Hit the jump to check out six possibilities.

a) It's his own game

b) This is Peter Molyneux we're talking about

...it shouldn't surprise you that he loves the game. Says that, unlike every other game he's done recently, he hasn't chucked a whole bunch of crap into it and hoped it all came out OK at the other end. No, this one's got some polish. "It's the best, most complete game I've ever worked on", he says. So, what's his score?

CHatting with Xbox World 360 magazine, he says he'd give the game 9/10. Hopefully kick-starting a trend where all prominent developers rate their scores prior to release. Can't wait for Dude Huge's Gears 2 review!

Molyneux rates Fable II "9 out of 10" [Xbox World 360, via CVG] [Image]

He said that the patch for the game should be going live very soon, but when I asked him if the studio or Microsoft would be doing anything to those who raked in so much virtual cash he hit me with a no comment, followed by a "their could be repercussions."

Do tell? Is there a gold reset on our horizon? Or does he just mean that people will have to deal with the heavy burden of playing Fable 2 knowing full well they're cheater McCheaters?

Speaking with Lionhead Studio's Sam Van Tilburgh earlier today I discovered that Pub Games won't be the only way you can earn cash for Fable 2.

When the game's official website relaunches it will include a web game or two that allows you to earn Fable 2 gold and unlock goodies like dye pots and a chicken suit for the game. All told, gamers will be able to unlock six to seven special items through the website, Van Tilburgh said. You can also earn coin through the games.

What about mobile games? Or iPhone games that will earn you Fable 2 cash. Van Tilburgh was cagey about the possibility, but said he'd mention he idea to Peter Molyneux.

"We have one or two bugs that are keeping us from going gold," Van Tilburgh said.

Even though the game, due out Oct. 21, is on the verge of wrapping up, the dev team is still keeping late night hours, he said.

"Everyone is playing the game, staying 12 hours," he said.

Van Tilburgh was excited to finally give gamers a chance to check out the game for themselves at the Penny Arcade Expo and so is designer Peter Molyneux.

"I've been talking to him about the reaction," he said. "He asks what the reaction to the game has been. What do they think about the combat."

Van Tilburgh said that 97 percent of the reaction has been very positive over the first two days of the show.

"Initially I thought it was a bad thing, but one person told me the game was 'tight'," Van Tilburgh said. "I'm told that's a good thing."

Seems the Xbox Live programming director left himself signed in and his wife got a hold of the game under his tag. He popped in the door to find her in full gambling-problem mode, which is to say distant, uncommunicative, unconcerned and four figures to the bad, on his account.

He writes a humorous anecdote but it reeks of poetic license. All three games are conveniently mentioned, and the dialogue has a sort of canned soft-drink testimonial feel. And, here's the escape hatch, you can transfer your gold to your character when you get the game, but nothing says you have to transfer your debts. In fact, you'd be quite foolish to do so. Or you can just delete the gamesave and start over without paying the debt. So if you're playing this, keep all of that in mind.

Still, I like the idea of Major Nelson, stubble-faced and bleary-eyed and facing a heap of flaming cards in Fortune's Tower and eventually ranting like Albert Brooks in Lost in America. "Say it! Say it! Say 'I lost the nest egg.' Go on, say it!"

I am Playing the Fable II Pub Games ... but I Have a Little Problem [Xbox Live's Major Nelson]

It's not all bad news (or good news, assuming you would rather play a game without the possibility of cheating) as Lionhead's community blog has a page full of tips designed to maximize your Pub Games earning potential while staying within the rules. Their advice? "If you are wondering about a 'much talked about' exploit, just ignore it (and know that a patch is on the way)."

But as Lionhead taketh with one hand, they giveth with the other - a rather natty set of Fable II wallpapers has turned up on the official Fable II site and an update to the Fable backstory Tales Of Albion entitled The fall of the Heroes” is now live (requires Microsoft Silverlight to play).

Fable II Pub Games News Flash, Tips and Tricks! [Lionhead Community Blogs]

Fable II Wallpaper [Lionhead]

Tales of Albion [Lionhead]

The novel idea of letting players earn gold in the Fable II Pub Games on XBLA — gold that can be brought into the game to give your character a good start in life — might turn out to be a problem, now that someone has realized there is a way to game the system into paying big.

The Fortune's Tower card game can be tricked into big payouts, it seems. Find out how after the jump and get saving for extra dog biscuits now before this gets patched.

