Press Release: Who Will You Be? Choose Your Own Destiny as Fable Hits Store Shelves

Microsoft Game Studios today announced that Fable, the highly anticipated Xbox® action-adventure game, has been spotted on store shelves in the UK for an estimated retail price of £39.99. Developed by Peter Molyneux's studio Big Blue Box, in conjunction with Lionhead Studios, Fable allows players to develop a unique character by making choices that determine their character's skills, reputation and appearance. Fable has already had an amazing start at retailers across North America and in its first week of release, it broke records, selling through more than 375,000 units.

In Fable, the players' every action determines their character's skills, appearances and moralities. Character's life stories are created from childhood through adulthood and on to old age. They can grow from an inexperienced child into the most powerful being in the world, spoken of by all and immortalised in legend. Players may choose the paths of righteousness or dedicate their characters' lives to evil; observing as they transform into reflections of their actions and decisions. Age leaves characters wizened, battle leaves them scarred, gluttony affects obesity. With experiences come advancement and physical change; whether it is by expanding muscles, a keen eye and nimble form or the buzz of magical energies around their finger tips. As players' characters develop, the world reacts to them and their actions. People comment on their successes, failures, appearance and behaviour. Their many opinions are expressed through applause, mockery, trepidation, panic and even flirtation. With each person your character helps, and with every creature they slay, the world is changed forever. For every choice there is a consequence - - In Fable, gamers decide: "Who will I be?" For more information about Fable, visit the official site at http://www.xbox.com/fable

Microsoft Game Studios is a leading worldwide publisher and developer of games for the Xbox® video game system and Windows® and online platforms. Comprising a network of top developers, Microsoft Game Studios is committed to creating innovative and diverse games for Windows (http://www.microsoft.com/games/), including such franchises as Age of Empires®, Flight Simulator and Zoo Tycoon^TM; Xbox (http://www.xbox.com/), including such franchises as Halo®, Project Gotham Racing and MechAssault; and Zone.com (http://www.zone.com/), the official games channel for the MSN® network and home to such hits as Bejeweled and OutSmart^TM.