Joystiq

Lionhead job openings point to Unreal Engine 4 powering next game

Danny Cowan — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:15:00 EST

Fable series developer Lionhead Studios is currently seeking a gameplay programmer and an automation engineer for an upcoming unannounced project, emphasizing that knowledge of Epic's Unreal Engine 3 or 4 is required for consideration.

The company additionally seeks a core technology programmer and an animation director. Lionhead notes that the animation director position requires a "background working on new franchises or reimaginings of existing franchises."

Previous Lionhead job listings sought online multiplayer level designers, hinting that the developer was working on "an MMO-like title for next generation consoles." Ex-Cryptic CEO John Needham was recently named Lionhead's Studio Head following the departure of co-founder Peter Molyneux.

Lionhead job openings point to Unreal Engine 4 powering next game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 May 2013 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable: The Journey could be a rough one

Mike Schramm — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 13:30:00 EST

Lionhead designer Ted Timmons says he learned a lesson after showing off Fable: The Journey to the public for the first time at E3 2011. "It's fine to be on rails," he says a year later, at the tail end of E3 2012. The spin-off was famously labeled as "on rails" by the public thanks to an early demo, and Timmons told Joystiq that while the team was surprised at the response, they eventually got a different message out of the whole thing: "We shouldn't be distracted by the whole 'on rails' issue," he says now. "We just want to make an awesome Kinect game."

The Journey's awesomeness is yet to be determined, but it is certainly a Kinect game. The E3 2012 demo featured about ten minutes of two different levels in the game. You use Microsoft's all-seeing camera to snap and steer a horse's reins, throw a magical spear and open a locked door with magic spells.

But while it all works (once you're shown how to do it - the tutorial is still a work in progress), the real question here is whether this journey is one worth taking.

Gallery: Fable: The Journey (E3 2011)

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Fable: The Journey could be a rough one originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Jun 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Molyneux: Microsoft was a 'creative padded cell;' 22 Cans will see his 'best' game ever

Jessica Conditt — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:30:00 EST

Peter Molyneux, creator of Fable and famously parodied developer, left Microsoft and Lionhead Studios last month to establish 22 Cans, a brand new development house. 22 Cans marks Molyneux's fifth studio founding, but there's something different about this one, he told Develop:

"I believe it has all led me to this point. I believe the greatest game I've ever made is still ahead of me."

Molyneux is adamant that he is building something special with 22 Cans, in both the structure of the company and the games it will produce. So far he has co-founder and former Lionhead programmer Dimitri Mavrikakis, data miner Paul Knight and IT director Tim Rance on board, but Molyneux is looking to have 22 people total from various industries, including architects, veterans, fresh faces and people who know nothing about the video game world.

These people will help Molyneux make his "best" game ever; a game he couldn't create while at Microsoft. "I was in a creative padded cell," Molyneux said. "Microsoft was so safe. Microsoft was so nice. You're so supported. Everything I did couldn't hurt me, both creatively and physically. The danger was long gone. I had this huge desire to make something truly special, and I felt like I was being suffocated creatively a little bit."

Continue reading Molyneux: Microsoft was a 'creative padded cell;' 22 Cans will see his 'best' game ever

Molyneux: Microsoft was a 'creative padded cell;' 22 Cans will see his 'best' game ever originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable devs leave Lionhead to form Another Place

Xav de Matos — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST

The brothers Carter have reunited, and it must feel good. Former Lionhead staffers Dene and Simon Carter have made good on their promise to form a new UK-based studio, aptly calling the venture Another Place Productions, according to Gamasutra. The pair were key players in the development of the Fable franchise, and bring with them a number of other essential players from that team.

Former art director John McCormack, technical director Guillaume Portes, and executive producer Jeremie Texier have all stepped away from their former home at Lionhead to join Another Place.

Simon Carter left his position last year, after co-founding the Lionhead satellite studio, Big Blue Box, which was responsible for the Fable series. Eventually, all satellite studios were absorbed into Lionhead as one complete entity, which is owned by Microsoft. At the time of his departure, Carter said he hoped to work on games for digital platforms like XBLA, PSN, Steam, and mobile titles, but it's unclear what Another Place will work on first.