From Wired:

The game in question is the Fortune's Tower card game, and all you need to do is bet the lowest amount before you deal cards (15 chips), and then immediately hit the left bumper after you select "Deal." This will max out the bet, but the only amount taken out of your pot is the initial 15.

I've been able to replicate this in all of the Fortune's Tower games I've played — you eventually unlock new tables that allow higher bets — as well as in the tournament mode. And yes, I'm racking up quite a bit of gold, thank you.

Get Rich Quick With Pub Games Glitch [Wired Game|Life]

We've contacted Microsoft for comment and will update once they get back to us or find a solution to the problem

Update: Just heard back from Hryb: "If you received a download code from a pre-order for Fable II, I am being told that they codes should be working later today. Apologies for the delays."

Once you are safely playing Fable II, initiate a gaming session with a Gamemaster at your local tavern, or one of the conveniently wandering types found throughout the game. Start up a game, and you'll be asked if you wish to merge your in-game persona with your gambling persona. Once you agree, your Pub Games horde will be at your fingertips, and you'll be able to outfit your dog in the latest doggy gear at your leisure. Simple!

Lionhead explains Fable 2 money transfers News [Eurogamer]

Also hitting at the wee hours of August 13 is the NES remake, Bionic Commando: Rearmed. Similarly priced at 800 MSP, the game features four-man multiplayer, an M rating and zero exploding Hitler brains.

Fable 2 Achievement List [Xbox360Achievements, via Dtoid]

Along with the news comes a lovely shot of the full collector's edition, which we already talked about back in July but looks much better all spread out. It's just Microsoft's way of reminding you that you don't have to only spend $59.99 if you don't want to.

One day I really should do a sports game, just because it really seems such a genre which is just locked in stone. We know how we do sports games. That is a real challenge to me. Same with things like driving games. What I want is for a game I do next is a really big challenge.

Oh man, Peter Molyneux hyping a sports game. Can you imagine?

Molyneux Intervew [GameTrailers via vg247 via Eurogamer] [Pic]

Rumor has it that Molyneux is currently working on Denis Dyack II, which is said to feature more realistic gameplay, and possibly a dog.

Hold on a moment...I just actually read the full article instead of skimming it, and it turns out that Molyneux simply feels sorry for the flack that Denis Dyack is catching over Too Human.

"I feel sorry for Denis Dyack because you know, I think a few things were said wrong, there was that really unfortunate showing at E3 a few years ago. Everyone got on the bandwagon of saying things about Too Human. Now I've played it and, you know, it's a good game. It doesn't deserve a lot of that harsh criticism.

It all makes sense now! Molyneux of course caught a lot of flack himself when he released Fable on the original Xbox, a game that decidedly did not live up to his creative vision. You can see where I could get confused.

I kind of apologised at the end of Fable 1 about actually saying things that didn't end up in the game. I've tried to be really really careful about what I show and I think everything I've talked about in Fable 2 you can now play in there, so that was really important. But what I realise over time is that talking about a game before it's released is a dangerous game.

Sort of like writing out a news post before fully reading and understanding the source article, which I would never, ever do.

Peter Molyneux: 'I feel sorry for Denis Dyack' [Videogamer.Com]

That's why it's helpful that something like Fable II can be broken down into digestible, feature-focusing chunks. The game's dog, for example, with its ability to help out in battle, its nose for hidden treasure, we know is going to be A Big Deal. We won't be surprised if Man's Best Friend plays a more important role than Molyneux led us to believe in our sit down preview of his Xbox 360 game.

We just know he's going to emotionally manipulate us with that lovable digital mutt.

We were about two hours into Fable II's storyline, Molyneux says, when we got our first hands-on experience with combat and dog-play. Combat has been a big focus in the Fable sequel, and while it may not have Ninja Gaiden caliber aspirations (or animations), it works. It's fun, especially when the dog comes to your aid, gnawing on the limb of some recently dispatched foe.

The hero in Fable II had access to limited combat options at this point. He was just getting his hands on some rifles and a little bit of magic. Sadly, we didn't get to take on that lovely looking Treant beast, just some rank and file pirates, but left the combat experience feeling more than satisfied.

If there's one thing that Fable II looks to achieve, it's painless action RPG combat. It may not have the cinematic flair of Nintendo's 3D Legend of Zelda games, but Lionhead Studios title has so much more depth, we can forgive a few rough edges.

