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As he traditionally does, Peter Molyneux, the father of Fable and creative lead for Microsoft Game Studios Europe, took the stage at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco to give a lecture. This year the title of the talk was The Complex Challenges of Intuitive Design, a discussion on how to make games more immediately accessible to all everyone without “dumbing them down.” Joining Molyneux in the talk was Peter Atkins, lead designer on Fable III.

Much of the talk felt like a repeat of the recent X10 demo, which you can read all about in our most recent preview. Now, however, Molyneux gave some context as to why Lionhead is making such drastic changes to an established franchise. He began by talking about the RPG genre as a whole, essentially writing it off as being too limiting. “The RPG market is limited by core gamers,” Molyneux said. While Fable 1 sold about 3 million and Fable 2 sold 3.5 million copies, the goal for Fable III is to move into the upper echelon of hit games with sales of over 5 million. For that to happen, the franchise would have to target the larger action-adventure genre.

See the new features for yourself. Watch along with us while Peter Molyneux discusses Fable III.

Molyneux outlined the thought process as a series of questions. “What if we moved Fable towards an action-adventure? What would that mean? What would we lose and what would we gain?” Provided the core elements of Fable still exists – listed as Morphing, choices with consequence, drama, emotion, and accessibility – would it really change the game that much?

Fable III is doubling down on these core elements, while removing many of the more traditionally “hardcore” elements. The combat has been streamlined, taking inspiration from studios like Team Ninja (of Ninja Gaiden fame) and Santa Monica Studios (known for God of War). The drama is being improved with a new “touch” system for interacting with non-player characters, drawing inspiration from Ico. The health bar has been done away with, inspired by what has become the standard in first-person shooters. Even the idea of leveling up and gaining experience is being overhauled.

“Surely, we had to keep experience. Experience for role-playing games is a massive thing. I began to realize that experience is all about combat, but the Fable world is much bigger than that.” You don’t get experience for getting married, or farting on someone, Molyneux noted. The replacement is a system of followers. The goal of Fable III is to first recruit an army and then overthrow a tyrant king. That’s only the halfway point, however. From there, you’ll have to rule a kingdom. “Everything you do, however trivial or noble or wonderful, results in you gaining or losing followers.” Get married to the right person, you get more followers. Make a promise to a certain town that you’ll tear down a polluting factory, and you’ll win their trust. Of course, making certain judgments, as the system is called in Fable III, might have consequences.

Molyneux then teased that your followers might even be affected by things outside of the game. He noted that he currently has a lot of followers on Twitter and finds that very intriguing. Will Twitter be integrated into Fable III? Or will the number of people on your friend’s list affect your followers? It’s an intriguing concept, but we’ll have to wait and see what this tease means.

The most interesting part of the talk came when Molyneux spoke about how Lionhead planned to simplify the user interface for more accessibility. You’d be hard pressed to find anybody that enjoyed the item management system in Fable II, and Molyneux agrees that it needed fixing. During the talk we got our first look at how Fable III is taking the majority of the 2D interface and placing it in the 3D world.

For something like changing clothes, you’ll go into a wardrobe closet to view each costume you have (and a butler voiced by John Clease will help you out). With the touch of a button you can swap to a new look. Or, you can angle the camera down to simply change pants. The same goes for dying your clothes, allowing for the same amount of customization as you got in Fable II without all of the clutter.

We also got a look at the new map interface. There’s a war room of sorts where you can walk up to a map table and peer down on it. This allows you to scroll around the top of a map and look at all of the areas. Using a magnifying glass, you can peer down into each area and town. The kicker is that the simulation of the town is still going on, so you can see all of the people walking around going about their business in a simplified 3D world. I even saw Molyneux zoom further in to a single house where he could see his in-game wife and kids, and interact with them. Molyneux teased that, though it wouldn’t be similar to an RTS, this map could be used for sending troops around the world once you are king or queen.

Peter Atkins primarily spoke about the combat mechanics of Fable III. While he didn’t divulge any new details, he did defend the difficulty of Fable II when he let everybody know that, though some cried out that the game was too easy, that was the intention. The goal, he noted, was to make the player feel powerful and not to use old-school arcade balancing curves. “Is Fable too easy? That’s a tough thing to figure out…It really is built around feeling powerful…[It's]balance to create an emotional experience. We want you to feel powerful but we also want you to care.”

During the question and answer session at the end, Molyneux declined to close off hopes of Fable III coming to PC. “I would love to see the Fable franchise on the PC,” he said. However, he noted that it would have to be “awesome.” He also refused to confirm a new version of the popular Fable Pub Games, though he did say that Lionhead likes the idea of importing and exporting data from games and that we should, “expect some surprises there.”

