Microsoft gamescom conference Finished
Microsoft has delivered its gamescom 2009 conference, and we covered the keynote live from Cologne, Germany.
Peter Molyneux led the address, unveiling Fable III and discussing the lofty ideas within. Our Fable III preview has all the details.
Read on for a full, blow-by-blow, account of the Microsoft gamescom 2009 conference. The earliest entries are presented first.
Our live coverage has now ended. Here's what you missed: Updating...
Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome to the Microsoft / Lionhead press conference.
We're sitting in a big room in the Koelnmessse. There are medieval style-banners hanging from the walls - blue and red with crowns and fleur de lys on one side of the room, black with bloody eagle symbols on the other.
Molynoire is on stage.
Molynoire is talking about the success he's had so far. "I've got a little bit of an announcement about Fable II."
It's something called "Fable episodic". As of September 29th, episodes 1 - 5 will be released.
The first chapter will be free - when you get to the end of one you can opt to buy the next one, or buy the rest of the game.
"Let's move on to talk about something else... FABLE III"
"Now of course we're developing Fable III. We'd be insane not to." Check the Eurogamer front page RIGHT NOW, Fable fans!
"The third child is always the problem child," says Peter.
"The third game in the series tends to be a bit of a lull, you get bored of playing the character and the world..."
"We want people to expect the unexpected. I want fans to say, 'Oi, you should clean up this from Fable 2" and so on.
He wants to give us something really "new, fresh and different". In the first game, "We made a really good step forward with the dog" AAA STOP GOING ON ABOUT THE BLOODY DOG.
"I think there's something fundamentally wrong with RPGs like Fable... It's a mechanic that's been there since the eighties. I'm going to take that foundation stone and throw it away."
But he won't tell us what the foundation stone is today - he's leaving it as a "puzzle" for us. Thanks. Will it have a cat this time, Peter?
"For me, as a games designer, it's all about power and you feeling powerful."
He's showing us a Fable III teaser video now. "The kingdom of Albion is changing," says Zoe Wanamaker. "The kingdom needs a new leader."
On screen is a crown lying in woodland. A pair of feet under a skirt wander over. "The race for the crown has begun."
Peter again: "You are going to become the ruler of the whole of Albion. You've played in this land in Fable 1, in Fable 2 you became a hero; this time, why not rule Albion? Why not be a king or a queen?"
Your judgments will affect the whole of the land. "I want players to feel and experience what it's like to be a ruler."
"If you look at our iconic leaders like Obama or HAHAHA Gordon Brown HAHAHA" what? "History and the world and the evolution of mankind is based around these iconic leaders."
Do you get to "be" Barack Obama? That would be good.
You can "eradicate poverty" says Peter by giving all the money in your treasure room to the people. Or you can keep it all yourself and be more of a tyrant. The point is, there are always consequences.
You have a family as well - a king or a queen sitting at your side. Do you also have a son called Milo, Peter?
Concept shot now - a king sits on a throne surrounded by a nagging wife and loads of rotten kids.
Another pic - a queen relaxing on her throne, using a peasant as a footstool. A bit like when Bertie helps me review Wii games. [Hey! - Bertie]
You start the game as the son or daughter of the Hero from Fable II. For the first half of the game you have to lead a revolution against the tyrant king.
You must gather support, gain followers and unite factions.
"We've really been inspired by people like Joan of Arc, Richard III, Genghis Khan, Ben Fogle." Maybe not the last one.
"Ultimately you overthrow that terrible tyrant who rules Albion, but to do that you have to make some promises."
This bit of the game is called Journey to Rule, looks like. You have to promise things to the people who follow you.
The question is, do you keep those promises when you rule? "I look at Obama, and he's not looking as fresh faced as he was, is he? He looks a bit haggard. It's as if the truth has been revealed to him."
I wonder if Barack Obama is watching a live feed of this going, "How does Peter Molyneux stay so fresh-faced and young?"
