It’s been announced, by way of Xbox.com, that the anticipated upcoming downloadable content (DLC) for Fable II has been delayed.

Entitled Knothole Island, the DLC features a new area with a great-sounding backstory, as well as a host of new weapons, spells and items. The Knothole Island DLC was set to arrive on December 22nd, but has now been delayed. From the site:

“Due to unexpected technical difficulties, the Fable II: Knothole Island expansion will not be available until late January 2009.”

An associated competition, ‘Knothole Island Download and Win,’ has also been delayed as a result. See the announcement for further details.

As the title claims, it’s been announced that Fable II, that highly ambitious RPG from Lionhead and Microsoft, has managed to sell 1.5 million units worldwide in its first two weeks on sale. Not Wrath of the Lich King numbers, but that’s understandable…

Furthermore, future downloadable content (DLC) has been detailed and revealed to be releasing as early as next month, for the paltry sum of 800 MS Points. The DLC is called Knothole Island and features a fabled isle where magical artefacts influence the operation of the weather.

Some key features include three unique quests in three unique dungeons, new outfits, six new weapons, dozens of new potions, weapon customisation and, wait for it… “+50 additional leaderboards!” Aw yeah! You can head on over to Lionhead’s site for the official word and additional information.

If you’re not one of the 1.5 million Fable II players, read El33tonline’s Fable II review to see what you’re missing (Hint: it’s really good).

There are few people in the gaming industry who are as intimately familiar with the consequences of broken promises as Peter Molyneux. In 2004, when his wildly anticipated game Fable was released on the original Xbox, it wasn’t quite the revolutionary title that he had led people to believe it would be. Much-hyped features were nowhere to be found, and the Internet all but erupted in a roar of disapproval from thousands of scorned gamers. It was a pity, as the real victim in this drama was the game itself, an excellent action-RPG that was prematurely and unfairly written off as a disappointment.

When Fable II was announced in 2006, many had already dismissed Molyneux as being past his prime, and assumed that the sequel would be marred by yet more unkept promises. Gamers are after all a fickle and unforgiving bunch and apart from a few cautiously optimistic media previews, Fable II’s development carried on fairly quietly, while higher-profile RPGs like Mass Effect and Fallout 3 got all the attention. But now Fable II is finally here, and it begs the question: has Peter Molyneux been redeemed? The answer is a resounding ‘Yes.’

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Fable II.

An employee at Technicolor has been charged with the theft of nearly one hundred copies of Fable II and Gears of War 2, as well as a number of DVDs. Another man is also under investigation related to the theft.

Technicolor, a company that provides services including disc and game packaging, warehousing, distribution and production, would seem to be a prime place for employees to make off with unreleased games and DVDs, and it seems that the employee in question had the same ideas.

After the theft was reported by a Technicolor security worker, Memphis police detectives’ investigation led to one Rodney Gray (43). The detectives pulled Gray over for outstanding driving offences, and found 31 games in a red bag in his car. The police then went back to Gray’s current residence and found more games and DVDs, which Gray said he planned on selling.

Altogether, the games (97) and DVDs (807) confiscated by police amounted to over $100 000 in value. It is unknown how many copies had already been sold. Gray has been charged with theft of property worth $60 000 or more and has been accused of driving with a suspended license.

Source: Commercial Appeal

After a small bit of excitement was caused by the announcement that Fable 2 online co-operative play wouldn’t be included on the Fable 2 disc, it was revealed that developers Lionhead were feverishly working on making the feature available on day one of the game’s release via a download.

It’s now been announced that the patch is finished and Fable 2 players will indeed be able to play online co-op the day they buy the game. From Lionhead’s front page:

“Terrific news! Lionhead and Microsoft Game Studios confirmed today that the online co-op “Fable II” multiplayer feature update is confirmed for a first day free download on Xbox LIVE, worldwide (21st October). We are pleased to provide “Fable II” fans around the world with the chance to hop in and out of their friend’s “Fable II” worlds, to meet their heroes, dogs, spouses and experience Albion, together online. “Fable II” will be available at retailers throughout North America on October 21 and across Europe on October 24.

Well done to the team in the US and over here in Guildford!”

Well done indeed!