And being the graphics snob I am, those rough edges come across in some occasionally homely character models. The hero's wife in Fable II may be a busty beauty, but the game may get some flack for its sometimes ho-hum visuals.

That will most likely be forgiven with the impressive amount of depth the game appears to have. The ability to upgrade your career skills via mini-game diversions looks better than grinding and cold, hard stats arrangement.

When we got into town, we met Fable II's bard, the singer-songwriter who will belt out tales of your heroism. He'll also sing songs of your cowardice, adding comic relief and occasional annoyance to your journey through the game.

Molyneux showed off some of the game's Expressions, the silly jigs and smooth moves that let you woo ladies and forge new friendships, prior to our hands-on. You'll pick them from a radial menu when you want to take a wife or receive a gift. They were fairly limited in our demo of the game, but look to provide some welcome options for adding variety to the game world. You'll see non-playable characters throughout town that you can interact with using Expressions, each with icons over their heads indicating their disposition. Wow them with your moves and you'll reap the rewards.

It's difficult to tell if Fable II, with its pub games, combat system, intelligent canine partner and career skills, will be more than the sum of its parts. We'll know when the game ships this October, as we start focusing less on the features and more on the game itself.

Looks like those obsessive folks who paused Lionhead's latest Fable II developer diary to see what Peter Molyneux was writing on his notepad were on to something, as Peter Molyneux announces the release month for the game at Microsoft's E3 2008 press conference, and surprise - it's October! Ah, the lovely fall season, when a boy's thoughts go to spending time with his dog and choosing between good and evil paths.

Exclusive: New Fable 2 details revealed! [OXM] [Pic]

My usually reliable Photoshop bullshit detector isn't being very helpful, but those who suspect that a Master Chief lookalike in Fable II is simply pixel alchemy are welcome to eyeball a larger version linked below.

Master Chief Rockin’ [Loinhead via Lionhead Forums]

Best of all, while the Fable II Pub Games will be available for purchase at 800 MS points, preordering the game from participating retailers gets you the mini-games for free, my personal favorite price.

Build Your Fable II Gold with Pub Games [Xbox.com - Thanks Peter!]

Others in the NeoGAF forums point out that things still look a bit rough for an October release, though of course we're only seeing what Lionhead wants us to see. I've been known to take notes while on phone calls only to discover later that what I've written down had exactly no bearing on anything whatsoever. Perhaps he just loves the word October. Certainly is a very earthy word.

Lionhead Video Diary 6 (Fable II) [NeoGaf Forums - Thanks Fritz!]

Eurogamer summed up some more of the recent hints thusly:

The first examples of the faces you'll come across in Fable 2 are Arfur, a murderous and vicious thief who sounds like the infamous Bill Sykes; Barnum, an unlucky inventor likely to be laughed off of Dragon's Den time and time again; and Giles, a tough-as-old-boots farmer who used to be a soldier and now has problems with a violent gang.

Nobody's saying just how many characters there will be in the world, but Carter said some 50 hours of voice acting has been recorded. And though Lionhead is aiming for an open-ended world, you won't be able to kill anyone where doing so will remove huge chunks of the story - wouldn't want to waste all that hard work, right?

Fable 2: Meet the Populous [IGN via Eurogamer]

Awwww. Fable II's hero sure was a cute little kid, wasn't he? The very definition of adorable little scamp. Soon he'll grow older, wiser, and get himself a faithful canine companion, but for now he's just a little guy just like the rest of us were, filled with the potential for great good and/or evil.

I'm really digging the art direction for Lionhead's latest. It reminds me of The Dark Crystal a little bit, which is pretty much the set point from which I judge all fantasy works that may or may not contain muppets. I just hope that once the game is actually released I will be able to finally look at something Fable related without hearing the words "Chicken Chaser" in my head over and over again.

All you have to do is send in a picture of yourself in suitable artistic pose. Think old master, royal portraits or even the Mona Lisa! Dress up as an old or modern hero, go out to the countryside and find yourself a deer to shoot (not recommended) or just strike a suiting pose in front of an open fire. The thing that would make it even better is if you were to act out an expression from the original Fable.

I think that deep down inside, what Lionhead is asking here, is for you to send them naked pictures. I could be misinterpreting this of course, but it seems like that to me. You might wanna hurry, seeing as the deadline is June 4th. Luckily I have an entire folder of suitable shots aavailable for instant distribution.

