Fable Continues To Break Records As Best-Selling Game Across All Platforms In September

REDMOND, Wash. - Oct. 21, 2004 - Microsoft Game Studios today announced that Fable, the ground-breaking Xbox^® roleplaying adventure game developed by Lionhead Studios, had an incredible launch month at retail stores in North America. Fable was the best-selling console title across all platforms in September, more than doubling the sales of the second best-selling title across the U.S. After its record-setting first week in which the game sold more than 375,000 units in North America, Fable has continued to demonstrate huge success with the best launch month ever for any Xbox game in U.S. According to The NPD Group, Fable sold more than 600,000 units in its first month at retail in the U.S. -- squashing all previous Xbox games' first-month sales records.

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 immortalized 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, appearances and behaviors. Their many opinions are expressed through applause, mockery, trepidation, panic and even flirtation. With each person characters aid and every creature they slay, the world is changed forever. In Fable, gamers decide: "Who will I be?" For more information about Fable, visit the official site at http://www.xbox.com/en-US/fable/default.htm. Fable is available in North America for an estimated retail price of $49.99 (U.S.).

Lionhead Studios is based in Guildford, Great Britain and was founded in 1997. The company's first game, Black & White for PC, was released in 2001 and worldwide sales have now topped over 2 million copies. Its second game, "Fable" for Xbox, has only recently gone on sale but sales are already approaching the one million mark. Through its unique satellite scheme the company currently has four other products currently under development.

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.