Xbox Exec Wants to Show Fable Now, But the Developer Wants It to Be Ready First

From IGN: "Head of Microsoft Studios Matt Booty already wants to show off Fable on the Xbox Series X but developer Playground Games has refused to do so until it's properly ready.

Speaking at PAX West 2022, Booty said that Playground is doing so many cool things with the next generation Fable game that he asks them to share it every time he sees it:

"Part of my job is giving air cover to the team," he explained. "They don't want to show stuff early before it's ready to go, but if there's one game where that's kind of flipped around, where every time I see something I say, 'We should show this', it's Fable. Because there's a lot of cool stuff."

[phoenixwing]

The devs obviously know it's looking janky and the exec is too clueless to notice it

[brewin]

Can't wait till you get to eat that plate of crow. Playground is an amazingly talented studio. Fable will be amazing and Matt is just excited to show off what he's seen. Clearly it's still early and the devs don't want to make the wait worse for the fans. I personally want to see something. A brief gameplay clip or even some of the art assets they're using. At least we know it's coming.

[phoenixwing]

Lol you mistake me for a troll but I actually own gamepass on my computer. If the dev had actually good looking stuff they wouldn't be averse to showing it. Unless you somehow think the devs are bashful about their coding. And what utter hogwash not wanting to make fans wait are you in lala land?

[phoenixwing]

As a final reply I am not saying the game will turn out bad. I'm actually looking forward to it. But if the devs say to wait it's obvious what they have needs to be worked on more and they know it which is a good thing on the devs part.

[RaidenBlack]

The part that draws my attention to Fable is that they're using ForzaTech engine to create Fable instead of UE.
Kinda curious how it'll look and play.
Given Playground Game's usual attention to detail, it might look something stellar but at the same time, might take years for it become ready for a proper release.

[Godmars290]

So you're agreeing with him that the exec knows less then the dev, but disagree that its too soon to be showing the game, thus agreeing with the exec who you know to be wrong?

Keep doing you dude...

[Crows90]

They may be talented especially at making racers but as was the case for CD project red that doesn't mean much when you're making a game in a style you've never done before. And in this case a genre that they've never even touched. I think but I may be wrong. I do hope it is amazing since I love fable.

[darkrider]

Did they ever made anything else but racers?

[MadLad]

Yeah.
Everyone knows Playground Games is an amateur studio, at best.
They were given the IP just for a laugh by Microsoft.

[brewin]

When they're bringing in award winning writing talent from the likes of games like Control and Dishonored I'd say it's in pretty good hands. Plus, playground opened a whole second studio to work on the game and have been hiring like crazy. Microsoft knows they can't screw this one up so they are putting all the time and resources they possibly can into it.

[Bathyj]

"Microsoft knows they can't screw this one up so they are putting all the time and resources they possibly can into it."

You have the memory of a goldfish.

[Relientk77]

So Matt Booty wants more backlash like the Halo Infinite gameplay trailer from 2020 lol? Yeah, maybe you should listen to the developers.

[Jin_Sakai]

I’m pretty sure he did listen to the developer because we haven’t seen it yet.

[Eonjay]

This is a case where the game could have benifited form being announced at a later date.

[Lightning77]

But if they don't show anything then ppl will complain anyway. "where are the games" is what I keep hearing.

MS applies a little pressure now they're clueless.

For God's sakes pick a narrative.

[SullysCigar]

Both scenarios can - and do - coexist:

Where are the games?

Not ready yet.

Why not?

Because we suck at scheduling. Also we don't want to waste too much money on games people will just play on gamepass.

Oh. :^/

[neutralgamer1992]

lightning

i hate the fact we as gamers don't call it like it is:

last 2-3 years of xbox360 were kind of empty while sony released some quality games and the reason given was ms are preparing for next gen yet during xbox one they had the same issues. Then came this gen and here we aare still waiting. BTW phil knew they needed more talent/IP's but waited til this gen to buy more studios so once again we have to wait

and AA games being on GP is a real thing. we don't have enough data but please understand how these services work. you need steady stream of content and AAA games like you said take time. I think 60% of MS games will be under AA banner where they can be made within 2 years while 40% will be true AAA and will be given the proper time and resources

AA in my opinion isn't bad i actually miss the days when we had legit AA publishers like THQ and Midway to name a few

[Michiel1989]

@sully not waste too much money? did you look at how much they paid for bethesda and how much theyre gonna pay for actiblizz?

oh :/

[anast]

They haven't released a quality game beside Forza in over 20 years. Think about that. Instead of making good games they pacified their fans with a subservices. This is the actual narrative.

[jwillj2k4]

you've been hearing that since the second half of the xb360 life cycle since when did that narrative bother you??

