PC Fable III still in the works

By Fred Dutton Published 17 November, 2010

"Don't panic," insists Lionhead.

Everybody, stay calm. Lionhead Studios has confirmed that the M.I.A PC version of Fable III is still in development.

A post on its Twitter feed explained, "Fable 3 PC Version is still in development here at Lionhead so PC GAMERS don't panic. We'll announce details when we're ready to do so."

Lionhead's epic threequel arrived on Xbox 360 last month, but there has been little word on the mooted PC version since August when the developer said, "The console and PC versions are now on different schedules as we're focusing on building experiences optimised for each platform. We aren't announcing a ship date for the PC SKU at this time, but expect news soon."

Here's hoping the extra development time will ensure none of those bugs which blighted Lionhead's otherwise impressive adventure will be present.

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (29) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • CaptainBinky #1 2 years ago

    Be "in the works" faster, please ;)

  • ZuluHero #2 2 years ago

    "Missing out" answer 360 Gamers.

  • ISmoke #3 2 years ago

    I want

  • Silvervein #4 2 years ago

    Tastes of people are different, of course, but...after watching playthrough of fable 3 I thought to myself that in making the third part, lionhead lost the elements that made fable 1 and 2 good. The new upgrade system, and the crazy hand holding element just rub me the wrong way. But if they are working on fable 3 for pc, perhaps they can convert fable 2 as well? While I'm not interested in number 3, I'd like to play fable 2...

  • arcam #5 2 years ago

    I still kinda want it, but I must admit the slightly cold reception means I'm not really excited for it.

    I don't really expect it to make much of a splash on PC after this time, unless somehow that GfWL revamp that it's debuting on is really something to shout about.
    Edited by arcam at 17/11/10 @ 20:32

  • Fillem #6 2 years ago

    Quite funny that underneath this article it reads:

    Fable III is out now on Xbox 360, and PC.

    :-)

  • fragjam #7 2 years ago

    I am experiencing a bitter sense of irony given that they didn't release Fable 2 on PC when it was a far superior game. I've just finished Fable 3 on Xbox and am very disappointed. I loved Fable 2. Lionhead have made some very poor decisions with this latest game - heavy re-using quests and areas from Fable 2, getting rid of the variety of interactions with your dog and people, lousy story, way over-simplified combat, and a glitch cluster-fuck to name a few. The only things going for Fable 3 are the pretty graphics, there's more stuff to do, and the humour is better than ever. Still, I was hoping for a step forward but this game is definitely a step back.
    Edited by fragjam at 17/11/10 @ 20:42

  • coolbritannia #8 2 years ago

    And Milo is definitely a game. Um, anyway....

  • cheeky_pete #9 2 years ago

    As a PC only gamer I can't say I am sorry its not out yet they can take as long as they want if it's going to be tied into that daft store and forcing you to use GFWL I and many other just won't touch it. Certainly not leagally.

  • Paul_cz #10 2 years ago

    I can't wait for this to inevitably flop again, and then for inevitable "pirates did it!" bullshit from MS/Lionhead.

    So predictable.

  • Matthew_Hornet #11 2 years ago

    OMG LOL CAN'T WAIzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    (wake me up if that Moulyneux character starts talking about Dungeon Keeper)
    Edited by Matthew_Hornet at 17/11/10 @ 21:24

  • BlinkeredAxis #12 2 years ago

    If ye liked Fable 1 and 2 you'll probably love Fable 3. I did. If the PC version looks nicer and performs a bit faster
    it should be pretty awesome. Here's hoping...

    It's refreshing that some of the criticisms in this forum are from people who have at least played the game ;)
    Overall I think I slightly preferred Fable 2 most of the time, but not by much.

    I found the hand-holding think freaky too, but also kind of fun. Dancing excellent, rude gestures fabulous. Give it a
    go, PC lovers! You never pay for games anyway so it will be excellent value lol

  • Optimaximal #13 2 years ago

    Maybe the extra time is to, you know, port Fable 2 at the same time.

