GVMERS is looking back at the cancelled MMORPG Fable Legends:

The $75M Game That Killed Its Studio - The Tragedy of Fable Legends

Thanks Couchpotato!

Head of Microsoft's XBox division Phil Spencer spoke to PC Gamer about the Fable IP. (Courtesy of WCCFTech)

The fact that we want to own Fable is true. I think there could be a future in the Fable IP. And, yeah, I’ll want to continue to own that. The truth that there was a lineup of buyers ready to buy Lionhead is not true. I mean, there were some—here’s a little bit of a different way of looking at it. I worked with Lionhead since the time we acquired them, the team there, Peter Molyneux who’s obviously not there anymore, the leadership of that studio. I used to live in London, I spent a lot of time down in Guildford at the studio. Closing a studio sucks. It’s not something that I look forward to, especially a studio that I’ve been around such a long time, but any time, I don’t want people to lose their jobs. So if somebody came in and wanted to retain the studio and the people there in order to go forward with it, and really had the funding to go do that, I’d be totally supportive of that. You know, somebody who’s coming in and trying to maybe take advantage of a fire sale situation or something, that’s something different. You know, the thing I want to do is have the right—you know, the UK actually has good laws around disclosure of, ‘Hey, what’s going to happen with the studio,’ the consultancy period, and all that stuff that happens. So I wanted to be very transparent with the team there and what was going on. I saw the same articles you saw, afterwards, and I understand people’s frustration.

The frustration I completely appreciate, especially when the studio gets closed, then the frustration kind of is going to hit, a culmination. Game development always goes through its own pulls and pulls, just because of the natural creative process. We were trying to do something new with Fable Legends, which was take a console RPG franchise and see if we could make something more service based and free-to-play with it. The fundamental issue we ran into, and the articles actually allude to this but I don’t think it actually portrays it as much as the reality as it was: the players and retention that we had of people playing the game, it wasn’t working the way any of us wanted it to. And the articles say that.

So then I’m left in the end, or we are as a leadership team, with the decision, do I launch something that I know isn’t going to delight the fans the way we want it to, or do we make the harder decision to not launch it, and try to think about where we can deploy the resources elsewhere to see if these other things, get behind things that seem to be working. That’s a tough part of the business in managing the portfolio, and the human element of that is tough, and the creative decisions. It’s a difficult thing. But the fundamental issue, I would love to have Fable Legends out, in so many ways. It was a DX12 game, a cross-play game, like it ticked so many of the boxes that we’re talking about right here. But I also know, creatively it wasn’t delivering on the gameplay and the stickiness that it needed to, that it would be a momentary feel good and something and I just didn’t want to do that. It doesn’t mean every game we’re going to ship is going to be 90 rated, like we’ll ship games that miss the mark, but we kind of knew this one wasn’t actually hitting the metrics we needed.

And it’s an expensive decision we made, in the end, to develop it so far and then stop. But the other decision for us would’ve been to ship it, and then if I ship it I feel like I’ve got to go support it, for a while, because it’s not like you launch a game like that and it doesn’t work, so two weeks later you say ‘OK no longer,’ because people are going to invest. It’s a little different retail, but when you’re talking about a service-based game. So we were trying to make decisions we think were right for the customers who would be coming in. I know we I get a lot of, ‘Hey, just release it and let us play it,’ but you can’t release a service-based game and just let people play it.

They’ll probably want to establish a suitable design direction and find another studio before venturing in another Fable project. In the meantime, franchise aficionados can only turn to the collectible card game Fable Fortune, currently fighting an uphill battle to get funded on Kickstarter.

Essentially, he said that Microsoft would have supported a serious buyer for Lionhead but there wasn’t anyone meeting such standard. As for the Fable IP itself, it doesn’t sound like anything will happen for a while from Microsoft’s end.

Without the game ever being releeased, Eurogamer concludes that Fable Legends wasn't a great Fable game, but was no disaster either.

Was Fable Legends another victim of the Xbox One's wayward direction in its early days? Maybe so, Lionhead's illustrious career coming to a miserable conclusion with two titles were hamstrung by the wider ideals imposed upon them, The Journey by its marriage to Kinect and Legends by its association with online that was always an awkward fit for the world of Fable. For all its troubles - and, more specifically, the failings of motion control - The Journey contained enough craft and heart to warrant its existence. Legends looked like it had enough to deserve a shot at a wider audience, even if it was never going to be a huge success. It was destined never to be. Fable Legends' closed beta was switched off last week, and its chances of being resurrected look slim. Albion might live on through another studio's work, but Lionhead's own take on its own fabled land is no more.

