After spending the last several hectic weeks playing almost exclusively game demos, I’ve come to a (single) conclusion about how best to convince potential buyers to spend money on your title. It’s simple, really: give it to them straight. Make their initial experience the first thirty-five or so minutes of the actual game.

Sounds like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? But an astonishing number of otherwise fine trials are bumbling around out there inexplicably divorced from what makes them great. Which is usually a combination of context — the game’s flavor, its atmosphere, its thesis — and curve — the game’s teaching moments, its interoperable rules, its mechanical revelations. These elements snowball over the course of a fantastic title. They don’t come across even a little bit when glimpsed out of sequence.

As Peter Molyneux puts it, “demos are the death knell of experiences.” His plan to start “giving away” the beginning of Lionhead Studios’ future games strikes me as brilliant. But whether or not this installment model spreads to other development houses, the best of them are already onto the core concept. Take Brütal Legend for instance. Try that promo and then compare it to, say, the demo for Infamous. Both of them are great, but only one feels like a holistic experience.

It’s a distinction that can make all the difference in terms of consumer interest.

It appears, though not officially announced, that Fable III may be delivered episodically judging by Peter Molyneux’s comments to Edge (via Total Video Games). He revealed that an inspiration for the next chapter in the Fable series was none other than Charles Dickens: “The fascinating thing [about Charles Dickens' books] is that he wrote them as episodes in such a way that there would be cliffhangers so people would go out to buy the next, but if you’ve got the whole book it doesn’t feel episodic.” Seeing as Fable II is currently available in episodic form on Xbox Live, it’s not foolish to think that Fable III may appear in the same way. A game of that size (popularity-wise) would no doubt also be available in disc form for huge number of Xbox 360 gamer’s not connected to Live. If so, that would negate the issues that Valve had with it’s Half Life 2 episodic content. We had to wait far too long between episodes 1 & 2 with episode 3 yet to be released. I’m keen to see if or rather when Microsoft or Lionhead Studios confirm the news because Molyneux hasn’t done a great job at keeping it secret if it is indeed true!

Lionhead Studios, the United Kingdom-based computer game development company led by industry veteran Peter Molyneux (now part of Microsoft Game Studios), is getting ready to make an announcement, its first since the release of Fable II last fall. The iconic image of revolutionary Che Guevara has taken over the front page of Lionhead and includes a select quote from the man: “At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love.” Underneath the picture of Guevara there is a thumbs up and a thumbs down icon. The intriguing teaser has the video game world abuzz wondering if Lionhead’s new release will be a Che Guevara guerrilla game.

One of the best things about video games last year had to be the dog from Fable II. Ok, I may have been a bit generous there considering it was the same year as Metal Gear Solid 4 and GTAIV but still, I loved that furry lil guy! (oh and if you haven’t finished Fable II yet then you may want to look away now). In order to make us feel real connection to the mutt, Lionhead Studios decided made us choose between killing your faithful friend and saving the world or letting him live and letting everyone else die. But worry not, the addition of Knothole Island allowed us to bring the ol’ boy back to life – something that was a result of numerous hate mail and death threats towards studio head, Peter Molyneux (reports GameSetWatch). He commented to Eurogamer just after the Fable II was released about how someone emailed him personally saying [Molyneux] deserved to die [for such a thing] – steady on! The angry chap continued with how he would never buy a game again unless a patch was added to rectify the dog’s death.

On one hand you can’t blame such a reaction as this surely was what Lionhead and Molyneux were after – maybe not the so severe but a strong connection anyway. On the other hand of course, it is only a game…

Nå er det virkelig lenge siden jeg har blogget, siste post er faktisk så langt tilbake som i april. Jeg sluttet med bloggingen midt i eksamensperioden min og slutten av skoleåret, derfor tenkte jeg at det var lurt å begynne opp igjen sammen med et nytt semester. Merker allerede nå at dette kommer til å bli et langt innlegg… puh!

Nytt skoleår på HiØ og jeg er nå klar for å spesialisere med innenfor de fagene jeg skal kunne undervise i. Allmennlærerutdanningen er 4-årig hvor man de første to årene tar de obligatoriske fagene som matte, norsk og pedagogikk. De to siste årene skal man altså spesialisere seg og mitt valg falt da på samfunnsfag. Samfunnsfag består av, i grunnskolen, fagene geografi, historie og samfunnsfag. Håper på et bra år hvertfall, selvom jeg er en smule skeptisk til ekskursjone for å kikke på stein- og bergarter. (Geografi)