A new slide now - Once You Rule. You're still a hero ruler, "very much like the captain in Star Trek".
You are a hero like Ceaser (sic) or Gengis khan (sic - who wrote these slides?)
You must decide which promises you can keep. You can use your gold to build up a certain region, help poorer people, let people off taxes and so on.
He's now showing us the image you'll see on the Eurogamer front page now. You can decide who will exist there, "Or whether it will be basically one person's back garden."
"There's a new house there - what are you going to do with that?" Add a conservatory?
Another pic now - a grey canal between cobbled streets. It's an industrial district - "a lot of injustice, crime, poverty" here. "What are you going to do about that?" Put in a Lidl?
A pic of the castle now, with the sun setting in the background. Are you going to spend loads of money on upgrading it, or let it go to rack and ruin and spend money on the poor? I vote loft conversion.
Another pic under the title "Not just Albion this time" - looks like a desert with strange pointy rocks sticking out of the sand. "You haven't seen all of Albion... We'll be unveiling more of that world in Fable III."
A new slide now - "Drama". Getting drama is tricky, says Peter. He should watch The Hills.
The slide says there will be some characters from Fable II returning.
"Look up the tale of what's happened in Oman in the last hundred years - it's fascinating and it almost fits perfectly what we're trying to do."
Apparently one brother tried to hold Oman back and the other tried to overthrow him - "It's like a story in itself."
"When you start investigating that, the amount of intrigue, backstabbing, terrible events that went on is almost unbelievable."
"But the big problem games have time and time again, especially with something like Fable - it's such a massive game... The big problem is seeing the story early enough."
They didn't quite get to the drama in Fable I and II because they didn't get to see the story till the game was almost finished.
So they've been experimenting with a new way of seeing the story early - it's called "staging". They wrote all the scripts, then went to Shepperton and hired a big sound stage, got a load of actors and actresses in and a proper director, and started acting out the whole story.
We're seeing some footage of that now. A woman kneels in front of a man on the throne - she is accused of treason.
Molynoire says they'd written the scene with the King walking around, but the staging and the ad-libbing by the actors enabled them to recast the whole scene.
"Our story isn't just one thread, it branches and merges and there are lots of choices and consequences, and we have to get to the centre of that as quickly as possible."
The staging video then goes back to the animators and the gameplay scripters. They're inspired as a result.
A new slide now - "Need some new gameplay."
"I know what you're thinking out there, you press people, because you're sneaky. You're thinking, is it going to be an RTS, then?"
NO, says Peter. They're putting a new mechanic in called "judgments". As king you can judge people and make them defend themselves.
Let's take an example - but this example "isn't in the game". Oh.
Say you're in your throne room and they bring in a girl caught stealing food. You can listen to the witness's statement and arguments for setting an example.
You can investigate things further yourself, or at any time say you've heard enough and make a judgment.
Or you can listen to the girl's case and excuses for why she stole. You can go and visit her family, for example, and see if they really are as poor as she says.
Then you can choose what to do - throw the girl a handful of gold or throw her in the dungeons? Can't you just give her an ASBO and an ankle bracelet, Peter?
There will be all sorts of judgments: "Everything from a crust of bread being stolen to a huge countrywide thing - shall we go to war?"
There's another new mechanic called Touch, too.
He's talking about how the English think farting is funny but Germans don't. Or something.
They were considering whether to do expressions in Fable III - "Could you really do the Michael Jackson moonwalk on your throne?" Well, he couldn't.
"In many games for me, the main character feels detached from the world. It's rare you see them physically touching people."
"In Fable 2, OK you could stroke your dog" that's two dog references now Peter THAT'S ENOUGH.
"Now we've got this new system of touching. When you meet someone you can shake their hand or refuse to. Later on you can turn that into a hug. Later on that can turn into an embrace." Where is this going?
