Fable Legends Officially Closes Down

[Lizzy Finnegan]

Fable Legends Officially Closes Down

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"All stories have to end eventually..."

The cancellation of Fable Legends stay online through April 13 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/166722-Fable-Legends-Canceled-Lionhead-Studios-in-Talks-to-Close] - today.

In a post today [https://www.fablelegends.com/news/fable-legends-refunds-update], Lionhead confirmed the game's end, informing players that the Xbox and Windows Store teams are currently processing refunds, and that some have already received theirs. The post, overall, is very factual - but ends with an emotional tone:

"All of us here at Lionhead Studios would like to thank you for participating in the closed beta and being a part of the game's development. All stories have to end eventually, but the memories of Heroic triumphs and Villainous plots will last forever. Thank you for your support - you are all Legends!"

Reports began surfacing earlier this month, indicating that there may be hope for the game [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/167116-Report-States-That-There-May-be-Hope-for-Fable-Legends]. According to the report, sources indicated that, while the majority of freelancers who were working on the game have already departed, the remaining contracted employees were being surveyed as to whether they would like to either continue work on the game or accept a severance and leave at the end of April. The report also states that several Lionhead employees proposed continuing development on Fable Legends as an independent studio.

A Microsoft spokesperson responded to inquiries, stating "We aren't sharing additional details beyond that we have ceased development on Fable Legends, and are in discussions with employees at Lionhead about our proposed closure of the studio as well."

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[MCerberus]

We mourn this hype train. Little guy never even got started.

 

[The Enquirer]

How far off could this thing have been from release if it was in closed beta? By which I mean it sounds like the bulk of resources that would go into development for this game have already been committed so it just seems wasteful on the part of Microsoft to shut down a game this late into the development cycle. It'd be like stopping production of a movie halfway through post production.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

How far off could this thing have been from release if it was in closed beta? By which I mean it sounds like the bulk of resources that would go into development for this game have already been committed so it just seems wasteful on the part of Microsoft to shut down a game this late into the development cycle. It'd be like stopping production of a movie halfway through post production.

Maybe the game was just really bad and Microsoft didn't want to hurt its rep anymore. I have no idea.

 

[The Enquirer]

How far off could this thing have been from release if it was in closed beta? By which I mean it sounds like the bulk of resources that would go into development for this game have already been committed so it just seems wasteful on the part of Microsoft to shut down a game this late into the development cycle. It'd be like stopping production of a movie halfway through post production.

Maybe the game was just really bad and Microsoft didn't want to hurt its rep anymore. I have no idea.

Unless there's been some massive shift in Microsoft giving a shit about what people think of it, I don't know it that'd be the case. Remember, this is the same company that's trying to force all PC game developers to use their distribution platform to form a monopoly solely based on the fact that Windows is a Microsoft product.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

How far off could this thing have been from release if it was in closed beta? By which I mean it sounds like the bulk of resources that would go into development for this game have already been committed so it just seems wasteful on the part of Microsoft to shut down a game this late into the development cycle. It'd be like stopping production of a movie halfway through post production.

Maybe the game was just really bad and Microsoft didn't want to hurt its rep anymore. I have no idea.

Unless there's been some massive shift in Microsoft giving a shit about what people think of it, I don't know it that'd be the case. Remember, this is the same company that's trying to force all PC game developers to use their distribution platform to form a monopoly solely based on the fact that Windows is a Microsoft product.

Man, you don't need to tell me this. Halo 5 for me was the beginning of the end. It seems like everything went to crap when they started developing it.

 

[BabySinclair]

Oh Microsoft, where good game studios go to be harvested for organs and discarded. Though at least they get a funeral, unlike over at EA.

 

[SupahEwok]

How far off could this thing have been from release if it was in closed beta? By which I mean it sounds like the bulk of resources that would go into development for this game have already been committed so it just seems wasteful on the part of Microsoft to shut down a game this late into the development cycle. It'd be like stopping production of a movie halfway through post production.

