Fable: The Journey creative director: “Every single game is on-rails”

Lionhead Studios creative director Gary Carr has said that “every single game is on-rails” while defending the decision to keep the same control scheme that drew so much criticism towards Fable: The Journey at E3 2011.

[DaThreats]

Weak Comeback

[jimbobwahey]

Even Railroad Tycoon, a game that is literally about rails, offers infinitely more freedom than Fable: The Journey.

[Laxman]

How have you possible come to that conclusion?

Have you played Fable: The Journey?

[VanillaBear]

@Laxman

Oh look your one of these types of people who think people need to try something to form an opinion on it

People can judge something off trailers, marketing and pre release infomation you know

Whats the point buying something you know is probably shit, give the developers a happy sale and then not enjoy where they are going with a franchise. Bet your going to buy RE6 and DS3 day 1 aswell.

[darthv72]

Passing judgement and forming an opinion are two different things.

Passing judgement on something does not involve experience. People pass judgement all the time but usually it is when they experience that which they are passing judgement is when they can formulate their opinion.

To many, it is a matter of context. Simply put, would you be more likely to listen to someone who has experienced something and offers their opinion or just freely pass judgement on what you believe?

I will agree that the 1st impressions of some of these games may be a bit misleading when it comes to the final product. I tend to wait until a game is released and then try it myself to see if the interest is really still there.

I do practice the "try before you buy" approach.

[Irishguy95]

Yes extremely weak.

Mike, 'technically' the are. Technically.

Now, we all know the real difference between Cod-on rails and Time crisis - on rails. This dev is just coming up with a shitty argument to defend the fact that his game is on rails. In gaming terms, on rails can be considered another Genre.

[user5467007]

LOL

No they arn't

Oh totaly differen't when Peter Molyneux defended the game

"This game is NOT on rails"

It's on rails guys...and it's going to be crap

[Hicken]

I pretty much came in here to say just that. Cuz if every game is on rails, this game is so on rails you're hardly even playing it.

Man, what a weak excuse...

[ziggurcat]

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA

bu-bu-bu-but i thought fable: journey wasn't on rails? so now they're more or less admitting it is, and trying to justify it by claiming all games are on rails because you have to press a button to perform an action?

oh, man... that's rich...

[Shadonic]

It wasn't but then they changed it after the E3 demo

[from the beach]

There's no need for him to make excuses for the game being on rails, as if that somehow equates to it being bad. It is what it is!

[mochachino]

Molyneux may have been hopelessly delusional but this Gary Carr guy is a complete moron.

Did he really think anyone would agree with what may be the worst argument ever made in gaming.

[abzdine]

then quit making rail games.

[MattyG]

FALSE, black bear. Bears, beets, battlestar galactica.

OT he's just doing some damage control. His game is going to be a linear one way trip. But to say every game is like that is bull. I played 26 hrs of GTA4 and only did about 12 story missions. That is NOT on rails.

[Godmars290]

But some hide it better than others.

Or in your case, not at all :p

[Lubu]

If that's the case, then if Fable is an "on rails" game like Arkham City, then it will be great. Those are some "on rails" experiences I can get behind.

[Dms2012]

I think MS should just abandon Kinect for the next Xbox. I am one of those idiots that bought into it and got a Kinect, and I never use it. At this point I don't even see the potential for motion gaming as its uncomfortable and eventually you just want a game pad back in your hands. Guess I am lazy.

[Shadonic]

Most of the disappointment for me is from the developers I do t know if you tried out most of the well received games but there pretty good. The developers need to overall make the controls more precise while widening the radius in which gestures are precived like on steel bettalion reviews it's so negative control wise same with that sonic free riders game but it works fine for other people whove played it so overall design of controls need to be tweaked to deal with the learning curve with people transitioning to motion games. The games need to also be more innovative like this game wih he way you do and use spells but still keep the basic things that make the game fun like he humor and the choices. Overall if Ms dosent bring out something big with kinect2 like a free movement ryse then there not going to be selling much more. The biggest impact on the quality of the games is just the overall bias belief that it's bad because say random reviewer said its bad because so and so didn't work and they believe that but when a small number of people learn the game to the point where it's functional and achieve something and find that's it's actually good their viewed as liers then there's the instant negativity from everyone who belives any think with kinect in it is like the plague with out any personal experience with the game.

