This is Bowerstone, circa Fable III. Little late to catch the steampunk bandwagon, sure, but clock-powered bad guys and RPGs with trains and moustaches are always appreciated.

Fable II: Game Episodes is the full version of Fable II split up into five easy pieces, with all of the achievements, co-operative gameplay and hero-creating joy of the retail release. Xbox 360 owners can download the first episode today for free, taking their hero from childhood to young adulthood in the first volume, and then additional volumes are available at the player’s leisure. It’s the Time-Life Books of gaming.

Additionally, players who purchase the disc edition after downloading the free episode will carry over all of their statistics, experience, and items relatively seamlessly.

If you’ve yet to experience Fable II for yourself, you have no excuse anymore.

Speaking to IGN AU, the Lionhead man was asked about the state of core games in the wake of the success of the Wii. Molyneux says he’s worried about the future of core games:

“Core gaming is about being challenged and facing things you haven’t face before. And this is a harsh comment but Jesus, we live in an age of emotional blandness, where the hero’s journey – for films – defines everything. And God, I’m so sick of sitting in cinemas and thinking, ’seven-and-a-half minutes… right—cue the scary music, and here we go.’ Why do we do it? We do it because a lot of our entertainment is created through focus groups and through studying consumers – and that’s fine, but that’s not how we innovate.”

Focus testing is often done badly, Molyneux says. As a designer, he doesn’t get anything out of asking someone “did you like this?” and is concerned that such testing doesn’t delve more deeply into what the player feels.

“Well, the thing about focus testing is – and this makes me feel old a lot of the time – when it’s used to ‘prove’ something and as a comfort blanket for people, I don’t think that’s right. If I as a designer present to a group – which I do, a lot – and I say, ‘look at this – tell me what you feel about this moment.’ And if people respond with ‘I feel scared’ or ‘I feel happy’ or ‘I feel excited’, that’s really useful, man. And if I as a creative take a look at it and say, ‘ah, that’s not what I was going for’, then you need to go back to the drawing board.

“If you were to go to a focus group and say, ‘did you like this?’ then that’s a completely different way. You’re not learning from this – you’re just saying ‘that’s good’, ‘that’s bad’. I worry about overuse of this.”

It’s quite worrying to hear that this is standard practice through the industry. Focus testing should be about providing the designer with data that enables them to further iterate their design. Valve, famously, don’t even ask their focus testers for verbal or written feedback; they just watch them play and take notes.

I’m curious to hear if any of you have ever focus tested a game and what your experience was. And any developers out there, how useful is focus testing for you?

Peter Molyneux: A Conversation [IGN AU]

It’ll include both the game’s downloadable content packs (Knothole Island, See The Future), and while there’s no release date or US pricing available, we do know it’ll be £40 when it’s released in the UK.

Kotaku AU Note: No word on a local release either.

[via Eurogamer]

In an interview on the choices the Fable series forces its player to make, Molyneux said Fable II’s ultimate decision was a bridge too far for some. They so resented being forced to choose between sacrificing all their companions – including the beloved dog – or a sizable group of people, that they wrote in, vociferously. Molyneux told GameSetWatch he “did have hate mail from people” who couldn’t sacrifice the greater numbers, and said bye to the dog.

It all “got to such a furor,” Molyneux said, that Fable’s first DLC was changed to allow the dog to return to the game.

You can look at this one of two ways: One, that Molyneux diluted the force of his game’s calling card: choices and their consequences.

Or, two, that this isn’t like filmgoers complaining about a surprise ending. Gamers don’t just passively experience the story, and having no idea they’d be asked to do something this uncomfortable is quite a shock. I’m not sure I’d sent “hate mail,” (I’m not sure how vehement it was, either), but I’m willing to see the gripe’s legitimacy.

In-Depth: Peter Molyneux on the Importance of Choice [GameSetWatch via Destructoid]

Microsoft Gamescom Press Conference

I find it extremely interesting to scroll down through the giant collage, seeing what other players have done with the main character from the game. Through the course of Fable II, the hero you create becomes a part of the game, to the point that when someone talks about the title you’re picturing your own hero in your head. Looking at what other people have created is almost like looking through windows into alternate realities.

Plus, it’s an excellent place to steal other peoples’ ideas and make them your own. I am totally recreating my hero to look like the Tim Schafer angel in the middle there.

Big Hero Gathering #4 [Fable II Development Blog]

A post by Sam Van Tilburgh on the Fable II development blog this morning reveals that Fable II avatar clothes are coming soon to an Xbox 360 near you. A package of Fable II clothing will be made available for purchase later this month, featuring various articles of game-related clothing you can purchase for “a few Microsoft points.” You can actually see a bit more of the Fable II gear in our post on Xbox 360 clothes and toys from last month.

A lot of people have been asking us in recent months about Fable II clothes for their Xbox360 avatar. Well, you’ll be happy to learn that we’ve got something coming your way! It’s not going to be a single shirt but a whole package of clothing! It will be available for a few Microsoft points from Marketplace at some stage this month… We’ve got one teaser image showing you a shirt, but there are boots, shirts and hats! No underwear though…

That’s okay Sam, we don’t wear underwear anyway.

Fable II Avatar Clothes are coming! [Fable 2 Development Blog]