It's unclear how their departure will affect development of the upcoming Kinect-specific title Fable: The Journey, which is scheduled to launch at some point this year, which we're hoping works out better than Fable 3 did.

Fable devs leave Lionhead to form Another Place originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Buy Peter Molyneux's E3 badge for a good cause

JC Fletcher — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST

Looking for the perfect accessory for that "Peter Molyneux at E3 2011" costume you've been putting together for the last week or so? Good news: you can buy Molyneux's E3 badge on eBay, and all the proceeds go to charity.

Continue reading Buy Peter Molyneux's E3 badge for a good cause

Buy Peter Molyneux's E3 badge for a good cause originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable: The Journey utilizes Unreal Engine 3

Ludwig Kietzmann — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 19:45:00 EST

The cheerful hobbe you see above has been rendered in Unreal Engine 3. Lionhead Studios is using Epic's technology to power Fable: The Journey, a first-person Kinect game set in the land of Albion.

We'll ask Lionhead what user-side benefits the technology offers for this game in particular (which is a major departure from the franchise), but you'll be pleased to know that Peter Molyneux's already giving it the hyperbolic treatment in the press release. "Already we are seeing a more beautiful, vivid and unique world full of dramatic moments and have crafted new, never seen before gameplay experiences."

Fable 3 was built on Lionhead's own technology, which could be fairly described as "rickety."

Gallery: Fable: The Journey (E3 2011)

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Fable: The Journey utilizes Unreal Engine 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable: The Journey features Kinect-based journeying

JC Fletcher — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:25:00 EST

Peter Molyneux has just announced Fable: the Journey for Xbox 360.

The first-person Fable experience features Kinect integration, allowing the player to draw shapes in the air to cast spells. It also appears to be on-rails -- shades of Dead Space: Extraction?

Fable: The Journey features Kinect-based journeying originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable 3 combat lead gets combative about game's reception

Justin McElroy — Tue, 17 May 2011 13:00:00 EST

It's a comfort to know that though Fable 3 (launching today on PC) may have represented a downturn in quality from Lionhead's previous game, the studio's talent for utter delusion is as robust as ever.

Combat lead Mike West starts out well enough, detailing for Eurogamer some improvements in the PC port, like control schemes optimized for mouse and keyboard and a beefed-up graphical engine that supports higher resolutions and 3D effects. But when West starts defending Fable 3 against critics, things get ... weird. Here's a sample.

"[Fable 3] is a better game than Fable 2."

... That's not a good start, but keep going.

"Fable 3 wasn't very buggy - it was pretty polished. It all fitted together very well and as a product it was very good."

If you'll remember, as with all "pretty polished" games, Lionhead had to solicit bug reports from the community after the game's release.

"People saying the story wasn't very good was unfair. It's an interesting situation of you gather people together and then defeating the main bad guy."

Umm, Mike? ... Hey Mike? That last thing you said? That's not really what happens in your game. Well, it's what happens in the first half. ... Oh, wait, did you only play the first half? Not that we blame you of course, but it would explain so much.

Fable 3 combat lead gets combative about game's reception originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 May 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lionhead survey seeks feedback on Fable franchise

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:35:00 EST

What's your favorite Fable game? Lionhead is seeking the (obvious) answer in a community survey that's also intended to rank the franchise's thirteen core features, as listed by the developer, in order of importance. Fable players are asked to evaluate design elements like accessibility, British humour, co-op and the Dog, assigning each its rightful, subjective rank. (And what about the bugs, you're wondering? Those are actually dealt with in a separate survey.)

"Sure we could try and digest 1,000,000 forum posts and come up with the data that way," Lionhead community manager Sam Van Tilburgh wrote in a community call to take the survey, "but it would take way too long and so it isn't very efficient."

"Lionhead has a long relationship with a large and passionate community," Van Tilburgh added in a comment on the post, "so it's just a continuation of what we've been doing for many years now" -- and, presumably, for many years to come. Head of the pride Peter Molyneux has previously said his studio has plans for at least a Fable 4 and 5, which could include Kinect integration (not mentioned in the survey).

Fable 3 debuted last October and went on to become the #7 bestselling release of 2010 on Xbox 360, according to NPD data published by Gamasutra. The PC version is still unreleased.