[mananimal]

lol, Bravo! an Honest Idiot! , I have to respect your Honesty though, lol, love it.

[Dms2012]

I don't care for being mocked, but oh well, its the internet. Hope that made you feel better.

[negroguy]

So he considers a game like Skyrim to be on rails. He has a very different perspective of on rails or he is just trying to save his hide. Most likely the latter.

[Jdoki]

Oh Lionhead... what have you become. To think you shared DNA with Bullfrog; to think you created one of the most original and interesting games in Black and White.

I suppose we should have seen the writing on the wall when B.C. was canned - it looked like such an innovative and original game... instead we get Fable, a game with unlimited potential, but dumbed down to an insulting level in the regurgitated sequels.

With Molyneux gone I thought at least the hyperbole would stop; but instead it has been replaced with moronic drivel.

[00000000000000000001]

From pre-views I have read it doesn't sound like it's on rails.

"Sometimes, only one path would feature glowing green XP orbs, so I attempted to guide my horse over them. Steering the horse was fairly responsive, and he usually stopped quickly when I pulled up on the reins.

At one point on the trail, a cutscene showed two Hobbes firing upon me with arrows from a nearby rock. One arrow lodged itself in my horse, who immediately began showing signs of pain. I scrambled to get out of harm's way, but mounted enemies began charging me on the road. While attempting to avoid them, my horse scraped against a nearby rock."

Looks like I might be one of the few smart enough to have fun playing Fable The Journey!

[310dodo]

“every single game is on-rails”

...so Fable the Journey is on rails

[Redempteur]

that's probably the weakest answer they could do towards critics ...

[wages of sin]

For crying out loud, take a journalism class.

Is this supposed to be a hard news piece or an opinion piece, because it's loaded with suggestive language and the autor's opinions. Let the man's words speak for itself. If it's as blatant as you think that it is; it will show.

Either that or you think your audience is too ignorant to be able to tell.

[Heavenly King]

**looks at date** Nope, no April 1st.

[Shadonic]

So on rails is not haveing the ability to freely move around on a set path the player automaticly moves on there's side stepping in journey but that's not much. Non on rails as cat agonized by gamers is basically being able to freely move around but if you really think about I he's kind of has a point sure you can move around wily nilly in games like max Payne and cod bu your still on that path laid out that your going to fallow there is no progression backwards your on the rails fallowing the path laid out for you the player in a sense it's kind of like an illusion. I do agree with most of the people here this is a weak defense if he didn't want an on rails experience then they should of kept their previous build of the game with free movement and implemented a sort of hub or open world or something with the controller for those who want to sit on the couch for 6 hours at a time. Any who I may pick this up looks better than that last dbz game I bought. Now that was real on rails.

[oakshin]

on rails means u cant move freely.... in this game u cant movie freely..........ur either in a scripted place r on a horse and buggy riding down paths

i mean wow this may be in all my years the worst argument from a developer by a mile ive ever seen

this gary carr seems 2 be a classic narcosis(dunno if spelled right) thats crazy logic to justify his direction of this game(i know its kinect he didnt really have a choice)

[oakshin]

@shadonic

this is a RPG a on rails RPG is the worst idea ever lol

[smashcrashbash]

Ummmmm... no. Your game is on rails. Don't try to drag other games down with you.

[InTheLab]

I preferred Lionhead when Peter was just making s*** up. This lame comeback has that "I'm not fat, I'm just big boned" kinda feeling...