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On the Fable 2 Dev Blog, Lionhead has gone and thrown down the big promises gauntlet again. This time they hint at big announcement next week. As to what it is? No clue, but since I'm here... and you're here... and maybe, just maybe someone at Lionhead may look at this before it's too late: Un-fix the co-op camera and give us the ability to be our own heroes in coop. You're welcome to add another dog, some new STDs, actually include the girl from the above posted shot (in fairness I have yet to finish it, but I'm going to guess she was replaced by the blind lady) you know, whatever you want. Just, please, fix the co-op.

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Remember many moons ago when we first reported that Fable 2 would be shipping without a vital component? Well, it looks as if the gang at Lionhead Studios may just have pulled it out in the last moment. Should all go according to plan and the patch passes certification, the feature should be available at launch. See what we get for worrying?

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In a move that's unlikely to surprise anyone acquainted with the works and words of Peter Molyneux, Fable 2 will ship without online co-op play. 

People with real life friends or no friends at all will be unaffected due to the fact that the split screen and single player modes will be entirely functional in the disc release.

Those of you who happen to yearn for interaction with distant friends still have the silver lining that the online co-op mode will be functional via a patch that will be made available within the first week of release--probably. 

Let's hope that Molyneux delivers, as it would be horrible to see such a promising game marred by the temporary occlusion of such a heavily touted feature.

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Will Molyneux's followup to the legendarily disappointing Fable be a sure-fire hit? It's hard to tell by looking at screenshots, but this is a gaming site afterall... how else are we going to speculate?

Microsoft has just released these sceens in their E3 2008 asset dump. Check out the gallery below.

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Tired of waiting for Fable 2? Well, you're about to get a little taste of it, as Microsoft has reported via the Gamerscore Blog that Pub Games, a collection of three minigames in which you can earn gold that can be transfered to Fable 2 upon its release, will be available on XBLA in August.

You'll be able to gamble away your virtual capital in the following games:

• Spinnerbox, an updated take on slot machines.
• Keystone, a combination of Craps and Roulette.
• Fortune's Tower, a "press your luck" style of game.

Pub Games will cost you 800 Microsoft points unless you preorder, in which case the collection is free.

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The Game Developers Conference 2008, which is currently scheduled for February 18-11 in San Francisco, has published a list of featured speakers and topics under discussion for each. Here are some big names for the curious:

Peter Molyneux (Head of Studios, Lionhead Studios), on (surprise!) Fable 2 - The Big Three Features Revealed.

• Peter Molyneux's stated ambition as a designer is to make FABLE 2 a landmark game. In order to achieve this three big design features have been added. The inspiration and rational behind these features will be discussed along with their evolution throughout the development process. The wider context of their impact and influence on the RPG genre with also be examined as the ambition is also to evolve the genre itself. The talk will be supported by retrospective videos as well as live game examples.

Ken Levine (President/Creative Director, 2K Boston) on (bigger surprise!) Storytelling in Bioshock: Empowering Players to Care about Your Stupid Story (sign me up).

• Game stories can matter, even in first person shooters. But first we're going to have to give up a lot of our preconceptions about what people care about when playing a game. For too long, games (especially first person shooters) have been stuck in a "game sequence followed by story sequence" mentality. Ken Levine will tell the tale of how the BIOSHOCK took a pointy-headed idea about a pseudo-objectivist utopia and turned it into one of the most compelling and succesful game worlds in recent history. What were the tools used? What compromises had to be made? Where did the shooter end and the story begin? How did we make people give a crap? How did we use story and narrative to become perhaps the most talked about game at the super-crowded E3 2006? What does this all mean for stories in games? And must of all, what hell does "Mise En Scene" mean?

Chris Butcher (Engineering Lead, Microsoft/Bungie) on E Pluribus Unum: Matchmaking in Halo 3.

• The online multiplayer mode of HALO 3 features an automatic matchmaking system to place players into games. Players may join individually or with parties of friends, and are quickly matched into groups. This presentation describes the algorithms behind the peer-to-peer matchmaking model, and its implementation over Xbox Live. It examines the impact of matchmaking on the HALO online community, and provides techniques for shaping the player experience and discouraging cheaters. The tradeoffs of an automatic matchmaking system compared to traditional multiplayer game browsers will be discussed, and illustrated by some results from the first months of HALO 3's operation.

Cevat Yerli (Managing Director, Crytek) on Crysis in the Making.

• This session will offer a look into key areas of CRYSIS development that markedly depart from Crytek's first project, FAR CRY. Main topics include Nanosuit design and gameplay, creating a rich, destructible/non-linear world, and peopling it with dynamic, believable AI enemies that challenge and entertain the player.

You can view the full list of featured speakers here. If you're interested in the keynotes, however, you can find that here.

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This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

As I’m sure you can tell from the title, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales is, quite simply, child’s play, a title developed so that both children and adults can enjoy those giant yellow, fun-loving, eager-to-please birds called chocobos that have proven a staple of every Final Fantasy game. For the first time since the relative disaster that was Chocobo Racing (1999) on the original PlayStation, the chocobos are back in their own premier title, ready to weave a spell of classic storytelling with a Final Fantasy twist upon both the young and the old. Strangely, the game’s friendly nuances, colorful atmosphere, and fun minigames make Chocobo Tales an enjoyable retreat from the fast-paced action/adventure games that make up the bulk of a gamer’s diet, and the title is much simpler than a regular Square Enix RPG, making for easier pick-up-and-play moments. Gather around for story-time: depending on your age group, this could be a winner.