"A full passionate snog. Then I won't tell you where it leads to, but you can use your imagination... I'm not saying there's cupping, by the way." Is there teabagging?
"Imagine being able to embrace your child. How does that make you feel?"
That's expression touch, but then there's dynamic touch, which "enables you at any time to reach out and touch someone - to hold someone's hand, to pull them along, to be pulled by then, to take the person you love to the top of a cliff and look at the sunset." And cup them?
"Imagine hearing the cries from a young child in the house, and you as a ruler storm in to save the child." In Fable I and Fable II, you'd get a button prompt - press A to save the child. With dynamic touch, you can pull the child out of the flames and the burning house.
You can cuddle them and reassure them and carry them out of the burning house. BUT WHO WILL SAVE THE DOG PETER.
"I am going to tease you with how we're doing this" NO CUPPPING PLEASE "That's only one tiny sliver of the gameplay we're unveiling."
Fable III is out in 2010 - "Don't expect it too early in 2010"
"On the Xbox 360. And we're still working hard on Milo and Kate."
"Please enjoy the sense of power we're going to give you with Fable III."
"One more thing - I am giving a talk at 1pm where I'm going into more detail about choices and consequences." Righto.
And he's off, and it looks like that's it. What no Xbox 360 Slim?
Well there you go, a first glimpse at Fable III from Pierre Molynoire himself. For more, check out our exclusive feature on the front page right now. Byeee!
Latest comments (203)
Updating...Log in to comment on this livetext.
I agree on that. I dont have seriously or seriously 2.0 and i never will.
I was waiting for your help
I was just making a point about Darrens misplaced (imo) comment about Fable 2.
If you cant even complete a 5 hour game like RE5 how can you measure quality of a game on wether you completed it or not.
@Darren
There are lots of people that like the extra challenge of getting the achievements without bragging about it. Some achievments are boring and i usually dont bother with those. This discussion wasnt meant to be about achievements at all. But looking at your profile it seems to me you usually dont complete the story mode either. To me you are more like a gametester than a gameplayer. Maybe thats why the looks of a game means so much to you. Im glad most game reviewers actually complete the story mode and play the multiplayer a few hours before writing a review.
Fable for instance is a perfect example of that. Oh and Oblivion... and... pretty much all games, but King Kong. Actually.
Then..., the old argument that "Achievments are worthless", er... and what exactly any ludic activity like, for instance... playing games is worth? Is is productive? Is not! It's worth one's pleasure and entertaiment, what if a person "entertains" himself by unlocking Achivements or taking pictures of pink walls? Who are we to judge?
Maybe the answer for that is "play the games for fun"*
* - the way I think is fun.
I know how many games show there are year (not a number but a lot) perhaps they should cancel some then, so that they have something to announce. The arcade scandel could of been cleared up (ill call it a scandel as raising prices in a recession is plain stupid(mind you some people will buy them))
I would have no problem what so ever is they canceled a few conferences and made the ones they kept even bigger. The announcement is good but not great. We knew half of what he said he spoke about previous games, which being out we already know.
Like i said in my previous posts we found out very little that was new.
Are you aware how likely it really is for each of the 3 console manufacturers to provide interesting NEW stuff at EACH show?
Then perhaps is should be LESS shows with MORE stuff.
Are you aware of how many games shows there are each year? Are you aware how likely it really is for each of the 3 console manufacturers to provide interesting NEW stuff at EACH show?
I mean, nintendo tries to do that by spreading itself out over a few conferences - and they get slated at e3 for not showing as much as the other 2! But msoft and sony go to pretty much all of them - you cant expect them to keep announcing new stuff at each one, or they'd be showing a hell of a lot less stuff than even nintendo do.
... oh wait.. no you lot were!
