Context and Fable III

I have something of a thing regarding connections between current world events and the stories told in video games and motion pictures. I am fascinated by them. They are not a particularly rare instance, but when I see one, I tend to get very excited. A few weeks ago, I began playing Fable III (again) and the opening cut scene, to me, bleeds contextual commentary. Here's the clip, from Youtube:

The world of Fable, Albion, has been blessed with the age of industry. But the industrial age has also taken it's toll, and the divide between the rich and poor has become astronomical in size. The middle class is non-existent. The poor hope that one day they too will be able to live as they wish, and not be mired in the muddy halls of manufacturing. But, as the past has shown, hope has been difficult, as the rich grow richer and greedier, and all the more repress the poor who wish to make a name for themselves. Hope has not withstood the beatings, the deaths and the general maltreatment of the lower class.  The government is ruled by a dictator who supports the rich and cares not for the poor. The state of Albion is disastrous. The role of the hero (the player character) is to lead the revolution and usurp the current ruler, his or her sibling, and to thereby restore hope and promise for all. 

Fable III was  released on the Xbox 360 in summer of 2010, when the United States faced some of the same problems as Albion. The parallels are undeniable. The United States has been, in the recent past, blessed with great prosperity, though it may not feel like it, as much of this prosperity has been poured into the coffers of rich businessmen. Like in Albion, our rich grow richer as our poor grow poorer. Our middle class is disappearing, forced down by the government's lack of regard for them. In 2008, many in the United States were given new hope, with Barack Obama's campaign and eventual win of the presidential elections. One of his buzzwords was hope, and it spread. By the time Fable III was released however, that hope had waned. The metaphor of the chicken hopefully in flight and freedom, then dragged down again by gravity, rings true with the state of the American psyche. Hope itself is difficult, in times like these. Here is where things become a little interesting. Fable III was released before the elections in November of 2010, when those whose policies support the rich were put into power in congress. However, now that that time has passed, the situation in Albion is even more reminiscent of the situation in America. The connections grew stronger, as if the writers of Fable III had been prescient of what was to come. 


These parallels, between the narrative of Albion and the narrative of the United States, have deep persuasive meaning. They help the player draw a connection between the happenings in the game and their real life. This does several things. The first is that it gives the player more of a reason to play, because they contextually understand the basics of the situation, as it resembles their own. The second is that the action in the game affects the way the player addresses their situation in the real world. The story of the game makes the argument that in this day and age, when all seems lost, you, the player, are the one who is destined to help change it. You are the force to be reckoned with and the hero of your own time. Lead a revolution, bring back hope, restore your world, as you have done for Albion. 


Fable III, by contextually connecting itself to real world events, makes the argument that the world can be changed, and that each individual can help change it. 

                                                                                                                                                                     

As always, we invite you all to share your thoughts in the comments below.

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