[Lightning77]

"@Sully Also we don't want to waste too much money on games people will just play on gamepass."

You're clearly trolling. If that were true Hell Blade 2 wouldn't be a thing or games like Lies of P, Wo Long, Star Field Redfall and even even Diabolo 4 will make its way on the service.

You can't whine about both things at least be consistent.

[Flawlessmic]

Lightning, where are the games for 2022?

Like honestly man i bought my xsx thinking things would be different and eventually they will be, but thats the key word evetually!

Since halo and forza came out my xbox has been a glorified dust collector.

Im as excited as anyone for those games you listed but 2022 has been absolute write off for ms this year.

Thank god i own all 3 consoles other wise id have the shits even more so at ms lack of production.

[RickRoland]

Lightning,

My favorite part about your list is basically everything was or will be acquired through a purchase and Microsoft has done absolutely diddly squat for these games to exist / be completed. At least list games they put in work for. What would that list would be without the VERY recent / soon to be completed Bethesda/activision/blizzard purchases? Microsoft recently spent billions for these companies because they knew their output was absolutely horrible. This was a quick fix.

[EmperorDalek]

But... He isn't showing it because he listened to the developer in this case. What are you on about?

[Lightning77]

@Rick "Microsoft has done absolutely diddly squat for these games to exist / be completed."

Bro I could care absolutely less who makes the games. I'm a gamer at the end of the day. I'm not gonna lose sleep because a bunch of Xbox devs aren't in the credits. That's a very VERY strange goal post. Just play the games and enjoy them. Unless you want to congratulate every developer at the end credits? Sound director Joe Smith. Yay Joe Smith! Come on that's weird.

@Flawless I hear you. It's easily one of the worst years of Xbox game wise. In fact it's worse than any year of X1. Though that's not the argument I'm making here. If ppl are gonna troll at least pick a trolling narrative and stick to it. They want MS to show the games but yet don't want another Halo Infinite situation. Yet still complain they haven't shown anything...

Here how insane that sounds?

This is the mind of a crazy person.

[Flawlessmic]

You gotta keep in mind ms has been severly lacking in games for years now so yes peoole want to see them, but at the same time we also dont them showing a game thats 4 years away also.

Ms stuffed up annoucing games that devshad barely started on.

You think sony isnt working on more games than they have officially announced? Ofcourse they are but its to soon to even annouce for some of them im sure.

Ms buckled under pressure and blew there load by annoucing almost everything they can for games that are years away meanwhile are also in barren stretch of exclusives.

Im really not gonna get mad people having the shits, ms has been in yhe game for 4 gens now, to still have issues with releasing a handful of games every yr is silly at this point.

Would it kill ms to have some structure around announcements and a somewhat reasonable release date from that annoucement.

I dont need to be told there making games, obvs they are, what i want is a steady stream of releases of exclusives that i can actually play.

[Bathyj]

Your just deflecting the issue that Microsoft rarely make good games. Especially in the last decade. Why aren't you demanding better? This is honestly enough for you?

[Lightning77]

@Bathy don't speak about demanding better when Sony's making questionable decision's? -1 for self awareness.

Anyway what does demanding better look like in this scenario please tell me? I was literally just talking about it. Demand better show off games that will look like Infinite or go ahead and release a game that's buggy like Starfield? Or wait it out and until the game's are polished and ready.

If they release those games early you would say "you see MS can't make good games!" as predictable as you are.

Again pick a narrative. What I demand is good games. I wouldn't be concerned over games you'll never touch and play anyway.

Is waiting on quality games enough? Yes it is enough.

[HannibalLecter]

Lol the only one delusional in this entire thread is lightning77.
Lmao. Still hoping and dreaming after an entire generation of mediocrity from your precious... Still waiting .... Having fun with that lightning77. Meanwhile other companies are putting out bangers. But you keep on waiting and spouting your nonsense. The rest of us are way over the wait and see stuff. Put up or shut up is what you should want, but your willing to wait and wait til someday you get something.....Hopefully. Good for you but others want substance.

Please don't hold your breath trying to wait for something good to release for you from your company of choice. , you will definitely turn fully green if your not already there. Hate to see how you act if that acquisition doesn't go through.
Xbox's (MS) motto can't beat it, buy it or change it

[GoodGuy09]

Yes please wait til it's ready.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Wait til it's ready Microsoft never force a rushed project because it'll create discontent with your devs imo.

[HyperMoused]

The development of this game is a fairy tale with an underlying meaning

[sourOG]

Booty bout to pimp slap a dev.

“I’m not ready yet”
*raises hand* better make my goddamn money.

[ApocalypseShadow]

Playground is one of the few devs I think are capable. I wouldn't doubt it. I bet there's lighting, trees and weather throughout the game to go with it.

