Fable 2: "revelation" at GDC

By Robert Purchese Published 30 January, 2007

Lionhead releases first art.

Lionhead has said today that Peter Molyneux's Fable 2 keynote at GDC in San Francisco will provide a "surprise and a revelation" for those following the sequel's development.

"It's supposed to be like a surprise and a revelation at GDC itself," a spokesperson for the company told Eurogamer this afternoon.

The exact time and date of Molyneux's "Innovations in Fable 2" speech is still TBD, but it will take place at the Conference which runs from 5-9th March, 2007.

Lionhead today also released the first artwork for the game, the only peak we've had at what's going on besides a short teaser trailer.

The title itself is a sequel to the 2004 free-roaming RPG, Fable, in which your actions genuinely affect your character and your surroundings.

Naturally Molyneux has something outrageous and ground-breaking planned, and we're enigmatically promised that his GDC keynote address won't be another drip-feeding session. Perhaps we'll even see some assets.

Aside from saying there's going to be a revelation, though, Lionhead's staying fully tight-lipped on what you're going to see. "I think it would be rather a shame to be talking about the game at GDC and not release anything," the spokesperson added.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (65) Latest comment 5 years ago

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

  • Santino #1 5 years ago

    blargh

  • octo #2 5 years ago

    8 out of 10.

  • penhalion #3 5 years ago

    Revelation....how about it doesn't have gameplay! It will write your homework for you!

  • Steroyd #4 5 years ago

    This can only end in tears...

  • The-Bodybuilder #5 5 years ago

    It will consume your semen, and your in-game child will have your genetic make up.

  • Vin #6 5 years ago

    Sold.

  • myiagros #7 5 years ago

    The game will be as inevative as he talks about, scaled back by 5 years.

    hey, you never know, maybe they will actually put in some of those features he said would be in Fable 1.

  • The-Bodybuilder #8 5 years ago

    Be careful Vin, you must ensure your semen doesn't spill around the tray, so as to not let it got to waste.
    Otherwise your son will grow up, resentful that you withheld the full potential powers of your semen from his genetic makeup.

    The epic story begins......
    Edited by The-Bodybuilder at 30/01/07 @ 15:38

  • Eldritch #9 5 years ago

    Molyneux will flash his bra in the middle of his speech.

  • Xerx3s #10 5 years ago

    Lionhead today also released the first artwork for the game, the only peak we've had at what's going on besides a short teaser trailer.

    You do know that some of those things have been out for months and all are old, don't you? ¬_¬

    I don't really care for the hype, fable was a pretty good and light-hearted game with a nice art style. I liked it and if Fable 2 just offers more of the same, that's enough for me.

  • space_ace #11 5 years ago

    Lionhead today also released the first artwork for the game, the only peak we've had at what's going on besides a short teaser trailer.

    i'm sure you'll have lots more peaks in the future, rob, for now i'll take a "peek" ;-)

  • jonsaan #12 5 years ago

    Peter Molyneux. Most overrated developer ever. Discuss.
    Fable was a massive non delivery of promises.

  • Sko #13 5 years ago

    He's hyping hype now?

  • Xerx3s #14 5 years ago

    Peter Molyneux. Most overrated developer ever. Discuss.

    tbf, he has the titles to back his bs, what have you done to back yours?

  • Carpathian #15 5 years ago

    Xerx3s: I don't really care for the hype, fable was a pretty good and light-hearted game with a nice art style. I liked it and if Fable 2 just offers more of the same, that's enough for me.

    bcolter: I loved Fable... I thought it was a great game. I was not exposed to all the Hype from Lionhead/Molyneux, so I didn't hear all the BS. I judged the game from the overall gameplay and story, and for me it was a 9 out of 10.
    That said, I'm looking forward to Fable 2.
    Cheers

    Two very sensible and accurate comments and may I please second both of them. All very level headed for this place.

  • SBfistfun #16 5 years ago

    Maybe you can opt to play as a balding balloon headed gas bag who endlessly spouts rubbish?

  • Laserbream #17 5 years ago

    Erm, please remember that Black and White was a massive non-delivery of promises way before Fable rolled into town. Some kudos for it please.

  • Dark_Stranger #18 5 years ago

    These new screen shots were new last week. Keep up son.

  • kangarootoo #19 5 years ago

    I rather liked Fable, however.

    "in which your actions superficially affect your character and your surroundings"

    FIXED

  • Fortissimo7777 #20 5 years ago

    all aboard the hype train.

  • kangarootoo #21 5 years ago

    @Xerx3s

    Why do you insist on wheeling out the same "you haven't made games so you can't talk" nonsense every single time someone criticises a high profile dev?

