Lionhead Studios revealed the next entry in the Fable franchise at Gamescom and it is taking it in an exciting new direction.
Fable Legends will be an [amazon_link id=”B00CMQTVMI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Xbox One[/amazon_link] exclusive title which will feature five-player co-op.
Why five, you may ask?
Well, four friends will take control of four different character classes including a cocky prince character, a burly archer, a female mage and another female with a rather huge wooden shield to take on the forces of evil in the land of Albion. The twist comes in the fifth player who will be playing the role of villain. They will be able to view the world from a top-down perspective and will have control over the enemies the heroes face as well as setting up traps and other nefarious means to defeat the doers of good.
Intrigued yet? I know I am.
You are able to play Fable Legends as a single-player experience with AI taking over the other four roles in the game, but the game is being built to be fully enjoyed with five friends online.
No release date was given for Fable Legends. Check out the trailer below narrated by the wonderful Michael Gambon, who should really do narration for everything from airplane safety videos to feminine hygiene. His voice is that soothing.
Microsoft is at Gamescom in full force and have released this trailer focusing on all the games that will be coming to the [amazon_link id=”B00CMQTVMI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Xbox One[/amazon_link] including: [amazon_link id=”B00DB9JYFY” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Titanfall[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id=”B00DB90AHA” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Dead Rising 3[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id=”B00CMQTTQG” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Forza 5[/amazon_link] and more.
With all of Microsoft’s policy shifts in the past few months it certainly looks like they have turned a corner going into the launch of their new system. While the PS4 has the better price and positive feedback with gamers (including me) I can not deny that the Xbox One launch lineup has me more excited.
Congratulations Forza, you are officially the first [amazon_link id=”B00CMQTVMI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Xbox One[/amazon_link] game to have a limited edition. The game will retail for $79.99 and come with extra cars, 2x player reward boost, exclusive multiplayer events, VIP membership access, 1250 in-game car tokens and more.
Here is the rundown of cars you will be receiving with the limited edition:
-2011 Audi RS 3
-2012 Aston Martin Vanquish
-2013 Ford M Shelby Mustang GT500
-2013 McLaren P1
-SRT Viper GTS
-1965 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C
-1987 RUF CTR Yellowbird
-1991 Mazda #55 787B
-2011 Ford F150 SVT Raptor
-2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
I am sure for all you folks that follow the car scene you just splooged in your pants. I just type the words and in my head think “shiny cars”.
[amazon_link id=”B00CMQTTQG” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Forza 5[/amazon_link] releases this fall.
Microsoft has been on a tear lately scaling back the unpopular policies that have hampered the Xbox One since its announcement a few months ago. Now they are scaling something else back and it will not be as popular a decision. The corporation announced that they will only be launching in 13 territories worldwide instead of the originally planned 21.
The countries getting the boot to 2014 are: Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland. To try and make amends for the delay Microsoft will be adding a pack-in game with the system, so I hope all of you like Forza 5 because that will probably be it.
No reason was given for the delay in these countries, but I am going to say it is most likely due to trying to meet pre-order demands in the larger countries. Luckily, America still counts as a larger country even though our growing dependence on borrowed money from China would say otherwise.
[amazon_link id=”B00CMQTVMI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Xbox One[/amazon_link] releases this fall.
Microsoft has released a new video going in-depth with the new features and improvements found in the [amazon_link id=”B00CMQTVMI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Xbox One[/amazon_link] controller including the new individual rumble features in the triggers, redesigned d-pad and the controllers ability to sense when the controller has been passed to another player and change their profile on the fly.
Check out the video below and let us know if any of the new features tickle your fancy…or anything else on you.
Microsoft has released a new video hosted by Major Nelson that shows you exactly what you will be getting when you unbox your console. Here is the quick rundown:
-Console
-Controller (Day One Logo for those that pre-ordered)
-Kinect
-Power Brick and Cord
-4K Enabled HDMI Cable
-Chat Headset
And for those very lucky few that were the first 100 to pre-order worldwide you will receive a glossy 8X10 portrait of a naked Bill Gates with Xbox stickers over his nipples.
Microsoft has revealed the pricing for the Xbox One controller and all of its various accessories. The controller will retail for $59.99 while the play and charge kit will run you $24.99. Buying the controller together with the play and charge will cost $74.99. The chat headset retails for $24.99.
So if you are planning on getting an extra controller and play and charge and don’t want to use the Kinect to voice chat (who the hell does?) be prepared to fork over an extra one hundred bucks on launch day.
Pre-orders are being taken on all of these items on Amazon.