Siden jeg har spill som tema på denne bloggen vil jeg gjøre en oppsummering av min spillsommer, som har vært mer eller mindre storslått… Vel. Iallefall begynte jeg sommeren med å gå igjennom en del spill jeg allerede har fullført for å skaffe meg mer gamerscore. Man kan vel tydelig si at jeg har blitt bitt av basillen og endt opp som en gamerscore-hore. Så jeg dro meg igjennom litt Crackdown, Gears of War, Mirror’s Edge og litt Guitar Hero/Rock Band på jakt etter små og store summer med G’s. Det var hvertfall begynnelsen på sommeren, men selvom jeg nesten hadde krabbet meg opp fra 7000 G til 9000, skjønte jeg at jeg ikke ville kunne runde 10000 uten å skaffe meg noen nye spill. Min lillebror ville etterhvert komme med noen av hans nye spill, men frem til det måtte jeg låne litt. Rundet 10000 gamerscore ved å spille igjennom Call of Duty: World at War og Harry Potter: OotP, som var to helt ålreite spilll. CoD synes jeg har gått seg litt fast i de samme mønstrene av oppdrag og baner, men noen av achievementsene gav en utfordring. Klarte ikke å drepe generalen med pistolen på 200 meters avstand, men jeg er tross alt bare menneskelig. Harry Potter var et ganske middels spill, hva man egentlig kan forvente av et EA-har-kjøpt-en-tittel-spill, men synes det var ganske morsomt for det. Jeg lånte også med meg Viking: Battle for Asgard og jeg må bare få si: MAKAN til møkkaspill skal du lete lenge etter. Protagonisten var en klump med muskler som løp som om han gikk i 5 meter med gjørme. Spillet gikk egentlig bare ut på å trykke på X og Y annenhver gang og med en historie som var like gjennomført som en våt gymsokk. Jeg spilte ikke igjennom dette, fingrene mine formet seg til knyttnever hele tiden.

Det hele forbedret seg da Trym kom, spillnivået gikk betraktelig opp. Fable 2, SKATE samt litt Halo 3-gaming gjorde at spillsommerene ble ganske så lys. Fable 2 var en fantastisk opplevelse, nydelig spill med en virkelig sær form for humor. Jeg var litt kjedelig og valgte å være snill, men jeg fikk en god del gamerscore ut av det. Lionhead introduserte også en følgesvenn, som jeg mener var egentlig ganske nyttig. Joda, det var en del glitches og mye tull man måtte igjennom for å holde hunden gald, men hunden hjalp deg tross alt i kamp og fant nedgravde skatter. Et genialt spill!

SKATE var også en positiv opplevelse og jeg føyer meg i rekken som sier at spillet slår Tony Hawk-serien ned i støvla! Måten man behandler brettet på gir en helt ny opplevelse av skate-spill som jeg ikke har sett før. Men for å ikke gjenta hva utallige spillanmeldere har sagt hele tiden, så nøyer jeg meg med å si at SKATE er et spill som bør spilles!

En spennende spillsommer har det vært altså, uten så alt for mange nye titler. La meg bare få slutte denne oppsummeringen med å fortelle om 22 September. Da kommer nemlig Halo 3:ODST som vil være det nyeste kapittelet i Halo-serien. Nå skal ikke jeg fortelle mer om hva spillet handler om og alt slikt, men jeg må nesten fortelle om min forhåndsbestilling av ODST hos GameStop. Forhåndsbestilling av spillet med Sarge som firefight-figur og man får Collectors edition for 199,- kr hvis man bytter inn 2 xbox360-spill! Regn med at jeg er der når butikkene åpner på 22 September.

Helt til slutt vil jeg bare si at jeg nå spiller meg igjennom [Prototype] og at det vil komme en “anmeldelse” av det senere. Mye mulig at jeg begynner å blogge små anmeldelser av spillene jeg fullfører, men vi får se hvor aktiv jeg vil være der.

Det jeg vet er at jeg hvertfall kommer til å blogge mer, har fått gløden tilbake igjen og når “fruen” min også har begynt å blogge aktivt så bør det nok gå.

- Magnus “Gamer” Valebjørg.

While it’s certainly welcomed news to hear Lionhead Studios confirm that Fable III is coming out next year, the more surprising news is that Lionhead also announced that it will releasing its acclaimed RPG Fable II via episodic downloads over Xbox Live starting September 29th.

Fable II: Episodes will consist of five downloadable chapters, each of which will contain a particular chunk of the full game. It includes all of the achievements and content found in the retail game, plus all the additional content from the DLC packs Knothole Island and See the Future.

General manager of Microsoft Game Studios, Phil Spencer, said in a statement:

“With the launch of Games on Demand on Xbox LIVE, we have a great tool in place to deliver classic titles in an incredibly convenient fashion…With the Fable II episodic model, we’re encouraging people to experience the first chapter of the game for free, then move onto other chapters when they are ready. It’s a unique model and one that will appeal to gamers who’ve been hesitant to dive full into the original retail release.”

