Key events
9th February 2006
16th November 2005
17th June 2005
FeatureLionhead: The inside story
Hear me roar.
In October 2008, Microsoft released Lionhead's Fable 2 to critical and commercial acclaim. At a launch party an emotional Peter Molyneux held aloft glowing reviews and praised the exhausted team of developers who had spent the previous four years pouring everything they had into the game. Fable 2 would go on to win a BAFTA and become the best-selling role-playing game for the Xbox 360. Lionhead was on top of the world.
Fable developer Lionhead Studios to shut down
UPDATE: Fable Legends beta ends mid-April. Refunds to be issued.
UPDATE: Fable Legends ends at 3pm on Wednesday, 13th April 2016, Lionhead has said.
FeaturePeter Molyneux: Why I quit Microsoft, and why my new game will change the world
Did Milo's cancellation force his hand? What is his deepest regret? Plus, the issue of making promises you can't deliver. Molyneux in his first interview as an indie (again).
"How long have you got to talk?" I ask Peter Molyneux at the beginning of our Skype interview.
Scales back projects.
British developer Lionhead has confirmed industry rumours of layoffs at its studios in Surrey, with the company's headcount being cut from 250 to 200 in the wake of poor performance of recent PC titles.
Lionhead says so.
Activision and Lionhead will shortly announce the development of an expansion pack for The Movies, according to a Lionhead forums administrator - and Activision's doing the traditional "can't comment" thing about it.
On Tuesday we reported that Activision had canned the console versions of The Movies following poor sales of the PC version.
However, in a forum discussion focusing on that decision, a Lionhead developer going by "Sam" said, "that does not mean the project is dead".
Poor PC take-up blamed.
Those of you wondering about the fate of the promised console versions of Lionhead's The Movies have your answer: they've been canned due to weak sales of the PC game.
Click, leech, BAFTA.
Those of you intrigued by the premise of The Movies can finally find out what it's like for yourself by downloading a new playable demo.
Product placement in The Movies
Put Chrysler in your flick, win car. Er, if you're a Yank.
It's on odd world, The Movies. Of course there's the idea of resource-managing a film studio while creating films at the same time (some of which we've seen and aren't horrendously awful). But there's also the post-release promotional side, which has already seen virtual stars in the game squawking about John Malkovich's "Uncle Kimino" clothing, and now challenges players to create films featuring product placement for the Chrysler car company. Eh?
Molyneux praises gamer's movie
It's all about the Paris riots.
Lionhead Studios bigwig Peter Molyneux has praised short film The French Democracy, which was produced using PC Hollywood sim The Movies.
"I like to Movies, movies" - The Mad Stuntman, mishearing.
It is, it has to be said, a killer idea.
You're in charge of a major Hollywood movie studio. You hire the stars. You choose the movies to make. You order the research and try and keep everyone happy. And when you've completed a film, a fully watchable mini-featurette pops out the other end. Get more involved and you actually script the films yourself. It allows you to reach out, tear down the silver screen and wear it as a resplendent cloak in your heroic fantasy as a genuine auteur. It's a good idea - one of the best to come from the Bullfrog lineage of good ideas.
But, as a management game, something grates.
So, um, does that make this Black & White/Movies day?
The Movies has gone gold and will be released across Europe on November 11th, according to publisher Activision. It's out in the US three days prior to that on the 8th. Look for it on PC, PS2, Xbox and Cube. And, no, we're not doing a "That's a wrap" joke.
Put your films on the net.
Lionhead Studios has announced plans to launch a new website where players of forthcoming PC title The Movies can upload and share films.
Lionhead As your Qs.
Lionhead Studios has dipped into its postbag to answer some questions about The Movies, the forthcoming film-making sim for PC, PS2, Xbox and GameCube.
It seems that the biggest question for most Movies fans is whether you'll be able to make films full of blood, guts and assorted gratuitous violence - and sadly, the answer is No.
"As we're trying to make a game that appeals to everyone, we have to be careful so that we remain within our targeted age rating," says Lionhead.
The Godfather of the Sim genre returns to reclaim his throne.
Publisher