Microsoft’s seems to have gotten in the giving spirit when it comes to reversing policies. They will now allow self-publishing as an option on the [amazon_link id=”B00CMQTVMI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Xbox One[/amazon_link]. In an interview with Engadget, Xbox Corporate VP Mark Whitten gave a statement confirming the change and when we would hear more about the details:
“Our vision is that every person can be a creator. That every Xbox One can be used for development. That every game and experience can take advantage of all of the features of Xbox One and Xbox LIVE. This means self-publishing. This means Kinect, the cloud, achievements. This means great discoverability on Xbox LIVE. We’ll have more details on the program and the timeline at gamescom in August.”
It certainly seems like Microsoft is trying to win back some of the support that has been lost over the past few months with these changes. Only time will tell if it is working.
And not crushing Make-A-Wish kids dreams would help also.
And so ends the “Summer of Mattrick”, not with a bang, but a silent ride off into the Farmville sunset.
Gametrailers is reporting that Don Mattrick, president of Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, is leaving the company to be the new CEO at Zynga, parent company of every game with a -Ville at the end of it. One has to wonder that even though it is a CEO position is it really a better job than basically being the head of the Xbox division at Microsoft?
Mattrick’s move comes after a few months of his…let’s say… inability to word things correctly when it came to the media and the Xbox One. From saying that whoever did not have the internet could just buy an Xbox 360 or complete lack of tact talking about our military, Mattrick has been one of the main reasons for Microsoft’s PR woes since the announcement of the system. Now the company has done a complete reverse on most of the unpopular policies for their new console and Mattrick is on his way out the door. Could this signal better days ahead leading to the [amazon_link id=”B00CMQTVK0″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Xbox One[/amazon_link] launch?
Let’s all just take a moment and enjoy this, how about it?
What started as a rumor reported by Giant Bomb has now been confirmed by several articles, the most prominent coming from IGN: Microsoft has decided to rethink the always online / game pass code / no used games / rivers of blood / dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria protocols for their upcoming console. They did, however, still have this cryptic piece of info regarding when you first hook your console up:
“After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again,” Microsoft wrote. “There is no 24 hour connection requirement and you can take your Xbox One anywhere you want and play your games, just like on Xbox 360. Playing disc based games will require that the disc be in the tray.”
…what the ^#*@ does that mean? Will people with absolutely NO internet connection still be able to play? Does the list of “launch countries” still hold weight for people who want to import a console? Still, it is nice that they finally backed down from their previous stance on the subject, which was essentially to give all detractors both middle fingers while doing the heli-cockter. As an added bonus, this will apparently not change the plan to have Xbox One games available for day-one download as well as retail purchase.
To acknowledge just how off-base and out-of-touch these ideas were, I give you Microsoft’s Don Mattrick:
“Since unveiling our plans for Xbox One, my team and I have heard directly from many of you, read your comments and listened to your feedback. I would like to take the opportunity today to thank you for your assistance in helping us to reshape the future of Xbox One. You told us how much you loved the flexibility you have today with games delivered on disc. The ability to lend, share, and resell these games at your discretion is of incredible importance to you. Also important to you is the freedom to play offline, for any length of time, anywhere in the world.”
“These changes will impact some of the scenarios we previously announced for Xbox One. The sharing of games will work as it does today, you will simply share the disc. Downloaded titles cannot be shared or resold.”
“We appreciate your passion, support and willingness to challenge the assumptions of digital licensing and connectivity. While we believe that the majority of people will play games online and access the cloud for both games and entertainment, we will give consumers the choice of both physical and digital content. We have listened and we have heard loud and clear from your feedback that you want the best of both worlds.”
The Nerds are certainly glad to hear this news, and it has genuinely changed how some of us are going to approach this holiday launch season. Of course, I have to imagine the general atmosphere around Microsoft offices is a little something like this today:
Conspiracy Corner
*Cue X-Files Theme*
Right now, I feel a slight sense of euphoria. I feel like “We did it! We stuck it to the man!” …but what if that’s exactly what they WANT us to feel? It would explain just how lost and unprofessional their entire E3 presence seemed. They let a rep openly dismiss the idea that alienating active military personnel was a bad thing, for heaven’s sake. This way, they get to instantly switch from the Big Bad Dickheads to the guys who “appreciate your passion, support and willingness to challenge the assumptions of digital licensing and connectivity.” Also, last time I checked, something as integral to the system operation (according to them, at least) wouldn’t seem quite so easy to just scrap five months before launch. I’m a tin-foil-hat believer on this one; how about you?