Lionhead survey seeks feedback on Fable franchise originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable Coin Golf, Game Room coming to Windows Phone 7

Christopher Grant — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 22:45:00 EST

After dropping details on Avatar Kinect and the crazy amount of Kinects sold in its first 60 days on shelves, Microsoft's Steve Ballmer moved onto another recent Microsoft product launch: Windows Phone 7. While the Crackdown and Halo brands already have some presence on the platform, Ballmer took the opportunity to reveal that another major Microsoft Game Studios brand is making the leap to the small screen. Fable Coin Golf brings everything you know and love about Fable to your phone ... specifically, the coin golf part.

Alright, so we didn't see what Fable Coin Golf is exactly, but Ballmer did reveal that all the gold earned in Fable Coin Golf (presumably earned playing golf?) will be sent straight to your Fable 3 character on the Xbox 360, ala Fable Pub Games and Fable 2, for the old-timers in the house. During a montage that followed the reveal, we also spotted the retro-themed Game Room service, specifically arcade classic Centipede. We'll try to dig up more on the service's mobile offering during CES this week. For now, make your best guess as to what precisely Fable Coin Golf is.

Fable Coin Golf, Game Room coming to Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Free Fable 3 weapons DLC available now

Randy Nelson — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 21:40:00 EST

Microsoft has released free DLC for Fable 3 on the Xbox Live Marketplace. The content includes two weapons: a war hammer (the "Bloodstone Bludgeon") and a rifle ("Gusket's Musket"). Neither will be immediately available; they're added to your "gift queue" and be unlocked as the game progresses.

PSA: Free Fable 3 weapons DLC available now originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 21:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable 3 'Kingmaker' companion game coming Oct. 1 to 'smartphones'

Randy Nelson — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Back in August, Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux teased that, while there wouldn't be a Pub Games-like companion game for Fable 3 on XBLA, something similar was in the works -- seemingly for mobile phones -- that we'd see in October. Well, that something would definitely appear to be Fable 3 Kingmaker, a "smartphone" game due on October 1. The title was revealed by the UK's Xbox World magazine and detailed by CVG.

"The battleground is your town, and your only weapon is your smartphone," according to Xbox World, which, when combined with statements like "plant virtual flags for the Royals or the Rebels" and "claim power-ups in locations throughout the United Kingdom," suggests that Kingmaker will be a foursquare-style app based on checking in at different locations in the real world. "For every flag you plant, and every power up you claim, you shall earn gold coins, which you shall then be able to transfer into the Fable 3 game on your Xbox 360," the description reads.

Of course, this information is UK-centric, so we're checking with Microsoft's US PR to clarify release plans for North America. There's also the matter of what exactly a "smartphone" constitutes in this case -- will the game be released in the Apple App Store and Android Market? An official site for Kingmaker has been launched, which, for now, simply contains some artwork and the October 1 date.

Fable 3 'Kingmaker' companion game coming Oct. 1 to 'smartphones' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable franchise expected to incorporate Milo's technology

Christopher Grant — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 09:35:00 EST

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."

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Fable franchise expected to incorporate Milo's technology originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peter Molyneux on the App Store, RPG design and more

JC Fletcher — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

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."

Peter Molyneux on the App Store, RPG design and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable 3 for Windows not arriving day-and-date with 360 version

Randy Nelson — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:20:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

PC gamers will have to delay their journey into the land of Albion for a bit. Microsoft has confirmed today that the Windows version of Lionhead's action RPG Fable 3 will not, as originally planned, arrive on October 26 alongside the Xbox 360 release. "The console and PC versions are now on different schedules as we're focusing on building experiences optimized for each platform," the publisher said in a statement received by Joystiq. "We aren't announcing a ship date for the PC sku at this time, but expect news soon."

Although Microsoft couldn't provide us with a revised release date, it did seek to assure those PC players awaiting Fable 3 that it's not game over for that version. "We will be offering PC players the ability to pre-order 'Fable III' for Windows, and in fact, retailers such as Amazon.com and Game (UK) are taking preorders today for the PC version of Fable III," the company said.

Still, we don't expect Windows users to deliver a victorious arm pump emote until a new date is set in ~~Bower~~stone.

