This is Bowerstone, circa Fable III. Little late to catch the steampunk bandwagon, sure, but clock-powered bad guys and RPGs with trains and moustaches are always appreciated.

That's according to an account of the Microsoft Game Studios creative director's talk at BAFTA's Video Games Lecture from That VideoGame Blog. It sounds like Molyneux either envisions something along the lines of free-to-play MMO pricing tactics, in which the good stuff may be available to those willing to purchase or simply an easier way to get unlockable items.

Based on a tweet from Gamesbrief's Nicholas Lovell, it sounds more like the latter. "In-game shops are just a way of monetizing cheating," Molyneux was paraphrased as saying at the lecture.

Of course, who knows how much of this will come to be, given Peter's track record. But it sounds like interesting plans are afoot for the third Fable, like them or not.

Microtransactions coming to Fable III [TVGB]

Gamesbrief founder Nicholas Lovell has been posting snippets from Molynuex's talk on his Twitter account, as spotted by VG247, writing that the Fable lead confirmed Natal support in the role-playing game. Apparently, Molyneux also joked that Natal would be featured in the form of a "feces simulator" for the game.

Surprised by Natal support in Fable III? Doubt it, as Molyneux lead the unveiling of Microsoft's motion and voice recognition controller at this year's E3 with the Natal-powered Milo demo, enthusiastically showing his support of the technology. And Pete has "never said it's not going to use Natal," a roundabout way of saying that the Xbox 360 game was going to use it in some capacity.

"Do you really think ... knowing me ... I wouldn't want to use something like Natal?" Molyneux said at the PICNIC Conference in the Netherlands earlier this month. "I mean that's just mad, man."

Just no feces simulation, please.

VG247

In an interview at the PICNIC Conference in the Netherlands last week, Molyneux's interviewer basically stipulates that there will be no Natal support in Fable III. Rather than move on to the rest of the question, Molyneux goes out of his way to correct the record, and then some.

Here's a transcript of Molyneux's relevant remarks, beginning with his questioner saying Fable III will not incorporate Natal.

I never said that.

I am going to say it's going to use a controller. But I've never said it's not going to use Natal.

And obviously what would probably happen if I started talking about this is you would see a little red dot appear moving on my forehead. And then as I would start to speak the words then there would be a shot, gunfire, and I would be assassinated. Quite clearly it is that sensitive.

But let me give this to you absolutely straight. I have not said that we're not going to have Natal in Fable III. All I have really said is it is a controller experience. That doesn't mean there isn't going to be Natal.

Do you really think ... knowing me ... I wouldn't want to use something like Natal? I mean that's just mad, man.

The entire video is here - the beginning narrative is in Dutch but the interview is in English. The relevant Natal comments begin about 7:00.

Big thanks to reader Rowan for the tip.

Interview Peter Molyneux [PICNIC 2009] [Game Kings]

"Now, I hate demos," Molyneux tells website Edge Online. "I think demos are the death knell of experiences. Over the years I've done demos and they've either completely ruined the game, given too much to the player, or they've confused people, so I said that we should give away the very first 45 minutes of the game, completely free, and just before you get to Bowerstone up comes this message saying, ‘If you want to continue playing press this button, but if you want to buy the rest of the game, press this'. So people that are interested but don't want to commit to the full purchase can play more, and people that are into it can buy all of it, and they don't lose experience or gold they've collected."

Instead of a separate demo, it sounds like Molyneux would rather allow players to start playing the actual title. If they like it, they can buy the game. If not, they can stop and be done with it. Kind of like flipping through a book in a bookstore, but without the ability to sit in said bookstore all day and read the book free of charge. Dammit.

"If you think to the future I think you can see a world in which the close relationship with the customer that digital affords is going to completely change the way players pay for games," adds Molyneux. That future, argues the designer, should be fairly priced so that players are "second mortgaging [their] house" every time they're buying an episode.

Interview: Peter Molyneux [Edge]

In an interview on the choices the Fable series forces its player to make, Molyneux said Fable II's ultimate decision was a bridge too far for some. They so resented being forced to choose between sacrificing all their companions - including the beloved dog - or a sizable group of people, that they wrote in, vociferously. Molyneux told GameSetWatch he "did have hate mail from people" who couldn't sacrifice the greater numbers, and said bye to the dog.

It all "got to such a furor," Molyneux said, that Fable's first DLC was changed to allow the dog to return to the game.

You can look at this one of two ways: One, that Molyneux diluted the force of his game's calling card: choices and their consequences.

Or, two, that this isn't like filmgoers complaining about a surprise ending. Gamers don't just passively experience the story, and having no idea they'd be asked to do something this uncomfortable is quite a shock. I'm not sure I'd sent "hate mail," (I'm not sure how vehement it was, either), but I'm willing to see the gripe's legitimacy.

In-Depth: Peter Molyneux on the Importance of Choice [GameSetWatch via Destructoid]

The "See The Future" DLC strongly and bluntly alluded to that new direction as well, and today's press conference in Germany seems to have cemented that into fact.

"Third in a series and second outing on same format can be a problem," Molyneux said. Instead of rehashing a slightly tweaked version of Fable II, the designer wants players to be surprised and "expect the unexpected." For Fable III, that means ruling a kingdom.

A voice-over for the game's teaser sums it up perfectly: "The kingdom of Albion is changing. The land needs a ruler. King or queen. Cherished leader or ruthless tyrant. That future has not been written. The race for the crown has begun."