ART MODELS WANTED [The Lionhead Times via Major Nelson]

So what is it? In Molyneux's own words, "I think it's such a significant scientific achievement that it will be on the cover of Wired." Normally hallowed ground for scientific advancements on par with baking an inedible cake in the shape of a Wii, Molyneux thinks that a decade's worth of work on AI, simulation and character interaction is worthy of a cover treatment.

Video game AI advances have already made the cover of Wired—Munch's Oddysee graced the mag's cover in 2002—but Molyneux's photogenic nature and capacity for extensive quoting will surely make for a much interesting return to newsstand prominence.

Peter Molyneux: My Next Game a 'Significant Scientific Achievement' [Wired] [Image Credit]

"We're going to be talking about Fable 2 today of course, next time I meet you we will be talking about our next new project, but today it's about Fable 2," he said. "It's going to be full of bugs and you're going to write some pretty horrible things about it, but it's about time that I show you what the game will feel like from the beginning."

In the Beginning
The game of Fable 2 has an elegant beginning, a cut-scene that follows a bird from a forest to a town, where it lands on a ledge and takes a poop.

"We take a dramatic camera angel and follow that poop until it lands on your head, and that's how it starts," Molyneux said. "It's a lovely starting."

The game begins with you as a little kid in a slum, totally powerless, learning both the city and your controls. Molyneux calls it a half hour of charm.

"My dream is to tell a story you fucking remember," he said. "I want you to remember it, i want it to stay in your mind. How do i do that? I steal a bunch of stuff from my favorite things."

The screen is relatively HUD free, instead most of what you need to know is shown contextually. There is a breadcrumb trail, for instance, that appears on the ground to show you where you need to go next to complete your current missions.

"It's like an in-car navigation system without a voice."

Free Roaming
Almost all cut-scenes are interactive in the game, in fact there is less than five minutes worth of non-interactive cut-scenes in the entire game. During the rest of them you can react, by using your D-pad to perform expressions, laugh, frown, even fart when someone is talking. You can evil kill a person in the middle of a cut-scene, cutting it short and drastically changing the missions, Molyneux said.

These choices are what help shape the world, changing it from something created by developers to something very personal. And such choices have drastic repercussions as the years pass, changing not just your character and his or her appearance, but the look of the town, even the region.

"The cool thing about Fable 2 is that it's a role-playing game set in a simulated world," Molyneux said.

The entire world is free roaming too and everywhere in the world can be owned by the player.

Molyneux showed how this world lives even when the main character isn't around. He slipped through the hills and trees of one region until he discovered a gypsy camp. In it the women were dancing, the kids playing, heedless of not having an audience to react to.

"These kids will play out the whole of the fable one story, it's just what they do," he said, following around a pack of children with the camera. "They will be mock fighting, it's a little play they will play. They will go out and kill Jack of Blades. If you get famous enough they'll start acting out what you've done in Fable 2."

Moral choices make a return in Fable 2, but this time around, Molyneux said, they will actually work the way he said they would.

"We made a rubbish job of that in Fable one, there were a couple of moral choices in Fable one but it wasn't what we said it would be," he said. "There are an enormous number of moral choices this time around. To be a good guy we are going to ask you to sacrifice a lot."

Fight
The fighting system in the game will be as customizable as the world and your character, Molyneux said.

"You can add flourishes with button holds, you can add contextual buttons, your whole combat system is unique to you," he said.

Each of the buttons will have 15 things you can tie to it. There are eight spells in the game, each with five levels. While that doesn't sound like a lot, Molyneux said that the combination of these different things can make for quite a few different iterations.

"It's truly a dynamic combat system," he said.

There is also the dog, who will help you fight and stay by your side, but as Molyneux has said before, that's really not the point of your pet.

"He is just your dog, he's there for you to enjoy."

Molyneux told us about a play test the team did with a biker, a man who at one point was "absolutely in tears" because of a scene involving his dog.

"That's why he is there."

Molyneux wrapped up the demo by quickly showing how easy it is to drop into a cooperative game with a friend and teasing a yet to be announced secret about co-op play.

"There is another big surprise, a very big surprise about co-oping," he said, before adding that Fable 2 is a "Hell of a game."

What are they showing? Ninja Gaiden II, Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Too Human, and several games without 2 or Too in them, including Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise, and Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One.

