Lionhead-Studios
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Peter Molyneux speaks on the Fable MMO
Even though Fable creator Peter Molyneux left Lionhead Studios last March, he still has a lot to say about the gaming industry and genre he helped revolutionize. In an interview with IGN, Molyneux talks candidly about the upcoming new Xbox and the possibility of a Fable MMO. "I can see that that would work. The thing about Fable is that it was such a rich world. It was, well, what the name says it is. It's all about Fable and Albion and this idea of legends and humour. RPGs are great for MMO transitions. I can see that that concept works, and works quite well. I think the charm of Fable was in the feeling of the world and definitely the humour. If they keep that in an MMO, then there's no reason why it shouldn't do reasonably well, I don't think." Of course, Molyneux's successor at Lionhead is an MMO vet himself, so let's all hope that the MMO pieces come together.
Former SOE, Cryptic exec to lead Lionhead Studios
Lionhead Studios has a new head honcho. The Microsoft-owned firm known for its Fable franchise has appointed John Needham to be its Studio Head. Needham boasts plenty of MMO industry experience from prominent positions at SOE, Cryptic Studios, and Gazillion Entertainment (from CEO to CFO to Senior VP of Business Development and Operations). Microsoft's official announcement states that Needham's "deep understanding of all aspects of the gaming industry, from subscription-based massively multiplayer to client-based console and free-to-play online PC and mobile experiences will be a huge benefit to Lionhead."
Microsoft UK names new studio 'Lift London,' shuffles executives
Originally announced sans moniker back in September, Microsoft UK's new London-based studio now has something to put on its letterhead: "Lift London."Helmed by former Rare production designer Lee Schuneman, Lift London is a "21st century studio – not a studio that would make retail games – but a studio that would make games for the cloud," says Microsoft EMEA corporate vice president Phil Harrison, according to Develop. As announced previously, Lift London will primarily focus on developing games for connected mobile Microsoft devices in European territories, with an emphasis on tablet gaming.Harrison also announced that Rare studio boss Scott Henson will begin calling various shots as Lionhead Studios' new head of operations, permanently replacing the long gone Peter Molyneux. Until now, Lionhead has been the purview of COO Mark Webley. Additionally, former EA Partners/Origin senior director of business development Roger Walkden has been appointed as Lionhead's head of staff, presumably after several hundred puns were made out of his last name.
Fable 2 returns to Games on Demand
Microsoft has overcome whatever dark sorcery removed Fable 2 from the Xbox Live Marketplace. Lionhead's saucy 2008 action-RPG is now available for download again."There was an isolated issue affecting the availability of Fable II on Games on Demand recently," a Microsoft representative told us. "We have resolved the issue and the game is once again available. We apologize for any inconvenience this caused." Take that, ambiguous "issue!"
Lionhead layoffs part of natural cycle, says Microsoft
Microsoft's Lionhead Studios, which most recently launched Fable: The Journey, has been hit with layoffs. Microsoft tells Develop that the downsizing represents less than 10 percent of Lionhead's head count and the publisher still intends to hire 100 people over the next year across its UK studios."Following the completion of Fable: The Journey, Lionhead Studios has begun work on its next projects," the statement to Develop notes. "As is common in the games industry, a smaller headcount is needed as projects kick-off and ramp up as full-production gets underway. At this time a small number of positions have been identified as at risk of redundancy and the affected employees were notified today."Fable: The Journey and Fable: Heroes have been the latest from the studio Peter Molyneux founded, who left in March to create new studio 22 Cans.
Fable: The Journey to find testimonials
This video tells us just how hardcore these hardcore gamers were before Fable: The Journey magically turned them into hand-waving casuals. Or maybe we're missing the point. Should you need more convincing and have access to a Kinect, you can download the demo to try for yourself.
PSA - Fable: The Journey demo reaches XBLM today
Last month Microsoft and Lionhead described the Fable: The Journey demo as filled with "heart-pounding action." Should you wish to pound your heart with some Kinect-ified fantasy, the 1.22GB trial file is up on Xbox Live Marketplace today.The fully-fledged game is set to reach retail shelves on October 9. As we saw at E3, Lionhead isn't letting any skeptics stop it from trying to make The Journey "awesome" on Kinect.
Grab the reins of Fable: The Journey's demo on September 17
Fable: The Journey may not launch until early October, but you'll be able to take its virtual reins on September 17 when a demo for the game goes live worldwide on Xbox 360. Microsoft and Lionhead describe the demo as filled with "heart-pounding action," so, uh, maybe take some heart medication ahead of playing the game.Should the potential for heart failure caused by playing a demo worry you too much, you could always just watch the new "ViDoc" above. It's a lot like a trailer, but with a weird name. Take a look!
