Ex-Cryptic CEO joins UK developer to "lead Lionhead towards an ambitious online future."
UK-based developer Lionhead, responsible for the Fable series, has announced John Needham as its new boss.
Needham has a long background in massively multiplayer games. He was formerly the CEO of Marvel Heroes developer Gazillion Entertainment, and before that City of Heroes maker Cryptic Studios. He's also been chief financial officer at Sony Online Entertainment.
"John’s deep understanding of all aspects of the gaming industry, from subscription-based, massively multi-player to client-based console and free-to-play online, PC and mobile experiences, will be a huge benefit to Lionhead and European Studio operations more widely," said Microsoft in a statement.
Needham will report to established games industry executive Phil Harrison, who spoke earlier this year about Microsoft Studios' intention to transition its major gaming titles across multiple platforms for the "connected audience."
"It's my pleasure to welcome John Needham to Microsoft Studios and Lionhead," said Harrison. "He brings a wealth of proven executive leadership experience in the online gaming space to the company and I know he will confidently lead Lionhead towards an ambitious online future."
In May 2012 Lionhead was spotted hiring for a next-gen, MMO-like title.
The job posting was for a game that would blend single-player and multiplayer and offer a "radical take on how cooperative and multiplayer gameplay feeds into the experience."
Martin Gaston has absolutely never at all had the song from Beauty and the Beast sung to him at any point during his life, ever.
I didn't read the article, I pressed control-f and typed in "We are going to pretend everything after Fable 2 never existed and start over where we left off" and found no results, so I am not interested.
Fable is a perfect example of taking an above average game and shitting it all up.
1 Like i didn't played Fable 2 cause i didn't came on PC ..so i was straight from Fable 1 to 3 was a major different i prefer the first a lot ..but going MMO i don't think so \_/ nop count me out
I don't think this means an MMO, even though Fable 1's combat system (on PC) would work really well in an MMO.
Woah, look at that face. And the last company he worked at was "Cryptic" to boot - how dark is that? ...I take it that in addition to handling Lionhead executive stuff, he will also be doubling as the villain in the next Fable game.
Why can't they just give us action combat (weapons, magic, archery) like in Fable 1 with armor (that adds defense and not just cosmetic) and a MMO world. PVP could simply be arena with a ladder (1v1,2v2, etc). Loved the first Fable and have been waiting for a MMO like it forever.
1 Like Fable fans don't worry, once Curiosity if finished and the suprise inside is revealed to be an announcement for the next Fable game you can commence to hoping in vain for a new "good" Fable game.
1 Like @Fursnake I did that mistake for Fable 3...never again...NEVER AGAIN DO YOU HEAR ME ?!
They have a long way to go. Fable 2 and 3s multiplayer were awful. I can see Fable as an MMO though.
1 Like Yeah guys you should really stay away from the MMO market. You couldn't even handle online multiplayer in Fable 2 and 3, why do you think you can make a full fledged MMO? Although if the next Fable has the character customization that City of Heroes had, that would be suppperrr dope.
1 Like @fredwv not really. only pay-to-play ones have. World of Warcraft is the only major pay-to-play that still exists. all the others are free-to-play. We got 3 more in development that's coming within the next 3 years. MMO's are still very much alive.
@feleas @fredwv Yeah I agree. I for some reason have a WoW sub right now (mostly to try Mists) but except for the brand new stuff, WoW is starting to grate on me. It's repetitive and grindy and the combat's stuck in the stone age.
Plus, the PVP balance is a joke and you have to jump through WAY too many hoops to get anything fun.
With how many ideas Lionhead has wasted (Fable, Black and White, BC, etc) with poor execution, they should somehow be charged with a crime. They need to make the overall ideas, and just sell them to a development team that can actually implement ideas successfully.
1 Like @MadMartin yeah agreed. the Fable series is one of my favorites of all time, but it still had sooo much potential. And then they released Fable the Journey and all of that potential was gone.
1 Like @MadMartin @Patohua1 The Journey was actually quite good. it has the best told story of all the games in my opinion. the controls didnt work all the time, so i could understand people not liking it.
2 Like @Patohua1 @MadMartin dude, when they screwed up with Fable 2 and 3, then all the potential was gone. Journey just killed the hope, lol.
2 Like Lionhead is hiring the ex-CEO of Cryptic to design an MMO? Talk about a double-scoop of fail.
lol Cryptic, such a successful MMO company. lets get microtransacting in Fable. seems to work for Cryptic.
1 Like Ughhhh... Just as long as it isn't 'always online'. I cannot see myself buying a Fable MMO - or any MMO for that matter, though I am interested in Destiny. I'm not into this 'connectedness' movement. The last time I used an online feature was a Halo 4 match 4 months ago.
I played Metroid: Zero Mission this week. It was the best game I've played all year, Bioshock Infinite a close second. And it was a completely solitary experience.
But good luck to Lionhead!
1 Like *Ex-Cryptic CEO joins UK developer to "lead Lionhead towards an ambitious ALWAYS-online future."
You're only 10 years too late. Not bad!
Fable MMO sounds awful. Here's an idea, go back to when Fable was good, don't change it even MORE than the Kinect abomination.
5 Like What was that tiny speck that vanished down that deep dark hole..? Oh that was my hope for Fable being awesome this gen.
@Scorchstar Usually when people generalize that drastically it means they just don't like the genre.
"All rap music sucks" is a pretty good example.
@jessie82 @mecamatt @scorchstar
"All rap DOES suck"
2001 by Dr. Dre begs to differ from the opinion of a mainly rock lover
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