Fable III sales will top 5m - Molyneux

By Ellie Gibson Published 12 August, 2010

That's the plan, anyway.

Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux has said he has high hopes the next instalment in the Fable series will be the biggest, best and most lucrative yet.

"We want more than five million people playing Fable III on the Xbox 360, full stop," he told MCV. Around three million copies of the original Fable were sold, while the figure for the sequel was 3.5 million.

So how does Molyneux intend to boost sales this time around? Why, by making the game more accessible to a wider audience, of course.

"Part of that plan is less clutter in the game, less aggravating little inventions that Peter Molyneux once thought was a good idea," said Peter Molyneux.

"More clarity, better story, better cast, better balance. Of course, we have to do all this still with fresh ideas and a new feel to the game."

Fable III is out on 29th October.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (43) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • NimbusTLD #1 2 years ago

    Oh, and don't forget to market the game properly either then.

  • patch #2 2 years ago

    Slow news day? In all seriousness, we're seeing a lot of Molyneux stories at the moment; are they all newsworthy?

  • matrim83 #3 2 years ago

    Oh Peter. Considering the usual gulf between what you say and what actually happens you really shouldnt tempt fate like that. :p

    Well I will help you out somewhat though, 1 copy for me. 4 mill 999 thousand and 999 to go. :D

  • Negotiator #4 2 years ago

    5 mil, thats no problem.

  • LowEnergyCycle #5 2 years ago

    Didn't he pretty much say the exact same things for Fable 2?

    "Fable 1 was a disappointment. Fable 2 will be more accessible, have a better story etc..."

    I'd hate to be his first born child.

  • spekkeh #6 2 years ago

    Good job on making an article of what was essentially:
    PeterMolyneux: @Fable3 will sell 5m #projection will totally rock compared to @Fable2
    Edited by 1 at 12/08/10 @ 09:12

  • tachometer #7 2 years ago

    He has to sell that much just to pay Wossie's fee

  • jag10 #8 2 years ago

    one word:


    Rayman

  • Vanmunt #9 2 years ago

    -1 sale here, bought fable 1 & 2.. not stupid enough to fall for the 'turd' installment, though I did really enjoy the first.

  • menage #10 2 years ago

    +1 for me then, which sets it back at 4.999.999 if we deduct the one sold above.

    I loved F2, completed it 3 times.

  • ZuluHero #11 2 years ago

    ^^ 5,000,001 now ;)

  • Markitron #12 2 years ago

    Decent combat system would do it for me. The last one had about as much complexity as golden axe

  • Alivada #13 2 years ago

    @Zulu
    Just because you don't buy the game doesn't mean the count goes up.

  • sjmlondon #14 2 years ago

    Does it count when you pick up a copy of Fable III for Ģ7 on ebay when everyone is trying to offload it?

    I was totally unwhelmed by Fable II. Can't see me rushing to buy the third edition. I might rent it but certainly wouldn't spent Ģ40 on it especially after he goes round criticising his own product saying Fable II didn't live up to expectations and wasn't very good anyway but if you all go out and buy Fable III you're in for a big surprise. Pah!

  • seabassuk #15 2 years ago

    Erm...Someone not buying the game dosen't increase how many more it needs to sell, so with me buying the game too, the amount he needs to reach is now 4.999.997 :D

    Anyway Molyneux will reach it. He never lies :|

  • Rajesh_HUN #16 2 years ago

    5 million? It's inpossible. (This is a big dream XD. Be big Peter XD.)

  • Widge #17 2 years ago

    Rafael Benitez: "I guarantee 4th place"

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #18 2 years ago

    Now, he said he wants 5m people PLAYING Fable III - when I buy a copy, my wife will also play it. So does that count for two?

  • Xardan #19 2 years ago

    It probably wont outsell fable II. But i think it will probably be the better game. Its set in an industrialist age britain which interests me more than a generic fantasy setting.

  • adofessex #20 2 years ago

    According to VGChartz it has already sold this many; 106,835units so erm who wants to do the math?

  • EthanWoods #21 2 years ago

    After I was tricked into buying Fable 2 don't think I'm going to fall for it again.

  • mkreku #22 2 years ago

    I'm sorry, Peter, but Fable 2 just wasn't any good (I have no idea what Eurogamer was on, 10/10?!). Fable 2 was one of the most shallow game I've ever played and you want to remove some clutter and make it more accessible? I wonder what it'll become? A whiff of air?

