Oct 22 2009
Molyneux Announces Natal Support For Fable 3
Lionhead CEO and Creative Director for Microsoft Game Studios Peter Molyneux announced that Fable 3 will fully support Project Natal. No details as yet for how Molyneux is planning on including the technology, so I can really only speculate. As long as the motion control doesn’t get too crazy, I think it presents an interesting addition to Fable’s gameplay.
I think where Molyneux would be smart to make use of Natal as an option is with jobs. Make them less tedious and more entertaining. Instead of hitting buttons to hammer out swords, how about doing a hammer motion or something. The same principle could be applied to everything. As for the combat, I think you have to keep it to a controller for now. Maybe a few motion controlled special attacks, but for the most part combat shouldn’t be messed with, as it’s a strong point in the Fable series.
Beyond Natal Molyneux also had another announcement to make…well more of a speculation actually…that is Fable 3 will make use of micro transactions. Ala many MMORPG’s out there on the market now, Fable 3 looks to take advantage of the concept. Meaning while you’re playing the game, you could go into a store menu and purchase items on the go with your real life money.
Molyneux described this as anything from special items and areas, to walkthrough’s or FAQ’s if you’re having trouble. Sounds like a really cool concept on paper, but I don’t like the idea of console games getting into the micro transactions. I already despise DLC for console games sometimes, as many companies use this as an excuse to release a game incomplete, figuring you can just pay extra for things that should have been in the original game.
Case in point, the Mass Effect “expansions”. Both are simple side quests that have no justification as DLC episodes. I don’t see why those couldn’t have been included with my original $60 investment.
But this is where I’m guessing Molyneux is only speculating. He has a habit of doing that, as we’ve all noticed over the years. Remember all of the promises made about the first Fable? And how none of them came to life and you were left feeling slightly disappointed at first? Well I do. Then I played Fable II’s ending and I found out what disappointment in a game really means.
Hopefully Molyneux can stop focusing on micro transactions, and even Natal, and just give the game a great story again.
