Fable as we know it, and wish it would become, may very well be a thing of history.
Lionhead Studios has lost about 10% of its roughly 200-member workforce today due to a round of layoffs. Microsoft has declined to state why people were let go, but recent events do all the talking.
The company's previous founder, Peter Molyneux, announced his departure in March, and just released his final game with the studio, Fable: The Journey. Unfortunately, the title wasn't the big final farewell that many hoped and performed poorly critically with ratings averaging around the 60% mark and its sales were low enough to keep it from appearing on any top 20 charts during its week of launch.
Lionhead Studios is said to be working on a new project, although its title is unknown. Remember, this is the studio that brought us Black & White and the first two Fable games which were received very well globally. To have it crumble inside-out is the last thing this industry needs, and hopefully we see a proper restructuring of the studio to get it back on its feet.