    Opinions don't need to be qualified ffs. They can be unconstructive and uninformed, and likely be picked to pieces as a result, but that has NOTHING to do with the right of the speaker to voice them.

    If someone has an opinion you disagree with, inform them objectively as to why that is the case. You are no more qualified to tell anyone to shutup as they are to speak, right?

  • mattigan #22 5 years ago

    The Big surprise wil be that it's a pirate adventure game!!

  • fel64 #23 5 years ago

    This is stupid - this is NOT at all the first piece of concept art. It's months old. The most recent concept art is of a castle, and even that's a week old! This is an up-to-date gallery with all 5 concept art: [link url=http://www.loinhead.net/fable-2-gallery/
    ]http://www.loinhead.net/fable-2-gallery/
    [/link]

    Besides, Molyneux at GDC has been known for weeks. January 9th, again at Loinhead: http://www.loinhead.net/2007/01/09/molyn...

  • Curion #24 5 years ago

    Take a mediocre hack and slash and some tedious elements from the sims then dress it up with some fancy graphics and then market it as some epic rpg.....

  • kangarootoo #25 5 years ago

    @fel64

    Err, thats 6 concept art pieces not 5, and they are the same ones as the EG pieces, nutter.

  • Darren #26 5 years ago

    Well Fable wasn't really all that great was it? A pretty mediocre and very short RPG dressed in (for its time) pretty graphics and little else of merit, it was a far cry from the promise of Project Ego as it was originally known. I suspect that Fable 2 will be much better but I still reckon it'll fall short of being brilliant.

  • Garulon #27 5 years ago

    "Two very sensible and accurate comments and may I please second both of them. All very level headed for this place. "

    But so far, all the Fable 2 "hype" has been Peter not talking about it; which ironically has made it more interesting and mysterious than Fable 1. Other game companies take note: STOP TALKING ABOUT YOUR GAMES THREE YEARS BEFORE YOU SHIP!!

  • dr_shambles #28 5 years ago

    Sod Fable 2. Where's Shenmue 3? :-)

  • kangarootoo #29 5 years ago

    The unexpected feature is that they have introduced tobacco. The packets will have a label on them that reads,

    WARNING: SMOKING GENUINELY AFFECTS YOUR CHARACTER AND YOUR SURROUNDINGS

  • jonsaan #30 5 years ago

    @Xerx3s To be honest mate. I don't think he does have the titles to back his BS. Miyamoto he ain't. Not for me he isn't anyway. Obviously it's my opinion but he has made nothing that I consider a classic game. Hence I said, 'discuss'.
    He always seems to be held up in the press as some kind of gaming God who is on a level with some of the true forefathers of gaming. I just can't see it myself. Maybe it's just because he's a Brit and as a consequence is pushed forward as the best we have to offer?

  • Mudo #31 5 years ago

    Fable was pretty good, though I'm never keen when a game's story revolves around the hero and is a more personal story. :(

    The art for Fable 2 looks extremely promising. As it would.

  • NthSimulachum #32 5 years ago

    Fable 2 is actually an FPS, with boats.

    Fable 2 is actually an MMPORPG

    Fable 2 will allow you to choose your gender

    Fable 2 will be called Myth, leading to frission with Bungie.
    Edited by NthSimulachum at 30/01/07 @ 16:38

  • Xerx3s #33 5 years ago

    Why do you insist on wheeling out the same "you haven't made games so you can't talk" nonsense every single time someone criticises a high profile dev?

    Opinions don't need to be qualified ffs. They can be unconstructive and uninformed, and likely be picked to pieces as a result, but that has NOTHING to do with the right of the speaker to voice them.

    If someone has an opinion you disagree with, inform them objectively as to why that is the case. You are no more qualified to tell anyone to shutup as they are to speak, right?

    I think that it is unfair and unwarranted to criticise someone as one of the most overrated developer ever. He DOES have some of the alltime classics and most innovating games on his name. If you want to attack him, comment on the fact that he can't keep his mouth shut.

    Opinions only go so far before crossing the line into just bashing and slander.

  • kangarootoo #34 5 years ago

    @Xerx3s

    "I think that it is unfair and unwarranted to criticise someone as one of the most overrated developer ever. He DOES have some of the alltime classics and most innovating games on his name. If you want to attack him, comment on the fact that he can't keep his mouth shut. "

    Now if you had said something like that in the first place, I wouldn't have jumped on you. Someone voiced opinion, you have now respond with opinion. Much better than "you shouldn't be allowed to speak" type come backs, surely you agree?

