Sometimes I'm just not sure what's going on in the industry today.  Between announcements of announcements, and the changing of feature sets to only patch them in later, it seems someone has it ass backwards. 

I've got a new one for you.  Some time ago we linked to a really sweet Collectors Edition for Fable 2.  For $79 you got yourself the game, making of DVDs, 5 Fate Cards, and a hobbe figurine as well as some in game content.  But like things breaking, they also change.  And due to some supply chain issues, the CE is no longer a big C but a little c, but the E can still be capital. 

The new $69 cE gets you the game, the DVD, the premium box, and the bonus content.  There's also going to be a free soundtrack available to download from Fable 1 and 2, but this seems to be for anyone purchasing the game.

Further details can be found here.

Fable 2 has been in the news a lot lately, specifically in regards to its co-op mode and where it would stand when the game launches on October 21st.  We had a chance to ask a few questions to the game's Lead Designer, Dean Carter, to get the skinny on just how the cooperative mode works. 

Read on for our full interview.

In what appears to be another stab to the heart and a growing trend in console games, the Gamerscore Blog has announced that Fable 2 will be without online co-op from day 1.  According to Lionhead the online component wasn't quite ready to go at launch, but the plans are to have a patch out "within the first week of launch."  If you remember, Fable 2 was promised to have a unique co-op mode in which players would see floating orbs representing their friends in the game world.  To start a co-op session they'd simply need to walk up to the orb to send the invite or join their world.

This news comes hot on the heels of another announcement from Sony in which their AAA title Little Big Planet would be launching without the much anticipated online co-op creation tool. 

I gotta say I'm pretty disappointed and concerned by this; and this is a trend I hope that stops quickly.  PC users were plagued for years by the release first/patch later philosophy. 

Fable 2 edged out many other excellent co-op titles to take the bottom spot on our Top 5 Upcoming Co-Op Games list.  As we approach the game's release late next month, a whole slew of information has been released. 

First up is a detailed hands on preview from 1UP.  Two lucky testers got to spend three hours with the game.  One chose the good path, the other evil.  Even so early in the game, the experiences offered to each player were significantly different.  You can be a hammer-wielding necromancer, too, so that is certainly a plus.  No word on whether the "good" version of the game includes more rainbows is yet available, though.

Next, Peter Molyneux himself was interviewed by TVG.  However, the game's creator ended up asking more questions of the lucky interviewer, who had just played a preview build of the game for a couple hours.  Molyneux does manage to drop this nice bit about the "co-op orbs":

Some very interesting things have come out of the orbs. For a start, we're storing everybody in the whole world when they're playing single-player co-op. Where they are in the world, their story, and details about their hero is being stored centrally in a server, and then up to 64 of those is being filtered down into your machine. We filter them by your friends, Gamerscores, by where people are in the story, and where they are geographically around you.

You can then see these people floating through the world and you know that's where they are in their world. What that means is you kind of want to show off and I've seen people do it. They'll walk up and say, 'Hey, can I do this bit of the game with you so I can see what it's like to do the evil or good bit?' And so it allows people to dip in and out of other people's worlds and only then do you really appreciate the differences. That ambient orb stuff is pretty cool, it really is. I've never seen anything like it before.

Finally, CVG presents a list of all of Fable 2's flaws... according to Molyneux!  You've got to appreciate his frankness, for sure.  Among the flaws he mentions are bad lip syncing and a "fractured" dog.  I think these sound pretty minor, but I wonder, ss he talking about his game, or a Milli Vanilli concert?  In all seriousness, each of these articles is definitely worth reading, and we'll keep you posted on more news in the weeks to come here at Co-Optimus.

Even though we covered some of Fable 2's achievements before, it wasn't until today that we can confirm what we previously told you.  While we are still going to see achievements related to bigamy, gambling, and of course, orgies; it's the co-op specific achievements that have us excited.  That's not to say we aren't excited about orgies.

As seen above there are a handful of co-op specific achievements related to expressions and combat, this was previously known.  But what we didn't know before was that you could earn achievements just from joining a friends game and WATCHING them complete the requirement for it.  It appears there should be one more achievement to add to the list, Voyeur. 

The full list of achievements can be found over at 360 Sync.com.

Hopefully, I'll still be here after bumping a news item over the great Top 5 article by bapenguin and AgtFox, but I've been itching all day to announce Circuit City's deals on co-op games this week.

