Weeks after Microsoft promised a vague October date, the publisher today announced that Lionhead's open-world action-RPG Fable 2 (360) will hit North American retailers on October 21, followed by a European release on October 24.

In addition to a new adventure, the sequel packs both local and online cooperative play, though director Peter Molyneux has warned that players should only bring trustworthy friends into their game as they can permanently affect the world with their actions.

For more on Fable 2, check out our recent hands-on preview, which focused on condoms, combat and domestic abuse.

With Fable 2 (360) essentially complete and bound for release this fall, Lionhead lead designer Peter Molyneux has revealed that the company has three more titles in the works for the action-RPG series.

"We've got plans for Fable 3, 4, and 5," Molyneux informed GameTrailers. "It's a big story arc, and you can see—if you play Fable 2, you can recognize things from Fable 1, so that's pretty exciting."

When asked of Lionhead's other unannounced project, Molyneux declined to comment about the specifics but noted that the title is "kind of the result of an experiment that went incredibly well."

Fable 2 is currently in final testing phases and is expected to hit retailers this coming October.

As I approach one of the many random houses that litter the Fable 2 countryside, I notice the front door is glowing red. So I do what any normal person would do when faced with a glowing red object: I smash it to bits with my sword.

Either it's possessed, in which case I just did the homeowner a giant favor, or the red glow simply indicated it could be destroyed, in which case that person is now aware their cheap door was a security risk. Regardless, I deserve some sort of compensation for my public service, so I poke around inside.

There's a health potion in the cabinet to the left, but that's not enough. I want more. I deserve more. So I venture upstairs, into the bedroom and find the good stuff.

Next to the bed are a new pair of gloves. There's an armoire in the corner, but I'm lazy; it's too far away. Instead I investigate the wardrobe across the bed and find a condom.

Yes, a condom. In this case, one that's made out of animal intestines and will protect against unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, according to its description. This seems like a fitting payment, so I decide to pocket it... Read more

In accordance with today's outpouring of announcements, demonstrations and big reveals at Microsoft's E3 press conference, the company has released several new screenshots of the titles included in today's presentation.

Gears of War 2

New Xbox 360 3D Dashboard

Fable 2

More new images from titles including Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2, Lips, and several others are viewable below... Read more

At Microsoft's E3 press briefing, acclaimed game designed Peter Molyneux today confirmed that Lionhead's Xbox 360 action-RPG Fable 2 is now complete.

A release date is expected to be announced in just a few moments.

Molyneux also confirmed that the title will feature online cooperative multiplayer over Xbox Live "at any point during the story."

He explained that you'll want play with other people as each hero is unique, and the world changes dynamically based on player actions.

Molyneux concluded that the game will arrive in October, though he neglected to mention a specific date.

Lionhead Studios' downloadable compilation of gambling mini-games from its upcoming RPG Fable II (360) will arrive in August, publisher Microsoft has announced.

Allowing users to transfer earned money into the retail edition of Fable II, the release sports three mini-games: "a combination of Craps and Roulette" known as Keystone, the luck-based Fortune's Tower, and the slot machine-esque Spinnerbox.

"It's not going to throw the balance of [Fable 2] unduly, because you can't buy magic, for example, with money," designer Peter Molyneux told Shacknews earlier this year. "You can't buy the skill levels on melee combat and on range combat with... Read more

The Fable 2 developer diaries have taken a turn for the weird.

After beginning each of the previous segments with a question that loosely pertained to Lionhead's sequel, the Fable 2 team was met with a real curveball in this sixth video: "What would you do if you were a woman for a day?"

Also included in the lengthy video are some comments on the game itself, as well as a brief glimpse of Sir Molyneux's scribbles--one of which indicates a likely release window of October for the Xbox 360 exclusive. Registered users can use the HD Stream.

Microsoft sends along three new screenshots from the ambitious Lionhead Studios-developed Xbox 360 action-RPG, which is due to arrive this fall.

For more on Fable 2, check out our coverage of creator Peter Molyneux's GDC lecture and our following interview with the man himself.

The latest media out of Microsoft's Spring Showcase relates to Lionhead's open-world RPG Fable 2 (X360).

Microsoft claims that the game world of Fable 2 is ten times larger than that of the original, with the sequel set to arrive during the relatively vague "holiday" season.

For more on Fable 2, check out our coverage of creator Peter Molyneux's GDC lecture and our following interview with the man himself.

Note: The following is unedited b-roll footage. It is meant to be chopped up into little bits for a larger segment and has not undergone the traditional editing process of a trailer.

