It’s an awesome sign that Microsoft is putting together a large team and helping Playground Games expand with this project. No doubt they intend to make Fable the pillar franchise it was envisioned to be...but never was.
My opinion may not be popular but I’m in favor of Playground building a franchise with no constraints from the first 3 games. I think they can throw in fan service last but everything from art style to gameplay should be theirs. To me, the Fable IP brings brand recognition and will make it easier to market than a completely new IP but I’m hoping Playground gets to treat it like a new IP.
Here’s where my opinion gets less popular. Fable 1 and 2 were solid but forgettable games. Fable’s early success was entirely based on the years of hype and over-selling the franchise. I thought after Fable 2 failed to deliver on the hype for a 2nd time, the franchise was on life support. It’s remembered more fondly today due to the sudden shortage of these types of games.
More unpopular ideas...Fable is the one franchise where it’s original ideas were ahead of it’s time and needed a GAAS model to try to deliver the initial vision profitably. Peter Monoloux thought the OG Xbox having a hard dive would allow him to create a persistent single player world. For Fable 2, he not only thought he’d finally deliver on that but players could jump in and out of your game world and impact it. Like suddenly you’d be competing with other people’s highly customized heroes.
Forgetting the pie in the sky cloud stuff, what Forza has done with Driveators, what Phantasy Star Online did, and what GTA does can all work with Fable.
I think the only thing Playground has to do to keep most Fable fans content is make it have swords and magic, have RPG elements, keep the colors bright, have a fantasy setting, have a single player campaign (in addition to the GAAS stuff) and be able to punt chickens. Outside of that, let them create their own art style and gameplay hooks. Make the ultimate fantasy sandbox. Have a mod tool set so gamers can create content and allow their friends to download it. Allow players to import their friends heroes into their game world. It’s time to not only make Monoloux’s original vision a reality...but take it to the next level.