AI Generated Image
Here's Why Xbox 'Protected' the Development of Fable, Amid Layoffs and Studio Closures
ign.com • • technology
Key Points:
- Playground Games' upcoming RPG, Fable, has survived a decade-long development despite widespread layoffs and studio closures within Xbox, highlighting its importance to the platform.
- Early work on Fable began in 2017, shortly after Microsoft shut down Lionhead Studios, and the game is set to launch on February 23, 2027, in a significantly changed gaming landscape.
- Xbox's acquisition spree, including Bethesda and Activision Blizzard, was followed by multiple rounds of layoffs, affecting thousands of employees and leading to the closure of studios like Arkane Austin and the cancellation of projects such as Everwild.
- Fable's director, Ralph Fulton, emphasized that the franchise remains "vital" to Xbox's identity and video games as a whole, which helped protect the game throughout its extended development.
- While one team at Playground focused on Fable, another continued producing successful Forza Horizon titles, providing financial stability that likely supported Fable’s prolonged development.