Fable 3 for Windows not arriving day-and-date with 360 version originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Develop: Molyneux talks Fable 2 problems, Fable 3 fixes

Kyle Orland — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:32:00 EST

Despite "generally favorable reviews," there were quite a few people out there who had some serious problems with Fable 2. And to hear Lionhead's Peter Molyneux talk at the Develop Conference in Brighton today, he's one of them.

Molyneux's hour long on-stage presentation of Fable 3 included a veritable smorgasbord of self-deprecating remarks about the problems in the first two Fable games that would be fixed or mitigated in the threequel. For instance, Molyneux lambasted his studio for throwing way too many unnecessary features into Fable 2, even citing a study showing that most people didn't use more than 60% of the available features. Even when a feature was used, Molyneux said, it was often only used once and didn't factor into the larger game enough. For example, "most people did get married, but it didn't mean anything, it was just an excuse to have sex," he said. At one point Molyneux likened Fable 2 to "designing a car with 300 buttons on dashboard when you only need a steering wheel."

Gallery: Fable 3 (E3)

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Develop: Molyneux talks Fable 2 problems, Fable 3 fixes originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lionhead talks about Fable 3 voice stats, emotional storytelling

Kyle Orland — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

If you thought the amount and variety of spoken dialogue in Fable 2 was ridiculous, then the voice statistics Lionhead is targeting for Fable 3 will... um... also seem ridiculous to you.

Speaking at the Develop Conference in Brighton, Lionhead Audio Producer Georg Becker mentioned that the upcoming title would feature about 80 actors speaking over 460,000 recorded words, representing a full 47 hours of speech in the final game. For context, Becker estimated Fable 2 had a mere 50 voice actors speaking a paltry 370,000 words over a laughably short 36 or 37 hours of speech.

Gallery: Fable 3 (E3)

Continue reading Lionhead talks about Fable 3 voice stats, emotional storytelling

Lionhead talks about Fable 3 voice stats, emotional storytelling originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable 3 combat video is not safe for wolves

JC Fletcher — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:00:00 EST

Lionhead's latest Fable 3 video depicts an epic fight against a pack of wolves who are endangering a young girl's life, in which the hero transitions effortlessly between the sword, gun, and magic combat styles. Although, given the sheer power at the hero's command, it comes off a lot more like a massacre of some helpless animals.

Continue reading Fable 3 combat video is not safe for wolves

Fable 3 combat video is not safe for wolves originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable 3 launches on October 26

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:03:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Ready to drag some slaves back into your dungeon, Fable-style? Well, you'd better be, 'cause Fable 3 is heading to Xbox 360 and PC on October 26. Peter Molyneux hit the stage at this morning's Microsoft press conference and let the release date slip. We'd love to tell you more, but frankly, there's not much else to say. We'll have a new trailer for you (featuring dog grabbing, no joke) just as soon as Microsoft hands it over.

Fable 3 launches on October 26 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable 3 also conquering lands on PC; Collector's Edition detailed

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 21 May 2010 09:50:00 EST

This morning, Microsoft officially announced that Fable 3 will be heading to the PC as well as the Xbox 360, confirming news derived from last week's accidental box art reveal. Standard and "Limited Collector's" editions were also detailed -- for $59.99 and $79.99, respectively -- with the latter coming with several in-game and physical items (seen in full after the break).

Since the Windows iteration will only be available in the standard version at retail (for just $50, might we add) and downloadable "exclusively" through Games for Windows Live Marketplace, all PC players will be able to access the extra quest, region, and dog breed that come with the Xbox 360's collector's edition. Between now and the game's fall release, why not take a look through these exciting retail mockups below in our gallery? Oooh!

Gallery: Fable 3 Box Art (Xbox 360/PC)

Continue reading Fable 3 also conquering lands on PC; Collector's Edition detailed

Fable 3 also conquering lands on PC; Collector's Edition detailed originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 May 2010 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable 3 dev diary reveals Jasper the butler, played by John Cleese

David Hinkle — Thu, 13 May 2010 14:27:00 EST

We can't imagine anybody being a better butler than John Cleese. It's not that we've always pictured a life of indentured servitude for the man -- we're just excited by the prospect of hanging out with him in Fable 3. After you've seen this latest Lionhead dev diary, you'll wish you had your own, luxurious Jasper immediately.

Oh, there's also talk of the game's new 3D graphical interface -- but is that played by John Cleese? We thought not.

