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No online co-op when Fable II is released
You won't be playing Fable II with your friends when it comes out next month, unless your friends come over to your house to play. And why would they do that, since they won't be able to use their characters?
It was just announced that online co-op – one of Fable II's notable bullet points – won't be in the game when it's released. And actually, "announced" isn't quite accurate, since it wasn't an announcement, but a passing mention on the blog of Xbox Community Manager "Sara N", who posts as "DirtyDiva" (Is it too much to ask that people who speak on behalf of companies use their full names? It is? Okay, never mind).
The idea was that the world of Fable II would open for friends to seamlessly join each other's games in progress, to play together and help one another out. Think of it is an MMORPG: miniaturely multiplayer online role-playing game. The feature, which will supposedly be added in a patch, isn't ready yet because they're "still making tweaks".
It's a bit alarming that such an important feature is dropped at this late a date. The game is due out in three weeks and they're just now getting around to telling us a major feature isn't ready? And does this remind anyone else of the way the original Fable was so scaled down by the time it was actually released?
By Scott Parker at 11:09 AM ON 09/29/08
If memory serves me, System Shock 2 did a similar thing with their online co-op. They phased it in soon after release. Despite what Ken Levine may think about it, co-op made that game for me and the patch (and game) turned out just fine.
You're absolutely right though that this smacks heavily of the original Fable backtracking.
By intruder at 1:05 PM ON 09/29/08
Wasn't Fable 2 labeled "finished" aka. "Gold" 2 months ago? Interesting what passes as "finished" these days...
By Ferrous Buller at 1:48 PM ON 09/29/08
Is it too much to ask that people who speak on behalf of companies use their full names?
Doing a bit of digging, her real name's Sara Nicholson. She used to blog at 1UP under her alias "DirtyDiva" before making the leap into the pros.
By Tom Chick at 6:12 PM ON 09/29/08
Good work, Buller! From Sara N, I actually wondered if she was Major Nelson's wife or something. :)
By Persona7 at 7:24 PM ON 09/29/08
Yeah, the co op is fully implemented in the game but you just cannot use it, they are releasing a auto update the same week the game comes out to enable co op.
The first few days you will be able to see your friends playing via the floating orbs though.
By antennaboy at 4:17 PM ON 09/30/08
does anyone know if this will be released as a PC game ever seeing as it's microsoft?
By UniqueColorofRed at 7:28 PM ON 10/02/08
Well, I will be going to the store and getting my money back. Half a game and paying full price I don't this so. Lionhead and Microsoft need to learn about customer service and business promises. I am beginning to think that some laws need to be put in place cause this smells like a used car deal and I am not getting what I preordered.
By DeathTrap at 12:03 AM ON 10/21/08
Actually "UniqueColorofRed". They have worked the Online Co-Op in, and the patch is ready to be downloaded tomorrow when the game comes out. So... Everythings fine.. and you have nothing to worry or complain about. =P Actually if you would have looked up a few commments you would see that Persona7 has already talked about it.
By DeathTrap at 12:04 AM ON 10/21/08
My bad.. I mean.. today.. =P.. considering its 12:03 AM now..
DeathTrap:
My bad.. I mean.. today.. =P.. considering its 12:03 AM now.....More »