• by Josh Lovison , October 17, 2008

"Fable II" is set to launch this coming week -- it is a highly anticipated console title from UK game studios Lionhead, a sequel to a fantasy-based game for the original Xbox.  The game promises dynamic alteration to the character and game world based on user behavior.  Oh, and this post has very little to do with the game itself.

In fact, the game is besides the point.  What's been very interesting are the marketing efforts surrounding the game, and how those tie together with the title.  There is some serious ground being broken here.

In August, "Fable Pub Games," a series of casual mini-games, were released on Xbox Live.  They were free with a pre-order of "Fable II," or 800 points as a stand alone game.  The games are also to be included in the retail release of "Fable II."  The really captivating bit is that the money earned playing these mini-games would  be able to be imported to the retail game when released, giving players a bit of an edge.

Now in October, Lionhead and Microsoft released the official "Fable II" experience site, which offers a rich-media puppet show.  For participating, users can obtain one of five prizes, depending on how they responded to moral choices in determining the outcome of the show.  What's interesting is that the prizes are in-game items, enhancing the retail version of the game.

The core concept of sponsoring exclusive in-game content is a brilliant idea, and "Fable II"'s execution of this concept seems to be top-notch.  While in this instance it is being used to push the title itself, this concept can be applied more broadly to brands in general.  In one of the most basic instances, it could be that fast food restraints include access to exclusive game content with their "Happy Meals."  There's a lot of potential with this concept -- especially in terms of measuring accountability and ROI.

[Full Disclosure: Josh Lovison consults for the IPG Emerging Media Lab, which works with Universal McCann. Microsoft is an agency client.]