Fable 3 dev diary reveals Jasper the butler, played by John Cleese originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 May 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable 3 art team working on a menagerie of animals

Mike Schramm — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:00:00 EST

You may not have been too disappointed by Fable 2's lack of animals (filthy, stinking animals), but Lionhead's Lead Artist John McCormack was, and he tells Beauty of Games that he's making up for it with the next game. "The lack of animals in the Fable franchise is always something that has bothered me," he says, and so in Fable 3, "we've built bats, crows, rabbits, ducks, robins, vultures, lizards, rats, butterflies, moths, insect swarms, dogs, fireflies, geese and we even started on a cow."

Rest assured that animals won't be the only new part of the experience, though -- McCormack also says his team is hard at work on incorporating the new Industrial aesthetic into the game's buildings, morphed weapons and NPCs as well. He's not sure whether all of those animals will eventually make it into the finished product, but we hope so -- vultures need to be Touched, too.

Fable 3 art team working on a menagerie of animals originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 May 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ben Kingsley joins Fable 3 voice cast

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 06 May 2010 16:15:00 EST

If you thought that the Fable 3 voice cast couldn't get any classier, you'd be wrong. But how, you ask? The game already packs the wonderful John Cleese and the inimitable Stephen Fry, you say. Well, guess what? Ben Kingsley, that's what. Oscar-winning, Gandhi-playing, Ben Kingsley. The actor informed CVG that he'll be portraying the "king of Mist Peak," whom Kingsley described as "a wonderful wizard character." He added that acting in video games is "very demanding."

And with that, maybe it's time to forgive Mr. Kingsley for Bloodrayne. Then again, maybe we should wait to see how that Prince of Persia movie turns out.

[Image: David Shankbone]

Ben Kingsley joins Fable 3 voice cast originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 May 2010 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Make babies with a co-op partner in Fable 3

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:30:00 EST

Still not sold on Fable 3 as an iterative improvement over the last game in the series? Well, you might just change your mind when you hear about the game's latest feature, which was recently revealed in the latest Official Xbox Magazine: When you're not busy building a monarchy and roaming the wild landscape of Albion, you'll "be able to enjoy, ahem, intimate moments with your co-op friend and eventually produce offspring together," according to the mag.

We hope this isn't another one of those "no, really, the trees will grow" scenarios, because this is quite possibly the sexiest thing we've ever heard. Sure, it might lead to some horrifically awkward Xbox Live voice messages, but its raw sexiness is undeniable.

Gallery: Fable 3 (X10)

Make babies with a co-op partner in Fable 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Fable, other Xbox Originals are 'Deal of the Week'

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:15:00 EST

This week's Xbox Live Deal of the Week finds a few Xbox Originals at a 33 percent discount (sounds so much more substantial that way). As previously noted, the promotion includes the original Fable for 800 ($10), along with Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas at the same $5 discount.

Before you impulse buy, make sure you aren't interested in next week's Deal of the Week, which finds all of Fallout 3's DLC (Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta) at 400 ($5) apiece. Broken Steel is a must-have for the level cap increase, but all the packs help deepen the already epic game.

PSA: Fable, other Xbox Originals are 'Deal of the Week' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Molyneux: Motion gaming is making devs 'sweat'

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:32:00 EST

You hear that, developers? You should be shakin' in yer boots -- motion-based gaming is going to force you to throw away everything you've ever learned about game design and start anew. At least that's what Lionhead's Peter Molyneux (not so exaggeratedly) had to say when quizzed on the subject of the "arms race" between the big three for waggle supremacy. "All of this stuff is making all the designers sweat -- I've met lots of designers at GDC, and we're all very bleary-eyed at the moment because every rule we've got, we're having to throw away," Molyneux told Eurogamer.

And understandably so. Between WIi's established console dominance (not to mention last year's MotionPlus add-on), this week's unveiling of PlayStation Move, and Microsoft's Project Natal this holiday, there's a lot to work with. It's this problem, though, that Molyneux believes will forge new types of game experiences in the years to come. "I don't think the first wave of these motion-control titles will be what you expect .... just as with every hardware chain, it's the second wave where they usually come up with stuff that's interesting ... so the second wave could be really cool."