The overall plot for Chocobo Tales is simple and direct, with minor twists and turns paired with fun or witty dialogue to keep the player interested regardless of age. Gamers are cast as a young yellow chocobo fond of a storytelling white mage who has gathered all her chocobo friends together for a fantastical treat, but as these things tend to go, the fun is spoiled by a thrifty black mage who has just purchased a rare storybook. The book, of course, is cursed, and as the black mage recites its spell it comes to life as Bebuzzu, a wicked fellow who proceeds to eat all the chocobos and retreat until a “dark” woman appears. It’s now up to you to free your birdy friends from Bebuzzu’s grasp by collecting their cards throughout the environment which, by the way, you navigate entirely with the status.

The usual method for freeing your friends involves completing tasks from various storybooks containing traditional fables (Three Little Pigs, Ugly Duckling, Jack and the Beanstalk, etc) told with Final Fantasy flair. Each storybook contains three options: trial (in which you attempt to meet a gameplay requirement for a reward), battle (you against AI-controlled chocobo opponents), and storytime (which gives the prologue/theme for each book; keep in mind that you can unlock new epilogues for completing certain goals). The story is told in colorful pop-up fashion, with cut-out characters interacting in the book’s picturesque environment. In Titan and the Beanstalk vol. 1 players help their chocobo climb the humongous plant by drawing leaves to propel the chocobo up, all while avoiding the hazardous bombs along the way; in vol. 2, gamers race down the stalk by drawing leaves that are used to slide the chocobo back down to earth, collecting coins to beat opponents. In Ugly Chocoling, players utilize a magnifying glass to find a flaming bird; in Shiva and Ifrit, gamers collect fruit without being frozen or burned alive by the ice and fire raining down upon the poor chocobo’s head. The majority of these storybook minigames are enjoyable and of an appropriate difficulty for children, though a few of them sport some tough spots to keep the title challenging.

Continue reading...

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This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.

Square Enix has announced that it shipped Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales to North American retailers on April 3. The title is a DS exclusive "delivered just in time for the Easter holiday" and "provides gamers with an all-encompassing package that contains a rich multiplayer experience and a classic storyline that will enchant gamers of all types and ages."Said Producer Yuuki Yokoyama, "I am thrilled that CHOCOBO TALES has gone on sale in North America. This game, featuring the beloved chocobos, combines action-packed games, a heartwarming story and an intuitive card-based battle system to create a title that will appeal to players of all ages. This game fully utilizes the Nintendo DS system's wireless communications like never before, allowing players to battle with users across the globe via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. I hope you have fun playing CHOCOBO TALES!"Here's the scoop:Once upon a time, there was a small, peaceful island protected by the crystals of fire, earth, water and light. On this island lived Shirma, Croma and a farm full of cheerful chocobos. Just when it looked like they were all going to live happily ever after, Croma brought back a mysterious book from his latest journey. Without thinking twice, he opened the dark tome and inadvertently invited misfortune upon the island. Every nearby chocobo was sucked into the magical pages of the wicked book!Unbeknownst to all, Bebuzzu, who had once laid waste to nearly the entire world, was imprisoned inside the pages of the book! Luckily for the good guys, his strength was not fully restored...at least, not yet! Taking the role of a chocobo, players must rescue their friends while stopping Bebuzzu from regaining his devastating powers.Features:Innovative gameplay brings party games into a new era by combining exploration, card combat, minigames and multiplayer into one exciting packageAddictive card-battling game brings many FINAL FANTASY elements to life in a fun 3D pop-up book art style – call upon the powers of the Cactuar, Cait Sith, Ifrit, Tonberry and other creatures to aid you in battle as you challenge the world via Nintendo® Wi-Fi ConnectionLimitless fun after the adventure ends – continue the excitement by engaging in more than a dozen minigames with up to three friends via local multiplayerTest your skills in any of the 23 different microgames that make full use of the dual-screen and Touch Screen functionalityA beautiful and vibrant game world comes to life through a unique blend of 2D and 3D elements, creating a fun and inventive art style that puts the player inside a pop-up bookAccessible save system offers true portability that caters to your lifestyle – save your game anywhere, anytimeFinal Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales carries an MSRP of $29.99 and is rated E.

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Lionhead Studios has published new artwork for its Fable 2. The game is currently being developed for the Xbox 360 and is slated to release sometime this year. Enjoy. 

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Originally written by Shiva Stella

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Microsoft announced today the availability of Wik: Fable of Souls for Xbox 360 Arcade. The game is developed by Reflexive Entertainment.

"We are pleased that Wik: Fable of Souls is available so soon after the release of the Xbox 360, said Ross Erickson, Games Portfolio Manager for the Xbox Live Arcade. We believe that Wik is a shining example of the type of quality you can expect from the Xbox Live Arcade - now and as we move into the future. We intend to change peoples perception of what a downloadable game is with the release of Wik."

The full version of Wik is available for download via Xbox Live Marketplace for 800 Microsoft Points

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Originally written by Tim Grube

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