There just needs to be consistency across all of Microsoft's studios. Hopefully, Xbox fans buy it.

[Bathyj]

Why would they buy it?

[ApocalypseShadow]

Lol. I know right? But I'm trying to get them back in the fold bathy. Good games are worth buying. We need to encourage them to come back to reality.

[Inverno]

That's been pretty much every Xbox game since the start of the last gen. Announce games too early, show them incomplete, release them anyway. Phil sells the image of being all about the games, but Xbox over all is ran by some incompetent people. Cancelling Scalebound was probably they're most logical decision.

[blue88]

I can’t be hype for anything from Xbox until I see it I learn from Starfield and halo infinite 🤣.

[SPEAKxTHExTRUTH]

They need to wait it out before they show it especially if it’s still years away from release.

[CrimsonWing69]

Listen to the devs and quit announcing things so early in advance.

[Sgt_Slaughter]

We're going to be three years since the announcement in June of 2023 and still probably not see gameplay.

We're nearly two years from the Perfect Dark announcement with nothing to show for it either.

I'm seeing a trend with Microsoft.

[Destiny1080]

they turned the last one, into a fps

were going to need more evidence of greatness

[onisama]

playground is one of my most loved studios, the game may even look good now but they wont show it if its not ready to shine and be in stores short after....i think all other xbox studios should learn from them how to be more profissional and dedicated making your games

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

We still have Halo Infinite fresh in our minds, wait a little longer until it's closer to completion, then show it! Plus people won't feel like they're waiting as long for the game.

[anast]

Imagine Xbox studios trying to make a game with high expectations...This might turn into meme-land. If they fail with Fable, they won't be able to recover. Then they got this Booty guy is trying his hardest to ruin it. Hopefully the devs. can stand up to the pressure and make least an above average game.

[brewin]

People in here complaining Microsoft has no games and their games are bad, etc, etc. The dev not wanting to show the game yet does not mean it's bad. Maybe they have things they're working on that they don't want others to copy before they get to introduce the things. That's why Nintendo doesn't like to show until the games are ready within a certain window.

So its been said Fable will be late 2024 release at the earliest, I understand them not wanting to show until closer to the release window. Just because I personally want to see it doesn't mean Im upset they're not. Artists like to keep their cards closer to their chest. Its the same reason someone like Kendrick Lamar doesn't announce a release date, he just release the product when it's done.

But this whole narrative that Xbox has no games and that Xbox studios makes bad games is complete BS. I've seen several PlayStation only guys in here suggesting such but y'all don't play the games so how do you know? Y'all say quality over quantity but then say there's no games and what's there isn't quality.

Well, you're in the minority. Metacritic ranked Microsoft the number 1 publisher last year with the highest overall meta score in their history, so there's that.

https://www.metacritic.com/...

[RickRoland]

Until Xbox releases quality titles, it has no games. It is not BS in the least and since the Xbox ONE launch in what 2014 what have we seen? The same three franchises. Microsoft bought Blizzard, Bethesda & Activision because they ran out of steam under their own power. Look what people are excited for in 2023.....Year THREE of the Series X: Bethesda, Blizzard and Activision titles nearing release that they had nothing to do with. The reality is without these purchases 2023 would have been yet another horrendous year for Xbox. They are poor at managing their studios they already have. Stop defending trash.

For the record I have owned every Xbox and have a Series X on one side of my tv and a PS5 on the other. This console has been a complete waste thus far. Google a top 10 series X game list article as of September 2022....its hilarious. Sea of Thieves, Gears of War 5, Ori, Control, Assassin's Creed......

[brewin]

Go read the metacritic article dude. They have released the highest rated games so cut it out with the BS narrative. Thats not me making shit up either, thats Metacritics awards.

https://www.metacritic.com/...

[RickRoland]

"Go read the metacritic article dude. They have released the highest rated games so cut it out with the BS narrative. Thats not me making shit up either, thats Metacritics awards.

https://www.metacritic.com/...

Like I said....the same franchises. A year when Halo and Forza launch. The narrative holds true, I pray for Microsoft's sake that some of these new titles are major hits or it's going to be some time until the next Halo and Forza....oh wait Forza again in 2023. The reality is going to be 2.5 years with Forza Horizon, Halo Infinite, Flight Simulator and a multiplat Psychonauts. Keep moving the goal posts. Sony had 4 games just at launch - Demon's Souls, Miles Morales, Astro's Playroom and Sackboy. I get it, you're bored.

[Flawlessmic]

First year they did well in how long? Not to mention right back to no games again this year, my series x is a $750 dust collector, if you think that gives me joy to say that then you got rocks in your head, its a fact gamewise 2022 is an absolute shit show for ms this year.

