Fable II dog saved due to hate mail

By Tom Bramwell Published 24 August, 2009

At least it wasn't a bloody petition.

(Please beware that the following is a spoiler for the end of Fable II, so if you still plan to play it, do not read on!)

Peter Molyneux has said that part of the reason the Fable II dog was resurrected in the game's first downloadable content pack, Knothole Island, was "hate mail" received from fans.

As those of you who have completed Fable II will know, the game presents you with a choice between sacrificing your faithful hound for the sake of the greater good or saving him at a great cost to everyone else.

Speaking at GDC Europe last week (thanks GameSetWatch), Molyneux admitted that the angry response from some fans "got to such a furore" that the reintroduction was made in Knothole Island.

"Don't expect us to be as merciful as that in the future," he joked. Well, he was probably joking.

Speaking to Eurogamer following the release of Fable II last year, Molyneux noted that he had received "a personal email saying that I deserved to die, and that he would never buy another game ever again unless I release a patch to resurrect his dog".

Presumably the unpleasant man who wrote said email will now consider buying Fable III after all then. You can read a bit about what he might end up getting for his money in last week's Fable III preview.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (16) Latest comment 3 years ago

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

  • asphaltcowboy #1 3 years ago

    That's a bit of a strange thing to complain about given people had the choice to save him... no?

  • gjgjg #2 3 years ago

    i had to think for a minute there about what i lost apart from my dog when i chose needs of the many ...oh yeah my wife and kids... god i missed that little mut :(

  • Bulbatron #3 3 years ago

    I sent Lionhead an email to say I was 'upset' about the dog thing, and asking if there was a way to bring him back, but I did also acknowledge that I made the choice and I said how well I thought the dog and the whole game was handled. So I don't think that counts as hate mail. :-)

    If people really sent hate mail about this, then that seems pretty sad to me.

  • Sharzam #4 3 years ago

    I loved the choice at the end, it was probably one of the only times in gaming which i had to really think about, was amazing the emotions of a descion in a game.

    I went with bringing my family and dog back to life, i had a son and daughter couldnt let them stay dead also.

  • Nomgle #5 3 years ago

    That's a bit of a strange thing to complain about given people had the choice to save him... no?

    I made the choice to the sacrifice the dog, in the absolute belief he'd be brought back to life later - he was afterall rather crucial to the game ! I had absolutely no inkling whatsoever that it would be a permanent game-breaking choice, for rather reasons - games just don't DO that :)
    Edited by 2 at 24/08/09 @ 10:53

  • shadowaspect #6 3 years ago

    Game-breaking?

  • Wolverfrog #7 3 years ago

    I think the resurrection thing kind of ruined the choice at the end of the main quest.

  • Rens11 #8 3 years ago

    the dog is shit! he clips through you all the time and the digging is crap imo he doesn't add anything to the game anyway!

  • Rubarack #9 3 years ago

    I loved that choice at the end, give the player a sacrifice they actually care about and it is a real choice. Lose the evil sword of ultimate power or get a different sword just like it? That's not a choice.

    Still, I think it's a bit weird you couldn't train up a replacement dog.

  • Paper #10 3 years ago

    Was an easy choice for me to make. Extra money, Some stupid NPCs come back alive or keep your dog? Keep the dog of course.

  • Alkeno #11 3 years ago

    For me the final choice in Fable II was maybe the worst part of a game I enjoyed hugely... it was pointless and broke the inmersion for me, there was no reason for the different options and they all seemed that PM just wanted to bother the hell out of you for the sake of doing it.

    But it worked for them, I bought Knothole Island just to get my dog back.

  • metalangel #12 3 years ago

    The way people carry on you'd think they should have called the game 'Fido' instead of Fable. Not only is the dog not real, but even in the context of the game it doesn't do anything! It's worthless in combat (it won't attack unless an enemy is floored, and inevitably gets hurt when it goes to attack) and outside fights just serves as an obnoxious metal detector, barking incessantly until you dig up the invariably worthless treasure just to make it shut up. The "choice" was rubbish... surely if I'm making a wish I can wish for whatever I want, not subject to any stupid conditions?

  • davisorle #13 3 years ago

    Rofl.. If i was him id reply to his mail and tell him that in the addon instead of resurecting the dog i'll give a third option. To save the dog and also serve the greater good I'd have the option to sacrifice him ( the dude of the email ), with whatever excuse of a short story of how he ended up around there. A drunkass droped near by for all i care.

    ppl like that, dont care if its a kiddo or if older even worst i guess, shouldnt be playing really. Its like bitching for what a movie ends like. Did you pay for the development of the game or to fucking watch/play it? Why is the world full of dumbasses and morrons that go along with them? Peter, im too dissapointed with you dude. Seriously.

  • Drakron #14 3 years ago

    Welcome to the future of gaming, were choices have no consequence.

  • metalangel #15 3 years ago

    Given how arbitrary the outcome of most choices in games is (given you can't have a bitch at the NPC who determines what happens or indeed just kill them and take the other rewards) I'm not averse to saving a game just before a choice so if I turn out to pick the least profitable one I can go back and change my mind.

  • CaptianScarlet #16 3 years ago

    Who gives a crap about the dog and the wife and kids, I picked the money. I want land, houses, riches, Fame, fear, etc

    Well that's what I did the 3rd time I played through it. Great game, underrated by people that probably didn't make an effort to get into the roll play of the game!