And should you decide to purchase the retail disc after playing through a few chapters, not to worry. Your character will be carried over, meaning you won’t have to start from scratch. Aside from the first episode, which is free, Lionhead has not revealed how much each episode will cost, how much content will be available in each one, or how often the episodes will be released. But seeing as they start rolling out next month, it shouldn’t be too much longer before more details are revealed.

Anyone thinking about checking out Fable II via episodic downloads?

A sorpresa durante il gamescom microsoft annuncia l’arrivo del terzo capitolo della saga “fable” che incredibilmente arriverà nel 2010 (e non nel 2011 come si pensava) e sarà completamente rivoluzionato rispetto ai capitoli precedenti. Inoltre lionhead fa sapere che i lavori dei proprio titoli per il natal sono in ottima fase di sviluppo.

Къде се е чуло и видяло, да има игра на Питър Молиньо, и Молиньо да не се появи и да започне да ви разправя колко интересни са, някакви абсолютно безинтересни неща?
По случая, ето ви едно такова видео за Fable III

Fable III a fost anuntat de Peter Molyneux  si va aparea tarziu in anul 2010 ,dupa 2 ani de la fable II.Principalul obiectiv al jocului este sa deveniti rege in Albion si sa conduceti oamenii catre fericire ,iar imperiul catre glorie.Molyneux promite ca Fable III va fi ceva indraznet si nou,spunand ca povestea si drama vor juca un rol important.Noi lucruri vor fi facute cu ,cainele  si cu mecanicul bread-crumb-trails ,care au fost prezenti in jocul precedent si veti avea control total asupra actiunilor voastre si al oamenilor ,fiind regele Albionului.Va fi nevoie sa echilibrati oamenii in emotii pentru a-i face fericiti,ba chiar veti putea sa puneti taxe si sa decideti cum veti domina peste subiecti.Se pare ca veti incepe jocul ca fiu sau fiica al eroului din Fable II la jumatatea drumului de a deveni rege.Asta inseamna ca va trebui sa pastrati salvarile din Fable II pentru un rezultat mai bun .

Sursa : Slashdot

Приключвам вечерта с едно от големите обявления на тазгодишният GamesCom ‘09 – Fable III.

Мен лично проектите на Питър Молиньо вече са ми малко безинтересни, но ще видим с какво ще ни “лъже” този път

PS: Разбора на титаничното количество трейлъри и видеота продължава утре…

Microsoft Studios announced Fable 3 this morning at GamesCom 2009. I’ll through up some more info later on but for now check out the teaser trailer:

Click Here

]]> http://gameinsano.com/2009/08/19/gamescon-09-molyneux-unveils-kingdom-in-fable-iii/ Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:14:39 +0000 Douglass Perry http://gameinsano.com/2009/08/19/gamescon-09-molyneux-unveils-kingdom-in-fable-iii/

Cologne, Germany holds the annual European show, GamesCom, and this year the surprises are bigger and better than in years past. For one, Sony announced a $100 price cut for PS3 along with its new PS3 slim model. Second, Lionhead Creative Director Peter Molyneux revealed his studio is in the works not only with Milo and Kate of Project Natal E3 fame, but with Fable III. (Check the video here.)

It's good to be the king...

Unlike a most designers trained by PR folks to hold back information and stick with the cue cards, Molyneux dives right into the details of his new game, due exlcusively on Xbox 360 in 2010. Fable III is connected to Fable II in that the game will analyze your indescretions and those will play a part of how you are perceived in Fable III.

The third in Molyneux’s action-RPG series, Fable III puts you in the shoes of a son or daughter of your character from Fable II. Only now yuo are positioned to inherit the role of king of Albion, and the world has changed dramatically. It’s industrialized, there is more crime, and you are a politician who must figure out how to make things work, while essentially trying to please everyone.

“We’ve spent a lot of time at Lionhead thinking about how we can innovate the gameplay and progress the world of the Fable games for its third chapter, and we’re confident that players won’t second-guess what we have planned for Fable III,” said Molyneux. “Though I can’t give too much away right now, players should expect to have to make much tougher choices with far wider consequences than ever before in Albion—and with many more interactive adventure elements.”

Good or bad? You will decide your kingdom's fate by passing judgment or investigating crimes.

Molyneux introduced two new mechanics for next year’s Fable III: Judgments and Touch. When you are king, you’ll see numerous people come before you who have committed crimes. Should you punish them outright or investigate their story? These judgment situations serve as quests. You can summarily sentence the person, setting an example for the rest of the kingdom, or you can investigate. Molyneux said, for example, a young girl was caught stealing. If you investigate, you might find that she was trying to feed her starving family.