PC Gamer reports bad news for Fable Legends:

 

Fable Legends is cancelled, Lionhead Studios to close

Microsoft has just announced that the long-in-development Fable Legends is canceled, and furthermore that it is “in discussions with employees” about closing down Lionhead. That's not the end to the bad news, either. Press Play Studios, which had been working on the Xbox One-exclusive Project Knoxville, will also be shut down.

“These have been tough decisions and we have not made them lightly, nor are they a reflection on these development teams—we are incredibly fortunate to have the talent, creativity and commitment of the people at these studios,” Microsoft Studios Europe General Manager Hanno Lemke wrote on the Xbox Wire. “The Lionhead Studios team has delighted millions of fans with the Fable series over the past decade. Press Play imbued the industry with a unique creative spirit behind games like Max: The Curse of Brotherhood and Kalimba, which both captured passionate fans. These changes are taking effect as Microsoft Studios continues to focus its investment and development on the games and franchises that fans find most exciting and want to play.”

Reasons for the cancellation of Fable Legends, which was touted for cross-platform play between the PC and the Xbox One, haven't been given, but the game was conspicuous by its absence at Microsoft's "Spring Preview" event a fortnight ago. Despite the "in discussions" wording of the statement, the closure of Lionhead seems certain because you don't announce this sort of thing unless it's going to happen. [...]

Spotted by henriquejr

Couch found an exclusive interview with the director of Lionhead Studios, Stuart Whyte, on the upcoming Fable Legends.

Thanks, Couch.

The highly anticipated Fable Legends is expected to be a truly next-generation title that will revolutionize the world of multiplayer gaming, and also go down in history as one of the best experiences overall. The game will follow the highly successful and increasingly popular Free-to-Play model (F2P), and include micro-transactions for various in-game purchases.

The much-loved Fable series has given us an entire world of imagination and possibilities, and kept us mesmerized by the gripping tales and enchanting world. This is where the upcoming Fable Legends takes its core inspiration from. The amazing and unique designs, the stylized characters, and the beautifully vibrant graphics are simply unbelievable, and yet still familiar to Fable fans.

Bidness Etc spoke exclusively to Stuart Whyte, Studio Director for Microsoft’s Lionhead Studios, the team responsible for titles such as Black & White, and the Fable series. If you are not aware of the game, you must be wondering why and how it will “revolutionize” the genre, and why we think it is truly next-gen. Read on.

More information.

Fable Legends announces that its open beta will begin in Spring of 2016.  Thanks, Couch.

More information.

MCV UK got new infos about F2P and microtransactions in Fable:Legends from Lionhead Studios.

Lionhead’s David Eckelberry, the game director, was quick to clarify:

“In terms of the core game loop, there’s nothing that that free-to-play has affected. There’s no I’m losing, I want to buy a magic potion or a health potion to improve my odds. You can get all of our content and there’s no pay walls or energy meters – you can play as much as you want without any kind of gated areas. We don’t allow the business side to affect the game that’s happening in the middle.”

Product Manager Ian Griffiths added:

“We don’t allow the business model to define the game. You can’t purchase anything mid-gameplay. There’s no way you’d be able to get an advantage. We utterly reject any notion of pay-to-win.”

IGN let us know that Fable Legends isn't really anything like the previous Fable games.

If you go to the official Fable Legends website and click the "What is Fable Legends" tab, these are the first words you see. The thing is, they don't actually tell you anything about what Fable Legends is at all. In fact, it almost makes it sound like Fable Legends is a direct continuation of the core Fable series, which it couldn't possibly be farther from. I'm not pointing this out because I think there's something devious about it though. I'm pointing it out because even though it has, as near as I can tell, no substantive similarity to Fable or any action RPG of any kind, it's piqued my interest. I actually quite like its novel take on wave-based, co-op PvE, so if you want to know what Fable Legends really  is, read on.

Fable Legends is actually two completely different games depending on whether you play the Heroes or the Villain. The Heroes are playing a four player co-op action game where waves of monsters attack them as they make their way through a series of connected arenas. They enter the first arena, kill all the monsters, then move onto the next until they die or reach the end. SImple. As the Villain, you're playing a real-time strategy game, in which you set monsters and traps on the board, and then issue move and attack orders to try and overwhelm the Heroes. Like Evolve, this is 4v1 asymmetric multiplayer, but unlike it, the two sides are playing different genres altogether.

As you know Fable Legends is shown at E3 and you can play together with your friends on Xbox One and PC to gang up and beat that one openent with the four of you. It will eb released this Christmas and it is meant to last for some time as it is supposed to have years of contents (thanks Couch), which measn that it will be supported for a long time after its release with new content being added, although nobody knows how long a long time actually is.

GamesRadar got the chance to play the game and share with us some information of that session.