Lionhead listing for 'MMO-like title for next generation consoles'
Lionhead's latest job post brings up two salient points: That listing for a multiplayer level designer with "a deep understanding of online multiplayer games" may encompass more than a simple FPS title with online capabilities. Microsoft could be looking to bring MMOs to its console market in a big way.The most recent want ad, spotted by Superannuation and since removed, described the potential game as an "MMO-like title" and an original IP for the "future generation of platforms." It "will be an RPG-based game with a radical new take on how co-operative and multiplayer gameplay feeds into the experience, while blending online and single-player into one complete experience," the listing read, as reported by MCV.The title "will have a complex progression system, multiple routes through the campaign and an MMO-like multiplayer experience that will affect the outcome of the player experience, and many other attributes surrounding their profile (such as the environment and the outcome of certain actions)." Superannuation notes that it was labeled as a multithreaded RPG with four-player co-op.Lionhead's specific use of "MMO-like" and the description's emphasis on a "radical new" genre leaves the game's direction open to interpretation, while nodding at the style of former creative lead Peter Molyneux.MMOs can be a big gamble, even for an established studio, and especially if its audience is tethered to a single console unfamiliar with the genre as a whole. Good luck, Lionhead. You may need it.
Fable developer seeking online game designer for 'ambitious new project'
Hey guys, since long-standing single-player titles' becoming MMOs is all the rage these days, did you know that the folks at Fable developer Lionhead Studios are looking to hire someone with a deep understanding of online multiplayer games to help them "define the multiplayer levels and experience of [their] ambitious new project"? Because according to the official job listing at Microsoft, they totally are. Of course, the first thing that came to our minds was could this mean a Fable MMO? Well, it could, but we're not sure yet. All we know right now is that Lionhead is looking for help to design a particularly ambitious (cough) online game, and if you take into consideration that late last year the studio was looking for an MMO-oriented programmer... well, fans of the Fable series or the studio itself should definitely keep their eyes on this one.
Lionhead seeks multiplayer level designer for game development, long walks on beach
Microsoft's Lionhead Studios is looking for a multiplayer level designer with "a deep understanding of online multiplayer games," a job posting reveals.We assume Lionhead also would like any new designer to be adept at making the public forget Fable Heroes ever happened.Lionhead's recent time in the spotlight hasn't focused on what games it may be creating, but instead on Fable creator Peter Molyneux's departure and what that might mean for the studio. With no other information or speculation on Lionhead's next title, aside from this multiplayer designer business, we're going to throw our best guess out there: A Team Fortress 2 clone that looks like Minecraft, plays like Call of Duty and is called "Half-Alive 3."
Fable Heroes review: For every choice, no consequence
In Fable Heroes, you and some friends take the role of cutesy Fable-based puppets, battling through a number of cookie-cutter levels on the couch or online. Put frankly, the game is a shameless abuse of the Fable property. The idea of a cartoonish hack-and-slash isn't necessarily a bad idea, if executed properly. Unfortunately, Fable Heroes struggles at its core concept.Like most hack-and-slash games, the button scheme is fairly simple, featuring a light and heavy attack, along with a roll maneuver. You can open chests for various power-ups (some of dubious helpfulness) and there is a special move that none of my multiplayer party fully grasped. I knew how to do it, but for the life of me couldn't figure out when it was available. This led to rampant guesswork with limited success. The help section of the game didn't offer much assistance either. (Though it does include a 17-page description of all the power-up chests.)%Gallery-149430%
Molyneux: Microsoft was a 'creative padded cell;' 22 Cans will see his 'best' game ever
Peter Molyneux, creator of Fable and famously parodied developer, left Microsoft and Lionhead Studios last month to establish 22 Cans, a brand new development house. 22 Cans marks Molyneux's fifth studio founding, but there's something different about this one, he told Develop:"I believe it has all led me to this point. I believe the greatest game I've ever made is still ahead of me."Molyneux is adamant that he is building something special with 22 Cans, in both the structure of the company and the games it will produce. So far he has co-founder and former Lionhead programmer Dimitri Mavrikakis, data miner Paul Knight and IT director Tim Rance on board, but Molyneux is looking to have 22 people total from various industries, including architects, veterans, fresh faces and people who know nothing about the video game world.These people will help Molyneux make his "best" game ever; a game he couldn't create while at Microsoft. "I was in a creative padded cell," Molyneux said. "Microsoft was so safe. Microsoft was so nice. You're so supported. Everything I did couldn't hurt me, both creatively and physically. The danger was long gone. I had this huge desire to make something truly special, and I felt like I was being suffocated creatively a little bit."
