GDC 2007: Microsoft Games Preview
For some time now, Peter Molyneux and Lionhead Studios have been teasing gamers and members of the press with hints about new features in the upcoming Fable 2 title. Well, Molyneux finally divulged one of the secret ingredients of the upcoming game.
Microsoft held a media event Tuesday to preview several high-profile games coming to the Xbox 360 and Windows, and one of the titles was none other than Fable (Microsoft acquired Lionhead last year). Microsoft invited several members of the game press to get a sneak peak at the game from Molyneux, one of the most ambitious and creative minds in gaming. Packed in a small hotel room nearby the Moscone Center with about a dozen journalists, Molyneux looked both excited and a bit tense. "I'm as nervous as I've ever been," Molyneux said. "I've gotten in a lot of trouble through the years for talking about ideas before they happen."
Peter Molyneux of Lionhead Studios
Indeed, Molyneux promised to reveal one of Fable 2's rumoured "secret features." "This feature I'm going to talk about here is a scary one because there's a chance you won't get," he admitted. "The feature that Fable lacked and that Fable 2 really needed was drama. The missing element is love."
Love? Yes, you read that right: love. The big revelation Molyneux presented was a dog. And it's not nearly as lame or ridiculous as it might sound. Molyneux said his aim is to create an emotional bond with the player, and what better way to do that than with man's best friend? In Fable 2, one of the key gameplay will be a loveable, fully functioning canine companion.
Why a dog, exactly? Molyneux said the idea was to establish a bond of unconditional love. Rather that use an actual human character such as a girlfriend/boyfriend or husband/wife, Lionhead wanted a companion that wouldn't nag, obstruct or annoy the player in any way. Thus, the player's dog in Fable 2 will be completely loyal to the player and will follow him into battle and defend his owner. During the demonstration, Molyneux showed how the dog, outfitted with advanced artificial intelligence, reacts to the player's action rather than commands from a controller.
For example, during the demo Molyneux confronted three enemies, one of which had a gun (yes, there are guns in Fable 2). When Molyneux's player raised his gun, the dog ran to attack the other two enemies that were wielding melee weapons. And if Molyneux used a melee weapon, the dog would take off after the enemy with the gun. The point is simple: the dog never leaves your side and will stick by you until death. "That is the feeling I want you to experience - unconditional love - which games just don't do," he said. "If we don't think that Fable 2 is going to be a landmark game, then what is the bloody point?"
So will there be an "Old Yeller" moment? Yes, Molyneux said, but he wouldn't divulge the details or even confirm whether or not it will be in Fable 2 or a future Fable title. The point, he said, is to get players emotionally invested in their digital dogs the same way you would with a real pet. "The golden rule in Hollywood is 'don't hurt the animals,'" Molyneux said. "I've watched every "Lassie" movie every made, and I challenge anyone to watch one of those movies and not cry. "Mad Max II" (a.k.a. "The Road Warrior") is one of the hardest movies ever made, and the sidekick in that movie is a dog. I don't want to make people cry. I just want people to remember the moment."
Indeed, Molyneux talked about establishing great moments in gaming and cited titles such as Ico and Final Fantasy VII as having emotional weight and dramatic moments worthy that are typically seen in movies or literature rather than games. "If you care about that dog, then I've got you," he said. "And if I've got you with that drama, then Fable 2 is going to be one hell of a ride."
There are more new features in Fable 2. Characters will be able to have sex, and if they have unprotected sex they may get pregnant. "Fable 2 is the first game in history where the main character can get pregnant," Molyneux said. And in keeping with the theme of love, he said if a player's character does become a parent and rears the child well, he or she will be a good character but if the child is neglected, he or she will become evil. Molyneux also said combat would be much more advanced in the sequel.
Lionhead said Molyneux will introduce another new feature for Fable 2 this Thursday during a GDC presentation. Neither Microsoft nor Lionhead announced a release date for Fable 2 but the game is expected sometime in 2008.
