Microsoft and Lionhead have confirmed
Fable III, with the RPG sequel to be available on Xbox 360 for holiday 2010, with
Fable II available episodically on Xbox Live next month and the first episode free.
The announcement was made at a GamesCom press conference in Cologne, Germany, and according to the two companies, in
Fable III, "the journey to rule the throne of Albion begins five decades after the events of the last chapter, and you play as the child of your hero from
Fable II."
As you rule your kingdom as king or queen, you will be called upon to make choices and sacrifices that will test your morality and can affect your entire kingdom.
Building on the previous titles in the popular series from
Populous and
Black & White creator Molyneux: "Themes of heroism, leadership and consequence are taken to a grand scale as you fight to unite a divided people."
In addition, Microsoft and Lionhead are debuting
Fable II: Game Episodes on September 29th, with the first episode available for free on Xbox Live via the Games On Demand service.
After completing the chapter, players have the choice to then purchase the next installment or -- in select regions -- the entire game.
Fable II: Game Episodes delivers the entire
Fable II experience in five consecutive instalments, with all the Achievements and content of the disk-based game, and full compatibility with
Fable II add-ons like
Knothole Island. In addition, saved games from the retail version will work in the digital version of the game, with co-op modes available as well.
Phil Spencer, general manager of Microsoft Game Studios, commented of this announcement: "With the
Fable II episodic model, we're encouraging people to experience the first chapter of the game for free, then move onto other chapters when they are ready. It's a unique model and one that will appeal to gamers who've been hesitant to dive full into the original retail release."
