Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux is known for many things - modesty is not one of them. Whether he's touting the marvels his next title will usher in for gamers (while calling out the shortcomings of its predecessor) ala his entire Fable series or just generally basking in Milo's awesomeness,  Mr. Molyneux has never been afraid to tell the world what he thinks and feels.  Most of the time, this can be quite refreshing and exciting. Other times, it can be downright daunting.

Undeterred by competing franchises also releasing highly anticipated titles later this year (or a U.S. recession which has already had reaching implications on the gaming industry), Lionhead recently stated that they are hoping for more than 5 million Xbox gamers when Fable III hits shelves in October - that's a lot of Albion gold coins!

With Fable selling 3 million copies worldwide and Fable II selling an additional 3.5 million copies, Lionhead has again set hopes high for a series that has enjoyed as much criticism as it has praise. So, what's the secret to mass sales going to be? “Part of that plan is less clutter in the game, less aggravating little inventions that Peter Molyneux once thought was a good idea.” Yes, Mr. Molyneux was referring to himself in the third person.

One interesting note about the game's release is the timing. With Fable III's release set for 6 weeks after Halo: Reach and still a full month before the holiday sales get into full swing, Mr. Molyneux and his loyal followers (this writer, included) may actually have a chance to test those sales figures. With a more streamlined Fable geared towards enhancing actual gameplay and avoiding previous time-consuming, convoluted menu screens, Fable III may turn out to be the game we've been waiting for all along.

Long live the king.