Fable 4 – The Journey: Molyneux goes to bat for Kinect again
Just like with real life beauty, it is the imperfections that separate the truly beautiful from the merely precise. While this opinion might hold sway with certain custom items like Persian rugs or other objets d’ art. Would it apply to, of all things, video games? Peter Molyneux, the digital auteur behind Fable 4 – The Journey thinks so. It is also quite a challenge to wean core gamers from the precision of standard controllers. For Molyneux, Kinect offers more freedom.
When Microsoft approached Lionhead regarding building a Kinect-centric Fable game, Molyneux realized that this would be quite a challenge. They didn’t come to the table empty-handed though. Lionhead has been working on Milo & Kate for a year and have all that experience to apply to Fable 4 – The Journey. Still, the precision issue can be a sticking point in gamers’ minds. “This is a challenge that is not for the faint-hearted, to be honest with you. The core are very tied to the controller, and I think what we need to do is to prove that you can have as full, immersive and comfortable games as anything you can have on the controller,” said Molyneux. Fable 4 – The Journey involves traveling Albion for 300 miles with a motion control horse and cart. Quite a different experience from most control pad and stick systems. The precision issue is the first to come to mind.
Screenshot Fable 4 - The Journey (Credit: Lionhead)
However, Molyneux wants us to think outside of the control pad. “One of my favourite things about Kinect is that it’s not as precise as a controller, but that makes sense. You’re on a horse – you can’t turn 180 degrees easily so there’s an element of realism about it and that realism will carry over to the horse,” added Molyneux. Molyneux’s project is monumental. It involves changing mindsets and possibly changing paradigms. If Fable 4 – The Journey pulls off its key objectives and scores commercial success, we’ll see a new era in motion controlled games.
Fable 4 will be expected in 2013!
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