Fable 3 - Preview @ CVG

CVG reprints a Fable III preview from Xbox360World. Here's a sample:

Overthrowing a king is a lot like a general election. People make pledges they aren't going to keep - even if they intended to keep them at the time - as they tour the country, shaking the Great Unwashed by their smelly proletarian hands. The first half of the game has you doing exactly that: going up to Albion's general public and promising to make their lives better when you become king or queen - in return for them lending a hand in the fight to attain it. You'll be able to shake their hands, too, thanks to the game's new touchy feely expression system. But we'll get round to that in just a moment… […]
The expression system has been removed, replaced with something called 'Touch'. Rather than farting, Cossack dancing or clucking like a chicken (which would seem a bit odd as the ruler of Albion) you'll now hug, snog or shake people by the hand.

Apparently, this is because Lionhead "didn't feel like there was a connection in Fable II. The characters felt separate from the world." So you'll now be able to hold anyone's hand, for instance, taking a loved one to a cliffside to watch the beautiful sunset, or dragging a cute child from a burning house - reassuring the brat afterwards with a soppy hug. Lionhead are calling this 'Dynamic Touch'. "Imagine being able to embrace your own child," Peter said, explaining the concept. Well… we'd rather not embrace anyone else's.

MTV thinks this new Touch system is designed for (surprise) Microsoft's Natal controller:

"Do you really think, knowing me, as maybe you do over the years, I wouldn't want to use something like Natal?" Molyneux said in an interview with Game Kings. "I mean, that's just mad, man."

More information.

So you'll now be able to hold anyone's hand, for instance, taking a loved one to a cliffside to watch the beautiful sunset, or dragging a cute child from a burning house - reassuring the brat afterwards with a soppy hug.

Sure, sure…but can I drag the cute child to a cliffside at sunset and push him off? No? Then I'm not interested.

A mite bit morbid, perhaps, but I'm just saying what everyone is thinking: it's going to be a shallow, gimmicky feature. Why? Because it's a Fable game. That is not to say it will be anything less than "fun" (as some people define it), but I sincerely doubt you'll be able to interact with the characters in anything other than a pre-scripted manner and only in certain situations.
Of course, this goes largely without saying. Why? …because it's a Fable game.

Are they going to make this an X-Box exclusive title again? I'm still waiting for them to make Fable 2 for the PC, fat chance of that happening.

I loved the first fable. Some might not share those feelings, but I think it was a great fun game (the combat was just fun, especially the sword-play. the rpg elements were okay'ish too as far as I can remember)

Also still waiting for the PC version of fable 2.

I thought the fable games were fun to play. Never finished Fable 1 or 2, got bored before I came near the ending. But still, during the time I played I thought they were fun. They're just not really an 'RPG' game though. Fable games remind of the King's Quest adventure games, though more advanced.

They seem like cotton candy RPGs to me. They're fun to play, very easy and lightweight. After they're done, I can hardly remember them. They make no impact whatsoever on me, but they are fun, lightweight entertainment while they last.

i really liked Fable, in a flop down on the couch w/ the controller and a bag of salted peanuts til 2 am sort of way. That lasts only a few days, but it was good while it lasted!

I would probably like the games but every time I get to the point where I can interact with npcs I quit the game. (ridiculous, immature, npc interaction)

Yeah, they really need to work on the character interaction. Peter makes big promises and then all we get is an increased number of silly gestures. Come on. They're never going to be able to deliver the story and character elements — that living, breathing, emotionally engaging world Peter keeps yapping about — until they allow the characters to do more than make funny faces at each other and fart.