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Lionhead Studios and Press Play closed. Fable legends cancelled.
- Thread starter chadskin
- Start date
BlazingDarkness
Member
This surprises me a bit.
Microsoft's software portfolio is looking a bit slim as it is, I'm not sure what they are thinking by axing internal parties. All I can think is that maybe they are giving up on the console space and moving to PC. But I'm still not sure this move would make much sense even then.
Microsoft's software portfolio is looking a bit slim as it is, I'm not sure what they are thinking by axing internal parties. All I can think is that maybe they are giving up on the console space and moving to PC. But I'm still not sure this move would make much sense even then.
Sorry if this has been posted already. From 5 days ago;
This is now false.
Calm waterfall
Banned
Damn 
Hopefully the fired people find new jobs quickly.
Hopefully the fired people find new jobs quickly.Dreams-Visions
Member
I think you could just say "terrible mismanagement" and have been fairly accurate as it relates to Microsoft and their interactions and relationships with their game development studios. It's been long and well chronicled. I thought they had gotten better at it by now but clearly not. Wish I could find that article...
VolticArchangel
Member
That was...out of nowhere. This reminded me of Ensemble, not the quality in recent years, but what the team meant to MSFT as a first party studio.
Anyway, you had a good run, Lionhead. Fable and Fable II were fantastic games. Hope they get placed wherever they find comfortable, ASAP.
Uhh, you sure about that?
Anyway, you had a good run, Lionhead. Fable and Fable II were fantastic games. Hope they get placed wherever they find comfortable, ASAP.
Uhh, you sure about that?
Lunafreya Nox Fleuret
Member
I wanted to try fable legends but damn this came out of nowhere, honestly.
Vanillalite
Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Legends was pretty shitty. Maybe it was the concept itselt with screams Don Mattrick which is why it sucked.
That being said the game was not out yet, and it screamed bomba all over it.
Call me an ass but someone has to take the blame for this being shitty.
Jonneh3003
Banned
Man I can't quite process this, out of no where. Good luck to all employees and it sucks that we won't get to play their future titles. Fable Legends wasn't really on my radar but I would have given it a shot if it turned out ok.
GlamFM
Banned
With a studio being this old salaries must have been pretty high.
If you´re not interested in the franchise anymore (I can understand why...) closing them down entirely is the smarter thing to do.
As sad as it is.
MS have successfully opened new studios before, lets see what happens next.
If you´re not interested in the franchise anymore (I can understand why...) closing them down entirely is the smarter thing to do.
As sad as it is.
MS have successfully opened new studios before, lets see what happens next.
I'm more suprised that they cancelled fable legends. I don't think it was bad there just wasn't that hook that made it all make sense and come together. I guess it was much farther off then I'd assumed. It'd be a shame to get rid of all that work though
Press play being gone sucks but I didn't like the direction they were going with this new game at all
Press play being gone sucks but I didn't like the direction they were going with this new game at all
SerTapTap
Member
Christ, not even going to spit shine and toss the F2P Fable out there just to see if it earns? Closing the studio over it? This seems way too sudden. Lionhead's too big of a name to just go like that.
I do wonder why Legends' development took so long though, I never thought it looked good but I figured it was planned to be a quick experiment not a major dedication.
I do wonder why Legends' development took so long though, I never thought it looked good but I figured it was planned to be a quick experiment not a major dedication.
Shame about the job losses; I believe those firings were misplaced. Marketing can be frightening.
Fable never really went in the right direction. Since the announcement of the original, all the promises, to the hype following, to the actual release - it never went uphill for the series. Each game steadily had questionable (or outright strange) decisions that hindered the potential of it all, whether involving a final boss where you literally hold down one button, or genuinely gimped co-op, or some other "executive" idea.
Now, I say this while honestly enjoying the original game, despite what it became compared to what was promised (though we all know who to blame for all that). Fable's entire history and collective has been completely misread by Microsoft, as they do a with title franchises like Banjo or Conker. For some reason, they believe the name alone is all it takes to pull fans/customers into something they consider experimental or new, or something completely different than the brand fans loved in the first place. Microsoft never spent time to prove they could market those franchises or handle them correctly in the first place, and instead just pushed forward with dollar signs in their eyes. It feels so disconnected.
Fable never really went in the right direction. Since the announcement of the original, all the promises, to the hype following, to the actual release - it never went uphill for the series. Each game steadily had questionable (or outright strange) decisions that hindered the potential of it all, whether involving a final boss where you literally hold down one button, or genuinely gimped co-op, or some other "executive" idea.
Now, I say this while honestly enjoying the original game, despite what it became compared to what was promised (though we all know who to blame for all that). Fable's entire history and collective has been completely misread by Microsoft, as they do a with title franchises like Banjo or Conker. For some reason, they believe the name alone is all it takes to pull fans/customers into something they consider experimental or new, or something completely different than the brand fans loved in the first place. Microsoft never spent time to prove they could market those franchises or handle them correctly in the first place, and instead just pushed forward with dollar signs in their eyes. It feels so disconnected.
Jeronimo Jones
Member
I know almost nothing about the Fable series, but it still sucks that jobs are lost/in jeopardy and a game people were looking forward to was cancelled...
Wishing the best to those affected.
Wishing the best to those affected.
Demoncarnotaur
Member
This doesn't really explain Press Play though, does it?
Savantcore
Unconfirmed Member
Damn
Broadbandito
Member
unfortunate, game was actually a lot of fun, cross platform, and f2p.
Tatsumi Oga
Banned
Damn, the beta looked damn good. Even though it definitely seemed like a game that would get boring quite soon but that's just me. It's damn sad to just see this getting cancelled out of nowhere. And what the FUCK..... Press Play? Why???? Max The Curse of Brotherhood was awesome. What is going on?