  • Iora #23 2 years ago

    No sale here. *snip* Massive Anti Moly Rant *snip*

  • Progguitarist #24 2 years ago

    It'll probably get 10/10 from EG despite being painfully average.

    It's just a second rate Zelda with stupid minigames added.

  • Lee_Morris #25 2 years ago

    I'll have what he's on because then is no way in Fable 3 will sell 5 million. No slight on the game because it would be the first game I'd buy if I had a 360.

  • Xardan #26 2 years ago

    It will be released on PC and 360 so if it cant reach 5m between those formats then you wont be seeing many Microsoft studio games released on the PC in the future.

  • metalangel #27 2 years ago

    Oh Peter, why must you turn this site into a house of LIES?

  • menage #28 2 years ago

    Well, you canīt call a prediction a lie I think.

  • sybs #29 2 years ago

    Eurogamer, pleeeeease stop reporting everything that comes out of that man's mouth.

  • TheNinkyNonk #30 2 years ago

    MOLYNEUX IN "I WASN'T RIGHT THEN BUT I AM NOW" SHOCKER

  • Vanmunt #31 2 years ago

    all these negs for anybody daring to say that fable is nothing but the emperors clothes...

  • sneetch #32 2 years ago

    "We want more than five million people playing Fable III on the Xbox 360, full stop,"

    That's a comma, not a full stop, quit misquoting him Ellie! ;)

    Delighted to see he's apparently forgotten the existence of the PC version already. Given Microsoft's track record with their multi-platform games I'm not surprised. I'll get it on PC when (if) it shows up.

  • irve77 #33 2 years ago

    I don't hold up much hope with Fable 3 .. i think it's a case of throwing the baby out with the bath water ... much like Mass effect 2 where the equipment was too hard to deal with so rather than refine it you remove completely... Madness !

  • patchbox360 #34 2 years ago

    hope this game gets 10/10 - its the most perfect rpg trilogy in gaming history.

  • smelly #35 2 years ago

    WOOOOHOOOO!! My weekly Molyneux update has arrived!!!!

    I was beginning to feel lonely there for a bit.

  • smelly #36 2 years ago

    >hope this game gets 10/10 -

    With the amount of articles games websites get off him, and the amount of advertising dollars he's obviously spending - do you REALLY think that WONT be the case? If so, then you really need to think about how game review websites actually work.

  • tnt_2008smum #37 2 years ago

    "With the amount of articles games websites get off him, and the amount of advertising dollars he's obviously spending - do you REALLY think that WONT be the case? If so, then you really need to think about how game review websites actually work."

    i kmow what you mean. it was the same thing before SMG2 got its 10/10, the adverts were bloody everywhere!!!!

  • fizzyfish #38 2 years ago

    To be fair, he said "we want more than 5 million", not "will be more than 5 million".

  • smelly #39 2 years ago

    @tnt_2008smum - EXACTLY. Dont trust a review on any website which relies on advertising revenue.

    Think about it - you set up a restaurant review site, slag off every local restuarant. But now you need money to keep the site afloat, but no-one will advertise with you. But someone will if you change your review of theirs to something favorable. etc etc

    That's how the real world works.

  • smelly #40 2 years ago

    To clarify my position further :

    1. Are there games which get good reviews and deserve to? Yes.
    2. Are there games which are going to get good reviews no matter what thanks to all the advertising money spent on them (unless they really suck)? Yes

    Now of course you CAN have games which fall into both those camps.

    At the moment, the only thing we know for sure is that this one is a number 2... Maybe it'll be a number 1 too?


    The only real review website i ever trusted was consolevania who had no ads (rip!)
    Edited by 1 at 13/08/10 @ 00:29

  • gjgjg #41 2 years ago

    why not 6 mr PM?

  • FuzzyDuck #42 2 years ago

    How exactly does mickey2010 turn a thread about a 360 exclusive AAA title that will hopefully sell bucketloads into an exercise in Sony bashing? Absolute dingus.

  • NeverWinter28 #43 2 years ago

    This game had better live up to hype cuz if it don't it will be the last lionhead game I buy. Molyneux's best bet would be to stop telling everyone about how great it's gonna be and let us go in to it fresh.