I do feel bad for any of these companies, its like they have to have "Something" for the fanboys or they complain how crap it was. If they reveal all of the big news now, they wont have anything for next years E3 and guess what, rabid fanboys will complain again... a vicious circle O
I understand what your saying (+1 infact)
But the whole event was pointless, all Peter actually said (after you ignore the crap) was Fable 3 will be out in 2010, be in the industrial revolution and you will end up king where your "actions" "cause" "events" to "change" the game.
I wouldn't of minded waiting for this news we actually found out nothing except the setting, we alreay knew it existed (thanks to Johnathon Ross and twitter)
Even if MS showed some trailers or something, announced the Pro was getting axed and we were going to be ripped of on the arcade model. Just something.
Like i said before the whole event was dragged out and we found out very little, Fable 3 yeh exciting, but if you listen to what was actually said we found out very little.
There will be big announcements another time, Sony had things to announce due to the timing of the event MS didn't... if Sony had the slim ready earlier it would have already been announced and there'd have been little to talk about from them too. Besides TGS is next month maybe MS will put more effort into that one and share more of their plans, they might not have been expecting Sony to put so much effort into the gamescom conference.
The event itself isn't finnished yet is it? So we still might see more of the games we already know about atleast.
Yes completing the story is completing the game but games these days can be so short for such a large amount of money, anything that gives it more value and makes me play it longer i will welcome, as long as there not ridiculous i still go for them but it pisses me off.
Back on topic however,
Im happy there making a new Fable i really enjoyed Fable 2, however this press conferecne seems to be an anti climax to me, all they announced was Fable 3 could of been some more announcments.
Again, I'll remind you that I'm not interested in online gaming at all and even less with Achievements so you'll never see many completed games in my profile (not that I care). I'm guessing from your quote that you *do* care about one and possibly both, which is fine, but stop trying to use them some kind of bragging rights!
Actually you have to complete RE5 in under 5 hours to unlock the unlimited ammo rocketlauncher.That makes the hardest difficulty a piece of cake to complete in even a shorter amount of time btw. Trust me ive done it and i loved every minute of it. The last boss isnt hard at all.
@KrissAkabusi
Thats true and the reason i have only 51 completed games according to my gamertag even though i have completed every game i have. The same reason Darren has 1 (King Kong).
My point still stands though. Even though i can agree that the movie comparison might be a little off.
Also I never said that a good game had to be one that you completed, only that Fable II wasn't good enough to make me want to finish it. That's totally different from RE5 for example as I've stated. My definition of an excellent game is one that is both do-able and engaging right though to the end. Fable II failed miserably on the latter but it wasn't an awful game, just not as ambitious or entertaining as I was hoping for.
The cinema analogy by the way is an extremely poor one since it doesn't require any actual skill or interaction to actually watch a movie right through to the end... unlike a game! If you get stuck part way through a game as I had with Ninja Gaiden, RE5 and GUN for example then you're not going to see the end, are you?
Buying a 5 hour game like RE5 and not even completing the singleplayer. Seems like a waste of money to me.
Its like leaving the cinema in the middle of a movie( i havent done that either btw).
Take it easy mate. How you like to play games is up to you i just wanted to make a point about you not completing a game doesnt mean its not a great game as you usually dont complete games. You like to try games not complete them and thats fine.
I have played a lot less games than you but still have over 50 fully completed games on my profile.
"I'm not sad enough to play a game I don't like to 100% completion just for the (IMO worthless) Achievements if that's what you're implying? :? "
Im not sad enough to buy games i dont like :? The achievements are worthless , but trying to get them is fun and having fun is worth alot. Gives games more value too.
However, I do tend to finish the single player campaigns if the game is good enough, as I have done with GRAW, Call of Duty 4, Kameo, Condemned, DiRT, PGR 4, Fallout 3 (twice: 360 and PC), Oblivion, Perfect Dark Zero and, yes, King Kong plus a number of others. There's a lot that I've almost, almost finished too such as Blue Dragon, Resident Evil 5 and GUN but never got round to for one reason or another. I play games on the PC and PS3 too, the 360 isn't my only gaming platform. The single player is all I'm interested in; that's why I'm a Silver subscriber.
