m playing a different game. The menu adjustments, stylistic changes (I am eternally grateful for the added realism in character models), and moral choices give the Fable series a push forward, but the return of the guiding quest sparkles and same wash, rinse, repeat pattern of friendship gestures remind me that this is not exactly a revolution. Even the music remains wholly the same, that familiar fanfare echoing as your hero traverses Albion. Perhaps that more than anything draws me back into the mindset that plagued me during Fable II.

This game is different enough to warrant a chance, but beneath all the trappings and technical improvements, it’s still strongly reminiscent of Fable II. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if Fable II didn’t win your heart, then Fable III might not be an epiphany. Yet there’s something about this game that draws you in. Despite all your complaints and hang-ups about what does and does not work, you’ll find yourself at the blacksmith’s, hammering away so you can finally afford that mansion on the hill. Then you’ll be back in the mountains, felling wolf after wolf after wolf. Maybe even with friends. It will be silly, yet gripping, a bit buggy, but unbelievably hard to turn off. There’s just something that grips you. It’s that wonderful feeling you get when you’re having fun.

Here’s The Rundown:
+ Streamlined inventory never pulls the player out of the game
+ Audio and visual improvements provide a much more cinematic experience
- Repetitive quests
- Never really seems like an organic world

Fable III was developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Windows. The game released in the United States on October 26th, 2010 with a retail price of $59.99. The copy used in this review was for the Xbox 360 and given to us by Microsoft for review consideration. Total play time was approximately 20 hours.

Fable III Will Allow Gay Couples To Adopt Kids

Bryce Wilson — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 08:59:25 +0000

With society becoming more and more accepting of both gay couples and adoption, it was only time before games followed suit and included the ability to do so. Well Fable III is starting that course of action by being the first game in the series to allow ingame gay couples to adopt children.

During a recent interview with ABC News, Peter Molyneux said;

“You can be gay. You can be bisexual. You can get married as many times as you like. It’s up to you, my fascination is with what that means to people. It means they can be who they are rather than who I require them to be.”

I welcome changes like this and I look forward to seeing how the public approaches freedom and innovation like this.

Source: [GamesRadar]

Fable IV Already Planned?

Brandon Fenty — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:11:19 +0000

Peter Molyneux is known for breaking video game taboos, and making games that are outside of the box; looks like he’s at it again. Ever since the Mario Bros. days, we’ve been trained that things come in threes: jump on a bosses head 3 times, for instance, and he’s done for. We expect trilogies: Halo, God of War, etc. However, looks like the Fable franchise might just change all that.

“I’ve never understood this obsession with trilogies, I love making and spending time in this world,”said Molyneux at GamesCom. “Why wouldn’t I make Fable 4?”

Is this Molyneux’s way of announcing Fable IV? We sure hope so.

No Kinect for Fable III at Launch, Says Molyneux

David Oxford — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 02:27:42 +0000

Contrary to prior statements, Fable III designer Peter Molyneux has revealed that when the game ships, it will not feature Kinect functionality.

Such is what he revealed to the Engadget Show (via Joystiq). Further inquiries revealed that (for the moment) there will be Kinect content added in time, but what they originally had planned for the game’s release apparently failed to meet expectations.

Microsoft PR didn’t have much to add, save for reinforcing the notion of Molyneux as a strong proponent for Kinect. Otherwise, “at this time,” they said they were unable to discuss what role it could provide in the game.

Oh well. Easy come, easy go, right? After all, was anyone really looking forward to using Kinect with Fable III? If so, feel free to set us straight in the comments.

Fable III Contains Nearly Two Days of Dialogue

Brandon Fenty — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 22:55:29 +0000

Fable is a series that is known for open worlds and pushing what is possible in that world. Dialogue is a big part of that experience, and while it has always been well acted, it seems the same lines keep looping in the background.

Lionhead is looking to change that with Fable III, with 47 hours of recorded dialogue. That’s nearly two full days! Compare that to 36 hours in Fable II.

The majority of the dialogue is actually for non quest-related AIs, such as gossip lines and over 1500 “marriage lines”. It took three writers to write the 460,000 or so recorded words in the game, and more than 80 actors to play all the characters. Voice talent even includes John Cleese, who plays Jarvis the butler.

So what does this mean for gameplay? Hopefully, it means that the same repetitive lines won’t keep coming up while playing.