The recently announced Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light may not be what you expected for an adventure starring one of gaming’s most recognizable figures. Crystal Dynamics is building it for release on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and to PCs, offering a different kind of game. So does different mean good? Based on the demo shown off at GDC ‘10 in San Francisco, in this case I’d say it could definitely be a cool experience.

First, the story setup. It seems in the past there was a clash between gods over an artifact called the Mirror of Smoke. The bad guy, Xolotl, is eventually defeated by the good guy, Totec, and all’s right with the world as Totec buries himself in the mirror in a temple. That is, at least, until Lara finds it 2000 years later and some mercenaries that had been tailing her swipe it, bringing Xolotl tearing back onto the scene.

Thankfully, Totec wakes up as well, and to prevent evil from ruining everything, he teams up with Lara to squash Xolotl’s minions. While this game can be played solo, it’s also being designed as a co-operative experience. When playing with two, one player takes control of Lara and the other Totec. Taking advantage of their unique arsenals, the two will slaughter hordes of minions and conquer environmental puzzles on their way to saving the world.

Solve puzzles together.

The whole game takes place from a fixed overhead camera angle, a perspective that should be familiar to any fan of Diablo. As Lara and Totec run around onscreen, they’ll gain points for scoring kills and grabbing shiny baubles scattered around the game’s environments. To fight, Lara can take advantage of dual pistols and a rifle. She’ll also have a grappling hook, which factors into a lot of the game’s puzzles.

For instance, if there’s a large hole in the ground and notch in the wall, Lara can hook into the wall and skirt the gap. Once she’s across, she can then toss the hook over to Totec, who can grab on and use it as a support line to jump into the hole and climb out the other side to safety. In a neat twist, Totec can also walk on top of the grappling line, adding another layer to the process of finding puzzle solutions.

Sometimes it’s not a gap that needs to be crossed, but a high ledge that needs to be accessed. Totec has a shield that’s useful in these situations, as he can ready it over his head, creating a platform for Lara to jump onto. If Totec then jumps while Lara’s got her feet planted on the shield, Lara can take off at the jump’s apex, effectively creating a sort of double jump. For situations where that won’t work, Totec can launch spears into walls that then serve as platforms for Lara to hop up onto. If launched from multiple levels into a wall, Lara can climb up even higher as she leaps from spear to spear.

While this all sounds great for co-operative play, especially if Crystal Dynamics comes up with some creative ways to test your spatial reasoning, what about if you just want to play by yourself? In that case you can, and the story accommodates for it. You’ll just play as Lara, Totec goes off in another direction, but not before handing you his spear, letting you complete otherwise impossible challenges. The levels will also be altered to a degree in single-player play, and additional items will by lying around to make it possible for you to get through.

The game features ancient ruins, so naturally you can expect angry spiders.

The rest of the puzzles look like they’ll involve timed elements, pressure plates, movable blocks, and elaborate, multi-part solutions. During the demo an underground temple area was shown where multiple levels of the stage could be seen. While Lara and Totec ran across a stone pathway, you were treated to a few far below to a large stone floor, teasing you of areas you’ll travel to next, complementing the already impressive visuals with a nice sense of scale.

When it comes to combat, Totec can fire off rifle shots beside Lara, and both have an unlimited supply of explosives that can splinter boxes in the environments, crumble stone archways, and blow up your foes. Figuring out where to go is made easier through an overhead map that marks your position and objectives, though there’s more to see than simply the main quest stuff. Crystal Dynamics showed off one optional dungeon that featured a single puzzle that, when completed, gave Lara access to a special item, the function of which isn’t yet being discussed. Apparently there’ll be quite a few of these optional challenges throughout the game, adding to a gameplay experience I’m told is already quite a bit over six hours long.

Should Lara or Totec be hit too often by Xolotl’s zombie-like minions and run out of health, a the other can come over and sacrifice health for a revive. Or, should that not be possible, the downed companion will respawn at the cost of points.

Sounds pretty good, right? Assuming everything goes well, it’ll be ready for this summer.

Final Fantasy is one of the most beloved franchises in gaming. The characters and settings may change with each new entry, but the epic battles, insane summons, Chocobos, and world-ending threats always remain. FF XIII finally arrives on the Xbox 360 and PS3 this week after years of waiting.