At first blush, Legends looks pretty similar to what you might expect from the Fable series, at least in visual design. The forest I traverse throughout the demo has that olde England fantasy vibe synonymous with the franchise, and the characters on my team - including an elaborately dressed sorceress and a sentient suit of armor able to steal the souls of nearby monsters - play well to the semi-sinister fairy tale tropes that Fable is known for. However, the gameplay has a wholly different aim, focusing on tasks your team of four must accomplish together. That means traditional RPG elements like talking with strangers and completing story-based quests have been sidelined (at least during my demo) in favor of killing waves of enemies as a team. 

Specific character roles are fairly obvious from the start, based on the weapon each character is holding, but while a clear bit of ambient tutorial, that almost makes it too easy to charge in headfirst without checking with your team. That can result in disaster, because once you're dead there's no way to respawn without being revived by another team member. If they don't see you or don't want to stop and perform the revive spell, that's one less person on the field, and more for the remaining players to deal with. A team that doesn’t coordinate properly will be easily picked off one by one, as their already incapacitated comrades look bitterly on.

Microsoft released a new trailer for Fable Legends this week.

Fable Legens is an upcoming massive 4-player CoOp / single player online RPG slated to be released for XBox One and Windows 10 PCs.

Thanks Couch.

Adam Pavlacka of WorthPlaying wrote a new preview of LionHeads next Fable game based on a short demo they played provided by Microsoft at GDC 2015. 

Fable Legends is a bit different than previous titles in the franchise. Yes, it keeps the Fable "look," but the focus is on action, it's a free-to-play game, and it boasts 4-v-1 asymmetric multiplayer. It's also cross-platform, supporting both Windows 10 PC players and Xbox One players in the same game and on the same servers.

Microsoft had a playable version of Fable Legends on display at GDC 2015, so I gave the multiplayer experience a try. The setup at the show featured two Xbox One consoles and three Windows 10 machines. The two consoles and two of the PCs were used for the four heroes. The remaining PC was used for the villain. The PCs were set up with both keyboard and mouse as well as Xbox One controllers, so players could use whatever they were comfortable using.

It is worth noting that the cross-platform gameplay was absolutely seamless. Unless you walked right up to someone to see what hardware they were using, it was impossible to tell who was using what. Gameplay screens were identical, and game actions were in sync. Players on a PC with an Xbox One controller might as well have been playing on an Xbox One. The only real drawback I could see was the fact that the Xbox One doesn't give you the keyboard and mouse option, while the PC does.

DualShockers is the next site this month to publish a preview for Fable Legends.

From what I played, Fable Legends feels like it’s going to make some serious waves in the free to play market, considering that games like Warframe have proven that people are willing to invest in cooperative free-to-play titles.

Legends definitely has potential, considering the cross platform play on Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs.  It will be interesting to see how fans of Fable will react to Lionhead’s very risky but equally fun to play endeavor.

Here are a few previews from Pax East 2015 I found this month for Fable Legends.

GameInformer

Before I got my hands on the game, I walked around the demo area to see what I was up against. It was an unremarkable setup – monitors, controllers, and two guys with headsets frantically trying to kill monsters. Then I walked around to the other side. Two other players completed the four-person team. One was using an Xbox One controller, while his compatriot was sniping enemies with his bow using a mouse and keyboard. It looked like I was going to see how well the game's cross-platform play worked.

GameRevolution

The only trouble with the fighting system is that healing is rather scarce, with only healing potions being to restore lost hit points. Sometimes it's better to fall in battle and wait about a half-minute for the grace period to end, before being revived by another player which recovers half of your total health. This risky method of healing ensures that you don't waste a health potion that's far more useful in the final stage of the level. We'll have to see how the game deals with this curious balance issue.

Twinfinite

The game’s design is a familiar one, as it looks like the Albion we have gotten to know over the years. The beautiful graphics are definitely something to look at, and it’s by far the most well-developed Fable multiplayer experience yet. Remember Fable III‘s co-op? Lionhead has really put their effort into the game’s multiplayer mechanics to get it to run smoothly, and it works.

Lionhead announced in a new update that Fable Legends will be Free to Play.

Since starting development on Fable Legends, we’ve had two clear goals in mind. First and foremost, we’re aiming to create an amazing, fun gaming experience for our players. The feedback we’ve had so far from players in our closed beta, fans we’ve met at shows, and the gaming press indicates we’re well on our way to realising our first goal!

Our second goal is to ensure the game we’re working to create is available to as many players as possible. The first step to make that happen came when we announced this year that Fable Legends will be cross-playable on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. Today we’re announcing the next huge piece of news that’ll help us reach this goal.

A website called paradiger re-posted some new twitter posts from Lionhead about the release date for Fable Legends, and has information about Fable 4.

