Arcade game developers Carbonated Games (Uno, Hexic, and Catan) have been tapped to create the three “Fable-compatible” XBLA games slated to launch in the months before Fable 2’s release. The news comes straight from the lips of Mr. Lionhead himself, Peter Molyneux, who spoke on the Major Nelson podcast this past Saturday.

Gamers got a first glance of one of these games during GDC ‘08, when Molyneux played a round of Keystone for the crowd. A classic casino game with a slight fantasy flare, Keystone is a cross between craps and roulette; details on the other two titles — Wizard’s Tower and Mage Dice — have yet to surface. The money earned while playing any of these games in XBLA will be automatically deposited into the pockets of your Fable 2 character.

The early release, Molyneux explained, is to provide players an opportunity to start earning extra collateral before Fable 2 even hits the shelves. The amount of purchasable items in Fable 2 is reportedly massive, including anything from basic armor and weapons to dungeons, shops, even entire towns. Taking the effort to earn and then burn through all that gold comes with extra benefits — ownership of certain places or areas can unlock side-quests and even titles for your character like Mayor or Governor.

Given the rumor that mobs will no longer drop gold as part of their loot in Fable 2, gamers who want to be the Emperor of Albion will either have to get themselves a virtual job in-game, or spend this summer brushing up on their Mage Dice skills once the XBLA titles go live.

[See also: Fable 2 gallery]