This is interesting. A company head telling reviewers to make sure to cover all their bases, rather than ignore some.

Sounds like a ploy. To improve his game that is!

It does sound a bit on the desperate side, but I can see his logic on a basic level.

When I play a game for the first time, I sometimes ask a friend who doesn't play games often how they like it. Sometimes it takes an outsider's perspective to clear up a foggy opinion of a game.

But, again, it's almost as if he is already taking refuge in his bunker from the inevitable shitstorm of reviews. (Not to say that it will be bad, but hey, we don't know)

Soulfein:
Sounds like a ploy. To improve his game that is!

Or to improve the reviews his game gets. You know, either works.

Reminds me of this: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/3/24/

At least its a bit more subtle than the Hideo Kojima method.

All I've seen is "please please please please please wait until the game is finished because we're going to release it half done and then let you download the rest over time".

Not good enough. Again.

How was the community supposed to take this? I can't imagine reading anything besides desperation out of this clearly desperate plea.

Besides, if the game is for non-gamers, that cuts out a pretty large demographic from the total who normally by games.

I never understood why PM is trying to make Fable 2 appeal to non-gamers. Its a fantasy RPG. On the 360. Why would a non gamer pick up Fable 2 when theres Raving Rabbits or some other crap to choose from.

The little signs are starting to build up, the ones that may point towards a less than brilliant game, or infact, a shit game. Im not worried about this being another Fable, as I liked the game even if it was a little short and not up to expectations. Im worried about this being another Black & White 2. Because if it is, Im never buying another thing with Peters name on it.

It sounds like some lazy attempt to get people to artificially raise their review scores. I don't want a review from a non-gamer. I want game reviews to come from people who play games and know what they're talking about. A non-gamer may find SSBB to be the most graphically beautiful in deeply complex game around, but serious gamers know better. Also, telling reviewers to wait until they put in the online co-op? Straight bullshit.

Dunno if its just me, but aren't the people who read reviews in mags/websites usually gamers anyway?

I want a review from someone who isn't biased. If anything any developer can say to make a review biased should be ignored. Along the same lines, I think ole Pete is trying to say "Once again my foot is in my mouth and all the content wont actually be in the game." Reminds me of my disappointment at B&W and B&W2. Somehow he manages to still talk with all those feet in his mouth...

watch them play it and see how their world turns out, because I think it's only when you see those differences that the unique experiences comes through."

Translated: "I really fucking hope they can find somebody who actually likes this game, so we can ignore all the bad reviews and focus on the minority who would actually want to play it."

Meh, the less we expect the better it will be or the less our expectation will be ruined.

TsunamiWombat:
A GOOD game should work for new players and experianced players both. Catering to one or the other is a failure in design.

I recall him stating that he tried to make Fable II a game that will be simple to play through in order to appeal to casual gamers, yet will have a deep full experience in order to appeal to experienced players.

I don't want to jump the gun here, but is there a reason they are waiting to release the online coop content outside of their own rush to release an incomplete game?

Rooster Cogburn:
I don't want to jump the gun here, but is there a reason they are waiting to release the online coop content outside of their own rush to release an incomplete game?

My thoughts as well.

Aries_Split:

Rooster Cogburn:
I don't want to jump the gun here, but is there a reason they are waiting to release the online coop content outside of their own rush to release an incomplete game?

My thoughts as well.

The faster it's on shelves, the faster they're raking in money?

Really, this whole thing smells fishy. Hold off reviews until co-op is working? Usually the only reason developers want to hold off reviews is because they know that reviews will be negative and will drive down sales.

Nonetheless, Fable 2 is making me consider getting a 360, but as Molenuex is known for over-promising I'll be patient and wait for reviews.

Ivoryagent:
I LOVE my dog. And he LOVES me.

And then he dies.

Also, does anyone else thing that Fable 2 is going to have more focus on relationships than actual story? Since GDC 2007 it seems the only kinds of updates have been about co-op or the living breathing world thing.

I have learned to take everything that Peter Molyneux with enough salt to cover the ruins of Carthage twice over. He makes games that are not that bad on their own, but his over-hyping crushes their critical reception.

The greater question at issue here is if he is telling the reviewers to wait for the online content before completing their reviews, then why send out advance copies of the game?

More crap on a stick from a man whose idea of game design is to finish a popsicle, shove the remains into his rectum, and package the result in convenient machine-readable laser disc form.

Honestly, it's all been downhill for PM since Populous and to a lesser extent Syndicate. And those games were a long, long, long time ago.

I really don't know how he gets away with his reputation any more. He just doesn't deliver.

This is called a vote of no confidence from no less than the game's creator.

Pretty much this. If you can't be confident in your own game getting good reviews from gamers, then...well, time to redesign and improve your game, I think.

He mostly just wants to look "out there" and thinking and caring about his gamers. Unfortunately he is like a politician, cant hold up to his end of the 'bargain'.

This is relevant to my interests.....I hope that Molyneux really delivers on this one, otherwise all of the reviewers in the world will form an angry mob and most likely lynch him for raising their hopes up and smashing them down again. (Fable I, I'm looking at you)