Release Date:
The production of Fable 2 apparently started a while before Fable was ever shipped to stores. There time in development will also be greatly decreased because of the fact that the foundation for the game is already complete. They also stated that once they release the exact date this E3, they will NOT delay it. The would rather cancel then delay. Though we don't know the precise date, they stated that it is guaranteed that it will ship before E3 2006, and in a best-case-scenario it will launch up to 6 month preceeding.


Graphics:
Its hard to explain without actual pictures (of which you of course can see on Tuesday). I will say that they are easily the most beautiful next-gen pictures I’ve seen. The game will also run at a solid 60 FPS and will not drop after cutscenes. The game will also be load less going from area to area. The pictures will certainly drop some jaws.


"Where the **** is my child?"
As I stated, a lot of features that where initially planned for the original Fable but where cut out will be here. This includes growing environments, aging NPCs, hero competition, and most of all, the ability to have and RAISE a child. The child will grow up evil or good depending on how you treat him as a child, how much time you spend with him, and the morals you teach him. Children will become a major part of the whole game also.

More, more, more!
The game will feature a greatly improved combat system with multiple attack and block buttons. The number of magic spells will also be tripled. The interaction between NPCs and the player will be massively improved as well. The amount of options you will have when talking to an NPC is nothing short of phenomenal. You wll have over 10 times the amount of options to pick from when talking to an AI controlled character. On top of this you there will be hundreds of additional sub-sayings. NPCs will also carry out their own lives, and each one will have their own personality and will react to you in a completely different way (more so then in the first Fable). The amount of weapons have been upped by the dozens, and same with your armor, clothing, etc. Stores and caverns will become more real-life as well, and you will have hundreds of additional objects to buy.

Evil/Good.
Fable 2 will have a much deeper evil/good system. The system will be less obvious (it won't tell you when you gain a good/evil point), but yeah it will be more advanced and way more suddle making it have a more realistic feel.

Shops/Houses.
As before, you will be able to buy out various houses and either live in them or rent them out. If you buy a house in a different town, your wife, if wanted, will come and live with you. You will also be able to buy out shops and actually control them. As a surprisingly deep "side-game" you will have to order various supplies. You can then set the price you want. IF you charge to high, you will lose a lot of money, if you charge to low, you will still lose money. If you set the perfect price you will be able to run other stores out of business. Then of course you can change your prices.

The wife.
It will be MUCH harder and more realistic to obtain a wife now. Girls (and guys for that matter) won't just magically fall in love with you. You will have to sweet-talk them and persistently be kind and visit her. Buying gifts will also play a lot bigger part, and you will actually be able to buy her dozens of additonal things such as night-gowns, etc. You will now have the option to ask for sex now. Be careful however, because some girls don't want children, so if you have sex you won't produce one. You will be able to find out through questions early on however.

The Universe.
The universe will be persistent such as GTA and will be set around 100 years ahead of the first Fable. The world will seem very familiar but will also have its noticeable differences such as updated houses, weaponry, etc. You can now get lost also! The game will now be far from linear, letting you fully explore the massive Fable world, and will let you go wherever you want, when you want. The game will let you wander off and explore giant mountain regions, forests, etc.

Upgrading.
Upgrading your character will also be a lot more in-depth. Little has been truly told about this however, but they said to expect more at E3.

No More Heroes Guild.
Lionhead has told us that their will be no more Heroes Guild. You will be able to upgrade you character whenever you want to (of course you still need the right amount of points). The "hero" deal will also be less obvious, and will have you towards the beginning be a fairly average person.

The Story.
Lionhead Studios is being extremely scarce in terms of the story. They stated however that you will be able to pick whatever missions you want as you go along. If you choose not to do a certain mission at a certain time, then you won't again get the ability to do that mission. The game changes massively because of this. They stated that the game will be incredibly larger then the first Fable. "The game will take along time to finish. Possibly 4-5 times larger then the original Fable." The game will also have over 20 different endings.

Transportation.
A small addition os the ability to swim. You will even be able to ride on a ship. Certain islands will only be accessible by doing this. In an awkward twist you will also be able to travel on horse. Apparently the world is so massive that it would become monotonous to travel without having some sort of transportation, and a horse makes the most sense.

Customizing.
As before you will have the ability to change your hair style (its more realistic however, you won;t just be able to go from bald to having a full flock of hair), tattoos, clothing, etc. Certain swords will also allow you to build your own weapon. This is true for swords, bow & arrows, etc. When upgrading, you can also wield together different magic’s, making for a while new incarnation, making for hundreds, and hundreds of different possibilities.

Thats that.
Well, that’s about it. The pictures and full article will be available on Tuesday on XboxAdvanced.com. You can also expect a lot more info (and possible a video teaser) at E3.

Updates


Multiplayer:
Lionhead also stated that we ca expect some sort of multiplayer component. They said that it is very likely that we will see a Co-Op mode. We'll also get downloadable content.

Price:
I said that the price would be somewhat surprising also. The game will come in two different versions. Version #1 will be $49. Version #2 will be $69 but will have an additional island available. Details on the island are unknown.

NHL 2K6

Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360

The champion of video game hockey is back! NHL 2K6 continues its legacy as the #1 rated* and now #1 selling NHL game** with more control, more emotion and more detail than ever before. Puck fans take command of tape-to-tape passing, behind-the-net plays and precision give-and-go attacks. Players dominate the ice with NHL caliber goaltending, skating, checking and puck handling with the deeply enhanced animation system. Featuring all-new presentation elements, commentary and cut-scenes, NHL 2K6 is the ultimate hockey experience.

-- College Hoops 2K6

Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360

It's that time of year again--the time of year where basketball courts around the nation are filled with excitement, slam dunks, unbelievable athletes, Cinderella stories, and championship dreams. Nothing captivates the nation quite like the NCAA(R) Basketball Tournament and no other game captures the collegiate atmosphere and pageantry like College Hoops 2K6. The only college basketball game to capture the feel of a last-second buzzer-beating basket, the euphoria of winning to play another day, and the agony of losing and going home, out coach your competition with College Hoops 2K6.

-- Amped 3

Platform: Xbox 360

Snowboarding is more than a sport, it's a lifestyle. Amped 3 features the most authentic snowboarding gameplay with perfected controls and the elements of a true extreme sports sandbox. Throw down stylish tricks, white-knuckle sled rides, and experience death-defying crashes as you earn your world ranking online. Tweak your tricks, gear, runs, music, and special effects while saving your crew in this twisted story that defines Amped 3.

-- Top Spin 2

Platforms: Xbox 360, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS(TM)

One of the top Xbox sports games, in both sales and popularity returns for another victory on Xbox 360. Everything you loved about Top Spin is back and made even better. The peerless player-creator is reborn with the powerful Digital Identity that truly puts you in the game. Experience Grand Slam events in venues that are alive and dynamic with environmental elements that react to your play. Characters are even more stunning with the addition of HD technology and the inclusion of the top players in the world like Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt and Roger Federer. Put it all online and you once again have the greatest tennis game ever created.

just put down $50 towards a 360 at gamestop today.