And as far as Natal in Fable 3 goes, the eccentric developer kept mum on the specifics, only offering, "You can expect us to use Natal to make you laugh and to surprise you and to give you this feeling of power -- there are some very obvious things we could do, like controlling the GUI in Natal, and it doesn't really excite me." Tom Cruise will be so disappointed.

Molyneux: Motion gaming is making devs 'sweat' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peter Molyneux would 'love' to see Fable 3 on PC

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST

There was an interesting moment during the Q&A session of Peter Molyneux's Fable 3 panel at GDC this year. When asked if Fable 3 will be released on PC, Molyneux was cagey though he did say that he would 'love' to see the game appear on the platform. He was careful not to raise the ire of Microsoft's "PR police people ... with sniper rifles," but went on to state, "I can say, mystically, that I love the PC." He continued, "I love what's happening to the PC, and I would love to see the Fable franchise on the PC." He concluded that he would want to make sure it was "a truly amazing experience on the PC and that, you know, it's brilliant."

Hardly a confirmation of any actual plans for a PC version of Fable 3 -- and it should be noted that Fable 2 has remained exclusive to the Xbox 360 since 2008 -- but it's clear that Lionhead would jump at the opportunity if given the chance.

Peter Molyneux would 'love' to see Fable 3 on PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable 2 sold 3.5 million copies, Lionhead 'needs' 5 million for Fable 3

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST

Speaking during GDC, Peter Molyneux highlighted Lionhead's strategy for Fable 3, specifically noting that a franchise will die if it fails to grow. "If we don't grow as a franchise, If Fable doesn't get bigger as a franchise," said Molyneux, "then it will eventually die." Lionhead is "very happy" with the success of Fable so far, with Molyneux stating that the original Fable sold "about 3 million" copies, while Fable 2 moved approximately 3.5 million.

He added that he hopes that 25-30 percent more people will play Fable 3, explaining Lionhead's plans to craft Fable 3 as more of an action-adventure title -- a genre which tends to perform better than RPGs. The overall goal for Lionhead is to sell more than five million copies of Fable 3. According to Molyneux, Fable 3 needs to sell that many in order to "be part of the big boys, the big blockbusters."

How will Lionhead rope in that many new customers? Read our full coverage of the Fable 3 GDC panel to find out.

Fable 2 sold 3.5 million copies, Lionhead 'needs' 5 million for Fable 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peter Molyneux explains Fable 3 menu, morphing systems

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST

click to visit the new Albion

Peter Molyneux has made it clear that Fable 3 is ditching as much of the 2D interface from Fable 2 as possible. Speaking at GDC, he finally showed us exactly how Lionhead will achieve this. According to Molyneux, Microsoft user research revealed that a majority of Fable 2 players understood fewer than half of the features in the game. "We're creating content that people literally don't care about," said Molyneux.

To help rectify this, Fable 3's menu system is managed entirely from within the game world. When players pause the game, their character is instantly warped to a chamber with different rooms that serve different functions. Molyneux specifically demonstrated the dressing room, where players will change clothes. Molyneux contrasted the process with that of Fable 2, in which changing outfits was like "going in the morning and choosing index cards to choose what you wear."

Gallery: Fable 3 (GDC 2010)

Continue reading Peter Molyneux explains Fable 3 menu, morphing systems

Peter Molyneux explains Fable 3 menu, morphing systems originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Live Marketplace release schedule for March

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:30:00 EST

Though we already know the bulk of the March release schedule for new content on the Xbox Live Marketplace, Major Nelson's blog recently laid out how the rest of the month will play out. Tomorrow, we'll get our hands on Scrap Metal for 1200 ($15), next Wednesday will see the release of Perfect Dark for 800 ($10), and on March 24, we'll get our hands on the (somewhat) free Game Room hub. Oh, and the Games on Demand service got a bit crazier today with the release of Condemned: Criminal Origins for $19.99.

If you're an insatiable value-hound, you should turn your attention to the upcoming Deals of the Weeks: The original Fable will have its price reduced to 800 ($10) from 1200 ($15) during the week of March 15. All of Fallout 3's add-on packs, including Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta, will be offered at half price (400, or $5) during the week of March 22. For the rest of the schedule, including Avatar outfits and add-on packs, check out the list after the jump.