  • JayG #14 2 years ago

    A lot of PC gamers have a Xbox too. Fun game, but no way I'm getting it twice.

  • jonsaan #15 2 years ago

    All the odd design aspects of Fable 3 have a strong whiff of kinect about them to me. Seems someone pulled kinect support somewhere along the development cycle and left in the shell of what they were tinkering with.

  • immateriaux #16 2 years ago

    If it was an indie game, released at a cut down price on steam or something, maybe. Otherwise, you're fine Peter, we're not bothered over here.

  • UncleLou #17 2 years ago

    so PC GAMERS don't panic.

    No worries.

  • StooMonster #18 2 years ago

    Games for Windows Live and not Steam?

  • Shakey_Jake33 #19 2 years ago

    ^With Microsoft Game Studios being the publisher, we can assume so.

  • TheTingler #20 2 years ago

    BlinkeredAxis: You were so close to getting a positive score, then you ruined it. You want a pirated copy of Fable III on 360? Check the torrent sites, there's loads of them. 360 games are easy to pirate.

    Nah, sorry Lionhead and Microsoft, if you can't be bothered to put out Fable II, then I'm not going to get Fable III - and by now I've heard that 3's not massively good anyway. With GFWL on too, that makes it an easy non-purchase for me.

  • BBIAJ #21 2 years ago

    I'm guessing it'll come out once 360 users have finished beta testing it for them?

  • GamesConnoisseur #22 2 years ago

    I m as ever bemused at the numbers of PC sworn loudly that they will never touch this game or that game with GfWL etc, as the less sales there are for PC which would add further to the rationale that PC gaming market are getting too small to be competitive?

    I was a PC gamer for much longer than am a console gamer, but recently I m getting back to PC root by spending more and more times on GoG games and Steam on my laptop. Fallout, Jagged Alliance, Icewind Dale etc.

    Even so I pine for the days where PC had such luxuries of choices, where all the attentions from serious publishers are on PC. Still feel that the mass sentiments of the angry and protesting PC gamers to be more counter intuitive than beneficial, anti this and anti that.

    Aren't we for having more choices and more games on the PC rather than saying 'bog off we don't want you and don't care if you and your friends never come back?'

  • Shakey_Jake33 #23 2 years ago

    ^Well, it's a catch 22 situation isn't it. People obviously want more games available for the PC, but also don't want to send out the wrong message to publishers that a more 'intrusive' approach is desired.

    I actually agree with you, but there is a limit even for me. For example, I can quite happily tolerate the mess that is GamesForWindows because I can ultimately pretend it doesn't exist. But I draw the line at the approach Ubisoft took with Assassin's Creed 2. When I feel like I'm playing a game I don't actually own, that's when it's affecting my experience a tad too much.

    PC gamers obviously want more choice... but not at the expense of the 'freedom' that PC gamers have grown used to. In the case of GamesForWindows however, it is merely an undesired annoyance.

  • Andytails #24 2 years ago

    I always reach for a towel when someone says "Don't Panic".

  • miseryguts #25 2 years ago

    Simple decision for me, if it's moddable or if there is an SDK due at some point, then im buying - if not (and i suspect this is the case) then i won't, Molyneux is a bit precious regarding the Fable series - the game as far as im concerned needs radical changes/overhaul definately the worst in the series, the scourge of contemporary game design rears it's ugly head again "Accessibility" unfortunately for the developers/publishers the byproduct of increased "accessibility" is the increased alienation of your core consumers (you know the ones that, supported these game series from day 1) until the publishers/developers wake up and realise that this strategy produces diminishing returns, i'm afraid we are not going to see any less of our cherished game franchises being "democratised" any time soon.
    Edited by miseryguts at 18/11/10 @ 11:56

  • Moz #26 2 years ago

    Glad to see the majority of people are as nonplussed about this as I am.

