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Lionhead Studios was a British video game developer founded in 1997 by Peter Molyneux and others. It was known for the Black & White and Fable series, and was acquired by Microsoft in 2006 before closing in 2016.
Lionhead Studios was a British video game developer located in Guildford, England. It was founded in July 1997 by Peter Molyneux , Mark Webley , Tim Rance, and Steve Jackson , following their departure from Bullfrog Productions , which Molyneux had co-founded in 1987.
- “I wish Lionhead were still a viable studio."
- Fable Xbox Series X Screenshots
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By Matt Purslow
Posted: Dec 12, 2021 9:00 am
In a new six-part documentary series Microsoft has said that its handling of Lionhead Studios, which was shut down in 2016, was a “mistake” that helped shape the way Microsoft now works with its acquired developers.
The sixth episode of Power On: The Story of Xbox features a short segment dedicated to Lionhead. “One of the biggest missteps that we learned from in the past was Lionhead,” said Shannon Loftis, who was General Manager of Global Games Publishing when Lionhead was shuttered. “We had already published Fable 1, and it was a hit... People wanted more, and so we bought Lionhead. Those were good years.
“But after Fable 2, Kinect came along and the Fable-Kinect marriage just never really took,” she explained. “And then Fable: The Journey was a passion project for a lot of people, but I think it deviated pretty significantly from the pillars of what made Fable 1 and 2 so popular.”
“We acquired Lionhead in 2006, and shut it down in 2016,” said Sarah Bond, Head of Game Creator Experiences and Ecosystem at Xbox. “A couple of years later we reflected back on that experience. What did we learn, and how do we not repeat our same mistakes?”
So what did Microsoft learn? “You acquire a studio for what they’re great at now, and your job is to help them accelerate how they do what they do, not them accelerate what you do,” said Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox.
It’s clear, at least among those interviewed for the documentary, that Microsoft realises that they messed up with the British studio. “I wish Lionhead were still a viable studio,” said Loftis.
While Lionhead is sadly no more, the studio's legacy lives on with a new Fable game, currently in development at Playground Games. This new version will balance old and new ideas for the fantasy RPG, and will be built on the Forza engine, which is no bad thing considering Forza Horizon 5 is one of the most beautiful games ever made.
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.
The documentary series Power On: The Story of Xbox reveals how Microsoft learned from its mistake of shutting down Lionhead in 2016. The studio was known for creating the Fable series, which is now being revived by Playground Games.
- Matt Purslow
Learn about the history and legacy of Lionhead Studios, one of the most creative and ambitious game developers in the UK. From Black & White and The Movies to Fable and Fable Legends, discover the stories behind the games and the people who made them.
Dec 14, 2023 · Taking the reins from developer Lionhead Studios who originally created Fable, the British developer is best known for its work on the Forza racing series.
May 13, 2019 · The two studios Lionhead signed up were Big Blue Box, which at the time was making an ambitious open world role-playing game codenamed Project Ego, and Intrepid, which was making a caveman ...
Fable is a series of action role-playing games set in the fictional nation of Albion, developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Xbox Game Studios. The series spans from the Medieval to the Industrial era and features moral choices, combat, magic, and cooperative gameplay.
