Lionhead Studios
”Fable 2 "Big-Ish"-Ton Next Week
If you're hankering for a hunk of Fable 2 news, you will want to carve out some internet time for yourself next week, as the official Lionhead Studios blog teases some big-like news. "A lot is happening" writes the official Lionhead dev blog, "if you are anxious to find out something new about Fable 2, I suggest you make sure you've got access to the internet, next week! Yes we are planning something (quite) big-ish."
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]
update
Fable 2 Will Feature One Acorn And One Tree
Peter Molyneux, the visionary behind Lionhead Studios and the Fable series, once promised us that in Fable, the player would be able to plant an acorn and watch it grow into a tree. Things didn't quite work out. But that isn't stopping Molyneux from attempting a little something we like to call a do-over with Fable 2.
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".Somewhere deep in the bowels of Lionhead, Molyneux is whipping the technical programmers to make room for at least "2 or 3 more acorns." The cries for help are horrid.
Molyneux: One Acorn Will Grow In 'Fable 2,' Multiple Acorns Unconfirmed [MTV Multiplayer][image]
Work and Play: A Peek Inside the Lives of Gaming's Greatest
I've had a pet project I've been working on for years, three of them if my memory is right. It started as a simple idea: You can judge a lot from a person's desk. I bet you could judge just as much from their home entertainment system. So I decided it would be fun to try and track down some pictures from the work desks and home gaming set-ups of the people who work in and cover the video game industry. Simple right? Not so much.
Turns out that many of the people are either too busy or too private to want to participate in such a project. To make matters worse, there's always fear that something sitting on someone's desk, that ends up in a photo, could actually be news worthy. Like a secret project or the next big thing. But I didn't give up and about once a year I'd harass a bunch of game developers for photos. Finally, this year, the harassment paid off.
What started as a trickle of photos turned quickly into the collection of galleries you'll find on the jump: More than 40 different photo galleries from 17 studios, seven publications, two industry movers and shakers and a couple of fun surprises.
You'll get to see the desk of such greats as Sid Meier, Peter Molyneux and Tetsuya Mizuguchi along with plenty of others. Remember you can comment both on the next page and on each individual photo if you click on them.
If I find there is interest, I will try to periodically update this gallery of galleries with more developers, journalists and industry movers and shakers. Have fun.
Lionhead Card Mentions "Other Game"
Not all of the holiday cards we receive here at Kotaku Tower come via our grumpy mailman. Some pop right up inside our email's mailbox. Take, for example, this touching card from Lionhead Studios, featuring Fable 2's boy and his dog.
Nice picture, but more interesting is the note included:
Hi Kotaku,Season's Greetings from all at Lionhead Studios! We wish you all the very merry Christmas and the best wishes for 2008, which will be a very busy gaming year (with Fable 2 and our other game...)
Best wishes,
Lionhead Studios
Other game? I can't seem to find any clues on the card...
Buy Your Way Into A Supporting Role In Fable 2
The annual Child's Play Fundraiser Dinner Auction isn't just a great way to make a contribution to society, it's also the easiest way to buy your way into a supporting role in Lionhead's Fable 2. The dinner, which will be held at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington on December 11, will feature an auction loaded with coveted Fable 2 prizes. Chief among the biddable items are supporting roles in the Molyneux-led role-playing game that can be named after you. Up for auction are the names of one villager, one farmer, one shopkeeper, one quest character, and one monk. On top of that, all sorts of other goodies, from signed posters to signed underwear will also be on the auction block.
Check out the Lionhead community blog for more information. For those unable to attend, make sure to visit the Child's Play charity web site to learn how you can make a contribution.
childsplaycharity.org [Lionhead Community]
Lionhead Developer Diaries, Part III
The Lionhead Development diaries have become less about fun swordplay in the office and more about asset management and disc compression. Apparently those guys actually do a little programming once in a while. Lame. If you are just around for the fun stuff, skip to the end to see the staff hanging out at Molyneux's place, dressed to the nines in game character costumes while they bitch that Molyneux is a fog machine thief. We never trusted that guy.
Lionhead Video Diary - Episode Three [gametrailers]
Fable 2 Combat Video
In Lionhead Studios' second production diary, they explain the methodology behind their new combat system. It's a nice balance of design romanticism and more concrete production technique. Enjoy.
Lionhead Diaries [lionhead]
Fable 2 Concept Art
Lionhead Studios just put up a bunch of new concept art for their upcoming role-playing game about a man (or woman) and his (or her) dog. They even have a place where readers can leave feedback about the art.
Fable 2 Forums [Lionhead Studios]
New Fable 2 Art
It may not be much, but Lionhead Studios just posted this picture up on their Fable 2 forums with three points for gamers to "speculate" about: More »The Movies Hits The Mac
Lionhead Studios announced recently that movie-making sim and machinima creator The Movies is now available for the Mac. More »Shotgun Chuck vs. Zombie Bruce in The Movies
leipzig
Molyneux To Talk Next-Gen Combat at Leipzig
Peter Molyneux will be talking about Lionhead Studios' research into next-gen fighting games at Liepzig next week. The description of the talk sounds very interesting: More »
peter molyneux
Molyneux Just Knows We're Gonna Love Fable 2
I have realised I've got the PR equivalent of Tourette's. I can't help myself. It's the inability to downplay stuff - I have to get excited!More »
apple
Peter Molyneux Observes That Mac Gaming Sucks
Speaking of how superior we obnoxious Apple-munching turds are compared to the rest of the home computing audience at large, an easy way to deflate our own gaseous egotism is to point out that Macs just plain suck for gaming. More »
fable 2
More Fable 2 Plot Details
The Lionhead Times is reporting some details on the making of Fable 2. The latest post touches on the need for milestones, the fact that there are already 70 people working on the game and that MoCap is well under way. But the really interesting stuff is the details about the plot. More »
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