Phil Harrison heads to Microsoft as vice prez of Interactive Entertainment Business arm
We've officially turned on the theme song to Welcome Back, Kotter and started growing a lustrous mustache in honor of Phil Harrison's return to Game Industry Executiveland. This morning, reports from Europe indicated that Harrison would head to Microsoft -- Microsoft clarified the news later, which named him corporate vice president of Interactive Entertainment Business "with an emphasis on growing the division's European business."Microsoft corporate vice president of Studios Phil Spencer welcomed Harrison in a press release. "We are honored to have Phil join a team that boasts a wealth of talent from across the industry," Spencer said. Harrison is charged with "overseeing UK-based developers Lionhead Studios, Soho Productions and Rare Ltd.," a role he'll likely warm to quickly given past work as head of worldwide studios for Sony Computer Entertainment.Harrison's most recent employer is game industry venture capital firm London Venture Partners, where he served as general partner. He continues on as "special advisor." Harrison will not be replacing former Microsoft Studios Europe head Peter Molyneux (who recently left Microsoft), though he will be overseeing Lionhead. Molyneux's role at Lionhead as studio manager is currently occupied by COO Mark Webley, according to Microsoft.Update: Microsoft announced Harrison's appointment this morning to corporate vice president of Microsoft's "Interactive Entertainment Business" arm, with a focus on European markets. See the full presser just below the jump.[Image credit: Flickr user 'jontintinjordan']
Peter Molyneux leaves Microsoft, off on 'new independent venture'
Fabled game developer Peter Molyneux has left Microsoft and Lionhead Studios for startup 22 Cans. In a statement to Kotaku, the creative lead of Microsoft Studios Europe said he will conclude his work on the latest Fable before going off on the next great adventure."It is with mixed emotions that I made the decision to leave Microsoft and Lionhead Studios, the company that I co-founded in 1997, at the conclusion of development of Fable: The Journey," Molyneux said in the statement. "I remain extremely passionate and proud of the people, products and experiences that we created."Molyneux expressed the departure was amicable and Microsoft noted the ever-quotable developer "has made an indelible mark on the games industry and we wish him all the best of luck in his future endeavors."
Fable: The Journey dares us to steer a relationship in the right direction
"Your horse pays the price for your mistakes," Peter Molyneux says during a demo for Fable: The Journey, Lionhead's upcoming Kinect-powered spin-off. The Journey is centered around a young man and his trusty steed and sets out to forge a bond between the two, similar to the relationship players had with their dog in Fable 2.%Gallery-125521%
'Fable Heroes' revealed by Xbox Live Marketplace
Apparently, Fable Heroes is a forthcoming XBLA game from Lionhead Studios that has been unceremoniously leaked by the Xbox Live Marketplace. The screenshots in the gallery below show the rather cartoony game's four-player multiplayer, which the title's blurb describes as simultaneously cooperative and competitive.Said screenshots also show a distinctly board-game-esque game board, which makes us think that Fable Heroes may be a Mario Party-ish friendship ruiner couch multiplayer game. Players will earn gold coins that can be spent on "upgrades, characters, and items in both this game and Fable: The Journey for Kinect for Xbox 360." We wouldn't be surprised if Fable Heroes' actual announcement happens during this week's Game Developers Conference.%Gallery-149430%
Fable developer Lionhead seeking experienced MMO programmer
Is the world of Albion coming to an MMO near you? That's up for speculation thanks to a job advertisement on Microsoft's career board. The software giant, which owns Fable developer Lionhead Studios, is seeking a programmer "who enjoys playing MMO games and has significant experience with the workings of a massive online multiplayer environment." Further requirements include "a minimum of one shipped MMO as a network programmer." Lionhead shipped Fable III in October of 2010, and the company is rumored to be developing a "controller-based" Fable IV in 2013, according to Eurogamer. When contacted by Eurogamer, Lionhead had this to say in an official statement: "Thanks for checking in with us! We're happy to tell you all about what we're working on. Just apply, get hired, and we promise to spill our guts!"
Parody tweeter 'PeterMolydeux' once applied for work at Lionhead
You are following @petermolydeux on Twitter, right? The always pondering parody of the eminent game developer (that imagines things like a "racing game where you only have 2 speeds," or "a creature who can only eat bullets for survival") is one of our favorite characters on the service -- and it only allows 140, remember? Kotaku AU has a lengthy interview with the anonymous Tweeter in question, and though we didn't get the question of who he actually is answered, we get a lot of other interesting information. Apparently, the person behind the account is a real game developer, doesn't always agree with Molydeux's snobby dislike of popular titles, and has recently moved out into pitching his crazy game ideas with full videos and documents rather than just his tweets. Interviewer Katie Williams' website has a few more tidbits from the interview, including the fact that Peter Molydeux once applied to Lionhead Studios. He didn't get the job. He also hints that there may be another parody character on the way: an indie game dev who's "just been fired from a big-name developer, and is declaring war on them by aiming to create the greatest indie game of all time, all within one year." Considering that one of Molydeux's kooky game ideas is being made into a real game, we'd love to hear what that new guy has in store for us.
Fable tech director leaves Lionhead to start new company
Simon Carter, co-founder of Lionhead satellite studio Big Blue Box and lead technical director on the Fable series, has left Lionhead to found a new team focusing on digitally distributed titles for consoles and PC. He will begin the new venture with his brother, Dene Carter, who is also a developer. Carter said the decision to leave Lionhead was a "very difficult one," but there are "lots of new opportunities to pursue." Carter worked in the long shadow of Peter Molyneux for ten years, having also held roles as technical lead on Dungeon Keeper and part of the Bullfrog Productions team. Maybe we can internalize Carter's next game as some form of technical reparation for Fable 3.