    Just wish Lion head would give up on the line they're taking with Fable and take it back to it's roots. I want to be an adventurer not a King or a landlord. A whilst I could see where they were coming from with the Jobs in 2 they were just that bit too laborious and time consuming.

  • subedii #27 2 years ago

    @Shakey_Jake33: It's not really an issue of "freedom", at least not for me.

    Personally I was never really interested in this franchise, but I can't help but feel this is still a stupid move on all levels. Releasing months / years after the massive marketing blitz and hype only ensures poor sales, we've seen this time and again. We're in an age where large titles literally have marketing budgets equally or sometimes even exceeding their actual production costs. There's a reason for that, and if you MISS that targeted date, you have effectively thrown away the products notability as people are focussing on other things and aren't interested on this one.

    It doesn't even matter whether it's a Console --> PC title or a PC --> Console title. The problem is that when it inevitably sells poorly, nobody stops to consider the obvious reasons why, and instead pin the issues on the platform itself, counting it as unviable for one reason or another.

    Still, let's leave aside issues of marketing. And even the possibility of iffy porting. There's another ginormous issue that this title is facing in that it's GFWL exclusive. It'll be available in stores, but it won't be available on any other DD service than GFWL Marketplace, because MS have the misguided idea that they can somehow use this title to prop up it up and suddenly make it popular.

    This means that crucially, the game won't be available on Steam. Say what you will about Steam, it doesn't even matter if you hate it or not, by this stage it's largely recognised as the largest PC Games marketplace, and it's being deliberately vetoed.

    I don't have issues with the game. I have issues with the fact that it's being set up to fail, and then that feeds into the cycle of disregarding the platform that you pointed out.

    I mean this is just like Halo 2 all over again. Release exclusive to Vista (which nobody had at that point), with no co-op, and three years late, then whine about how the game should have sold more, take your ball home with you and don't bother with the rest of the franchise.

    You can see why I might have some consternation.

    This is before you even get into the inherent conflict of interest MS has between its GFW and XBL departments, which means that the former typically has to get sacrificed for the sake of the latter (which lets face it, clearly makes a lot more sense to MS). Heck, this story was repeated with Alan Wake, a game that was originally a poster boy for DX10, then after years of waiting they just drop it and say it's a 360 exclusive now. Even assuming Fable 3 doesn't suffer from the same problem, will Fable 4? Any future titles?

    It's pretty clear that MS's focus for the games market isn't the PC, it's the 360. And again, I can appreciate that, but ultimately it means that there isn't much trust to be had for MS's support for the platform, and this is something that has been evidenced time and time again with GFWL in itself.

    I agree that having more ports heading PC side is a good thing. I've said this previously, but porting to the PC used to be an extremely rare thing. In the days of the SNES or the PS1, console games were rarely if ever ported onto the PC. The PC never had the platform games during their heyday, no Mario no Sonic. Never saw Street Fighter. The PC never saw Crash Bandicoot or Gran Turismo (two of the biggest selling PS1 games).

    Today? Dead Rising 2 for example, a franchise which wasn't even originally on the PC for its first incarnation. Transformers. Split/Second. Blur. Front Mission. HAWX. Plenty of others. These are all titles you never would have expected to see on the PC in previous generations.

    My issue isn't with ports themselves, it's the idiotic decisions that are taken alongside them, which ultimately result in either bad sales, or bad ports. Or often times, both.
    Edited by subedii at 18/11/10 @ 12:07

  • merseymal #28 2 years ago

    I'm primarily a PC gamer, but have consoles too.

    To be honest I don't see this game being any better on the PC. Its simplistic control system doesn't require a mouse & keyboard, unlike FPSes in my opinion.
    Edited by merseymal at 18/11/10 @ 12:34

  • Darren #29 2 years ago

    I don't think any PC gamer is panicking, Lionhead, we're well used to delayed and even cancelled games! I just accept now that these multiformat games will arrive when they do and play whatever else is available in the meantime which happens to plenty anyway. :p