The Future Of Fable Games: Online Potential

The Journey evoked the past the franchise is sorely in need of honoring. The hiring of Needham could presage the concepts it uses to do so uniquely. Whether or not Fable 4 would find success with such a model, well, that's another matter entirely. But with Microsoft anxious to preview its exclusive launch line-up for the next-gen Xbox both at its May 21 press conference and, doubtless, E3 2013 , it might be long before we find


Is Fable the best game in this near-decade old franchise? Which other Xbox Originals could do with a total re-mastering? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check in with all of the latest Fable news, right here on Game R


For many gamers, Fable 's 2004 debut marked a high-water point for the quirky, irreverent series. With its expansive scope, cosy tone and unashamedly puerile humor, the title earned its way to plenty of plaudits, and even more admiring follow


It's hard to say that the Fable franchise was left on the best footing by 2012's Fable: The Journey . Released last October, punctuating the Peter Molyneux era at Lionhead Studios , the game's reception was mixed at best, with many reviews like ours highlighting some demonstrable Kinect-based gameplay flaws despite an intriguing storytelling prem

Peter Molyneux is the man, or as the title suggests, the God, has been in the business since 1982. He began his climb to the top of the mountain by selling floppy disks containing Atari and Commodore games. After he dabbled in the development of a business simulator and some database systems, Peter founded Bullfrog Productions. Their first title was Populous, an award-winning god game which sold more than 4 million copies. In 1997, he left Bullfrog to join Lionhead Studios where he found more success and immortalized himself as a designer. Black & White, a god game with strategy and fighting elements, won many awards and became the company's flagship title until few years later. Fable, an open world RPG, brought the company even greater success. It placed Lionhead at the top of the industry. Peter Molyneux has since left the studio to found another. Wherever Peter works will be innovative.


Should the listings indeed apply to Fable 4 , Lionhead's "reimagining" may well arrive in the form of a next-generation, free-to-play MMO. For one, The Journey , as mentioned, already took a significant departure from the Fable foundation with its implementation of Kinect-based gameplay and a more linear narrative. And when Lionhead hired former Cryptic Studios CEO John Needham to head up operations this April, parent company Microsoft was quick to extoll his "deep understanding" of "subscription-based, massively multi-player, client-based console and free-to-play online [experience


For those who had a hard time getting the original game and its expansion pack Fable: The Lost Chapters to run on the 360, it's a real shame that the re-worked effort is also set to become immediately outdated. Developing the game as an Xbox 360/ Xbox One downloadable might have made more sense, given the timing of the anniversary as slap bang in the middle of the second wave of Xbox One tit


In an interview with Digital Spy , Head of Lionhead Studios John Needham explained that this new online direction for the studio isn't going to be exclusive to Fable Legends . Following the departure of Peter Molyneux , Needham - who has an MMO pedigree - took over the studio in his stead. With that pedigree, he said that all future games from the studio will boast "connected" aspects. Being candid about his roots, Neeham said, "We're online game guys, that's the studio. We love online games, we love interaction with real people, and we want to bring that magic to Fable" . He explained that interaction between characters and NPCs is what made the world of Albion a special place to play in. The goal of Fable Legends is to experiment with that dynamic and see what would happen if you substituted those interactions and brought in real players to the


Seeking to fill vacancies for an animation director and a core engine programmer , the listings became notable for their job descriptions and preferred-experience requirements. Both positions, they read, will be "key contributor[s] on an unannounced title," and both desire applicants with "knowledge of Unreal Engine 3 and/or


It looks like there's a lot more to look forward to this month, with more releases on the PS4 and Xbox One. Although it won't be until March that the next-gen titles start pouring in, February should have many releases to keep gamers occupied. Ranters, what are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments section below! As for me, I'll be counting the days until Thief releases on St


The comment is an odd one as thus far, Fable Legends looks like it has a very direct approach to online play allowing you to set up games with friends, while both Journey and Dark Souls had more passive systems that limited interaction with other players. They were powerful multiplayer experiences though, and if Fable Legends can figure out a way to incorporate some of their elements into the game, it could be a great compliment the co-op heavy gamep