And, no, I personally don't care for Achievements at all so I'm not a "completionist" as you put it. I'm not sad enough to play a game I don't like to 100% completion just for the (IMO worthless) Achievements if that's what you're implying? :?
LoL! Correct!
King Kong?
But you dont really complete any games do you?
According to your Live profile - you have completed 1 out of 145 retail games and 0 XBLA games. Hardly a completionist are you.
Fail4 360, more like.
Unimpressive announcements all round.
Fable II was OK though but, sadly, not interesting enough for me to actually complete it. As with the first game, the early concept reveals and demos made it seem a lot more intriguing and inventive then it actually was.
MS should have AT least anticipated THIS kind of reaction after Sony showing yesterday, they should knows they would looks very PALE and bland next to Sony big showing even if they only planned a simple show and tell of one err two games!
People are not going to take well to it especially X360 fans hoping to get back at Sonybots.
However yes Sony got the crown etc etc, most people on the street would only be seeing the results ie slim, price cut, PSPGo etc and thus there are lot more Sony stuff being pushed. Words get around etc, MS will just be dead quiet.
MS need to get back to the drawing board for TGS.
Price cut as in some time in the future of the 360 life cycle?
YEAH! You could be right there!!!...
Personally, I found this one more interesting than the Sony one, I already own a PS3 and so have no interest in a slim. At least we got a game here, just too bad it wasn't a new Black & White instead of more Fable.
i mean: some people mention that this is not seen by MS as important - it is (or it should be). To the industry there are four important shows per year and each should have a strong showing: GDC, E3, GamesCom and TGS. MS only talking about Fable III is peculiar to say the least...
edit: my mentioning "MS failed in that regard" could be perceived as incorrect, since MS did newly announce Fable III here, but I suppose we all saw that coming, making this news less news than the official confirmation of slim and price-drop. Capice?
I know EG's article-header is somewhat misleading, but if I can find it, ...
Also: the game Peter talks about here seems to have very little in common with the previewed game on the fron page. I think that other game sounded more interesting, to be honest.
Preferably, this king-thing could be the episodic DLC for Fable II, and Fable III could be like that preview said it would! Best of two words!
That would be pretty cool, actually.
I find it laughable that everyone seems to expect "OMGZ MEGATONZ" at every conference these days, This was always billed as a conference that would be fronted by Mr Molyneux. Why did anyone expect anything else?
Microsoft isn't billing its gamescom conference as a massive, platform-level event the way that Sony is, with senior personnel telling Eurogamer that they regard the Cologne event as a European show and won't be attending in force.
It was only ever going to be about 1 or 2 games. Sure, a bit more about some of the big titles and drop a big surprise in there, announcing the inevitable Fable 3 is hardly a headliner!!!!
If so, there was some huge miscommunication between MS and the world outside. Kind of seemed everyone expected a MS conference here.
Sack. Of. Crap.
Cupping is basically groping of the breasts!
-1 for answering a question? Really?
This is really hard earned money there sitting in the audience straight face and listening to Peter for that long!
As a Yank -- what's cupping? Sounds far less dirty then banging some hookers in Fable2.
Let's face it, who in a game wants to have to sit there and listen (or read) about people complaining about their lives. Surely we get enough of that in our schools/uni/work places. No I don't want to go walking through the streets trying to find some random person's house to find out whether or not they do have food on the table. I'd much rather be leading an army to battle or exploring an unknown land.
It sounds like Mol's managed to take the adventuring and magic out of Fable. Of course his example isn't actually in the game, so how can I even judge!
MS must be really desperate!
And Peter: Shut the hell up! You have good ideas but your games suck because they never achieve what you "envisioned"!
Let's hope at least something's going to happen. Quotes for bets on hard disk inclusion for the Arcade or a bigger Hard Disk Add-On are plunging.