Just because a game is near finished doesn't mean it is at all near "finished." Was Assassin's Creed Unity truly "finished" at release? You can get to the Beta stage, see that the game is either fundamentally flawed in its mechanics, or is horrifically broken, and the corporate masters can decide, "We have put in X monies for an expected Y profit, but to get that Y we'll now need to put in Z more monies, either X+Z > Y or Z can be spent more profitably elsewhere, so close it down."

The fact that they're talking about closing down the studio indicates that said corporate masters don't have faith that the studio is capable of future profitability, which is the kind of thing corporate masters tend to think when the studio's latest effort was crap, which reinforces the notion that there was something fundamentally wrong with the game.

Unless there's been some massive shift in Microsoft giving a shit about what people think of it, I don't know it that'd be the case. Remember, this is the same company that's trying to force all PC game developers to use their distribution platform to form a monopoly solely based on the fact that Windows is a Microsoft product.

False equivalency. Attempting to have all PC games go through them has very little to do with quality control over their own products. It might not even be the same branch of the company making those decisions. IP Management is a thing. Fable was a consistently well-selling series, spin-offs not withstanding. Damaging the brand, at a time when MS is absolutely struggling for quality exclusives for the XB1, is a terrible idea. They're likely to hand the IP off to another studio for Fable IV to be released in 3 or so years, if it isn't already in secret production somewhere.

 

[Reed Spacer]

Oh Microsoft, where good game studios go to be harvested for organs and discarded. Though at least they get a funeral, unlike over at EA.

Yeah, but then they piss on the grave, so that's not really a favour.

 

[scw55]

How far off could this thing have been from release if it was in closed beta? By which I mean it sounds like the bulk of resources that would go into development for this game have already been committed so it just seems wasteful on the part of Microsoft to shut down a game this late into the development cycle. It'd be like stopping production of a movie halfway through post production.

Maybe the game was just really bad and Microsoft didn't want to hurt its rep anymore. I have no idea.

Unless there's been some massive shift in Microsoft giving a shit about what people think of it, I don't know it that'd be the case. Remember, this is the same company that's trying to force all PC game developers to use their distribution platform to form a monopoly solely based on the fact that Windows is a Microsoft product.

And now, if you want to play your legitly bought PC version of Fable 3, you have to download specific files and the very latest version of Windows For Games Marketplace just to play your ?35 purchase. Don't forget, and DLC you legitly paid for is now inaccessible.
Thanks Microsoft for the slimy way you did this.

 

[GrumbleGrump]

Remember when Fable games were relevant?

Yeah I don't either.

 

[Angelous Wang]

Lionhead and Bioware two of the great (first gen) xbox developers.

Both eaten by giant monsters and shit out the other end.

The world is not a nice place.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Remember when Fable games were relevant?

Yeah I don't either.

I remember... Right before the first Fable was released and was deemed the new hotness.

Then the game actually came out...

Yeah, no tears will be shed from my end over the cancelation of Fable or the closing down of Lionhead. Sucks for the guys that lost their jobs, but this studio has produced nothing but below average tripe since the launch of the Xbox 360. That's 10 years of flacid content.

EDIT. Oh right, the first Fable was on the original Xbox. Their failures stretches even further it seems.

 

[Lightknight]

The first Fable game was new and good and different. It just trailed off in the second and third installments.

This game never had a chance. There's no reason to have even used "Fables" as the IP for this since there wasn't even a story mode last hype I heard.

 

[PPB]

It makes me sad to see the series go in such a way. I played Fable:TLC as an afterthought on PC and didn't expect much from it because of all the bad press it got with Molyneux. Objectively speaking I don't think it holds much of a candle against the other big RPGs of the time, but I just love the game. It's whimsical and doesn't take itself seriously.

Fable 3 never left such an impression on me and I never got to play 2 since it never left the X360. But I still play TLC every once in a while and will continue to do so.