Continue reading Xbox Live Marketplace release schedule for March

Xbox Live Marketplace release schedule for March originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Molyneux combats fear of Natal input lag

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST

The problem of input latency is something that keeps popping up in coverage of Microsoft's Project Natal. It's something we noticed when demoing Natal at TGS last year, something Microsoft promised to address before launch. Apparently, certain outlets are still noticing latency issues, which has prompted both Microsoft and Peter Molyneux to come to the peripheral's defense. The comments come in response to reactions from a recent event held in London for non-enthusiast press.

Speaking to GI.biz (account required), Molyneux noted his "frustration" at seeing the press use a version of Natal that has since been "exceeded many times over." Said Molyneux, "So very often you get a position that what a person's looking at is two, three, four months, a year old and you kind of want to go, 'no, no, it's 10 times better than that!'" He added that there have been "countless" revisions to Natal's camera and software since X10, which was held just weeks ago. Furthermore a Microsoft source told GI.biz that the unit demonstrated in London was "one-tenth as responsive" as the current revision.

Microsoft doesn't have any Natal presentations planned for GDC next week, but maybe, just maybe Molyneux will show us how far the peripheral has come during his panel on intuitive game design.

Molyneux combats fear of Natal input lag originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why not take this Fable 3 merchandise survey?

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:46:00 EST

Remember when Lionhead and Microsoft decided to make the collector's edition of Fable II much, much less appealing by removing the sweet little Hobbe figure? Now is your chance to make that right, thanks to a Fable III merchandising survey posted by Lionhead. The survey asks users to rate different categories of merchandise, based on how much said merchandise is desired. Do you want book? Coffee mugs? A nice T-shirt, perhaps?

Of course, the answer is no. You don't want those things. What you want is collectible Hobbe figurines. Preferably with mix-and-match accessories. Also, just remember that we would never influence our readers for personal gain. Now go ask Lionhead for some Hobbes.

Why not take this Fable 3 merchandise survey? originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable 3 co-op to bring full characters, dogs, weapons into friends' games

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:58:00 EST

If there's one thing we could've used in Fable 2, it was a more fleshed-out co-op system. Sure, we could see our friends' orbs floating about Albion and we could even invite them to play as a one-off character in our world, but it was one unable to collect experience or have any lasting impact on our game. As you might image, Lionhead's head lion Peter Molyneux is ready to deliver just that in Fable 3. Molyneux told the 4Guys 1UP podcast: "I heard you all about co-op. You want to have your own hero come into the world. Okay, fine, you can have that definitely."

Detailing the system further, he admitted that the player's dog and weapons will also be available in co-op. "When you come into my world, you come in as your hero, with your dog, with all your unique weapons, self-crafted weapons. I heard you -- you don't wanna be tied to my camera, you wanna go off and do your own thing in my world. Fine, fair enough."

That said, he warned about "consequences" from bringing in said friends to your own version of Albion. "It means careful who you invite in, 'cause they can screw the whole thing up, man!" And then, when the possibility of using the new "touch" functionality came up, things took a turn for the weird. "Yes you can use touch with your co-op partner. Yes you can walk down the street hand-in-hand. Yes you can drag your co-op partner to your dungeon and see what happens. Absolutely." Keep in mind, folks -- what happens in the dungeon stays in the dungeon. Rawr!

Gallery: Fable 3 (X10)

Fable 3 co-op to bring full characters, dogs, weapons into friends' games originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fabled interview: Peter Molyneux at X10

Xav de Matos — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:55:00 EST

It doesn't take much for Fable III designer Peter Molyneux to get going on and on about his latest project. We even managed to squeeze in a few questions for the Lionhead boss, who was on hand at yesterday's X10 media event to unveil his studio's next grand fable.

Of course, it just wouldn't be polite to kick off a conversation with Molyneux without first checking in on the little one.

Joystiq: So, how's Milo?

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Fabled interview: Peter Molyneux at X10 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable III dev diary reveals 'extreme morph' feature

JC Fletcher — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EST

Ready to see a few seconds of Fable III in action? Ready to see Peter Molyneux and other Lionhead staff tell you how awesome it is? Check out the first developer diary of the game above.

Molyneux introduces the "extreme morph" system, which allows players to show their alignments in dramatic ways at the press of a button. His example? "You're walking along and someone upsets you.You can press this expression, and out of your back appears these huge angel wings. A shaft of light comes down and shines on you. Everyone around you steps back, and, 'Oh, my goodness!' You're showing your true character."