    I'm sure PM can take critisism from any direction, even if a little slim in the detail department. My point is that discussion is good, qualification based censorship is bad. TBH jonsaan's initial comment wasn't very constructive (he did include a prompt to discuss, its hardly an opening), but his second response was a little more detailed. Now you have added some extra sentences, we are exactly where we should be, bouncing opinion back and forth.

    I don't mean to lecture. I just really get a twitching vein in my head whenever I read a post telling someone "you haven't done any better so you can't have an opinion", because that is plainly rubbish.


    Sooooo, PM and his games. He loves saying stuff, some of which is sound and some of which is guff. I don't much care about "broken promises" and I'm sure we are all thick skinned enough to get over that particular flavour of heart break. I'm much more concerned that the end result is fun to play.

    I really quite enjoyed Fable. I don't for a second buy the idea that it was the open ended evolving world experience people STILL insist on calling it. It was really nothing that original in my book. A standard RPG, some annoying aspects but also come clever little additions that made certain activities less of a chore than is tradionally the case in RPG games. If the second one turns out to be pretty much more of the same, I shall remain un-converted but happy.

  • SparkyDD #35 5 years ago

    This news isnt new, ive seen the artwork on IGN quite some time ago and read about his GDC speech before, with the knowledge that a groundbreaking feature will be announced.

  • glaeken #36 5 years ago

    I think the EG Journo's need to hang around the forums a little more as they seem to be a good month or two ahead on breaking such stories.

  • morriss #37 5 years ago

    The first co-op RPG.

    What do I win?

  • TedBaker #38 5 years ago

    @SparkyDD:

    Like fighting on slopes/stairs, rather than flat open/closed areas? I recall seeing a vid of that from LH last year...

  • The-Bodybuilder #39 5 years ago

    >"But so far, all the Fable 2 "hype" has been Peter not talking about it"

    Actually it's been more like, "I've got something HUGE to tell you, so huge it will blow your brains off with it's magic.......but I can't tell you. But it's HUGE".

  • Lonestar #40 5 years ago

    I started to follow Fable and visit the offiical board about 4 - 6 months prior to it's release. The way it was touted genuinley interested me.

    However the more I read on the forums and the way more devoted fans began examining details of interviews and screenshots leading up to it's release, it became apparent that the game was being stripped of it's more intriguing features.

    The trouble is Molyneux promises the moon on a stick and it eventually gets whittled down to some chewing gum on twig.

    (I am enjoying The Movies demo though ...)

  • lefizz #41 5 years ago

    Molyneux Molyneux Molyneux these days he seems as if he has just engineer a persona to give websites and Edge great sounding soun bites.

    I agree in his early day he came up with some interesting and novel stuff but his track record is so littered with over hyped not very playable and frankly average stuff that i think history wont judge him all that well.

    Want me to back that up? Try the pre delivery waffle he spouted about B&W, B&W 2, Fable, The movies.

    If the guy shut up he would have a list of reasonable decent games to his credit, some great ones other were near total duds, as it is he just comes across as a loud mouth self obbsessed knob.

  • Drpwnage #42 5 years ago

    @jonsaan

    He's held in high regard, because (apart from you), many people do think he has created some 'classic' games. I grew up with many of his finest, earlier games that were very innovative and frankly brilliant at times - Populus and Syndicate, stick out for me.

    The flipside of what you said about PM is true for myself and the Mario and Zelda games - they do nothing for me, never have done, but it doesn't mean I view Miyamoto is an 'average' games dev not deserving of recognition.

    Unfortunately, in recent years he has had a habit of publicly stating project ambitions that turn out to (in many cases) far exceed the execution. But even his recent work like The Movies you can hardly call average.

  • lefizz #43 5 years ago

    Drpwnage

    Sorry but using Populous (1989) and Syndicate (1993) to say he is a truly great game dev seems a bit lame. I mean your saying and i agree that he hasn't written a truly interesting game in 14 years?

    Ok David Braben hasn't written a classic game since 'Elite' the difference is he doesn't get interviewed that often (this months games (tm) expected) and never says they are going to change gaming for every, be revolutionary, have so many unique and cool features i wish i could talk about, this ones really gonna blow you away.............................................................

  • fel64 #44 5 years ago

    @kangarootoo:

    Quick miscount. ^^

    Yes, they are; they're identical. The point is that these are all really old and have been available for ages, like in that gallery.

  • Tomo #45 5 years ago

    Peter Molyneux article = 50 post comments thread instantly

  • Drpwnage #46 5 years ago

    @lefizz

    I don't really understand what you are getting at, your misinterpreting my comments and trying to read between lines that aren't there. Populous and Syndicate are the two games that stand out for me in my memory, that's all. I didn't use the words, 'truly great dev' either.