Crecente will be there all day for the event, so you can expect all sorts of fun stuff from him later in the day. While we busy ourselves setting up galleries and processing videos for your enjoyment, feel free to read through the official press release, after the jump.

Microsoft Game Studios Unveils Gears of War 2 Gameplay

"Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise" Set to Burst Onto Store Shelves This Fall
LONDON - 13th May 2008 - Today Microsoft Game Studios (MGS) and industry luminaries from the world's top development studios will be on hand to show off the latest features of the year's most in-demand titles; present will be Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski, Lionhead's Peter Molyneux, TECMO/Team NINJA's Tomonobu Itagaki and Silicon Knights' Denis Dyack. This year, the visage of Marcus Fenix joins the likes of Ryu Hayabusa, Banjo, vivacious piñatas, cybernetic gods and a hero with a loyal dog sidekick in the all-star 2008 MGS line-up that promises to make Xbox 360 the console of choice for players everywhere.

Attendees of the MGS San Francisco showcase event will witness the first extended taste of "Gears of War 2," the sequel to the blockbuster third-person tactical action game that sold nearly 5 million units. Epic Games Design Director, Cliff Bleszinski, will demonstrate dramatic new gameplay elements and stunning visual effects in a campaign sequence from early in the game - where Marcus Fenix and COG forces engage in pulse-pounding firefights between two Derrick transports, fend off vicious Reaver fly-by attacks and rabid Brumaks - all in the same rollercoaster ride of a level. As the most anticipated Xbox 360 exclusive title of the 2008 holiday season, "Gears of War 2" offers an unforgettable gameplay experience that blends a gripping story with visceral combat on a grand scale.

MGS will also crack open "Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise," set to appear on store shelves this September. Developed by the creative masterminds at Rare, this sequel to the colourful, sleeper hit builds upon the gameplay of the original and adds innovative twists to the mix. In an effort to help Piñata Central rebuild their computer database of piñatas, players will send piñatas at full candiosity to parties all around the world while using their creativity and imagination to attract, capture, protect, train and manage more than 100 newly discovered and existing piñata species. An exciting, new "Just for Fun" setting makes getting into the game fast and easy. For the first time, players will be able to collaborate together on a garden through a rich co-op experience, connect and play with others online via Xbox LIVE as well as instantly introduce new piñata species to their garden through an innovative new feature utilizing the Xbox LIVE Vision Camera.

MGS will also pull back the curtain on another beloved franchise with the triumphant return of Banjo, one of Rare's most successful characters, in "Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts." Defying the laws of nature, a bear, a bird and a backpack team up to embark on another incredible adventure this November. MGS is breaking the rules of traditional platformer games by putting the power to invent new abilities for Banjo directly into the players' hands. By using their ingenuity to build imaginative vehicles that can be combined with infinite variations, gamers help Banjo successfully complete missions through multiple terrains. Through exploration, discovering hidden secrets and solving puzzles to win rewards, players will continually find increasing ways to customize and improve their contraptions, creating an unprecedented level of user-generated content and emergent play for a 3-D adventure game.

These instantly recognizable franchises join the enviable company of "Fable 2," "Too Human" and "Ninja Gaiden II" from Team NINJA/TECMO, making Xbox 360 the home of the best blockbuster game experiences this year.

Other news and features of 2008 Xbox 360 blockbusters:

• "Fable 2": The wait is almost over for the sequel to THE biggest action role-playing game in Xbox history. Swords, guns and now the newly unveiled magical power round out the combat in this action RPG from acclaimed developer Peter Molyneux and Lionhead Studios. Players will have even more choices to continuously shape who their characters become in a world 10 times the size of the iconic Xbox game. "Fable 2" introduces a host of exciting new features for gamers, including a first-of-its-kind Xbox LIVE Arcade experience, and a genre-stretching multiplayer experience, allowing gamers easily play "Fable 2" with friends and family side-by-side from the comfort of a living room couch. Players can immerse themselves in this vibrant world that only Lionhead and Molyneux could create, beginning this holiday.

• "Too Human": Today, MGS and Silicon Knights will confirm that the wait is almost over - "Too Human" will be available on August 19 in North America and August 29 in Europe. "Too Human" is an epic, highly anticipated action game with integrated RPG elements and features a rich storyline with deep character development, both hallmarks of Silicon Knights' legendary tradition of video game development. Additionally, Silicon Knights is showcasing for the first time, the title's online cooperative play via Xbox LIVE; allowing gamers to experience "Too Human" with friends in a multiplayer setting.