Milo Returns, Cleans Room, Kills Snails

David Oxford — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:53:32 +0000

Recently, Peter Molyneux’s pet boy Milo managed to cause more trouble than he can possibly be worth following a no-show at last month’s E3. Fortunately, that was all straightened out, and it was hinted at that we would get to see him again soon.

And now, that time has arrived.

Today, at the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Global 2010 show in Oxford, England, Peter Molyneux appeared on stage to present Milo to the masses once again. “This talk is going to be a little bit insane,” he noted as he began to talk about revolutionizing storytelling.

“Films and TV are rubbish because they don’t involve the audience,” seems to be the sentiment given by the Lionhead Studios chief, as echoed via the TED News Twitter. He went on to express his desire to “create a character that felt totally alive” and that he would trick everyone into feeling as though “there’s a real, living being in the computer.”

Rather than play the video which introduced Milo at last year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, Molyneux instead invited a volunteer named Dimitri to join him on stage. Dimitri interacted with Milo through Kinect, of course, by using natural hand movements “not connected by wires.”

Molyneux notes that the character’s facial expressions were “completely AI driven” before Dimitri told him to squash a snail. Reluctantly, Milo complied.

From there, the duo taught Milo to skip stones before helping him clean his room, which cheered the virtual boy (no relation to Nintendo’s ill-fated platform, mind) up a bit. Dimitri talked to him to further cheer him up about a recent move that was apparently difficult for him. Milo responded happily.

Said Molyneux to those in attendance:

“I love these revolutions and I love the future that Milo brings.”

And that closed the Milo presentation. Keep an eye on TED Blog, where a video of the presentation is due to appear later this week.

Source: via Kotaku

New Fable III Video Focuses on Swordplay and Animal Slaying

Bryce Wilson — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 08:02:38 +0000

Combat is a central point of Fable III, and as with any game, keeping the flow is crucial to maintaining player interest. Well if you ask me, it looks like Lionhead studios has definitely nailed it. This gameplay video of Fable III shows the Hero rescuing a little girl from a pack of ravenous wolves, and the ease with which the player switches between his gun, magic, and sword styles is amazing. The Hero kills at least 20 wolves in under a minute and makes it look effortless. Honestly, I ended up feeling just a little sorry for the wolves (PETA people may not want to watch).

Peter Molyneux: Demos Are “Never a Good Idea”

Dylan Duarte — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 05:25:56 +0000

Peter Molyneux, gamer creator and Lord of Over-hyping, has lashed out at the concept of game demos.

In a recent interview with Games Industry, Molyneux expressed his displeasure in game demos, saying the following:

“Anyone out there who thinks a demo is a good idea is crazy. It’s never a good idea, because demos are usually done at the end of a game and they require an enormous amount of design talent to make a demo. The other thing is you’re more likely to satisfying the curiosity of a user rather than entice them to play more.”

I completely disagree. I had zero interest in games like Crackdown 2 and Transformers: War for Cybertron until I played the demos and now I plan to pick them up. In fact, I wasn’t even sold on Crackdown 2 until I disabled the timer and was able to experience the game at my leisure. Let me rephrase: the more of the game I was able to play, the more I wanted to purchase it.

I’m sure Molyneux’s idea of demos satisfying gamers rather than enticing them to buy is true for some people. My point is that it’s not true for all and so making a blanket statement like “Anyone out there who thinks a demo is a good idea is crazy” is, in fact, the statement of a crazy person.

And as a commenter on Go Nintendo pointed out, Fable III is being split into episodes, with the first episode being free.

“We give away the first chapter entirely free, the first hour. When you reach a certain point in the game it says ‘thank you for playing the pilot of Fable 3, do you want to spend an extra 2-5 or whatever dollars to buy the next episode, or buy the whole lot?’ Press ‘yes’ and you will immediately continue playing.”

Molyneux claims this will work better than a demo, but doesn’t explain how it’s any different from a consumer standpoint. Am I totally missing something here? I invite readers (and my colleauges) to chime in with their opinions.

Microsoft: Milo Isn’t Coming, Even Though He Is, Except As a Tiger, Only He’s Not

David Oxford — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 23:29:43 +0000

Not only do the people at Microsoft and Lionhead Studios seem to be on different pages when it comes to Milo, but it appears they aren’t even reading the same book.

First, in case you’ve forgotten, Milo is the Peter Molyneux’s pet boy, used to demonstrate the awesome, raw potential of what was then known as Project Natal at last year’s E3. Most gamers scoffed at the idea of a– pardon the expression– virtual boy, but that’s only because they might have considered the prospect of a virtual girlfriend, and just won’t admit to themselves that this is where they’ve wound up.

