Microsoft cancels Fable Legends and discusses closing Lionhead

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Derangel

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Changes at Microsoft Studios, UK and Denmark

After much consideration we have decided to cease development on Fable Legends, and are in discussions with employees about the proposed closure of Lionhead Studios in the UK.
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Microsoft is also going to close Press Play Studios, the company behind Max: The Curse of the Brotherhood.

While it's a pity to see Lionhead go, it isn't terribly surprising. Information that came out of the Fable Legends beta hasn't been overly positive and the last time they released a good game was Fable 2, over seven years ago. I still have fond memories of Lionhead's earlier games.
 
I don't understand the logic of paying for game development for 4 years then canceling it. Isn't that more of a waste than paying another year or two if it needed it? Sounds like bad management.
 
So much for "just wait til Fable Legends with DX12 and cross platform play!"
 
I could have sworn that Legends was pretty much done. I mean they talked about it and showed gameplay before the Xbox One even launched. They advertised it as the first cross-platform game. Meaning people on Windows 10 could play co-op with Xbox One gamers.
 
bigdogchris said:
I don't understand the logic of paying for game development for 4 years then canceling it. Isn't that more of a waste than paying another year or two if it needed it? Sounds like bad management.
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MS probably thought it wasn't going to be worth the money to fix it. The game could require a lot of work, and money, to get to a releasable state. If it's not going to be worth the continued investment then there is no point continuing development. It sucks for the studio, but it's better than being forced to push out a game that no one is confident in.
 
I never really found Fable to be that good in the first place. Fable 3 on PC was an absolute joke.
 
It must've been quite the dog for MS to cancel this late into its development.
 
Beta was pretty shit tbh. so extremely generic, felt nothing like a fable game. Surprised, but not so much in retrospect.
 
bigdogchris said:
I don't understand the logic of paying for game development for 4 years then canceling it. Isn't that more of a waste than paying another year or two if it needed it? Sounds like bad management.
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Not necessary. In fact, sticking to the whole concept of 'recouping the sunk cost' can often lead to even worse decisions later down the line.

The money already spent on developing the game is sunk cost, IE it ceased to have any relevancy in determining future financial endeavors, tying 'recouping the sunk cost' to that is entirely for sentimental or political reasons.
 
3 was just terrible.

Aside from the ending, Fable 2 was a great game.
 
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