Instead of becoming a hero, players will start out as the son or a daughter of an Albion hero and become the ruler of all — explaining those recent teasers. For the first half of the game, players will lead a fight against a tyrant king by gathering support, gaining followers and uniting factions and then face the reality of why those things happen in the world.

Players must decide which promises they can keep for their followers, and those choices will not be as easy as they sound.

The developer has been inspired by historical figures like Joan of Arc, Richard III and Genghis Khan.

"Why not be that king or that queen? Your consequences and your judgments affect not just you, but the whole of your land," Molyneux says. The designer wants players to feel the power of their actions.

Like other Fable games, players can play the title for good or evil. Choices include poverty, greed, tyranny, compassion, progress and tradition. Also, like in Fable II, the player's family will have a role in the game. You can expand your castle to please your queen or king, but at the expense of taking money from the pockets of your people. Characters from Fable II will also be appearing in the title.

The landscape of Albion will range from lush green to industrialized to show "dynamic regions" and how they show things like poverty and injustice.

Game mechanic-wise, Fable III allows players to pardon citizens or sentence them to whatever fate they like. It's up to the player to make those judgments. Another new mechanic is called "Touch". Because the expressions of Fable II are not appropriate for Fable III (you are the ruler!), this new interaction allows players to shake hands, hug, embrace and even give a "full passionate snog". "Dynamic Touch" allows players to hold hands and, for example, pull them along to look at the sunset.

"Imagine hearing the cries from a young child in a house," says Molyneux. "You as a hero, a ruler, you storm into that house to save that child." Dynamic Touch will add more to saving that child than simply pressing A to save them, letting you feel the interaction of picking them up, pulling them away, saving them from a burning house. "Being able to touch people as a ruler and see how they react, that's what we want."

According to Molyneux, "You're going to see all sorts on injustices on the road to your rule." That road to rule begins in 2010 when Fable III arrives on the Xbox 360.

Molyneux will be talking about the setting and the story of this third role-playing game during Microsoft's Gamescom press conference, which is scheduled to commence later this morning.

We'll bring you all the details of the announcement - and everything else Microsoft have to offer - once the presser begins at 10:00am Central European Time.

Update: And it's official. Fable designer Peter Molyneux has just announced Fable III for the Xbox 360.

So who's mentioning Fable III now? The New York Times, which is typically not wrong about much. More specifically, the Times "Weddings/Celebrations" section is talking about the next Fable game. Yes, Fable III is being mentioned alongside the announcement of Lionhead designer Joshua Atkins' weekend wedding. PR is so weird!

This nuptial news source isn't the first time Fable III has been rumored to be underway, as British TV personality Jonathon Ross indicated his voice over involvement in the third chapter. Peter Molyneux has hinted at what's to come in future Fable games, citing the "See The Future" expansion as "a flavor at what's going to be happening" in the next episode.

Again, no real confirmation that Fable III exists—for that, we're checking in with Microsoft. But if it did, would anyone be surprised?

Let's just pray that development on future Fable games does even less relationship harm in the future. And congratulations to Mr. Atkins.

Amy Gilbert, Joshua Atkins [NY Times - thanks, Louis!]

"The next DLC comes out in the spring," he said. "We're in the spring now so don't think months, think more like weeks. It's called See the Future."

Molyneux says that the new DLC will be much more story driven and give gamers a glimpse of things to come.

"The first (DLC) was done very close to Fable II and the team was tired and we sort of pushed ourselves to get something out early for the fans," he said. "This time we've taken a little bit more time on it, it's a little bit more story driven. It answers some of the questions, if you're a real fan of Fable, it answers some of those questions. It's going to test you a little bit emotionally as well. But I think the real unique thing here is it starts to tease and hint at what it starting to happen in the world of Albion and what is happening in the future."

Molyneux also hinted at the rumored existence of Fable III.

"If we were to take the franchise even further, going on from Fable II, I'm not announcing anything, but if you play See the Future you're going to be getting a flavor at what's going to be happening," he said. "My ideal is what I would want to happen is something big."

In an interview with industry site Develop, Fable franchise designer Peter Molyneux explains just how bad it got during the creation of the first game: "If I'm honest, on Fable we just burnt people's lives; we destroyed the team. Week after week, month after month, they worked 50, 60, 70, 80 hour weeks. It destroyed their lives and destroyed their marriages. You just can't do that anymore. You can't do it."

That's why, Molyneux adds, he's so proud of Fable II — sure, there was crunch time at the very end of the game's development, but it wasn't nearly as rough as with the first game. So the still-rumored-but-inevitable Fable III should be nonstop happy time — you know, pink children and Christmas, gum drops and lollypops.

Do read the rest of the Develop interview. Molyneux is, as always, incredibly open, saying things like, "The truth is, I think I'm famously awful at developing games. Before, I'd walk into the office, wave my arms and say ‘I've just had a cool thought' — usually after severe alcohol abuse — and that lead us to spending a lot of money very foolishly on things that weren't going to get anywhere."

Lion's Head Part I [Develop via VG247] [Pic]

Or, as he puts it, "Goodnight all. Must go to bed. Got asked to do voice in Fable 3 tonight. Subarashi. Oyasuminasia. Woss out."

CAUTION: he may be having a laugh (he was, after all, at the BAFTAs tonight and probably enjoying a drink or three with Peter Molyneux), or accidentally be referencing some new DLC. So we'll refrain from getting over-excited at mention of a third Fable. Besides, it's a successful franchise. Of course there will be more of them.

We only point it out because it's nice to hear it mentioned, that's all. Also nice to see that Lionhead haven't lost their zeal for filling their games with top-notch British voice-acting, either.

[Wossy @ Twitter]