Well, most gamers, with the exception of X-Play‘s Adam Sessler. He noted that “it’s a lot easier to keep a little boy trapped in your TV, rather than inside your basement.”

But will he get the chance? The answer is… maybe? We think?

At this year’s E3, which rebranded Natal as “Kinect,” many games were shown off for Microsoft’s all-seeing eye (well, “all-seeing,” so long as you keep standing up) with one exception. Milo was conspicuous by his absence, which has led to plenty of questioning about whether or not they’ll get to interact with the 21st century sea monkey.

Game Informer reported earlier today that Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft’s Director of Product Management, had told ABC TV’s Good Game website (via VG247) that “[Milo] is a technology demo that continues to exist, but right now it’s not a game that we’re planning to bring to market.”

Numerous reports said that the project was still ongoing, with Molyneux saying it was better than ever.

Microsoft Game Studios Vice President Phil Spencer had a different take, however, telling Official Xbox Magazine that the tech is coming to the public, but in a new form. “Milo and Kate, the technology is stuff that we’re still incubating back in the studios,” he said. Remember Kinectimals?

With that being the case, one has to hand it to Molyneux: the tiger is a step up from the boy.

“We may not have had anything to announce today with Milo but understand that those investments in creative research show up in many places,” Spencer added.

Since those reports, however, it seems that Greenberg has had a change of tune, and VG247 changed with it, as the link Game Informer had to their earlier story now leads to this one, which cites a clarification given to Kotaku, where he said:

“Project Milo absolutely continues in development at Lionhead Studios. It is just not a product we plan to bring to market this holiday. The team at Lionhead has always been a center of innovation and will continue to deliver against that charter.”

And finally, the last piece of the puzzle comes through Joystiq, who has reported that a TweetPhoto from Lionhead Studios’ Sam Van Tilburgh was posted earlier today and was told “There’s about 50 people on the ‘Project Milo Team.’” See for yourself:

So, there you have it: the whole, convoluted mess. And now: aspirin.

Peter Molyneux: Milo is Now “Ten Times” Better Than Last Year’s E3 Demo

Sam Naylor — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:14:54 +0000

Peter Molyneux has begun saying outrageous things once again, this time coming up with the concept of mathematical quality measures in games. It appears that if you multiply last year’s Milo and Kate E3 demo by ten, you’ll have what Milo and Kate is this year.

Molyneux has told CVG that not only does Milo and Kate still exist, but that it is “10 times more amazing” than before. He also says that the game is fully completed, but I doubt that, especially with motormouth Molyneux on board.

“It’s only when you see it in its entirety and play it that you realise it’s robust enough for people to play on their own,” he says.

Here are some other things he’s said this week:

“Milo will be able to call you a fag, just like all the other 12 year old boys on Xbox Live.”

“Fable 3 actually changes the player’s real face and physically scars them as they play.”

“Lionhead Studios will be more famous than Jesus by the end of 2011.”

E310: Lionhead’s Milo & Kate: Still Alive

Demi Adejuyigbe — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 05:55:36 +0000

There are few things worse to hear about in the news than a child’s death. Lionhead knows this, and despite rumors that they had committed brutal murder of the duo in favor of Kinectimals, Milo & Kate is still alive and well. According to Peter Molyneux, they’re better than well. 10x better, even- and math has never lied to me. (Well, once, but it didn’t mean to and it apologized.)

Speaking to CVG, Molyneux says that Milo & Kate is not only playable, but robust and ten times better than what we saw when they introduced the game at E3 2009. He promises us that it’s much more impressive now, and if true, this could sweeten some of the bad taste Kinect left in mouths (I don’t like where this sentence is going, but pressing backspace is admitting defeat!) of gamers on Monday.

Molyneux has a reputation of putting love and care into his series- from Black & White to the Fable trilogy- so I have no doubt that the game is as impressive as he says. But if that’s true, why was it notably absent from Microsoft’s keynote? It would’ve been received a lot better than some of the announcements Microsoft made. Hopefully we’ll see more of this game before Kinect releases this November.

Molyneux Confirms Spring as our Current Season, Fable II DLC Details Blossom Soon After

Chad Lakkis — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 04:04:55 +0000

In a recent chat, Lionhead Studios head Peter Molyneux revealed that the current change in temperature we are experiencing is in fact Spring, and with that comes another Fable II DLC.

