Developer Lionhead has released a few images of its upcoming Knothole Island DLC pack for Fable II.

Players adventuring to Knothole will "undergo the trials of the three shrines to bring the dying island back to life," and also meet a few new characters to fart on.

The DLC will cost 800 Microsoft Points ($10) when it is released later this year.

Good news, everybody! Not only is that promised Fable II (360) patch still on the way, but it'll fix more than just the few issues that have drawn media attention. For example, after the patch hits, "your child will no longer be chosen as an assassination target."

Developer Lionhead's blog cautions that the below list of fixes is "not a complete one." No timeline has been provided as to its release, though the company notes that the anticipated update is "is currently being tested and finalized."

• The Ritual/Monk's Quest
  Fixed the issue with the Abbott becoming unresponsive if you leave Oakfield before he finishes talking. This will fix the problem if you've already hit it, too.
• Rescuing Charlie/Rescue My Baby
  After rescuing Charlie, you can now able to interact with objects... Read more

Update: Microsoft tells Shacknews that the December 12 date included with the original announcement was incorrect, clarifying that the content is due in mid-December.

The first bit of premium-priced downloadable content for Lionhead's open-world action-RPG Fable II (360) will arrive on December 12, publisher Microsoft has revealed.

Priced at 800 Microsoft Points ($10), the Knothole Island DLC pack adds the remote island of Knothole to the game. As Microsoft put it, Knothole is "where new quests, wondrous items and bizarre characters await."

In addition, a free download pack will arrive on the same day, rewarding players with "show of gifts, including Knight's Boots, Assassins Gloves, a special Weight Loss Potion, collectible silver book and more."

The free download will also enable players to play co-op with someone who has already bought the Knothole Island content, though both players will have to purchase the Knothole Island pack in order to play in that area together.

An Xbox 360 exclusive, Fable 2 sold over 1.5 million units worldwide in the two weeks following its October 21 debut, Microsoft noted in today's announcement. Read on for more details of the Knothole Island DLC, including its new dungeons... Read more

Update: Microsoft told Kotaku it will be "monitoring submissions from users looking to abuse the system" and tracking requests and gamertags associated," suggesting owners of the regular edition may not receive the bonus Limited Edition content.

Exactly what measures will be used in this process were not disclosed, though the game disc contained within the Limited Edition of Fable II appears to be the exact same disc found in the regular edition.

Original Story: Addressing a blunder that saw some copies of Lionhead's Fable II Collector's Edition (360) ship without the access codes for in-game bonus content, publisher Microsoft is now giving the codes away via the game's official support site.

To receive a free download code for the bonus content--the major incentive to pay $70 for the limited edition instead of $60 for the regular edition--gamers simply need to register on the site with their Windows Live ID. A code will be sent out within five working days, with the website giveaway ending on December 31, 2008.

The download unlocks three pieces of extra content for the action-RPG--the Hall of the Dead dungeon, Wreckager legendary cutlass weapon, and Halo-themed Spartan armor and energy sword--that are stored on the game disc but cannot be accessed otherwise.

With the bonus content now being given away, the 'Making-of' DVD marks the only remaining exclusive for the $70 Collector's Edition, which was once far more ambitious.

Just a few days after Lionhead's anticipated action-RPG Fable II (360) arrived on store shelves, the developer's forums are filled with complaints about freezing glitches, lost experience points, missing gold, and other issues.

Now, the studio has chimed in, noting that it is "watching and listening to you, the community, and are looking into all serious issues that are bought to our attention," offering up some advice and a preventative workaround for one troubled quest.

In order to properly complete the Monk's Quest in Oakfield--and thus continue the main story--Lionhead advises players to let the monk run through his entire conversation before leaving the area for the first time. Otherwise, the monk may become unresponsive later on, which would halt story progress and currently has no solution.

As for co-op, the studio states that character progress will be wiped... Read more

Some copies of the Fable II Collector's Edition are missing the insert that contains the code for the bonus in-game content, publisher Microsoft has confirmed.

That code enables buyers to download a small 108KB file from the Xbox Live Marketplace, which unlocks three pieces of extra content--the Hall of the Dead dungeon, Wreckager legendary cutlass weapon, and Halo-themed Spartan armor and energy sword--that are stored on the game disc but cannot be accessed otherwise.

Microsoft claims that the blunder only affects "a small fraction of the total number of Fable II games shipped and sold," with the company noting that it is "investigating the scope of this situation" and "will have a means to deliver replacement codes by Oct 28."

Separate reports about the missing insert popped up on ... Read more

With Lionhead's long-awaited Fable II arriving next week, publisher Microsoft has released new a new trailer for the Xbox 360-exclusive open-world action-RPG.

Please install Flash to view this Shackvideo

Shackvideo users can use the HD Stream.

Lionhead's 360-exclusive RPG sequel Fable II may have gone gold without online co-op in the box, but gamers should fret not: the studio made good on their goal to get cooperative play into a patch to be made available with the game's October 21 release.

In the words of a post on the Fable II Dev Blog:

Remember a couple of days ago (or was it a week) where on a blog it was mentioned that Fable II would be shipping 'without' Online Co-op? And remember we said we were busting our balls to get it ready in time for a 'Day One' release? Well--Good news folks! It looks like we've done it...for all of you who are connected to Xbox Live, when starting up your copy of Fable II.

The update will be available upon inserting the Fable II disc, "taken into account we don't fail certification!" jokes the blog's author.

In stores October 21st, here are a few more screenshots from Lionhead's Xbox 360 RPG sequel Fable 2.

Microsoft has revealed that Collector's Edition of Lionhead's action-RPG Fable II won't be as expensive or full-featured as was once announced. Due to supply chain issues, the premium box, five printed fate cards, and Hobbe action figure have been axed.