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Registered users can use the HD Stream.

Following yesterday's initial installment, here now is the conclusion to Chris Faylor's lengthy interview with designer Peter Molyneux. Topics include Lionhead's next project, Molyneux's thoughts on the PC gaming market, his enthusiasm for a Syndicate remake, and how he feels about playing the role of a "famed designer."

I am a big show-off, that's what I am. I'm just a kid showing off his toys, really. I love doing it so much.

I love showing things to people who haven't seen it before and I love having a tired, worn-out journalist come into a room and sitting him down and saying, "Look, this is the vision of what we're trying to create," and then get excited by that.

It's a wonderful feeling to be able to do that. I've kinda almost forgotten what it's like to be not like that, because it's been like that since 1992. It's been like that for a very long time. Read more..

After being mercilessly pranked, Shacknews editor Chris Faylor finally got a chance to chat with iconic game designer Peter Molyneux this week. Here now is the first part of the extensive interview, covering Connect Four strategy, Fable 2 features, and more.

When [these honors] were given to me I was in a room with someone who had explored Antarctica single-handedly, and another person who walked around the world backwards with no legs. It was like these true heroes, and then there was me. Everyone was going around saying, "What have you done?" and eventually it came to me. I said, "I make up computer games," and the whole room went quiet for a while. I don't feel I deserve that honor, at all. There's a lot more people in this industry that deserve that accolade than me. I'm just lucky to be British. Read more..

"I really love LEGO Star Wars," said Lionhead designer Peter Molyneux during his GDC lecture this afternoon.

An unlikely comment from a man involved in complex, high-concept titles, but easily explainable: cooperative play in his studio's upcoming RPG Fable 2 was inspired by the Traveller's Tales' series, featuring a single-screen co-op system for both players.

Molyneux then dropped a few more nuggets of information on the co-op gameplay. When another player is brought into your world, you have the power of deciding what percentage of experience someone recieves from combat. You can even hire your co-op partners on as henchmen, giving them no experience but compensating them monetarily.

As it turns out, Molyneux was only able to reveal 50% of the co-op feature... Read more

Lionhead's Peter Molyneux took the stage to unveil a few new details of his studio's upcoming sequel Fable 2 during the Microsoft keynote at the Game Developers Conference.

Dynamic cooperative play was shown off, with another player teleporting into the game world instantly. Any experience or loot that players earn during a co-op session can be kept and used in the single-player mode.

An Xbox Live Arcade gambling game will also be released a few weeks ahead of Fable 2's shipping date, allowing players to earn money that can then be used in the full Xbox 360 game. The game of chance was described by Molyneux as a cross between roulette and craps.

Full family simulations, complete with growing children and complaining husbands, were also detailed. Molyneux ended the demonstration by having his co-op partner shoot his whining NPC mate, remarking that players must be careful about who they bring into their world, as any changes to the world caused by a co-op player are permanent.

A previous version of this story contained a mention of online cooperative play. While co-op will be featured in Fable 2, online co-op not yet been confirmed.

Overzealous studio head Peter Molyneux revealed Lionhead's upcoming sequel to fantasy RPG Fable will be coming in fall of next year. Molyneux gave the information to Eurogamer readers in an online interview, as the title had previously been given a broad 2008 release window.

The notoriously outspoken developer said the title would be arriving by "Late 2008. Maybe when the leaves have a slight brownish tinge - but are still on the trees, if you see what I mean."

Molyneux also mentioned another project in development at the studio, unrelated to the company's previously revealed secret project known as Dimitri. Describing it as "kind of a hybrid of Dimitri," the studio head said he couldn't talk about the game yet.

"I am really, really pushing the powers-that-be to allow me to tell/show the world this new project," Molyneux said. "I know I am prone to say things like 'great', 'revolutionary' and 'ambitious', but this new project its absolutely great, revolutionary and ambitious!"

There's a brief Fable 2 Q&A on 1UP, asking Peter Molyneux five questions about the role playing game sequel.

Lionhead Studios has released a Fable 2 video development diary, showing the research that has gone into the one-button combat system found in the Xbox 360 role playing game sequel. A HD version of the six minute long video can be found at FileShack.

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More E3 coverage can be found at Boomtown, where they have Fable 2 impressions based on Peter Molyneux presentation of the Xbox 360 RPG sequel.

Loinhead has posted another Lionhead video interview, this time asking creative director Dene Carter about the game. The interview is also transcribed.