Die Squirrel Die
Member
I really wonder why there was such a reluctance to make a legit follow up to Fable 2 & 3, rather than all this dicking around with spin offs that don't satisfy why people loved Fable in the first place? Given how well 2 & 3 sold you'd think they'd at least make a stab at a Fable 4 before shuttering the studio. Surely Legends would have at least left them with a lot of engine, art and asset work that could be repurposed?
But that's all just speculation now. My best wishes to all those affected by these closures.
But that's all just speculation now. My best wishes to all those affected by these closures.
Dreams-Visions
Member
Bungie bought themselves out of their arrangement with MS to pursue other interests. Lionhead was certainly not in a similar position.
GlamFM
Banned
No idea who Press Play is or what they were working on. Was taking about Lionhead.
HeWhoWalks
Gold Member
Fable 3 was the Assassin's Creed Unity of Fable confirmed.
Fanbase was negative to it and the games after (The Journey and this) were not looked at positively.
Basically, Fable got fucked up. Also, they had no diversity. The Movies came out in 2006. Black and White before that. Then nothing but Fable. Then bad Fables. Then a Fable remake. Then this bad looking Fable. Then closed. Am I surprised? No. At this point, how "major" of a first party studio was this?
Obliterator
Member
I hate to say it but I feel the exact same. There was a time where both Halo and Fable were 2 of my favorite IP's in gaming.
No hyperbole but it feels like to me MS has been killing the entire Xbox Brand for me this generation. The Xbone barely even feels like an "Xbox" to me and the entire brand is something Im losing serious interest in due to stuff like how Fable and Halo have been handled
AncientDiety
Banned
Damn really sucks, seems like they were blindsided too.
JayWood2010
Member
Even though I was never a fan of Fable or Lionhead this is incredibly sad news. There was a lot of Fable fans. Though it is a proposed closure, so there may still be hope that they survive this.
Press Play on the other hand I liked both Kalimba and Max: The Curse of Brotherhood. I cant say I was looking much forward to Knoxville, but again Im sad to see them close.
Press Play on the other hand I liked both Kalimba and Max: The Curse of Brotherhood. I cant say I was looking much forward to Knoxville, but again Im sad to see them close.
Branniganz Love
Member
First thought, I feel bad for everyone that will be affected by this, all the employees and their families. Hope they can find some better opportunities out there.
Second thought, something had to be royally screwed-up for them to dump the game this close to release, especially since it has felt like the game has been hanging in limbo in an almost finished state for how long now?. Something has definitely felt off with this game for awhile now.
Third, what does this mean for the Fable IP? Are we going to see a different studio take over and make a new mainline Fable game? Too bad Rare has their plate full, I would love to see what they could do with this IP.
Got to admit that I was never really into the concept of the Fable Legends so although I feel bad for the people making the game I'm not too disappointed that I wont get to play it.
Second thought, something had to be royally screwed-up for them to dump the game this close to release, especially since it has felt like the game has been hanging in limbo in an almost finished state for how long now?. Something has definitely felt off with this game for awhile now.
Third, what does this mean for the Fable IP? Are we going to see a different studio take over and make a new mainline Fable game? Too bad Rare has their plate full, I would love to see what they could do with this IP.
Got to admit that I was never really into the concept of the Fable Legends so although I feel bad for the people making the game I'm not too disappointed that I wont get to play it.
only thing surprising is that they let Press Play start on a new project and go through that public campaign to pick a game.
While I've enjoyed their games, I don't think any have been particularly successful. Kalimba was sent out to die and I thought for sure they would close the studio after that
Terrible news, really sorry to hear so many lost their jobs. I'm not familiar with Press Play, but in the case of Lionhead, it seems like Microsoft set them to the task of driving Fable into the ground, and then killed the studio when it was done. Just bad management from Microsoft. (Fable 3 was put out well before it should have been.)
But why not just have them work on a brand new tent pole IP instead? It's not like Lionhead Studios doesn't have some legacy behind it. If salaries were an issue, they could have just downsized and even re-hired.
http://news.xbox.com/2015/09/08/games-fans-choose-project-knoxville-as-press-plays-next-project/
Fans voted for Press Plays next game.. and now they are closed...
Fans voted for Press Plays next game.. and now they are closed...
BennyBlanco
aka IMurRIVAL69
Wow, that was out of the blue.
I really loved Fable 1/2 back in the day. Black and White 1/2 were great in their time too.
I really loved Fable 1/2 back in the day. Black and White 1/2 were great in their time too.
Pretty much. This is how MS treats their dev studios.
aygomyownroad
Member
Terrible news all round.
I was hoping we would get a new single player Fables game, but to not have anything is awful.
They are slowly killing their big named games, Fable 1 - 3 were great adventures and I enjoyed them so much
I was hoping we would get a new single player Fables game, but to not have anything is awful.
They are slowly killing their big named games, Fable 1 - 3 were great adventures and I enjoyed them so much
I bought a first Xbox for Fable 1. Liked it okay, never finished it. Bought Fable II at launch too, had the same reaction.
Can't say this bodes well for the health of Microsoft's 1st party development as a whole, though. Fable was still a lot bigger than nearly everything coming in 2016.
Can't say this bodes well for the health of Microsoft's 1st party development as a whole, though. Fable was still a lot bigger than nearly everything coming in 2016.
I have an xbox and love it.....but the way the brand has been shifting, my xbox now feels like a glorified top box akin to my Nvidia Shield.....just a little more power. 3rd party, dying franchises and no exclusives.