While there may have been a bit of a furore over whether or not Fable II’s much-anticipated online co-operative mode would be available when the game ships, it seems the storm can be quelled, somewhat.

The game disc will not ship with online co-op enabled, but a patch will be available on the first day of the title being available, so you will probably be prompted to update once you pop in the disc. That’s the plan, anyway. According to the Lionhead blog:

“Remember a couple of days ago (or was it a week) where on a blog it was mentioned that Fable II would be shipping ‘without’ Online Co-op? And remember we said we were busting our balls to get it ready in time for a ‘Day One’ release? Well - news folks! It looks like we’ve done it…for all of you who are connected to Xbox Live, when starting up your copy of Fable II (on 21st October in USA, 24th October in Europe and 18th December in Japan). So all of you getting upset and all, you wouldn’t even have noticed… Sort of. Well done to the team.

Taken into account we don’t fail certification!”

Lionhead chief Peter Molyneux tried to assure the fans, regarding the patch:

Post continues, click to read more…

While it may have been proclaimed to be finished earlier this year, Fable II has only in the last few days gone gold, which means the game is officially finished, with discs being pressed for general gamer consumption. From the Lionhead website:

“It’s been three years since we finished ‘Fable: The Lost Chapters’ and since then we’ve built a new engine, built an entire new tools architecture and editor, created a new and compelling story, built and populated a world which is massive compared to the original Fable, attempted highly complex and difficult things. We looked at EVERY aspect of Fable 1 reworked, recreated, expanded and got to hang together in (what we think) is an amazing game.”

Well, congratulations Lionhead. European gamers will be able to get their hands on Fable II on the 24th of October, while US gamers get it on October 21st. The only questions now are if you’ve already pre-ordered, and are you going for the Collector’s Edition?

Fable II will be released across North America on the 21st of October and will arrive in Europe on the 24th of October.

Developed by Lionhead Studios and Peter Molyneux, the Xbox 360 exclusive action RPG offers is set in the world of Albion and offers gamers the chance to play solo or co-op, either with a friend or over Xbox Live.

Fable II Pub Games, an XBLA title developed exclusively for Fable II, will be available on the 13th of August. If you pre-order Fable II you will be able to download it for free otherwise it will cost you 800 Microsoft Points. The Pub games are titled Fortunes Tower, Keystone and Spinnerbox.

The standard edition of Fable II will retail at £44.99 while the Limited Collector’s Edition will cost £49.99. The Limited Collector’s Edition will include a bonus DVD with a making-of-feature as well as bonus in-game content (The Hall of the Dead Dungeon, The Wreckager Cutlass Weapon and Otherwordly Bonus), a collectible Hobbe figure, 48 hour Xbox Live Gold trial card and five printed fate cards.

Lionhead Studio’s Fable II is scheduled to arrive exclusively on the Xbox 360 this October.

The standard edition of this RPG will be available for $59.99 while the Limited Collector’s Edition will set you back $79.99.

The Limited Collector’s Edition contains a bonus disc with Lionhead developer diaries, concept art viewer, music from the soundtrack as well as a new behind the scenes making of video. It will also include a collectible Hobbe figure, 5 Fate cards and bonus in-game content.

Lionhead and Microsoft Game Studios have announced that gamers who pre-order a copy of the Xbox 360 exclusive Fable II at participating retailers worldwide will be able to download the Fable II Pub Games for free when they are released this August.

If you don’t pre-order the game the Fable II Pub Games will be available on Xbox Live Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points.

Gamers will be able to transfer the gold earned in the three casino-style mini-games to Fable II when the game launches later this year. Fable II fans will also be able to purchase items exclusively on XBLA, including weapons, clothing, houses and more.

The Xbox Live Arcade Fable II Pub Games will be available as one download and include Keystone (a combination of Craps and Roulette), Spinnerbox (updated take on slots) and Fortune’s Tower (described as a press your luck style of game). The download will also include a Shell, a tutorial of all three games.

A limited edition collector’s edition of Fable II was also revealed. Priced at $79.99, the collector’s edition includes a behind-the-scenes DVD, collectible Hobbe figure, a Live trial card as well as additional in-game content. The standard edition of the game will cost $59.99. Both editions of the game will include embedded copies of the Pub Games.