By Jason Roberts

[I]Fable[/I] has become the fastest selling Xbox title ever in Europe, selling over 18,000 units in France and over 30,000 units in the U.K. in just one week.

“We’re very excited that so many gamers are experiencing the world of Albion in Fable,” said Xbox Senior Director of Platform and Marketing, Michel Cassius. “The success of Fable is a tribute to the vision of Peter Molyneux and Lionhead and to the fantastic open-ended and accessible gameplay experience that Fable offers.

The choices the gamer makes during the course of the adventure creates a completely different experience each time the game is played, offering outstanding replay value and widening the appeal while satisfying the core gamer audience. This title is a great example of how the Xbox portfolio is broadening, encompassing titles for the committed gamer as well as more casual gamers.”

Alex Croft, buying director at GAME, shared in Cassius’ excitement about the game’s reception.

“Fable was the best performing first-week Xbox title that we have sold to customers since the console launched,” said Croft. “Feedback before and after the launch from staff and customers has been very positive, and we’re confident that Fable will continue to sell well.”

The success in Europe of [I]Fable[/I] was echoed by a similar record-breaking launch at retailers across North America in its first week of release. The game was EB Games’ best-selling title ever and it broke Game Rush’s first-day sales record for any game. [I]Fable[/I] even grossed more money than the No. 1 box office movie launched at the same time, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.