GDC 07: Molyneux's Fable 2 lovefest

Peter Molyneux wants gamers to feel the love.

The legendary developer of games such as Populous and Black and White used his lecture at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) today to highlight key innovations in the upcoming Fable 2, specifically his goal of making gamers feel loved within the game.

Molyneux, managing director of Lionhead Studios, began his lecture by saying that his key goal for the role-playing game sequel was to create "wow" moments, and that Fable 2 had three specific innovations he believed would deliver those great experiences. While he declined to disclose the first two features (citing his tendency to get into trouble for "overpromising" in the past), he did go into finer detail about the third feature--emotion.

Molyneux said Fable 2 would contain the usual emotions expected from an RPG, such as excitement, fear, and achievement, but it was love that the team at Lionhead was focused on for the new title. The feeling of love in the game would partly come from the ability to marry and have children, Molyneux said, and it was at this point that he introduced to the crowd a major new feature in Fable 2--a dog.

As outlined in our extensive Fable 2 preview, the in-game dog will follow a player's character throughout the gameworld: It will act as a scout, defender, pointer, and companion all in one.

Molyneux said the dog would also open new quests in Fable 2. It is also planned to be a major source of much in-game angst for gamers. "If we sense that you even like your dog a little, then man, we're going to mess with your mind," he said. Molyneux also strongly hinted that some online capabilities would be associated with the dog, although he did not disclose specifics. "Let's just say that you've really got to meet my dog. If you're my friend and you're playing Fable 2, then you've got to be able to meet my dog," Molyneux said.

With the live demonstration of the dog taking up most of the lecture, Molyneux used the few remaining minutes to quickly outline other features being lined up for Fable 2. Molyneux said that everything in the game--from street stalls to dungeons and houses to castles--would be on sale. The game would also feature dynamic regions, which change over time depending on a player's actions.