14 DAY TRIAL // Fable II was one of the most interesting role-playing experiences on the Xbox 360 last year, and it's creator, the loquacious Peter Molyneux, has begun to talk about the next installment in the series and the features that players might expect from it. Speaking at the Annual Video Game Lecture session in London, which is organized by BAFTA, he confirmed that Project Natal would be supported in Fable III as a control system and that a micro transaction system would be implemented in the RPG allowing players to use real-world currency or Microsoft Points to directly purchase items and new content.
It's not clear whether the newly announced in-game shop will be accessible everywhere in the world through the game interface or whether players will need to travel to a special location in order to make purchases. Molyneux is saying that items, mostly armor and potions, might be sold for the price of one dollar for those who do not want to work to get them through Fable III mechanics and adding new game environments will cost more.
The main idea is to make downloadable content easier to access for players that might not be closely following news about a game they play. The game designer also said later in the evening that walkthroughs for Fable III might also be offered in the shop.
Lionhead and Microsoft need to really be careful in how they build this in-game shop and what content they offer in it. Players are very sensitive when it comes to being nickel and dimed for more money. All the items that can be bought should also be obtainable in Fable III through other means and no one picking one of them up should have an unfair advantage if a multiplayer component is introduced. With Fable III not yet having a release date, it remains to be seen whether the in-game shop will appear in the final version.