A Setting Sun for Fable and Lionhead Studios
There are franchises in gaming that, for many, have simply always been in the industry. I cannot think of a time in my 15 years of gaming when there has not been mention of Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, or Halo. The same applies for Fable. Although never really scratching any itches for me, Fable has been a franchise that has not only entertained millions worldwide since the first game launched in 2004, but also defined what Xbox is for many people. In the same way that Nintendo is connected to Super Mario and PlayStation is connected to Killzone, Xbox and Fable simply go together like peas and carrots.
That is what made yesterday’s news so shocking to millions of Fable fans worldwide. The announcement was made public that Fable Legends, Lionhead Studio’s newest entry into the franchise, has been cancelled. Since it began its development in 2012, the team over at Lionhead has worked tirelessly to create a world that long time players can enjoy while also enticing new players to jump into the world of Fable. It seems that the cancellation was a shock to the fans as well as the developers. Emails sent out in late February announced that a new version of the beta was ready to test in preparation for the full release that was estimated to lie within Q1 or Q2 of this year. As a free-to-play title, Lionhead had already introduced in-game gold that could be purchased with real-world currency in order to purchase upgrades and apparel for characters within the gaming. After the news of the cancellation, it was also announced that any gold that had been purchased thus far would be refunded in full and sales of gold within the game ceased shortly after. For those that still take part in the beta, it will continue to remain online and playable until April 13th. For those looking to get a taste of the game before it is buried in the pages of history, you’re out of luck. Other than those players that are already in the game, no more players will be given beta access.
In addition to this unfortunate news, it seems that the future of Lionhead Studios itself is uncertain. According to the press release, Microsoft is considering closing the studio stating on Xbox Wire “Microsoft Studios continues to focus its investment and development on the games and franchises that fans find most exciting and want to play.” According to PC Gamer, if Microsoft does choose to go through with the plans to close the studio, assistance will be given to the roughly 100 people employed by Lionhead with finding new jobs in the industry, whether with a team at Microsoft or otherwise.
Needless to say, it is disappointing to hear that such a highly anticipated title has been cancelled. However nothing is more disappointing than the news that the development positions of 100 skilled game developers hangs in the balance. However, with every end there is always a new beginning. I like to think that the creativity and skill of those that created the world of Fable will not go to waste, but rather be use elsewhere to create another world that will steal the hearts of gamers just like Fable did over a decade ago.
In this time of transition, my thoughts go out to those affected by the potential closing. With a legendary game franchise as evidence of the team’s greatness, I have no doubts that for many employees of Lionhead, this is just the turbulent beginning of something incredible.