The other mechanic, Touch, enables players to turn a simple handshake into a hug or a kiss, or something more, according to Molyneux, who sheepishly teased the audience. Another example he gave of Touch was of you saving a child who was stuck in a burning house. In Fable II, you would just prress a butto and save the child. In Fable III, you would actually go in and walk out with the child, where everyone could see you. “I’m going to tease you with how we’re doing this, and it’s one sliver of what we’re doing with Fable III.” Could he possibly be talking about Project Natal? Hm…when was Molyneux ever subtle?

Peter Molyneaux and Lionhead Studios announced “Fable 3″ for the Xbox 360 today at Gamescom 09. Seems as though you will start out as a son/daughter of the current king and play the first half of the game as an adolescent, eventually succeeding the king to rule the kingdom.

Esa no la esperaba. En el marco de la GamesCom, Peter Molyneux, cabeza de los estudios Lionhead y hombre de confianza en Microsoft Games Studios, dió a conocer que la continuación de su famosa serie Fable está en camino y la propuso para finales del 2010.Entre los detalles dados a conocer, el más importante es de que se va a tratar el juego. Esta tercera parte te pondrá en el papel del hijo o hija de tu actual heroe de Fable II y empezarás una revolución para convertirte en el gobernante de Albion. Tal como lo escuchan, este juego tendrá más tintes políticos, y gran parte del título se centrará en conseguir y mantener el poder, así como dictar el camino que seguirá Albion.

Molyneux ha dejado bien en claro que una vez que seas rey no sólo te dedicarás a estar sentado y dictaminar sobre tu reino, puesto que las aventuras seguirán aún estés en el trono. El desarrollador hizo también énfasis en las maneras que tu pueblo puede ser dirigido:

¿Qué tipo de reino te gustaría tener? ¿Pobreza/ambición, tiranía/compasión, progresista/tradicionalista?

No todo será miel sobre hojuelas una vez que hayas ganado el poder, ya que para llegar a él, como en cualquier otra carrera política, tuviste que haber hecho pactos, tratos y promesas, y los involucrados te harán saber que quieres que cumplas.

Se habló también de dos nuevas mecánicas de juego: Judgement y Touch. Judgement, como su nombre se indica, se trata sobre dictaminar sobre las acciones de la gente de tu pueblo. Uno de los ejemplos dados fue sobre una niña que robaba comida y fue aprehendida  y llevada hasta tu corte. En ese momento tu tendrás la posibilidad de dictarle sentencia o de investigar que fue lo que en realidad pasó. Touch es un remplazo directo del sistema de expresiones. Esta nueva mecánica te permite interactuar totalmente con todos los NPC (non-playable characters).

En lo personal he de decir que jamás imaginé un juego que tratara sobre el proceso de la lucha, obtención y consecución del poder, un juego que pusiera en movimiento a nuestro Zoon Politikon, un juego en el que te dedicaras a gobernar como tal. Espero más información con ansias, y tan pronto la tengamos, se las haremos saber.

More joyous reporting at the news of Fable III being announced by Peter Molyneux himself! The game will take place 50 years after Fable II with some returning characters. Albion will be in a Napoleonic-styled period (with hints of Regency, Victorian and Industrial ages) allowing players to play as a “king-like role” when influencing the world around them. For example, you start as a descendant of the previous game’s hero and become more and more powerful both physically and financially. You can then use this newly acquired gold to help the poor or regenerate dilapidated regions and so forth. Molyneux also gave more of his ‘pinch of salt’ promises with “I think there’s something fundamentally wrong with RPGs like Fable. It’s a mechanic that’s been there since the eighties. I’m going to take that foundation stone and throw it away.”

Whether you believe him or not the main point is that come 2010 (most likely towards the end) we’ll have another Fable to play – and that’s fine with me!

Fable III. Is Coming Soon!!!!!!!

According to Microsoft Fable 3 will make it’s appearance in mid 2010 or later. Lionhead Studios is going to give the player a totally ‘new and fresh’ look in Fable 3. Their are only a few features leeked about the game. But one of main changes according to Molyneux, will be to take out the ‘mechanical’ look out of the game that was present in the Fable 1 and 2. But what is exactly the mechanical part that will be thrown away? Well no one nows yet, but it is obvious that the interface will go under big changes.

Another expected change will be that the players can become royalty themselves. Which sounds awesome to know that you can rule the people in a way that suites you. But of course their is a twist in the game that whatever you do as royal player their are consequences yo be faced. But I guess the excited players just have to wait and see.