“The next DLC comes out in the spring … We’re in the spring now so don’t think months, think more like weeks. It’s called See the Future.”

Amazing. The man is brilliant. One minute the snow is there and then poof.

Molyneux goes on to explain that the first DLC was a tad bit rushed by his somewhat overworked team (crack that whip Peter!), however he assures fans that much more time was spent perfecting the story this time adding “It’s going to test you a little bit emotionally …”

Oh snap! I promised myself I wouldn’t cry.

Source: Kotaku

British TV man accidentally reveals Fable 3

Sam Naylor — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:57:06 +0000

British TV presenter and celebrity-man Jonathan Ross has revealed in his Twitter that he “Got asked to do voice in Fable 3 tonight.” Needless to say, in a later update he mentions that he has to “apologize to Peter Molyneux”. Whoops. In any case, it looks like we’ll be seeing a Fable 3 in the future, with or without Ross’ voice.

I feel a bit sorry for Molyneux, since his so-far secret baby has been revealed to the world (well, mostly just to people who read gaming blogs). Oh, and another post of his suggests that “Charlie Brooker said he would do a voice for it to[o]!”- another British TV man, but this one is a funny, funny man.

360 Review: Fable II

John Landis — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:56:38 +0000

Fable II is one of those games that some people have been waiting for even before the original was released. Peter Molyneux tried as hard as he could to keep things low key, but try as he might, the hype machine just could not be stopped. So, does the game live up to expectations or does it soil itself trying to impress the ladies? Read on dear reader, and find out….

Fable II takes place 500 years after the first Fable. The story has relatively little to do with the first game, so if you haven’t played the original (shame on you), you won’t be missing much. There are little hints and easter eggs thrown in here and there, mostly in the form of books and stories laying around the world. Even if you don’t get some of the references, it won’t hurt the story or gameplay too much.

It’s 500 years in the future, so of course most of the events from the original have become children’s tales and myths. It’s actually kind of neat, but you really won’t know one way of another if you haven’t played the original, it will just be one more book of flavored text to help bring the world of Albion to life.

You start off as a orphan kid (boy or girl, your choice) eking out an existence with your older sister on the rough-and-tumble streets of Bowerstone’s Old City district. It’s a hard-knock place to grow up, and all your sister wants is to be safe and happy in a castle. Through the course of the child tutorial-type stage, you’ll help her get a chance to make a wish that will change your life forever.

This portion of the game really lets you get a feel for the way the rest of the game runs, and it’s one of the better tutorial-type sections of a game I’ve played. The advancement of time going from the end of your childhood days to that of a young adult also allows the game to show off how much of an impact your character can have on the world.

Even as a young adult moving out of the big city, the game still takes your hand for a little while yet, but this allows the character progression to really focus on how your actions affect the world around you. It also gives you a direction while you figure out exactly what you want to do with your character. It can be a little frustrating playing a game like this and being dragged along a quest with little or no freedom to explore, but it works out for the best once you get through it and finally get to go out and explore the world at your leisure.

The story is very good and quite compelling. It’s not often that I get into a game’s story as much as this, but I could really relate to the motivations of the main characters, as well as the views of all the secondary characters. Even Lucien, the villain, was complex enough that you could identify with him. It wasn’t a matter of being evil for evil’s sake, there was actual depth to the character.

It makes things much more interesting when you have a character that actually has motives behind his actions that are more than just a lust for power. This makes an all the more satisfying story because it’s so much more plausible, in my mind, for someone to turn to evil as a last recourse rather than just wanting to destroy things for the hell of it.

One of my favorite characters (and one that received a lot of attention) was my canine companion in the game. While I don’t think it went as far as Molyneux had hoped when he talked about it in press conferences, I certainly did like having the dog around. I didn’t exactly fall in love with him or anything, though.

I enjoyed playing fetch and watching him run in front of me while I was exploring. I genuinely got upset when he wasn’t around, afraid that he had been injured in a fight and I hadn’t noticed. This wasn’t only because I liked the cute little guy, but because having him around and healthy has tangible game benefits — he will find treasure chests and buried treasure for you and warn you of enemy threats, even going so far as attacking enemies that you manage to knock to the ground.

Frankly, the benefits of having him around are enough to pay attention to him, but it’s because of that that you’ll start to feel closer to the dog. He’s pretty much at your side all the time, and the few times we were separated because of the story, I actually missed the little guy. He does change with your character’s alignment, but not as much as your character will.