We doubt fans are going to be doing much else this week besides diving into this latest RPG adventure. But inevitably, there will come a time when evil is defeated, the last Trophy is earned, and the final credits roll. Rather than turn your console off at that point, why not pop in a movie and continue the experience?

In this newest edition of our “If You Like” feature, we’ve selected 10 Blu-ray titles that strike a similar chord. From obvious selections like Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children to a few oddball picks, these films will help dull the pain sure to come from the inevitable realization that the next single-player FF is years and years away.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete

Publisher: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Price/Retailer: $23.49/Amazon

We’re several years into the current console cycle now, and Final Fantasy is only just now putting in an appearance. Prior to the release of FF XIII, the closest thing gamers had to a next-gen FF adventure was Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. This sequel to the PSOne classic picked up the story of Cloud and his friends years after defeating Sephiroth. A widespread sickness known as Geostigma is ravaging Midgard, and a trio of new villains emerge with a sinister goal in mind.

Forced perspective FTW!

Compared to the squat, blocky figures in FFVII, Advent Children is like the visual equivalent of a breath of fresh air. Cloud and all his friends are realized in full, detailed 3D. The fight scenes are stunning and every bit as outlandish as the games themselves. Advent Children met with somewhat of a mixed reaction with viewers initially. However, the Blu-ray edition offers 26 minutes of additional scenes that help flesh out the convoluted storyline.

Advent Children shows what a Final Fantasy adventure can look like when technology isn’t a limitation. We’re waiting for the day when the games can look this good in real-time.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

Publisher: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Price/Retailer: $11.99/Amazon

Unlike Advent Children, this Final Fantasy movie is a fairly difficult project to recommend. Quite honestly, it isn’t very good. The characters are wooden, the technology not as impressive as promised and the appeal of the FF games was greatly diluted.

This movie looked way cooler then than it does now.

Still, The Spirits Within is noteworthy as a historical curiosity for FF fans. It shares a surprising number of similarities with FF XIII. For one thing, both feature female protagonists. In this case, the heroine is Dr. Aki Ross, a researcher who struggles to unite eight special lifeforms that can drive away the Phantoms that infest Earth. Like FF XIII, The Spirits Within is more sci-fi oriented and even features scenes in space.

In many ways, The Spirits Within was simply ahead of its time. Square Pictures didn’t quite have the technology necessary to render convincing 3D characters, nor did they have a script worthy of the Final Fantasy name. But this movie did pave the way for the far superior Advent Children. In that sense, it wasn’t a total loss.

Firefly & Serenity

Publisher: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment/Universal Home Entertainment
Price/Retailer: $50.99 & $14.99/Amazon

The Final Fantasy series isn’t a total stranger to the cold depths of space, but FF XIII certainly explores this realm in greater depth than past entries. With the heavy sci-fi elements and strong character dynamics present, we’re instantly reminded of another sci-fi classic lauded for its characterization.

Shiny.

Firefly may have had a short lifespan compared to Joss Whedon’s other two iconic TV series, but it’s no less beloved by its fans. As much a Western action-adventure as it is a sci-fi epic, Firefly is a unique look at space-faring life in the future. It’s also blisteringly funny and sports one of the greatest spaceship crews this side of Star Trek.

Serenity is a nice one-and-done method of experiencing the series, and far cheaper than purchasing the Firefly set. On the other hand, few people who watch Serenity want to stop there. If you have the $60 to plunk down on FF XIII, why not go for broke and snag all of Firefly while you’re at it? Mal and the crew will keep you entertained and your mind off that empty wallet.

The Ultimate Matrix Collection

Publisher: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Price/Retailer: $80.99/Amazon

Final Fantasy XIII wrestles with themes of fate, destiny, and ordinary people being manipulated by a higher power. In these ways, the game shares many similarities with the Matrix trilogy. In FF XIII, ordinary humans are imbued with special abilities by gods known as the fal’Cie and given a specific purpose, or Focus, to carry out. In The Matrix, Neo discovers he is “The One,” a messiah in the digital landscape of the Matrix who can topple the machine overlords and free humanity. In FF XIII, the I’Cie must discover and complete their missions or risk turning into cursed monsters. In The Matrix Reloaded, Neo learns that even the chosen one is just another failsafe in the machines’ grand network.

Oh Revolutions…

The two storylines share a number of philosophical similarities, as well as a cast of dreamers who only want the freedom to live their lives free from oppression. And, of course, both pride themselves on flashy, stylish action. FF XIII is the slickest-looking FF adventure yet. The Matrix movies still offer some of the best hand-to-hand and hand-to-sword fight scenes in cinematic history. Aside from some wardrobe differences and the presence of Keanu Reeves, it seems FF XIII and The Matrix are practically identical.