The Fable III peek also briefly introduces the weapon morphing system and the "touch" system, and it features several shots of people being stabbed, sometimes with interesting-looking weapons. Good stuff.

Fable III dev diary reveals 'extreme morph' feature originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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X10: Welcome back to Albion, Fable 3 screens emerge

Xav de Matos — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:07:00 EST

albion my way, just as soon as you click through to this gallery

Microsoft has just sent off a handful of screens for the upcoming Lionhead adventure, Fable III. Featured in the images is a gruff-looking anti-hero, who has clearly lost more than a few followers from a slew of evil decisions. The pirate isn't all bad, though; one image shows the gun-toting maniac playing with his son ... unless, of course, kidnapping is a brand new Fable III feature.

Gallery: Fable 3 (X10)

X10: Welcome back to Albion, Fable 3 screens emerge originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Molyneux: Fable 3 news at X10 will make you 'super pissed off'

Richard Mitchell — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST

Speaking to Gamereactor, Lionhead maestro Peter Molyneux revealed that there will be some big Fable 3 news at the X10 event this week. "There's some very, very big things happening in Fable," said Molyneux, "Bigger than you think, and it's going to really upset people." Molyneux added that he is "really scared" about telling people the news, saying, "They're going to get super pissed off, they really are." Still, he concluded that it's "the right thing to do," and confirmed that he will be demonstrating the mystery announcement at X10 in San Francisco. Joystiq's theory: The entire story of Fable 2 was a dream sequence. Whatever it is, we'll be delivering the news directly from X10, so Joystiq's staff and readers can all get pissed off together.

In the meantime, be sure to watch the whole interview, which also contains some really interesting talk about Project Natal.

[Via VG247]

Molyneux: Fable 3 news at X10 will make you 'super pissed off' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo Wars, Fable 2 join Europe's Xbox 360 Classics

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:15:00 EST

Eurogamer reports that two new games have been added to the Xbox 360 Classics budget line in EU territories. The two games are Fable II and Halo Wars. If you need a refresher, Fable II is Lionhead's brilliant, charming adventure that we kind of liked back in 2008. Halo Wars on the other hand, serves as both the first Halo RTS spin-off and the swan song of Ensemble Studios. The games can now be had for the tempting price of £19.99 ($31) apiece. Both are worth picking up -- just be sure to watch out for those Warthog rushes.

Halo Wars, Fable 2 join Europe's Xbox 360 Classics originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable 3 'almost at its final edit' stage, says Molyneux

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:30:00 EST

The head of MGS Europe assuredly has a few more things on his plate than the third game in a franchise he helped create, but in a recent feature on Peter Molyneux at Develop, the British creator calmly pronounced the game to be nearing its "final edit" stage of production. Whether he means "ready for submission to Microsoft" or "we haven't started polishing it yet" (or, heck, anywhere in between) remains unclear, though we'd certainly like to get our hands on the final product sooner rather than later.

Additionally, Molyneux triple dips on his love for Valve, proclaiming Half-Life 2 as his "favourite" game ever (you crazy Brits!) as well as the game he would most like to have worked on, and also notes the developer as the one he most admires (get a room, you two!). And hey, if you've been hankering to know his "favourite" album, it's Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon." (Yep, we were kind of disappointed too.)

Fable 3 'almost at its final edit' stage, says Molyneux originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable III to see the light of day next month

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:45:00 EST

Lionhead community manager Sam Van Tilburgh recently teased his Twitter followers with a pair of less-than-140-character missives. Tilburgh spent this past weekend "writing storyboard summaries for two new Fable 3 videos," which will apparently "come out when we show Fable 3 for the 1st time at an event next month in SF." Of course, for that second Tweet, we're assuming "SF" stands for San Francisco, and not a much smaller venue, such as "Sam's Foyer."

We're not certain what event Tilburgh is talking about -- it's possible that Lionhead might be planning its own event to introduce the world to the flatulence-simulating technology it's discovered over the past year. Regardless, we're not too far off from seeing more of Fable 3, and that fills us with joy.

[Via Eurogamer]

Fable III to see the light of day next month originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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