Good characters will have a golden blond-colored dog that plays with all the villagers, while evil characters will have a black dog that growls menacingly at the locals. There is nothing more satisfying than hearing some stupid yokel say “Aww, ain’t you a cute little… oh, nice dog! Please don’t hurt me!” Maybe that’s just me, of course. I’m sure there are people out there that will choose to actually be good (bo-ring).

Good and Evil are not the only things that affect your character’s look, unlike the original game. It’s actually fairly complex and a fun little game in and of itself if you’re going for a certain style. First of all, not only is your look affected by your actual in-game statistical number for good and evil, which can change quite quickly if you work at it, but also by the quest decisions you make. If you want to be the ultimate evil-looking badass, you have to stick to your guns, no matter how hard it may be to steal that orphan’s lollipop.

The biggest thing that affects your look is where you put your experience points. If you want to have a heavy-hitting melee fighter, expect to bulk up, while shooty types who spend points in skill will get taller, and magic users will get Tron-like blue glowy vein things all over their body. If you don’t like the way an attribute makes your character look, that’s too bad. You can’t have a waif thin heroine and expect them to be able to deliver awesome damage with each swing of their Master Greataxe of Fiery Vampirism.

Another layer of the character’s look is Purity and Corruption. It’s similar to good and evil, but it’s different enough that after a few hours of playing you’ll understand what the difference is. Doing things like eating meat, having pre- or extra-marital unprotected sex, and charging a lot for rent are things that will corrupt your character, making them uglier and more evil looking. Doing things like charging low rent, eating vegetables, and banging only your wife (or at least using a condom if you bang someone else) will purify your character and clear up their skin.

The last two things that affect your look are scaring and fatness. You get scars mostly from “falling out” in combat, but there are other things that may cause you to get scars. Generally, combat doesn’t seem to cause scars like it did in the original, which is good since there is no armor in the game this time around. Eating fatty foods and drinking alcoholic beverages will get your character to beef up in the gut if you’re not careful. Throwing in certain veggies and other magical foods will decrease your cellulite levels and make you hotter to the local virgins, but just like real life it’s a lot easier to put it on than it is to get rid of it.

All of this combined can really force you to think about what you are going to do with your character. I mean, do you really want to eat that apple pie to get some hitpoints back when it’s going to add ten pounds to your butt? Are you still going to want to play dress-up with your female character after they start to look more and more manly?

I personally spent a lot of money on fish since they are a corrupting food (you know, they used to be alive and all) but were mostly fat free. I did spend some time buying up celery after a drunken binge one session, as that is one of the few foods that will actually burn fat. I’ve never had to think about what my character was eating before. The best part is that I spent all this time running around looking for healthy food while I was sitting there smoking a cigarette, drinking a Pepsi, and eating junk food in real life. Sort of made me feel sick and pathetic that I was taking so much better care of my character than I was of myself.

A lot has been made of the one button combat of Fable II, but I have to say that it works surprisingly well. The X is for melee attacks, Y is ranged (bows and guns) and B is magic attacks. You get experience based on what attacks you do and bonuses for mixing things up. It’s also neat to me that the colors of the different experience orbs, and thus the skills, match up to the colors of the buttons on the controller. It’s a small thing, but it seems to make things easier for non-gamer-types to get what button does what into their heads.

While one-button combat may seem overly simplistic and make the game sound like another Dynasty Warriors slash fest, it’s complicated and deep enough to keep things interesting. It’s cliché, but it’s one of those things that’s easy to do, hard to master. Okay, maybe not hard, but complicated enough to be interesting.

Things are definitely a little lame at first, but once you get some of your skills leveled up a bit and get new combat skills and magical powers, and the enemies actually start to put up a fight, the combat can be quite rewarding. The best thing about it is that even when you’re getting your ass kicked, you still feel like a badass.

Another great innovation to the combat is the complete lack of magic points. There is no mana or MP or anything to manage at all. You can throw fireballs or lightning bolts just as easily as you can shoot your gun or swing your axe. It’s just another small thing that allows the combat to flow without having to worry about trivial things like ammo or other typical RPG-type micro-management malarkey.

It also allows the combat to just look awesome. There is something to be said for shooting a dude with a lightning bolt, knocking him into the sky with your axe, and then shooting him as he flies through the air.

