If one thing is certain, it is that Fable comes from afar. Announced at the very end of Xbox Games Showcase, the license founded by Lionhead Studios went through many adventures before returning to the front of the stage. Today, the goal is clear: to create an unforgettable game.
Playground Games, the real hero of Fable
The presence of Fable in 2020 is almost a miracle. Following the closure of Lionhead Studios in 2016, Peter Molyneux’s gem was left completely orphaned. But who is behind such a decline? Fable Legends, Firstly. This cooperative free-to-play was a project on which the developers of the British studio did not want to work.
Former Lionhead Studios veterans have also revealed that the team’s will is on Fable 4, but disagreements between Microsoft and the studio have among other things led the saga to its demise. Flaming Fowl Studios, an independent studio established by former Lionhead sizes, attempted to relaunch the series in 2018 with Fable Fortune, a card game unfortunately far too similar with titles of the genre already available on the market to make a name for itself. Despite everything, the magic was already starting to operate at the same time at Playground Games.
Indeed, the development of Fable officially started in early 2017 within the Leamington Spa firm. By being a bit of a player, we can even be tempted to say that the teams started production a little earlier. A rather daring bet for a studio that has never done anything but open world racing games. A question can therefore legitimately be asked: Is this not too ambitious a project? The answer is no because as you will see, Microsoft and Playground Games have released heavy artillery.
Only numbers 10 in my team
Racing game developers in an open-world AAA action-RPG? What-What? Rest assured, many have had the same reaction. The collaboration between Playground Games and Microsoft has borne fruit because during E3 2018, Microsoft brilliantly announces the takeover of the British studio. An acquisition that allowed the latter to benefit from part of the portfolio of the American giant, a significant source of income that gave Playground Games the opportunity to hire many talents. Over the past two years, recruitments have been linked at breakneck speed. And among them, we find very very heavy, as shown by this non-exhaustive list published on Reddit of key developers currently working on this great project.
It features Rocksteady alumni, including Martin Lancaster and Mark Tan, who both worked on the Batman Arkham series. Craig Owens is also in the game as Principal Scriptwriter, with a well-provided CV since he participated in the narration of Batman Arkham Night. Knowing the narrative quality of Rocksteady titles, one can only be thrilled. And it doesn’t stop there: Metal Gear Solid, Star Wars, Horizon Zero Dawn, Mass Effect, Borderland, Hellblade or even GTA V… Playground Games has got their hands on video game virtuosos. This team will also be able to count on former Lionheads, not mentioned in this list, to adopt a guideline faithful to the original saga.
Playground Games’ mastery in terms of open-world stands as a marker of unwavering confidence. In addition, the studio has never disappointed the expectations of the players. Therefore, all lights are green for the rebirth of Fable, which we hope to hear from soon. Fable is still scheduled for release on Xbox Series X et PC.
More news on Fable and Playground Games:
–
