• Fable Legends cancelled, Lionhead goes under.
    71 replies, posted
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/6m049bc.jpg[/IMG] [URL]http://news.xbox.com/2016/03/07/microsoft-studios-changes-uk-denmark/[/URL] [QUOTE]Today, I have some difficult changes to announce that affect some of our Microsoft Studios teams and projects in the UK and Denmark.After much consideration we have decided to cease development on [I]Fable Legends[/I], and are in discussions with employees about the proposed closure of Lionhead Studios in the UK. Additionally, we will close Press Play Studios in Denmark, and sunset development on [I]Project Knoxville[/I]. These have been tough decisions and we have not made them lightly, nor are they a reflection on these development teams – we are incredibly fortunate to have the talent, creativity and commitment of the people at these studios. The Lionhead Studios team has delighted millions of fans with the [I]Fable[/I] series over the past decade. Press Play imbued the industry with a unique creative spirit behind games like [I]Max: The Curse of Brotherhood[/I] and[I]Kalimba[/I], which both captured passionate fans. These changes are taking effect as Microsoft Studios continues to focus its investment and development on the games and franchises that fans find most exciting and want to play. I speak for all of Xbox when I say that despite this news, we remain committed to the development communities in the UK and Europe, and Xbox will continue to support new IP and originality in the games we offer on our platforms, whether they’re AAA blockbusters like[I]Quantum Break[/I] from Remedy, adventurous new IPs like [I]Sea of Thieves[/I] from Rare, or unique new creations from independent developers like Moon Studios with [I]Ori[/I]. We have nothing but heart-felt thanks for the members of Lionhead and Press Play for their contributions to Xbox and gaming. We are committed to working closely with those affected by today’s news to find them new opportunities at Xbox, or partnering with the broader development community to help place them in jobs elsewhere in the games industry should they desire[/QUOTE] Lionhead were responsible for some pretty fantastic games in the past, I loved black and white, and enjoyed the first Fable a lot. I feel sorry for anyone losing their job.
shame to see it go, but the lionhead that made good games felt like it died a long time ago
Lionhead used to be pretty great. It's always a shame to see a company go downhill like they did, this was kind of inevitable.
Someone better get the rights to The Movies [img]http://i.imgur.com/QcOnifV.png[/img]
Press Play Studios? What a shame, Curse of Brotherhood was pretty good.
No possibility of another Black and White, I suppose.
The Movies was amazing. Hope something like it can be made again.
While I wasn't a fan of their more recent games, it's still a bit sad to see them go.
Another company ruined by Big Business.
Well shit.
Sad to hear, but very much expected. They had franchise that was popular and loved (Fable) and ran it into the fucking ground. With the cult following that Black and White had, they could have made a new game after all these years and it would've sold like hot cakes. If they had made a new fable game along the lines of the original, that would have been fantastic. Instead they created the latest fable abominations, trying to use the name to create some twisted horror that strays from what Fable was. Fable 1 was amazing and even 2 and 3 were pretty enjoyable. After that, it went off the rails. I wonder how many of these design choices were influenced by Microsoft executives, and how things might have ended up without them at the helm.
[QUOTE=geel9;49884686]No possibility of another Black and White, I suppose.[/QUOTE] More like actually a chance of a Black and White if the rights get acquired. And maybe a Fable that doesn't suck?
I replayed Black&White just last year.
Sometimes I feel like the only person that loved Fable 2. 3 was a tragedy though.
Meh, company was dead as soon as they got acquired by Microsoft. If there was going to be another black and white it probably would have been locked to that new GWL and be filled with microtransactions. It's sad to see it go but atleast it means the companies will leave on a somewhat good note.
WTF... the game was ready for release, why would they do that? It was one of the first games which got Unreal Engine 4 and it was mostly ready in 2015. This is weird.
I hope they make use of the Black and White IP. For Microsoft, they need to realize that the god game genre would be perfect for a platform like Hololens/other VR headsets.
I was getting emails about this game telling me to play it just 3 days ago, and the game was pretty much ready to go. The beta was still getting updated frequently with the last update on Friday. This seems like such a dramatic quick turnaround that I wonder what the heck happened.
Not at all surprising, really. Lionhead has been a bit of a mess for ages now thanks to (what seems to be) meddling from Microsoft and poor management/direction. Hopefully this means the developers will be able to split into a few smaller studios and start making good games again. Seems like 22Cans is probably headed down the same route based on the negative feedback from Godus Wars. Really hope this doesn't kill off the industry here in Guildford.
Sleeping tight with Pandemic.
I have the CD to black & white right in front of me. Good Times with mp.
[QUOTE=Skyward;49884740]Sometimes I feel like the only person that loved Fable 2. 3 was a tragedy though.[/QUOTE] I liked 2 as well, just not the same way as I liked 1.
[QUOTE=Krahn;49884725]Sad to hear, but very much expected. They had franchise that was popular and loved (Fable) and ran it into the fucking ground. With the cult following that Black and White had, they could have made a new game after all these years and it would've sold like hot cakes. If they had made a new fable game along the lines of the original, that would have been fantastic. Instead they created the latest fable abominations, trying to use the name to create some twisted horror that strays from what Fable was. Fable 1 was amazing and even 2 and 3 were pretty enjoyable. After that, it went off the rails. I wonder how many of these design choices were influenced by Microsoft executives, and how things might have ended up without them at the helm.[/QUOTE] I think Microsoft had more than just a little to do with Lionhead running themselves into the ground.
The first Fable was one of the defining games of that generation for me. Sad to see them go, but what they have been doing with the series wasn't that hot to be honest.
[QUOTE=geel9;49884686]No possibility of another Black and White, I suppose.[/QUOTE] Not sure but i think EA owns a majority of the IP's including Black and White and The Movies.
[media]https://twitter.com/LionheadStudios/status/705760152746647552[/media] From the 4th of March. Famous last words, I suppose.
[QUOTE=steelman111;49884701]Another company ruined by Big Business.[/QUOTE] I think it was more Molyneux that ruined it more than anything else. Even after he left it never quite recovered.
[QUOTE=carcarcargo;49884928]I think it was more Molyneux that ruined it more than anything else. Even after he left it never quite recovered.[/QUOTE] Not really. Even though Molyneux had troublesome ways of handling his position. Barely knowing when to keep a lid on things, I remember that really depressing RPS interview with him, really his whole meltdown or whatever, but he's getting better today from what I have understood. He was still the bloody game designer. The brain behind every great project from co-creating Bullfrog Productions with games like Populous to Dungeon Keeper to Black and White with Lionhead. Without him we wouldn't even have the games or the game studious to begin with. He didn't do it all alone [B]of course[/B], but to say that he "ruined more than anything else" is laughably wrong.
[QUOTE=Hogie bear;49884813]I liked 2 as well, just not the same way as I liked 1.[/QUOTE] Hero your will energy is low, what's that
[QUOTE=Mooe94;49884980]Not really. Even though Molyneux had troublesome ways of handling his position. Barely knowing when to keep a lid on things, I remember that really depressing RPS interview with him, really his whole meltdown or whatever, but he's getting better today from what I have understood. He was still the bloody game designer. The brain behind every great project from co-creating Bullfrog Productions with games like Populous to Dungeon Keeper to Black and White with Lionhead. Without him we wouldn't even have the games or the game studious to begin with. He didn't do it all alone [B]of course[/B], but to say that he "ruined more than anything else" is laughably wrong.[/QUOTE] Getting better? Godus has bee a huge disaster in general.
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