Microsoft Ceases Fable Legends Development, Closes Two Studios: Other studios closed too?

[BananaKing]

Yeah. The rallying around Spencer when he became the new head of the division was so hollow. It wasn't because of any of his accomplishments. He was latched onto because it was a different face at a time when that particular fanbase was soiling its collective pants over what the guys who came before him had created. No matter how many great ideas he supposedly had, few of them came to fruition and more studios have shut down or been consolidated under his watch than anyone else we're publicly aware of.

People who swallowed his words as the truth about Microsoft's dedication to first party should be vomiting profusely right now. Eight studios disappeared over the years and one of them was one of their biggest. Most of these studios were gone long before news broke. The complete lack of transparency on the status of those studios allowed Spencer to battleship people freely into believing Microsoft had this huge stable of developers ready to kick some dog. Now, he's once again doing what he does every year before the conventions. Talking about the new games they will announce. Which no one should take seriously after how the last two years of conventions have gone. Especially last year.

You don't close down that many studios, including one of your biggest, and claim you're still dedicated to first party unless you really just want to see how many times you can make idiots out of your own fans.

he was the head of first party back in the 360 days, and the last few years while he was head were barren as fudge. gears, fable, halo and forza and repeat.

Phil clearly isnt focusing on expanding shame with his first party, and the direction MS are taking with first party are clear as shame. hand them a successful IP, and they better make it sell. or else it will get Axed, dont have a successful IP on your hands? well its time to shut down.

if Remedy ever think about letting them selfs be bought by Microsoft, they would be digging their own grave, and any other dev for that matter.

Whilst I do agree the projects he has green lighted have been traditional games and no online focused crud like Fable Legends. We also must remember Phil and MS consider stuff like Scalebound,Recore and Quantum Break 1st party.I do not think he is the saviour he is made up to be but I do think he is a dang sight better than previous people at MS. I am also puzzled at Phil Harrison as he greenlit games like Little Big Planet and Motorstorm.

what projects has he green lighted though? other than gears, halo, forza?

Scale bound was already green lighted before he became head of xbox. Quantum Break as well. Phantum Dust was canned under his regime. that leaves what? Recore and Crackdown?

Crackdown isnt a traditional game, it will have a "multiplayer" release first, and its "power of the cloud" part isnt yet fully explained, and we will have to see that. and Recore is... well we dont know yet. but those two dont seem like he has this big and massive focus on creating big interesting games for his system Sony does.

[Legend]

Scale bound was already green lighted before he became head of xbox.

How do we know that?

[the-pi-guy]

How do we know that?

Scalebound
Concept - 2006
Prototyping - before 2013
Development - After Wonderful 101 (August 23rd 2013)



Phil Spencer
general manager of Microsoft Game Studios EMEA until 2008
general manager of Microsoft Studios - 2008
Microsoft Studios corporate vice president -2009
Xbox - March 2014

[Legend]

Scalebound
Concept - 2006
Prototyping - before 2013
Development - After Wonderful 101 (August 23rd 2013)



Phil Spencer
general manager of Microsoft Game Studios EMEA until 2008
general manager of Microsoft Studios - 2008
Microsoft Studios corporate vice president -2009
Xbox - March 2014

I had no clue Scalebound has been in production this long.

[the-pi-guy]

Scalebound is currently under development by PlatinumGames. The concept for the game was created when Platinum established in 2006. but the studio decided to move to develop Bayonetta instead of making Scalebound. The studio attempt to re-pitch the game again after the completion of Bayonetta, and a prototype was made but it failed to generate any interest, and the studio moved on to develop The Wonderful 101. When the development of The Wonderful 101 was almost finished, the idea for Scalebound was revised, and the game's development officially began in 2013.

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-exclusive-scalebound-was-shelved-twice-or/1100-6431046/

[Horizon]

he was the head of first party back in the 360 days, and the last few years while he was head were barren as fudge. gears, fable, halo and forza and repeat.

Phil clearly isnt focusing on expanding shame with his first party, and the direction MS are taking with first party are clear as shame. hand them a successful IP, and they better make it sell. or else it will get Axed, dont have a successful IP on your hands? well its time to shut down.

if Remedy ever think about letting them selfs be bought by Microsoft, they would be digging their own grave, and any other dev for that matter.
what projects has he green lighted though? other than gears, halo, forza?

Scale bound was already green lighted before he became head of xbox. Quantum Break as well. Phantum Dust was canned under his regime. that leaves what? Recore and Crackdown?

Crackdown isnt a traditional game, it will have a "multiplayer" release first, and its "power of the cloud" part isnt yet fully explained, and we will have to see that. and Recore is... well we dont know yet. but those two dont seem like he has this big and massive focus on creating big interesting games for his system Sony does.

We will have to see. He just seems genuine in his interest to bring new I.P and we will probably not see most of his decisions come to fruition for a year or two.

[the-pi-guy]

Been well over a month.
Any new news on Lionhead?

They're still on MS's studio page.  

[Raven]

Been well over a month.
Any new news on Lionhead?

They're still on MS's studio page.  

A lot of those studios remained on that page well after Microsoft had closed them without the public knowing. We know for a fact that Fable Legends is done. I'd imagine they just don't really care to update right now. Sony gets just as lazy with their websites, too.