Studio closures are never a fun thing to talk about, and I’m sure by now you’ve already heard that Microsoft has made the decision to shut down the indie team at Press Play Studios along with Fable development studio Lionhead.
I don’t really do news here at Cheap Boss Attack, so rather than reiterate what’s already been posted at the official Xbox Wire, I just wanted to wish those affected by the closures the best of luck in their future endeavors.
Lionhead Studios hasn’t really been the same since Peter Molyneux left, as we’ve watched the once beloved Fable series crumble away in to the forgettable realm of party games or Kinect titles.
I haven’t actually enjoyed a Fable since 2 back in 2008, so it’s been a while since I’ve been invested in the series. Microsoft, however, has been pushing Fable Legends as part of the “best Xbox lineup” in history, which makes their decision to shut down a game that’s been in development for 3 years surprising. Sort of.
I was invited to play the Fable Legends closed beta last year and I’ve been pretty vocal about my lack of enthusiasm and enjoyment ever since, but that doesn’t change how I feel about a crew of individuals losing their jobs.
I never got in to Max and the Curse of Brotherhood either, but I know Press Play Studios was hard at work on their (formerly) upcoming multi-player survival game Project Knoxville–whose concept was chosen by fan voting.
Did I believe in Fable Legends? Did I enjoy Max? Absolutely not. But I do hope that everyone at Lionhead and the significantly smaller Press Play Studios finds new employment as fast as possible.
After all, just because I don’t enjoy your games doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate your hard work and dedication to the industry.
A plus side to this tragic event was a reminder that there’s good people in the world.
I’m fairly active on Twitter and when the news broke about Lionhead’s closure and Fable Legends’ cancellation, I saw a slew of other studios re-tweeting “now hiring” links and messages to help pass the word along. Even PlayStation got in on it. That’s awesome.
Although we’re never going to experience Fable Legends and Project Knoxville, I’m confident we’ll be playing something from the members of both teams in the near future.
Cheap Boss Attack 
It’s sad when a studio closes, but hopefully the individuals working there will have enough skills and example work to get snapped up elsewhere. I didn’t keep up with their games much, although I enjoyed the odd one.
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Yeah, I’m sure the folks at Lionhead won’t have a hard time finding work elsewhere. There’s even a chance that Microsoft will keep some of them on by hiring them at one of their other studios.
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I won’t shed a single tear for Fable Legends. I also haven’t enjoyed a Fable game since part 2, but I do feel bad for everyone that lost their jobs. Hopefully they’ll get work soon.
I wonder if we’ll ever get another real Fable game?
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Me either. Aside from the graphics (at times), Fable Legends had no redeeming qualities. The player-versus-DM aspect was kind of neat in theory, but I didn’t find a single class I enjoyed playing. I eventually gave up and uninstalled the beta app after a few weeks, with no desire to ever go back. I wouldn’t have played the game had it released, even as free-to-play.
When Lionhead dissolves, I’m not sure if we’ll ever see another “real” Fable. It’s been so long since I’ve enjoyed one that I don’t even know if I’d be interested.
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I feel the same way. Fable has been bad for so long it’s probably best that it fades away. If Fable were to make a comeback, which is what Fable Legends was supposed to be I guess, it would have to be more like Fable 2, or even Kingdoms of Amalur, for me to show interest in the series again.
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Amalur is a game that I’m sad we’ll never see again. I went back and played the remaster of the original Fable and had no idea why I liked it so much on Xbox. It’s clunky, boring, and loses its charm almost immediately. Thinking back, 2 is probably the only good Fable.
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