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Lionhead Studios and Press Play closed. Fable legends cancelled.
- Thread starter chadskin
- Start date
KarneeKarnay
Member
I called this back with Fable 2.
Fable 1 was to me the best. Regardless of peoples expectations the gameplay was solid and the story was enjoyable and it was very funny at moment. (See Chicken Kicker.).
Fable 2 was the first time I get really worried about Lionhead. I had been paying attention to a lot of the hype around the game and what the devs had been claiming would be in the game. It seemed like it would become a classic. Within 20 mins of playing it I realised that the one thing I really cared about, the gameplay, was not great. It felt really artificial and lack luster. I couldn't even finish the game. I got close, but each time I just couldn't find the will to carry on. It was missing a huge amount of the features promised and while I didn't feel cheated, I wasn't happy.
Spore was the kicker though. It was not what was promised. It was the bare minimum and it was clear it was never going to be more than that. Fable 3 was just a bigger indicator that Lionhead was heading the wrong way.
Fable 1 was to me the best. Regardless of peoples expectations the gameplay was solid and the story was enjoyable and it was very funny at moment. (See Chicken Kicker.).
Fable 2 was the first time I get really worried about Lionhead. I had been paying attention to a lot of the hype around the game and what the devs had been claiming would be in the game. It seemed like it would become a classic. Within 20 mins of playing it I realised that the one thing I really cared about, the gameplay, was not great. It felt really artificial and lack luster. I couldn't even finish the game. I got close, but each time I just couldn't find the will to carry on. It was missing a huge amount of the features promised and while I didn't feel cheated, I wasn't happy.
Spore was the kicker though. It was not what was promised. It was the bare minimum and it was clear it was never going to be more than that. Fable 3 was just a bigger indicator that Lionhead was heading the wrong way.
SEGAvangelist
Member
TBF, Press Play was about to close before MS acquired them. Still, I'm so bummed about this news as I really enjoyed Max.
What does Lionhead have to do with Spore?
speedomodel
Member
Damn.. Shitty news to start the day with.
I just looked Fable 3's release date and saw it was 2010, and that I believe was their last successful game. Not to mention that from what we could gather from the delays and lack of news, Fable Legends must not have been pleasing.
So it means that Lionhead went almost 6 years without making any returns. It's a tough thing when you're a business.
Hopefully Microsoft will absorve some of the talent into their other studios, but still, best of luck to those who will have lost their jobs.
I just looked Fable 3's release date and saw it was 2010, and that I believe was their last successful game. Not to mention that from what we could gather from the delays and lack of news, Fable Legends must not have been pleasing.
So it means that Lionhead went almost 6 years without making any returns. It's a tough thing when you're a business.
Hopefully Microsoft will absorve some of the talent into their other studios, but still, best of luck to those who will have lost their jobs.
I dont think so. It made something with a brand that everyone wanted to return into something nobody wanted, so it perfectly matches Phils output so far (Conker Hololens, Battletoads as a Killer Instinct Character, Rare pirate MMO)
Hydrargyrus
Member
WTF??
What are they expecting?, another Halo/Gears from every studio?
It's like a cicle:
1 Buy a succesfull studio;
2 Make them do a game like the one who made them succesfull;
3 Force them do a shitty game (MS thinks is going to be the next watercooler)
...
4 Profit... not really...
5 Close before finishing the shitty game
Sorry for the employees
What are they expecting?, another Halo/Gears from every studio?
It's like a cicle:
1 Buy a succesfull studio;
2 Make them do a game like the one who made them succesfull;
3 Force them do a shitty game (MS thinks is going to be the next watercooler)
...
4 Profit... not really...
5 Close before finishing the shitty game
Sorry for the employees
Fortunately for the staff due UK employment law, they won't all just be fired, because they are part of a much larger company they should receive payouts or be offered jobs in other places.
US companies often don't understand that you can't just fire people because you don't need them anymore.
There are quite a few other developers in the town of Guildford, so hopefully everyone can find new jobs without it disrupting their lives too much.
US companies often don't understand that you can't just fire people because you don't need them anymore.
There are quite a few other developers in the town of Guildford, so hopefully everyone can find new jobs without it disrupting their lives too much.
fastballspecial
Member
Whoa. Holy shit. That's crazy. How mismanaged was Lionhead's new game?
Mikey Jr.
Member
Wouldn't surprise me. I think in the end, Ms will keep 343, coalition, and turn 10. If that rare game flops, I think they'll be gone too. Ms wants to keep it lean. Ohh, and mojang is probably safe.
But fucking yeah, lionhead. Shit. Didn't expect that.
DeadOnions
Member
Two studios in one day is pretty concerning. Lionhead made a series that was once the third biggest MS ip. Shame.
TBF, Press Play was about to close before MS acquired them. Still, I'm so bummed about this news as I really enjoyed Max.
What does Lionhead have to do with Spore?
Yeah its not exactly the same situation with Press Play. Microsoft provided a life line for them to develop a few more games like Max.
Chobel
Member
This is fucked up.
Mass_Pincup
Banned
I don't think that's what happened, apparently some people at Lionhead were not informed of the closing, and the fact that they announced that both Lionhead's and Press Play's closure lead me to think that it was decided at least sometime ago.
Sad stuff. I hope all of the employees impacted find new positions quickly.
A lot of people are demonizing MS (or at least the execs who made the decision to cancel) - it's definitely quick and 'brutal', but the situation must've been really terrible on the financial side to outright cancel and close the studio this close to release.
