Fable II goes episodic with Fable II: Game Episodes

As part of its Fable III announcement today at GamesCom in Cologne, Germany, Microsoft also announced that it would be releasing Fable II in episodes via its freshly launched Games on Demand service. Thankfully the first chapter will be free. The launch of Fable II: Game Episodes will debut Sept. 29 with the release of the first episode for free download exclusively on Xbox LIVE.

In the first episode, players will begin as a child in the world of Albion. After completing the chapter, players have the choice to then purchase the next installment or the entire game (in select regions). Fable II: Game Episodes will deliver the entire Fable II experience in five installments, with all the Achievements, challenges and character growth of the disk-based game, as well as full compatibility with the previously released Game Add-ons, Knothole Island and See the Future. The episodes are also fully compatible with the disk-based, retail version of Fable II, allowing players to continue their story should they purchase Fable II at retail.

More information about “Fable III” and the episodic release of Fable II will be made available at a later date at http://www.lionhead.com.

Xbox Live update goes live, stirs the pot

Microsoft today launched an update that added plenty of changes, new features and a slight controversy. First let’s get the controversy out of the way. Web sites around the world highlighted a passage touting a “Netflix exclusive” relationship, which Kyle Orland rightly pointed out was “nothing new” and not a big deal.

The “big deal” for bloggers was probably the fact that it felt like a “shut out” of other platforms like the PS3 and Wii. But having some exclusively doesn’t quite hold the power it used to because exclusivity is only a temporary state these days. In other words, Microsoft may have an exclusive relationship with Netflix for now, but that will inevitably change when Sony and Nintendo decide that Netflix is important and some deals get hammered out.

Now onto what new features you’ll find in this update. Games on Demand are now available, allowing Xbox 360 owners to pay to play top titles. The good news is that previously purchased downloadable content should work with any titles you pay to play. So, for example, if you bought Mothership Zeta for Fallout 3 and wanted to play it with your games on demand Fallout 3 game, you shouldn’t have any problems. The selection is pretty thin now, but more titles will be added every Tuesday, according to Microsoft.

The framework for a new Avatar Marketplace went live today as well, offering avatar gear, apparel and props. You won’t be able to buy anything today, but on August 13 you can start perusing whatever is available at its launch.

Netflix subscribers can now watch movies with friends and find new movies to add to their Instant Queue without much effort. The ability to watch movies with your friends is being called Party Watch, though this feature is only available with titles that support it. Other nNetflix related changes include improved playback and more information displayed to your friends when using Netflix.

Parties have gotten a slight tweak beyond the Netflix stuff; now disconnected party members will automatically be reconnected without user intervention and party invites have been streamlined to be.. well, less of a pain in the ass. No more navigating through multiple screens, say Microsoft.

Other improvements include user interface tweaks, better account management, new display options, user ratings for games and other functions of Xbox Live, improved friends list sorting and other minor tweaks and adjustments.

you can read all about it here. The promise of Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm integration is still there, but it won’t come until this fall. Will people even care about Facebook and Twitter then? Who the f**k knows. We’re a fickle bunch.

Microsoft E3 2009 press conference addendum

Microsoft didn’t have enough time to mention everything during the press conference. One of my many Crispy operatives on the ground passed along some choice bits of information that you’ll want to hear about.

Microsoft revealed after the press event that itr will be offering Games On Demand, which consumers can buy directly with a credit card. The full retail games on demand will include Mass Effect, BioShock, Assassins Creed, LEGO Star Wars, Oblivion, Civilization Revolution, Sonic the Hedgehog, Call of Duty 2, Viva Piñata, Crackdown, Burnout Paradise Ultimate, etc. - 30 in all to start out. No details on whether this will be an outright purchase only or if there will be some rebtal or pay-to-play type of pricing model. The Games on Demand will also feature a user rating system.

Another thing that sounds interesting is “in-game awardables.” These awardables will serve as special awards that give your avatar extra gear. For example, doing something in Halo 3: ODST might give you ODST armor, props, etc. My operative mentioned little baubles like Pom Poms, a radio controlled Warthog (remote-control car),your avatar against a Halo backdrop, etc. There was also the mention of Store Front where players will be able to purchase things like Halo T-shirt for you avatar.. Interesting stuff. Microsoft seems to be moving towards offering smaller consumer goods and extras in select games.

A more robust list of upcoming Xbox Live titles was revealed. They include Splosion Man, Shadow Complex, TMNT Turtles in Time Reshelled, The secret of Monkey Island Special Edition, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, Joy Ride, and Trials HD.

Finally a word on “No download no delay 1080p.”

The current standard is Progressive download using download, while the new technology uses constant streaming. This allows the user to skip forward and back the way you would with a DVD or Blu-Ray disc.