A Goodbye to Lionhead Studios
Yesterday, Microsoft announced that they would be ceasing development on Fable: Legends and possibly shutting down its developer, Lionhead Studios. This news hit me hard - harder than I thought it would. The news came from seemingly nowhere. I had only last week played in the closed beta with some friends. Only this weekend did I receive an e-mail from Microsoft stating “Play Fable Legends; There are new reasons to play every day”. I didn’t see the shutdown coming at all. Seeing the news title on Polygon made me make a double-take. “That’s a joke, right? This has to be just a rumor.” I thought. As I clicked on the link and read the official statement from Microsoft, I quickly learned that it was no rumor. The Fable series as I knew it was dead.
The news put a pit in my stomach. The Fable series played a significant part of my “gaming career”. One of my closest friends from high school and I bonded over the Fable series. She was the one who introduced me to Fable, the one who played the game with me and encouraged me to delve into the world of Albion. I remember my teenage-self playing the game on my old, broken down Gateway laptop. I remember enjoying it so much that I bought it for the original Xbox. So many hours were spent living in Albion, fighting Hobbs, bandits, and balverines. My character became a hero, socialized with residents, grew her family. Her heir went on to become just as wonderful of a person, saving the world from mass destruction. I connected with Gabriel and Seren all while being gifted the ability to feel like a wizard without actually possessing any real-world traits. Fable Heroes boosted my confidence immensely, allowing me to feel like I was actually a competent gamer. Black and White 2 provided me with hours of entertainment, along with the enjoyment of being a god.
Most importantly, Lionhead molded me as a person. Their games showed me the importance of choice, and the consequences that come with each and every choice. They gave me options; they allowed me to define who I was as a person by making choices that made me feel good. They didn’t say that there was a right way to play their games. They expressed the evident presence of good and evil in every environment and every person that exists in this world. They introduced “the gray area” of life into the gaming industry well. My character didn’t need to be the “white knight” stereotype of a hero that everyone adored (even though she was), nor did she need to be a merciless villain. My characters could choose to partake in both good and bad actions. They weren’t perfect, nor were they perfectly imperfect. They were humans. Lionhead excelled in displaying the imperfection of life, even if it was through a virtual world populated with fictional characters. Through an imaginary life did I find myself in the real world.
Not only did I figure out who I was and wanted to be as a person though Lionhead’s games, but a lot of my life as I know it was influenced by the company and their creations. I bonded with a handful of people by having the common interest of Fable and Lionhead. I had one of the best convention experiences of my life when Lionhead showed off Fable legends, spending a significant amount of time socializing with Lionhead developers and playing Fable Heroes. I sparked my passion in writing by writing reviews about Fable (which you can check out here) and also writing for The Dead Hamster, a (former) Lionhead community website. My love for Fantasy worlds and RPG games started with Fable. Jenn, the badass fire-mage, the determined soul, the easily excitable one, the optimist, would not exist if Lionhead and Fable had never existed.
It hurts me most that the series will not continue. That my hope and excitement for the continuation of the series was all in vain. I’ll never see what happens to Gabriel, and how his new role in life affects those around him. I won’t be able to get excited over new trailers, gameplay, and plot lines. I won’t get to fall in love with new characters and environments. While the old games in the series will always be wonderful to go back to, a little bit of my heart breaks knowing that all the world will ever have here on out is the “old games”.
But I digress. Even though there are so many questions that will be left unanswered with this departure, I’m glad that Lionhead existed at all. I’m so glad that I was able to experience their games. I’m so glad that I was able to meet and connect with Lionhead developers and fans alike (seriously - they are all such sweet people). I’m so grateful of the memories made and the opportunities that came out of simply being a passionate fan of the Fable series.
My hope is that the Fable series isn’t dead for good - that, in some way, shape, or form, this series will be reborn and revitalized. I very much want my hopes to become a reality. I believe that my want has great power. The Albion girl always gets her way, right?
So, to the team members at Lionhead, thank you. Thank you so much for creating some of the most wonderful memories in my life. Thank you for providing me with hours of enjoyment and happiness. Most of all, thank you for making this ordinary girl feel extraordinary. I am very excited to see what great accomplishments each and every one of you will have next.