To console would-be purchasers, the price of the Fable II Limited Collector's Edition has been reduced by $10, and will only sell for $69.99 instead of $79.99 when it hits Xbox 360 alongside the $60 standard edition on October 21.

The revised Collector's Edition will pack the following:

• Fable II game disc
• Bonus DVD with new 'Making-of' Feature
• Bonus in-game content (requires Xbox LIVE)
  • 'The Hall of the Dead' Dungeon
  • 'The Wreckager' Legendary Cutlass Weapon
  • Spartan armor and energy sword

Even though Fable 2 has gone gold, development is not entirely complete according to Microsoft's Gamerscore Blog.

Though singleplayer and local co-operative play will work fine out of the box, online co-op is still being worked on. The blog post mentions that developer Lionhead Studios is shooting for a title update to be released within a week of launch. Until the patch hits, "as you are playing through the game, you will still be able to see your friends as glowing orbs as well as chat and trade with them."

The Xbox 360 exclusive RPG sequel will be in stores October 21.

Lionhead's Fable II is done and off to production, according to a quote from director Peter Molyneux on Videogamer.com.

Despite reports in July to the same effect, Molyneux is quoted today saying, "It is [done] as of 7pm last night." He continued, "We are now officially gold. It's released to manufacturing. Fable is absolutely finished and done and dusted."

If the game really, truly is complete, it should make its announced release date of October 21 in North America and October 24 for Europe.

After sitting down to play a few hours of Lionhead's Fable sequel, I had a brief couple of minutes to chat up series creator Peter Molyneux.

Sitting in perfectly angled leather chairs, legs folded comfortably, we discussed the pacing and production of Fable II, what Lionhead is up to next, and whether he believes video games will ever reach a truly wide audience.

Peter Molyneux: Just how many more people is this industry really addressing? I know it's worth 49 billion dollars, but how many people are actually playing our games? How much are we actually affecting the culture compared to what we should be doing?

20 years ago we honestly thought that [large] percentages of the world's population would be playing computer games. And it's not, it's fractions of the world's population. And I think partly it's because we keep making games for these two separate audiences. Read more..

The soothing British voice floating in over my shoulder scared me out of my mind.

"Oh, you missed such an opportunity there."

I had been playing Fable II for hours, headphones clamped around my skull like horse blinders. How long had he been watching? Had he always been there, on my shoulder, whispering in my ear, trying to guide me?

"If you hadn't married her, you could have taken her back to the ghost and killed her in front of him."

"I thought I'd try playing it good for a change," I explained to the evil Peter "Jiminy" Molyneux.

"Ah, but is that really good?"

He had a point. She had broken off her wedding with the... Read more

With Lionhead's ambitious action-RPG Fable 2 (360) nearing completion and its October 21 release, publisher Microsoft has released new screenshots of scary monsters that are almost guaranteed to keep you running--running scared.

Weeks after Microsoft promised a vague October date, the publisher today announced that Lionhead's open-world action-RPG Fable 2 (360) will hit North American retailers on October 21, followed by a European release on October 24.

In addition to a new adventure, the sequel packs both local and online cooperative play, though director Peter Molyneux has warned that players should only bring trustworthy friends into their game as they can permanently affect the world with their actions.

For more on Fable 2, check out our recent hands-on preview, which focused on condoms, combat and domestic abuse.

With Fable 2 (360) essentially complete and bound for release this fall, Lionhead lead designer Peter Molyneux has revealed that the company has three more titles in the works for the action-RPG series.

"We've got plans for Fable 3, 4, and 5," Molyneux informed GameTrailers. "It's a big story arc, and you can see—if you play Fable 2, you can recognize things from Fable 1, so that's pretty exciting."

When asked of Lionhead's other unannounced project, Molyneux declined to comment about the specifics but noted that the title is "kind of the result of an experiment that went incredibly well."

Fable 2 is currently in final testing phases and is expected to hit retailers this coming October.

As I approach one of the many random houses that litter the Fable 2 countryside, I notice the front door is glowing red. So I do what any normal person would do when faced with a glowing red object: I smash it to bits with my sword.

Either it's possessed, in which case I just did the homeowner a giant favor, or the red glow simply indicated it could be destroyed, in which case that person is now aware their cheap door was a security risk. Regardless, I deserve some sort of compensation for my public service, so I poke around inside.

There's a health potion in the cabinet to the left, but that's not enough. I want more. I deserve more. So I venture upstairs, into the bedroom and find the good stuff.

Next to the bed are a new pair of gloves. There's an armoire in the corner, but I'm lazy; it's too far away. Instead I investigate the wardrobe across the bed and find a condom.

Yes, a condom. In this case, one that's made out of animal intestines and will protect against unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, according to its description. This seems like a fitting payment, so I decide to pocket it... Read more

In accordance with today's outpouring of announcements, demonstrations and big reveals at Microsoft's E3 press conference, the company has released several new screenshots of the titles included in today's presentation.

Gears of War 2

New Xbox 360 3D Dashboard

Fable 2

More new images from titles including Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2, Lips, and several others are viewable below... Read more

At Microsoft's E3 press briefing, acclaimed game designed Peter Molyneux today confirmed that Lionhead's Xbox 360 action-RPG Fable 2 is now complete.

A release date is expected to be announced in just a few moments.

Molyneux also confirmed that the title will feature online cooperative multiplayer over Xbox Live "at any point during the story."

He explained that you'll want play with other people as each hero is unique, and the world changes dynamically based on player actions.

Molyneux concluded that the game will arrive in October, though he neglected to mention a specific date.