When making a shutdown decision, you're looking at mostly future costs (marketing, remaining development, overhead, etc.) and not costs that have already been sustained. The outlook must've been very poor if those expenses outweighed predicted revenues. Otherwise it makes more sense to finish the project and then ramp down the studio over the life-cycle of FL.
A lot of people are demonizing MS (or at least the execs who made the decision to cancel) - it's definitely quick and 'brutal', but the situation must've been really terrible on the financial side to outright cancel and close the studio this close to release.
When making a shutdown decision, you're looking at mostly future costs (marketing, remaining development, overhead, etc.) and not costs that have already been sustained. The outlook must've been very poor if those expenses outweighed predicted revenues. Otherwise it makes more sense to finish the project and then ramp down the studio over the life-cycle of FL.
Tatsumi Oga
Banned
I really so think that thought is a bit extreme though. There's a good chance Legends would have flopped, because it was F2P and I doubt many people were going to actually buy stuff for it. Closing the studio down though, damn. I hope they get a chance at another studio (new studio by MS perhaps) or somewhere else. Press Play I really didn't see coming though. I don't think these are signs of anything though. Let's wait for E3, because I am sure they'll announce plenty new stuff.
piratepwnsninja
Member
What? That was Maxis.
get2sammyb
Member
You'd think they would have at least put out the game, wouldn't you? It was practically finished!
Parakeetman
No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Man that sucks... Never cool when whole studios get deep sixed.
Good luck to everyone effected. D:
Good luck to everyone effected. D:
metalmania4evr
Member
I'm probaly one of few, but I really hope someone buys the Black & White IP. Personally, I really loved both 1 and 2. I had way, way too much fun just fucking around as a god. The expanded concept of city building in 2 I enjoyed a lot too.
Chaos2Frozen
Member
Wow, were the feedback negative or something?
Wait is Peter Molyneux still with them? I forgot.
At this point Microsoft feels like a guy who meets an incredible woman (the PC), falls in love and then discovers, to its horror, that she has a kid (the Xbox) and before he knows it he's paying a fortune to keep 'her brat' in short pants and first party studios.
WELL NO MORE!!!!
WELL NO MORE!!!!
This ^^^
AncientDiety
Banned
No he is gone making more bad promises on other projects lol.
Except SPORE was maxis....
Orochinagis
Member
Super sad news about Lionhead studios.
BigTnaples
Todd Howard's Secret GAF Account
Holy shit.
Well there goes my hopes for Black and White 3 VR...
This sucks.
Well there goes my hopes for Black and White 3 VR...
This sucks.
justsomeguy
Member
Nope. He went off to form 22 cans.
Think it was more because he was hired as head of European Studios but clearly didn't have a clue what he was doing.
Doc Holliday
SPOILER: Columbus finds America
Giagantic and now Fable Legends..
I put the Fable 1,2,3 soundtracks on shuffle and have them playing in the background for a bit. Man I have fond memories of these games - the art direction, characters and charm were great. I feel this franchise was so close to being classic, but things always kept falling short and didn't live up to expectations. (Fable 1&2 were great, 3 not so much).
I hoped one day we'd get a massive return to form Fable game on Xbox. But this F2P legends game was announced and now its all over.. What a massive shame.
RIP
I hoped one day we'd get a massive return to form Fable game on Xbox. But this F2P legends game was announced and now its all over.. What a massive shame.
RIP
LordRaptor
Member
Why are people trying to spin this as a "Mattrick game" when Phil Spencers job has involved directly overseeing Lionhead since 2008?
Obliterator
Member
They better hope that Sea of Thieves is big or I agree they could very well be next
AncientDiety
Banned
I don't know but it's awful bizarre.
Petrae
Member
I don't doubt this at all. It's the next logical step.
Branniganz Love
Member
Sounds like MS is trying to avoid the sunk-cost fallacy and is getting out before they have to support a game they didn't have confidence in.
I mean I'm not surprised the game was canceled, and the studio has been a mess for a long time now - but I figured such a storied studio would at least get a restructure and/or new management before outright being closed.
Like I said before, considering Microsoft's current supposed direction is to bolster its first party lineup - I'm leaning towards "Microsoft is phasing out of console gaming" unless it does something like purchase Remedy or Playground Games. Although I'm not even sure a studio would be willing to be purchased out by Microsoft at this point, considering they just abruptly purged two companies.
Like I said before, considering Microsoft's current supposed direction is to bolster its first party lineup - I'm leaning towards "Microsoft is phasing out of console gaming" unless it does something like purchase Remedy or Playground Games. Although I'm not even sure a studio would be willing to be purchased out by Microsoft at this point, considering they just abruptly purged two companies.
A really shocking turn of events. I would have thought that Microsoft would be taking their time building their first-party development machine since third-party deals are harder to negotiate in their current position. Instead, they break it down. Lionhead was such a centerpiece of the British games industry, and now it's gone just like that.
I don't understand Microsoft's decisions, nor do I think they benefit from them.
I don't understand Microsoft's decisions, nor do I think they benefit from them.
Ninja Sharingan
Banned
Haha! Good one!
This would only be true if they did not close Lionhead. This way they lose the goodwill and any chance of redeeming the investment.
It does not make any sense. It only makes sense if they are getting out of video games.
Or maybe I am missing something.
You know Fable 2 came out in 2008 right?
That means it took 8 years for your 'call'...
On topic - so gutted - I love the Fable series.