Some like the new direction for Legends while others prefer the original Fable concept. With Fable 3 being a disappointment for many, fans are eagerly hoping for Fable 4 but if a recent tweet from the developer is to be believed the team isn’t working on Fable 4 at all.

Lionhead Studios is currently running a closed beta for Fable Legends and “won’t be releasing the game until it is as perfect as it can possibly be“. When asked about a release date for the game, the developer replied that a release is “expected later this year”.

Lionhead posted an FAQ for the PC version of Fable Legends on the games website.

Will Fable Legends release on Windows 10 and Xbox One at the same time?

While Xbox One and Windows 10 will experience a different beta testing schedule, the game is due to launch on both platforms at the same time.

Will Fable Legends use DX12?

Yes, as long as you have a DX12 graphics card! The fantastic Unreal Engine 4 combined with DX12 means Fable Legends promises to be one of the most visually stunning spectacles on PC – see for yourself by watching this video!

Will I be able to play Fable Legends on an earlier version of Windows?

Fable Legends is designed specifically to take advantage of the cross-device gameplay functionality that Windows 10 offers, and will be available exclusively to Windows 10 and Xbox One.

Seems Lionhead will be releasing Fable Legends on the PC with Xbox One. The only catch is you will need to have windows 10 to play the game with Cross-Platform.

PC gamers rejoice! Today the announcement you’ve been waiting for has been made; Fable Legends will be available to play on both Windows 10 PCs and Xbox One.

If that’s sweet music to your ears, then you’ll be positively ecstatic when you hear Fable Legends will be playable across devices. Put simply, for the first time EVER Fable players on Xbox One will be able to play with (or against!) their friends on Windows 10 PCs.

Suddenly feverish with excitement? Got questions? Watch this video to hear the inside scoop (oh, and check out our castle

RPG Site has new preview of the next Fable game that might get a PC release.

I had a lot of fun with Fable Legends. I walked out of my session with it with a smile on my face, and yet my concerns remain. The things that to me made Fable what it was aren't entirely present, and something does feel to have been lost with the switch to asynchronous multiplayer even if the team at Lionhead have clearly tried very hard to keep everything intact.

Colour me still a sceptic, then. After my hands-on time, I'm far more confident that Fable Legends is going to be a good game. Is it what Fable fans want from the franchise, though? That may be another question entirely.

For any Watcher interested in the next Fable game Lionhead announces that a new closed Beta will launched in a week. If you get accepted share some information.

At this year’s Gamescom, we announced that the Fable Legends Multiplayer Beta would kick off on the 16th October 2014! With the big day drawing near, we wanted to take a moment to run you through our plans for Closed Beta.

First and foremost, this will be a real Closed Beta test and we want your help to make Fable Legends the incredible experience we’re aiming for. We’re inviting fans to help test the game as early in the development process as possible; not only do we want your help with identifying bugs, glitches and crashes, we also want to hear your ideas, feedback and suggestions!

With that in mind, on October 16th we’ll be inviting a handful of players to help test a very small slice of Fable Legends gameplay. These testers will be given the opportunity to provide detailed feedback on key areas of the game, and as we progress through the coming months we’ll gradually introduce more content and new features to be tested in the Beta.

GamerHubTV has another one of their preview/interview videos this week with Fable Legends Game Designer David Eckleberry from Lionhead Studios.

Fable Legends game designer David Eckleberry from Lionhead Studios talks about the sequel in this exclusive gameplay interview from the Xbox press conference at Gamescom 2014.

GamerHubTV posted another interview/preview video this week with Lionhead Studios Head John Needham about the console version of Fable Legends.

Lionhead Studios head John Needham talks about the role Epic Games Unreal Engine 4 technology has played in bringing this new co-op action RPG to life on Xbox One in this exclusive gameplay preview interview.

Lionhead Studios John Needham previews Fable Legends in this gameplay preview interview.

John Needham, the new head of Lionhead has been interviewed by Edge, with the main topic being that Fable will change Lionhead into a studio that provides a long lasting service for Fable. After the initial release of Legends they will provide new add-ons to the game for the next 5-10 years.

Legends is step change for Lionhead in scope as well as approach. It’s a longterm project so large that it has made further spin-offs like Fable: The Journey redundant, says Needham. “We can do other styles of Fable games, and keep them within Fable Legends. My plan is that Legends is essentially a platform for almost everything Fable going forward. It’s a long-range plan, of five to ten years, where we’re going to build and keep building onto Fable Legends. That’s the nature of games as a service – you keep adding systems and features and content.

Just think of it, you will be able to play Fable with new content for the next decade or so on a Xbox One (and its successor(s) probably)....