Fable 3 Getting Episodic Release Post-Launch
"Soon after the retail launch we're doing episodic," Molyneux revealed. "We break it down in chapters. We give away the first chapter entirely free, the first hour. When you reach a certain point in the game it says 'thank you for playing the pilot of Fable 3, do you want to spend an extra 2-5 or whatever dollars to buy the next episode, or buy the whole lot?' Press 'yes' and you will immediately continue playing."
Fable II received a similar episodic release, split into five episodes with the first one free to all and the other four costing 800 Microsoft Points ($10) apiece.
An episodic release "gets around this horrible concept of demos," according to Molyneux. "Anyone out there who thinks a demo is a good idea is crazy. It's never a good idea, because demos are usually done at the end of a game and they require an enormous amount of design talent to make a demo. The other thing is you're more likely to satisfying the curiosity of a user rather than entice them to play more."
Fable 3 is scheduled for a simultaneous Xbox 360 and PC release on October 26.
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AgentPothead
reply"Anyone out there who thinks a demo is a good idea is crazy. It's never a good idea, because demos are usually done at the end of a game and they require an enormous amount of design talent to make a demo. The other thing is you're more likely to satisfying the curiosity of a user rather than entice them to play more."
Man Molyneux just gets less relevant with time. It might even be fair to say it's all been downhill since Populous.-
how can i agree with someone called AgentPothead?
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HE's giving away the first hour of the game for free. I can easily play it and see if I like it. If I absolutely hate it then I won't give him a dime. This to me is a good indication of whether or not this game will be a good play. If I'm getting everything from the moment it starts then I'm happy to try the game out. If it sucks then screw it, at least I know.
This is better than a demo which drops you in place with all your weapons and say "GO FOR IT TIGER!" -
I see what you're saying, but, think of it this way... the first episode is free AND a demo. They're just killing 2 birds with one stone.
He was totally wrong about saying demos aren't a good idea though. -
I think he's got a point. The "demo" they're doing is going to be a lot more enticing to a player, especially since they don't have to go to a store after they've waited for release and can just continue on in the heat of the moment. Also it didn't cost them a fortune to make. More studios should adopt a model like this.
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The problem is this: Demos show off some of the better gameplay mechanics (or latter levels in some cases) of a game. Playing the first part of a game doesn't always show you what's in store later!
Especially in an RPG.
Imagine if you got to play an hour of FFXIII from the beginning. You'd barely get interested. However, if you showed latter stages of the game where you had summons and amazing attacks, this may make the game more appealing.
Show people some of the cool stuff they'll be able to see and do. I personally think the Crackdown 2 demo does it right. You can get powerful in 30 mins and get a taste of what the game has to offer. Need a hook or vice? Pre-unlock achievements for the full game. That's an incentive for purchase!
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