We don't give a damn about your new revolutionary game systems. They always mean grinding to move a bloody slider between A and B.
Thank you for being such a good listener.
I have to check if shadow complex is up now.
This is a bit fridickulous (frickin' ridiculous, say it while doing a yawning movement with your mouth).
"You sit on satin and guzzle wine the people sweat for, and talk of divine rights of sovereignty
Is there not anything exciting to show?
Oh well.
This Fable bit is quite long already. I wonder if anything else will be announced.
oef!: \o/
But keep getting angrier. Go on, let it out.
What's the problem? Are you retarded? Stop drooling on yourself and pay attention child.
Er - shatterproof and about 12" long?
sorry.
Answer is 'not me'.
And I did like Fable 2 a lot.
If you had read my post, you'd realise SHUT THE HELL UP.
FABLE III - HELLS YEAH!
I was referring to those people saying "Yay Fable 3!" on the first page. But erm, Fable 3 has just been announced, so whatever.
Note to Ellie: Hire more typing monkeys.
Edit: Or use Natal voice recognition.
salmon....arrrghhhhhahaha.
I just thought of that there now, just as peter M walked o stage, its true, the mans an inspiration.
Well I did ask the question, nobody answered (or cared!)
http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articl
es/101/1...
Is this an MS or EG issue?
*runs to alternative site
*finds one - http://www.vg247.com/2009/08/19/
gamescom...
ire/Rosepetals thing that's going on on the Lionhead website seems to hint to some sort of alternate history world war 2 thing? Actually it probably wouldn't be actual WW2, but at least something involving semi-allies and semi-nazis, judging from the banner imagery.
anyone??
Personally I reckon it's going to be Black & White 3 controlled by Natal (I think the B&W theme on site is a big clue, or red herring)
I mean.. i post saying "b&w3 or fable 3" - and get FOURTEEN negatives?!? Wtf?
I could understand if i was being some sort of fanboy here or something! But REALLY?!?!
As fot natal - i'm sure it'll be the best thing since sliced bread and wont be really inaccurate/laggy.
and I'm stoned!
I'm a negative creep!
Daddy's little girl ain't a girl no more.
Starting 9am on Wednesday 19 August, Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers can join forces against a monstrous G-Type Salamander Akrid boss in Lost Planet 2.
http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/news-f
eatures/...
We really need a better system here.
If it isn't a none-too-subtle hint about Black and White, then Peter M. officially goes back to being a douche in my book. That's just cruel. It would be like Rare saying they were "TRIPLE" excited to anounce a "KILLER" app coming thats going to appeal to your "INSTINCT"s, then announcing Viva Pinata 3.
Finally someone said it. After years of dual pricing, late releases, banned countries, banned content, halfworking video marketplace...someone@microsoft.
com said: I am really sick off Europe. Ok, we listen.
Whatever it is, it is going to be on Natal.
But the pages have also been switching between black and white on each day. Colour scheme, or a clever hint?
Both Black & White and Fable would work really well with natal, so it's pretty much up in the air. But I think the controls would work better with Black & White.. You don't have to directly control a character, and it uses a lot of hand gestures.
Fireball.. EXTREME!
So I'm guessing fable 3 will be announced.
Im not.. there's no way all the platform holders can give big information at ALL the conferences...
Other than the new lionhead game?
http://lionhead.com/
Hopefully it's a new Black & White game. Rare have also been talking a lot about Natal and perhaps we'll get some clarification on the Arcade price incrase, I'd guess that it's going to have a lot of internal memory now, but we'll see. Hopefully they'll announce bigger HDD's at cheaper price points too.
But yes: I expect dates for Facebook, Twitter, Sky/Canal; and reveal of Lionhead's new game.
However, there may still be a surprise or two. That "Teh Internets" has been quiet is possibly because (a) It's all about PS3Slim or (b) MS is generally better at keeping secrets.