Microsoft Wishes Lionhead Was Still A Viable Studio, Admits ‘Misstep” In How It Handled Its Closure

Microsoft closed Lionhead Studios, the squad down the publisher’s famed Fable series, connected April 29, 2016, and since then, it’s remained beauteous overmuch soundless connected that closure. However, successful a caller Xbox-focused documentary, Microsoft seems to regret however it handled Lionhead, arsenic reported by IGN. 

Power On: The Story of Xbox was announced backmost successful November, and now, the six-part documentary is disposable for viewing. Running implicit 4 hours long, this documentary bid covers the full past of Xbox, including its closure of Lionhead 5 years ago. Xbox wide manager of planetary games publishing, Shannon Loftis, revealed how the institution considered this closure and however it was handled. 

“One of the biggest missteps that we learned from successful the past was Lionhead,” Loftis says successful the sixth and last occurrence of the documentary series. “We had already published Fable 1, and it was a hit…People wanted much and truthful we bought Lionhead. Those were bully years. But aft Fable 2, Kinect came on and the Fable-Kinect matrimony conscionable ne'er truly took. And past Fable: The Journey was a passionateness task for a batch of people, but I deliberation it deviated beauteous importantly from the pillars of what made Fable 1 and 2 truthful popular.” 

Later successful the documentary, Loftis said she wishes “Lionhead were inactive a viable studio,” too. 

Head of crippled creator experiences and ecosystem astatine Xbox, Sarah Bond, said Lionhead’s closure successful 2016 was a infinitesimal of reflection for Microsoft. Bond said years later, the squad looked backmost connected that infinitesimal to inquire what it had learned and however it could debar repeating those aforesaid mistakes. 

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer expanded connected this and said it taught Microsoft that erstwhile it acquires a studio, it’s Microsoft and Xbox’s occupation to “accelerate however they bash what they do, not them accelerate what you do.” 

While Lionhead is nary more, Xbox is officially bringing Fable back, thing it announced successful 2020. This time, Playground Games, the Xbox-owned workplace down the Forza Horizon series, is processing it. Check retired Game Informer’s Forza Horizon 5 review for a sensation of what to expect from Playground Games. 

[Source: IGN]

Are you excited astir Playground Games’ Fable? Do you privation it was Lionhead processing it instead? Let america cognize successful the comments below!