• "Ninja Gaiden II": Team NINJA/TEMCO will reveal today that gamers can get a head start on expanding and customizing their "Ninja Gaiden II" experience with the release of Gamerpics and Themes, available as PDLC on Xbox LIVE beginning today. The Gamerpics packs include five new images each, at 100 points per pack; and the Themes, which focus on heroes and bosses, are 150 points per pack. Soon gamers everywhere will follow Ryu Hayabusa's entire blood-drenched mission - through cities like Venice, New York and Tokyo - to avenge his clan and prevent the destruction of the human race. "Ninja Gaiden II" slashes its way onto store shelves on June 3 in North America and June 6 in Europe. Additional "Ninja Gaiden II" PDLC will be available for download on May 20, with subsequent releases throughout the summer.

• "Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One" on Xbox LIVE Arcade provides a first-of-its-kind RPG-Adventure experience based on the popular Web comic. The creative collaboration between Penny Arcade creators Mike 'Gabe' Krahulik and Jerry 'Tycho' Holkins, legendary game designer Ron Gilbert and producers at Hothead Games results in a 100-percent authentic Penny Arcade experience that pushes bizarre characters, outrageous combat and adult humor to the precipice of darkness. "Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One" will be available on Xbox LIVE Arcade May 21, 2008.

Microsoft Game Studios is the home to many of the industry's biggest franchises and continues to set the bar for top-quality entertainment experiences for players of all types. Characters from the game universes of "Gears of War," "Fable," "Banjo-Kazooie," and "Viva Piñata" have enthralled gamers young and old all over the world. In 2007, MGS made history with some of the biggest video game launches ever, including Halo 3," "PGR4" and "Mass Effect."

With games often among the highest rated in their class by critics, Microsoft Game Studios delivers the best and most complete game experiences exclusively on Xbox 360, fuelled by the passion of 10 million gamers worldwide playing on Xbox LIVE.

This is just the beginning of what promises to be another landmark year for games on Xbox 360. Stay tuned for more announcements in the coming months.

Big-ish, eh? We know it's not the only big-ish thing happening next week, as we expect a respectable number of pre-E3 announcements throughout the week, but we have to wonder what Fable 2 secrets await us. Perhaps we'll see that ballyhooed acorn or learn more about in-game pregnancy! Who wants to make a guess? There's a no-prize in it for you!

Lost My Teeth! [Fable 2 Development]

I'm told that the Lionhead Video Diary Six has been wrapped and submitted to the Xbox Live marketplace folks for processing and eventual upload onto the Xbox 360 service. The Msoft folks tell me it's the best one to date and that it will focus on "Art and The Hero". Wonder what that means?

one of the things that you talk about is the sustainability of these huge, huge titles, and how close this model is, at the moment, with what happened in the movie studios when they stumbled upon the Cecil B. DeMille blockbuster — Quo Vadis, Cleopatra, all that...

And they suddenly turned from making films that cost five million dollars, into making films that cost a hundred million dollars. And that caused all the small studios to just completely shutter, for a long time, until they found a new way of working. You know, where everyone came together.

SEE?! He does have eyeballs. Told ya so!
Fable 2 Diary [GameTrailers via Fanboy Killswitch Thanks, DJ T!]

The diary starts off with Senior programmer Alan Wright talking about the magic of Fable 2. There's no spellbook in the game, instead you set spells to a quick list. Wright's favorite spell is the lightning spell, which causes the victim to flash in and out of a skeleton model as he's being electrocuted.

The diary goes on to show some behind the scenes footage of Microsoft's GDC keynote, with a special appearance by Cliff Bleszinski who demands "10 percent more dog" in Fable 2, and gives some time to Molyneux to talk about offline multiplayer in the game.

I can tell you definitively that there is absolutely an acorn and it does absolutely grow into a tree. And it is actually part of the story now. We decided we got into so much trouble over acorns and trees that we are going to make it part of the main thread of the story in "Fable 2".

Five days ago, in an unexpected terrorist attack, the entire shipment of liquid-soap for Europe was hijacked - hundreds of lorries diverted towards Paris and their contents spilled over French capital. The scenes were horrifying - millions of Frenchmen who hadn't washed in decades screaming as they were forcibly cleansed.