Mean while sony and ninetnedo give the goods every year they dont take 8 year gaps before having a good year and then dissapear again the next year.

Id be even more shitty at them if all i had was my xsx, luckily thats not the case and the usual suspects will prop up the year.

Next year looks amazing but it still doesnt excuse this year in the slightest nor does the one decent year theyve had in 10 years last year either.

[brewin]

More BS narrative, stop it already. 1st its they have no games. Then it's they have no good games. Then its they have no good exclusive games. Them its they havent had as good of games as they had 8 years ago? Wtf you people are impossible. The people say otherwise, some of you are just clearly jaded and i dont get it. Just stop gaming altogether cuz nothing is good enough for y'all

https://www.metacritic.com/...

[Flawlessmic]

Your comment literally equates to fingers in your ear blah blah im ignoring you cause its true.

The no games comment has ALWAYS been centered around exclusives, like always naturally there is ton of 3rd party stuff to play just like there is on every console.

If ur like me have all 3 what great reason do i even have to turn on my xbox this yr that the other dont have?

You can post that link all you want doesnt change the fact for years prior ms productiin has been rubbish, and pls dont try and defend this year as its the worst yr i can think of for a pub ever.

My series x may aswell have been a book holder for 2022.

But sure keep your head up in the clouds and ignore how much sony and nintendo release consistently

[brewin]

Well I play the majority of 3rd party stuff on Xbox. For one, most of them run better and have free X/S updates. I play the PS5 exclusives, that's it. I don't really play any 3rd party stuff on the PS5.

Several of those 3rd party games are part of GP but full price on PS5. That's an easy choice. Why would you pay if you can play with the sub? Hell even The Show was on GP but $70 on ps5. Also I'm still playing thru some of the Xbox One games that I missed last gen. There's many gems there that are on Gamepass. PS4 was my main console last gen, so it's been nice to play those games, many of them enhanced for X, for next to nothing on GP. Stuff like Gears 5 I heard was garbage but it's actually pretty great and X enhanced And the expansion was great. Psychonauts 2 didn't get a PS5 version, so it is next gen exclusive on X/S. That's pretty great.

Another thing that gets overlooked is the Microsoft rewards points. I literally get paid to search bing in my down time at work. I get hundreds of dollars in Xbox gift cards and free Gamepass every year. Then I do the Gamepass quests for even more points. I've tried games and genres I never would have messed with otherwise. I even just bought the new Saints Row for $10 out of pocket because of the rewards.

There's tons of games there. EA Play is even part of Gamepass. I love sports games and haven't had to pay for one in years now. They all come to GP near the end of the season and get a 10 hr trial at the start.

I still play the handful of PS5 exclusive games that I want but save hundreds of dollars by playing the 3rd party stuff on Xbox. You want to waste your money, that's on you. But stop saying there's no good games on Xbox because that's so far from the truth it's ridiculous.

[Flawlessmic]

@brewin
"I play the PS5 exclusives, that's it. I don't really play any 3rd party stuff on the PS5."

Proving my point here mate, the opposite is true for me, my ps5 is the go to while nintendo and xbox are for exclusives and for the few games that do pop up on GP that 1 i havent bought already 2 am actually interested in.

For the year sony has given you horizon, gt7, last of us and ragnarock to come.

Meanwhile xbox has given me what exactly this year?

Stop changing the narrative, you know for a fact when people say xbox has no games people are reffering to exclusives and that point remains true as far as actual playable games released from ms.

3rd party games are on every cobsole so every console has games to play, ur skewing the argument there cause it suits you while ignoring peoples main point.

Ms dissapoints exclusive wise basically year after year besides last yr and people like you lap it up.

I buy consoles for exclusives otherwise id just buy only one if all i cared about was 3rd party games.

Ms is the obly one of the big 3 where there are multiple years of well looks like i wont be turning that on for a while as there are no exclusives.

[BrainSyphoned]

Obviously they need more studios working on it since AAA games cant be made by one team. When it all fails just blame Peter Molyneux and not the talking heads at Xbox.

[AmUnRa]

What do you expect from Matt Booty? He is the hyperbowling dude of MS. When someone needs to leave MS and needs a kick in the Booty its rhis guy...

[SinisterKieran]

It’s been so long, please just show something

[Demetrius]

Lol it’s so hilarious to me BOOTY SAID, BOOTY THINKS 😂😂 the man can’t help his name is booty tho 🤣 imagine the jokes the staff make when he not around but I do hope fable comes back blazin

[nibblo]

Take all the time you need Playground. It's the first RPG they have ever done, totally understand the reluctance to show early until ready.