Although the promotions are not limited to co-op games only -- nor to Xbox 360 games only -- but this is a good opportunity to pick up co-op games that may not have appealed to you otherwise...

$10 gift card with pre-order:

• Gears of War 2
• Fable 2

$14.99 sale price:

• Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
• Saint's Row

Gears of War 2 and Fable 2 also happen to be on the Top 5 List. Somebody at Circuit City must be a Co-optimus fan...

Fable II is a game with a lot to live up to. It's predecessor, Fable, was a solid game; however  it never lead up to the massive hype by its mastermind Peter Molyneux.  From over hyped features to features that never made the game, it was disappointing to some. 

Fable II looks to correct the tarnished image of its forefather by delivering on exactly what was promised.  Whether it's a more open world, a greater variety of quests, or just down right gorgeous graphics, Fable II is going to deliver.   IGN has a great article about ten of the cool new features in Fable II.  Some of the ones you might want to check out include "It's Good To Play Together," which summarizes the importance of multiplayer/co-op in Fable II.  The article also has some other interesting bits, like a discussion of the Sims-like nature of meeting people and the place your pet dog will have in the game. .

Hit the link to get some Fable II goodness.

Last week Lionhead's Fable 2 Pub Games were made available via Xbox Live.  While the games themselves will set you back 800 MS Points, those that pre-order the title receive them for free.  The games themselves don't offer any sort of co-op, but what happens in Pub Games is completely transferable to the 2 player co-op Fable 2 game when it's released in October.

Eurogamer has a short article up detailing the process.  The method is simple, once you start Fable 2 and find your way into a pub to gamble, you'll be given the option in to merge the characters and the gold.  The really slick thing is, after this process you can then keep playing outside of Fable 2 and have direct impact on the gold inside.

All of that is well and good, but for those of you who will end up with the darker seedier character in Fable 2 will probably want to pay attention to the following.  There's a pretty big gold glitch in the Fortune's Tower game.  The glitch allows you to bet one thing, but have the computer think you bet a much higher value thereby giving you a tons more gold back - even if you cash out  on a hand you would typically lose money on.  The full video of the process and impressions of pub games are posted after the break.

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Along with the Collector's Edition Details came some assets from Microsoft with Fable 2.  Among those comes a little treat - a Master Chief model from Fable 2.  While it's not known exactly how and where John 117 will be showing up, but the character in the game looks awesome.  You can see the full picture after the jump.

In other Fable 2 news the achievements have been revealed for the game.  While there are plenty of Co-Op Achievements like "The Companions" which is unlocked for Performing a perfect co-op expression and "The Blood Brother" which is unlocked for getting a co-op combat bonus; the real meat comes from two controversial type achievements.  Ok, so kicking chickens isn't really controversial, unless controversial means funny.  But what is is an achievement called "The Swinger" which gets unlocked when you take part in an orgy..responsibly.  No, I'm not making that up.  

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Microsoft has announced today that the official release date for Fable 2 will be October 21st, 2008.   That's right, in just 3 short months you will be running around Albion with your pooch by your side, avoiding falling bird poop - all in glorious 2 player drop-in/drop-out co-op!

Also announced is the $79.99 Collector's Edition which will contain a host of goodies including:

• Bonus DVD – Includes new ‘Making-of Feature’ with Peter Molyneux and the team at Lionhead Studios and concept art viewer
• Bonus In-Game Content (Requires LIVE account) – Includes “The Hall of the Dead” Dungeon, “The Wreckager” Legendary Cutlass Weapon and Otherworldly Bonus

• Collectible Hobbe figure with accessories – From the Qee Collection comes this one-of-a-kind Hobbe figure. Nasty, brutish, and short, he roams the countryside, preying on travelers and spiriting away the children of the unwary.

• 48-hour Xbox LIVE Gold Trial Card – With Xbox LIVE Gold, players can show off their individual hero by inviting friends into their unique version of Albion or they can visit their friends’ Albion, and earn additional gold, experience and renown to take back into their own.
• Five printed Fate Cards – These five beautiful cards foretell the Hero’s great destiny to journey across all of Albion, encountering deadly enemies and enigmatic allies. The path leads to a choice that will change the world forever.

Plus if you preorder the game you'll have free access to the Pub Games when they are released via Xbox Live.

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