We don't know if it was close to being released. As a Beta tester it seemed to be in flux in it's quality. I don't ever remember anyone saying it was to be released in a couple of months. There was never an actual release date for this game. That was it's problem. It had a forever changing release year but no actual date. It changed from being "Releasing in 2014" to last year being changed to "Coming in 2015" and this year it said "Arriving in 20...
@Mr Pumblechook Did you ever play Fable - Legends? Apparently not. It was not a Kinect game. Like the Sony Move used in some games it was going take advantage of the device if you had it available. Mainly in villain mode to bark orders but, the controller was always the primary input device. I never played that mode so I don't know if the Kinect option was still part of the Beta. The game was supposed to also allow you to use Smartglass or your phone to do the same thing if you wante...
People think slowly tearing a bandage off is better than just ripping it off. I am sorry they lost their jobs, that sucks as it does for anybody that has too look for work again. However, I doubt giving a direct heads up as good idea and very questionable as a policy. What should they have done? What purpose would it serve to have gone up to everyone individually and said "we are probably going to fire you next month or week or maybe tomorrow but, do please keeping working hard until ...
Looks really nice. I can't wait to see the final version. I have just the opposite feeling for my Xbox One's store. That store, even after their recent updates, is all over the place. Not to pick on my poor Xbox (after the beating Microsoft Studios has been getting in the news this week) but, IMO it seems Microsoft really needs to focus more energy on the things like the store's overall (online and the console) experience (which is mediocre) and less on adding more social features...
Sorry, I don't often hit the disagree. But, heck when you say "every" it just shows facts not into evidence as they would say in the courtroom. Listen, sure a lot of people liked the idea of the game. I know plenty that didn't care for it. I liked it initially. It looked like a great concept. Does that mean that all those that said it look good are praising it? No. It means it looked fun. Heck, often have you looked a movie trailers (because up until the beta all we ha...
I was, I definitely was. I liked the whole 4v1 concept. Unfortunately, after being part of the beta for months it really showed how shallow this game was. I thought Evolve was limited in how it handled the 4v1 and the original expectations of Fable seemed to make this more of true 4 vs Dungeon Master much more fun, it wasn't. OK, it was better than Evolve but, I think the 4v1 concept is just so much better in boardroom pitches than in it's actual application. I realized that consi...
Well if you had been part of the beta (like I am/had been) you realize there are a lot of us that didn't think the game was good enough all along. I was excited to get to play the beta, but that enthusiasm dwindled after realizing the game, as you say "was not up to snuff". During the (very, very long) beta they made some changes to adjust balance and even give some more single player elements. But, every time Lionhead made adjustments it was still the same just OK game. I sa...
True. I have been on the both the receiving end and the deciding end of similar decisions to end relationships or close a product down. In fact, like Lionhead that loss lead to the closing of the company I worked for. It happens. It is part of the process. At the end of the day all companies/divisions have budgets and bosses to answer to. I guess as a consumer and you had unlimited funds you could buy all the games (crappy and good) but, most of us like a company make financial decisions...
I liked GW1. GW2 is definitely a lot better. They took the great things that worked and expanded them and fixed most of what was (IMO) wrong. It can get a little more overwhelming with some of the online play.
I have noticed something about GW games. People that don't play or like FPS they seem to like to play this game. Maybe this is because it is so cartoony and seemingly light hearted (of course there is really an insidious amount of carnage).
So you are on welfare? What company do you work for that expects you not to produce and continue to do so and get paid for it? That is what you are expecting Microsoft to do here keep endlessly supporting Lionhead.
Lionhead had well over 4 years of development for this project. It's release has been delayed for over a 1 1/2 years and it was still in beta with no release schedule and as people have attested the game was better sounding on paper then actual game play. ...
@skycaptin5, @darkOcelet Do you think after releasing a game that ends the expense. It is online only game so the servers cost money, the support staff costs money, tons of incidentals that would cost Microsoft even more. The game was free to play so the only way to make money would have been micro-transactions. Plus what happens if they decide to pull the plug in a year or so (if it is not well received). Imagine the negative press and fanboy (both sides) outcry of failure then. Better,...
As I would like to agree with you but you act as if this is Microsoft is only company that makes these moves. You assume Sony is different. All companies are about making money (support the strong, cut the fat).
Sony was in financial trouble (and still recovering) because they haven't been making money. But, I guess when they shed first party studios (like Liverpool, Wipeout, Incognito, Bigbig, Zipper,Superbot, Eatsheep, SOE closed several, and many more) it must becau...
Actually Microsoft has over almost 6 times the total market cap of Sony sitting in the (proverbial) bank. So yeah they could toss out 30 billion and buy Sony. But, like it or not Xbox is a division of Microsoft with a budget and expectations. I suspect when Sony closed several of their first party studios a few years ago they made the same financial decsisions. As they often say, rich stay rich because they are smart with their money or they become another 50 cent.
Yet a few years ago when Sony cleaned house and eliminated several first party studios it was OK and the right decision? Microsoft made a financial decision as did Sony. To be honest companies, like Microsoft, take to long to make these moves. In companies you need to make cuts to the fat in order to support the parts (new and old) that aren't dragging down your bottom line.
For example, what if they read the future financials of that Fable Legends (Lionhead) would pr...
Imalwaysright Actually Spencer and both Xbox & Microsoft Studios are under the Windows & Devices group. Which means Spencer reports to Executive VP Terry Myerson not the CEO. Myerson reports to the CEO. So Myerson may have ordered the plug pulled or maybe the CEO Nadella.
At the end of the day, it probably was Spencer But, he is looking at his budget (which is not infinite) and must put the money where it will be most productive for all of Xbox. Of course, any decis...
Almost finished maybe. But, maybe internal tests show it was not scaling right so it needed more development there (after already being delayed a year). Perhaps feedback from beta testers, like myself, wasn't all rosy. Plus, lets not forget if they released the game Microsoft/Lionhead would have to support it: as an online free to play game it will need a lot of servers to exist (which is additional costs) and continuous upkeep & support (more costs). What if after going live it do...
Spencer was riffing about what he would like to so see or believes will happen. Nowhere did he state this is what they are doing.
To all those Xbox One consoles owners there is no where he stated they will be upgrading components with this generation (not technically possible anyways)
So in the spirit of Spencer let me "riff" my own vision. First, like it or not technology is experiencing a massive power growth. Now, mind you (like Phil) I am tal...
I don't know why people are disagreeing with you. Hey people he is talking about what he does. He never applies (as many do here) a quantifier to his personal opinion, like "most" or "all". Just like me but, I am just the opposite. I now appreciate more the ability to easily switch to extra features on both my Xbox One and PS4, like Netflix and Videos, ESPN (maybe not YouTube) nowadays more than the games. Probably because my life has changed (my nephews are alwa...
Valid point. But, starsi360 is right about money but, missing one element. This is all about the ecosystem. They are driving everyone (whether it be Xbox One or desktop or tablet or even possibly their phones) to one ecosystem: Windows 10. And who owns that ecosystem? Microsoft. This is just consolidating everything.
This move isn't about losing Xbox One but, increasing the influence of Windows 10, plain and simple. Driving as much as they can to Windows 10 because...