Cowboy Bebop & Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

Publisher: Bandai Entertainment/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Price/Retailer: $33.99 & $23.99/Amazon

FF XIII has many of the things Japanese animation is known for – stylish action, outlandish characters, and catchy music among them. But there’s one series in particular that comes to mind when looking at the game, and that series is Cowboy Bebop.

One could draw many of the same comparisons between FF XIII and Bebop as they could with Firefly. Like Firefly, Cowboy Bebop follows a cast of interstellar bounty hunters in an age where humanity is beginning to venture forth into the cosmos. Even the Western motif is similar.

But Bebop is also unique thanks to its quirky characters and blisteringly cool soundtrack. The show oozes style, and style is something the FF series has increasingly prided itself on over the years. And like many FF games before it, Cowboy Bebop slowly sheds light on its characters’ murky pasts over the course of its 26 episodes and one movie.

Unfortunately, Cowboy Bebop is the one entry on this list that isn’t available on Blu-ray in America. Still, the series is an absolute must-see for any anime fan, gamer, or just lover of good, original storytelling. Hopefully that European Blu-ray version of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie will make its way here alongside a Blu-ray release of the main series.

Clash of the Titans

Publisher: Warner Home Video
Price/Retailer: $23.99/Amazon

No, not the upcoming Sam Worthington, “Release the Kraken” 3D blitzkrieg. We’re talking the Harry Hamlin, Vaseline-lensed, Harryhausen epic. Now calm down, FF fans – we know the sword-and-sandals thing isn’t an exact fit in the FF world, but Clash’s struggle between man and the gods on Olympus parallels the conflict concerning FF XIII. More than a few FF monsters are inspired by Greek mythology, anyway.

Also, any excuse to see the Hamlin’s Protene Pro-V mane of manliness in 1080p is a solid one. This is one area we fear the Titans remake comes up sorely lacking.

X-Men & X2: X-Men United

Publisher: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Price/Retailer: $12.00 & $13.99/Amazon

We scratched our heads on this one, too. Then, it occurred to us. The first two X-Men movies succeed at telling the story of a group of people who want to be considered normal, but are labeled as “other,” ostracized and forced to live in the nicest New England housing compound ever because they’re “different.” The mutants are seen as a threat, as a menace. So much so that, in X3, we saw Rogue and a good deal of the mutant population wanting to get rid of their powers and become “normal” again, since they view their powers as a curse.

In the same way, the l’Cie just want to be normal, but are instead feared as if they’re a breed of mutants as well. They, too, are trying to find a way to break their Fal’Cie curse, much like the X-Men. And if there’s anything better than watching/talking about FF and X-Men at the same time, we don’t want to know about it.

some pix courtesy of blackjackskanz

Jersey Shore’s JWoww shocked the living shit out of people by not acting like a drunken whore at a recent club appearance. Turns out MTV is essentially trying to stop the rotation of the Earth. FOX 411 reports:

Jenni “JWoww” Farley made an appearance at the Estate in Boston over the weekend, but much to everyone’s surprise, the reality starlet stayed away from the adult beverages and was heard saying it was because “MTV doesn’t want [the cast] to drink.”
So while JWoww is behaving herself when it comes to alcohol, it sounds as though she isn’t exactly following the network’s rules when it comes to earning the big bucks with public appearances.
“She also said that even though MTV is only allowing one appearance per week, she is booking some stuff ‘under the radar’ and has seven appearances next week. North Carolina, Florida, Buffalo and Cancun were a few of the places she mentioned,” snitched an insider.
MTV did not respond for comment. But a rep for Farley said “Jwoww is not doing paid appearances across the nation. she is visiting family and friends in other cities like she has doing for the last 10 years. She has always followed MTV guidelines and will continue to do so.”

Corey Feldman went on Larry King Live and took aim at the celebrities feigning sympathy for Corey Haim but let him die broke and “destitute.” Via People:

“At the end of the day, Larry, where were all these people the last 10 years, the last 15 years of Corey’s life?” asked Feldman, also 38. “Where were all these people to lend a hand out, to reach out to him and say, you know, you’re a legend, you’re – you’re an amazingly talented, wonderful person who’s really never gone out of his way to hurt anybody other than himself?”
Feldman said “a sizeable memorial” will be planned for Haim – which he hopes will be well-attended. “You see these people making great statements and that’s wonderful and I hope they’re all there for the memorial and I hope they’re all there for the funeral. But where were they during his life?”