All stories have to come to an end sometime, and it seems this is the final chapter for Fable. Today Microsoft announced the cancellation of Fable Legends, the planned Xbox One entry in the popular role-playing series. Fable Legends was a unique take on the series, that pit a team of heroes against a player-controlled dungeon master with the ability to place enemies, traps and treasure. It was certainly a promising concept, but apparently it never quite came together.
Sadly, Microsoft has also announced the closing of iconic Fable developer Lionhead Studios. Lionhead was an offshoot of Bullfrog Productions, both of which were founded by the brilliant (and divisive) Peter Molyneux. Since 1987, Bullfrog/Lionhead developed numerous innovative, classic games like Populous, Syndicate, Dungeon Keeper and Black & White. In 2006 Lionhead was bought by Microsoft, and has since been exclusively dedicated to making Fable games. In 2012 Peter Molyneux left Lionhead to start a new independent studio.
You could say the writing was on the wall for Lionhead ever since Molyneux left, but it’s still disappointing to see the studio shuttered. Between the death of Lionhead and the current sad state of Rare, Microsoft’s management of its first-party studios has been pretty sad.
Microsoft says they’re “committed to working closely with those affected by today’s news to find them new opportunities at Xbox, or elsewhere in the games industry should they desire.” Hopefully that is indeed the case, and this is the beginning of an exciting new story for most of those who are losing their jobs.
(Via Xbox Wire)