The world is rich and beautiful and the graphics are top notch. The world of Albion really seems to be alive, and each area is distinctive and remarkable in its own way. The separation of the different sections is a bit of a downer, though, as you never really feel like places connect. There is no overworld map or anything, just a magical exit between different zones, and going from one zone to another requires traveling through some kind of unknown, non-existant wilderness that basically just gives you a load screen and advances the game time a certain amount.

It breaks up the areas a bit too much for my tastes and really damages the feel of it all being part of the same world. It’s a small thing and a bit nitpicky, but besides that relatively small gripe, the areas are fantastic and world overall is just amazing.

Another problem with the graphics and art style isn’t really a problem exactly, but it is something. The world is very well done and much more realistic than the first Fable (for the most part). It’s still got that fantasy vibe going, but it’s much more believable than the first one. My problem with this is that there is a definite silliness to the game that just sort of clashes with the harsh “realities” of the rest of the world. I mean, the town of Bowerstone just looks incredible and the characters look great, but your interactions with them are limited to goofy interactions like dancing and belching. Well, and chopping their heads off, but that’s a different kind of interaction.

It’s just strange to be the most evil and hated person in Albion because I ran around growling like a dog and farting in people’s faces. It is funny and it works for the game, but it did seem to sort of clash with the rest of the game’s atmosphere. That may be more of a personal thing, though, as there were times where I genuinely enjoyed farting for the sake of a child’s laughter or taking off all my clothes and pelvic thrusting my way to a public disturbance charge. It’s definitely not a level of character interaction like Mass Effect, but it tends to work for this game even though it clashes with some of the harsh realities of other aspects of the world.

No matter how evil you are, people will still laugh at you.

Lastly, and one of the biggest things for me, is the multiplayer. I was really looking forward to being about to run rampant around the world with my wife or brother in tow, or being able to go in and help my wife with her game when she asks for it (and only when she asks for it). There are very few games she’ll play, and Fable II is one of them, which says something about the accessibility of the game right there, especially if you know my wife. Which you don’t, so this does absolutely nothing to help you. I guess that whole thought process just wasted a bunch of your time. Sorry!

Unfortunately, as fun as the co-op can be, there are some definite problems with it. First, you play as a henchman if you join someone else’s game. In Lionhead’s defense, it’s exactly what they said it would be as far as that goes, but it’s still a little disappointing not being able to be your character in someone else’s game.

The henchmen does have your character’s stats if you choose it to, but otherwise they’re just generic NPC-looking types. Even their weapons are not based on what your character has, but you can select whatever types of weapons you want and the generic weapons will have stats based on the level of that character. You will still have your spells and experience and the like, so it’ll still be your character as far as the stats go (sorta), but it just won’t look like it.

The only other issue with the multiplayer, and also the biggest for me, is the camera. Whether you’re playing on the same system or over Xbox Live, the camera goes from being controlled by the right analog stick to being static. That’s right, you can’t just move the camera around wherever you want. Instead, you have to tap the left bumper to center the camera behind your character. Either player can do this which just leads to other problems if the two of you keep fighting over the camera. It’s especially problematic in the more hectic fights with large groups of very agile enemies.

I just don’t understand that design decision at all. I mean, I can see it making sense if you’re playing on the same system, but it just seems silly to do this over XBL. Camera problems aside, though, co-op is a ton of fun if you’re in later stages of the game. Mostly the game is too easy to make co-op really enjoyable, but there are parts where it is an absolute blast… as long as you don’t have a partner that likes to shop or look at menus all the time.

While the other person is shopping or browsing around the menus, the game just pauses for the other player. More could have definitely been done to make multiplayer more enjoyable, but as it is, it’s good for short stints into a dungeon or helping someone else out against a tough boss, but mostly it will fall to the wayside because of these small but annoying problems.

Overall, I’d say that Fable II is a fantastic game and does what the original set out to do and then some. While there are certainly aspects of it that could have been better, or just strange design choices in some areas, overall the game is superb and one of the best games I’ve played this year. If things seemed a little picky, that’s because I was being picky.

Fable II is a wonderful, wonderful game where the sum of it’s parts far exceeded my expectations. That being said, it’s a strange juxtaposition of silly and serious, where you can fart in people’s faces then take them back to your place and have sex, complete with pregnancy and STD concerns. It’s a strange combination of mature and immature that somehow manages to come together and work, and it helps solidify the world of Albion as a strange yet wonderful home away from reality that forever lives on in my Xbox 360.