    His games, often contain innovative ideas, that are executed shoddily. Unfortunately, as I commented, and we all know, in recent times the final product falls short of the pre-release hyperbole and gamer expectation.

  • lefizz #47 5 years ago

    Fair enough,

    We agree on the 'executed shoddily' bit and that his early works were very interesting, it just his later stuff has got pretty sad really. I mean like someone already said fable was just a short rpg, with nice design. The good evil thing has already been done to death yet he makes it out to be a huge innovation. The hand gesturing in B&W just didn't work cos it was too inaccurate. Why one earth MS bought his studio god alone knows, to spend that much money one would hope for a good recent track record. But then look at Rare

  • rhinoxious #48 5 years ago

    . . . a surprise and a revelation"

    Add some chocolate too and it'll be better than a kinder egg!

  • Xerx3s #49 5 years ago

    So when is it up for release anyway?

  • Xerx3s #50 5 years ago

    Kangarootoo: Fair enough. Perhaps I was a bit failing in my pov as well.

    The first co-op RPG.

    What do I win?

    There might be more truth to this thought than meets the eye. Remember how the trailer specifically showed 4 characters with unique characteristics? Why step away from the formula? ...unless you have a pretty good reason. Coop would seem a pretty good reason imo.

  • Xerx3s #51 5 years ago

    I mean your saying and i agree that he hasn't written a truly interesting game in 14 years?

    eerrr, he has made even better games afterwards. Dungeon keeper? Theme Park? Theme Hospital? etc.

  • old_skool #52 5 years ago

    I liked Fable....

    /whimpers away

  • NegativeZero #53 5 years ago

    Someone please stop letting Molyneux talk to the media. The self-hype he dribbles out eveywhere is like some kind of intellectual masturbation - fun for a while, but ultimately hollow and unfulfilling compared to a proper experience.

  • davisorle #54 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 20:44:35 16-04-2012

  • scorp #55 5 years ago

    can I play a female character?

    it really, really ticks me off when a game gives you a 'blank slate' character, where 'YOU get to make the decisions that will shape their destiny!!' and I can't bloody well play a girl. that's why I never gave the original a second glance, and unless this revelation is 'you can choose your gender', that's why the sequel won't get a look in either.
    Edited by scorp at 30/01/07 @ 23:38

  • thinktank #56 5 years ago

    Do you think Mr makey from South park is based on PM?

  • davisorle #57 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 20:44:35 16-04-2012

  • Les #58 5 years ago

    "Petter has a great history in games"

    With a strong emphasis on 'history'...

  • Royal Fool #59 5 years ago

    We already know it's about swashbuckling pirates.

  • Wash #60 5 years ago

    Hmm, He may not be garnering 10/10 every game, but things like the hand gesture stuff were certainly a good attempt at something different no?

    I like Black & white, I liked the Movies. I liked Fable. So to me personally i like the games he's come out with.

    As for critcally: (gamerankings)

    Populous: The Beginning 79.8%
    Black & White 89.5%
    Black & White 2 76.2%
    Fable 84.9%
    The Movies 84.5%

    Add to that a hand in theme park, dungeon keeper, syndicate, the original populous (which makes him the father of the god game no?). He's doing ok, he also comes across as very creative, even if things dont make into the game, as with fable 1 due to technological and time constraints. I'd rather have a game developer thinking that way, then a drone who worked for EA pumping out new sports titles every 6months.

    I'd agree he's not the be all and end all of everything games, but surely deserves some praise for the obvious passion and enthusiasm he has for our hobby and is probably a lot more creatively minded than 80% of developers out there.

    I think alot of ppl are still pissed about fable.


  • Xerx3s #61 5 years ago

    +1

  • kissthestick #62 5 years ago

    wtf is this shit?

  • kangarootoo #63 5 years ago

    @fel64

    Ah, I see. Point taken.

  • kangarootoo #64 5 years ago

    @Wash

    Agreed. He does waffle on, but has a good record. Even his modern day games usually hit a certain level of quality. That is hardly a regular achievement with a lot of devs.

  • kangarootoo #65 5 years ago

    @scorp

    Good point. I read a short study a while back about avatar gender. Its a generalisation of course, but it was based on research and questioning rather than random supposition.

    It essentially said that male gamers have no issue with controlling female or male avatars, but female gamers are more often than not turned off a game if the only gender choice they have available to them is male. It can be a real barrier for some games and something that I'm sure (given that the vast majority of devs are blokes) doesn't even get considered.

    I wonder if that option is the revelation. I'm supposing not though. Come on PM, its probably not too late (actually, it almost certainly is).