Playground Games has received substantial funding from Microsoft, and Fable seems to have strong Xbox backing as well.
It seems that Xbox is quite supportive of Fable, and Microsoft is investing heavily in Playground Games. Possibly, that was reflected when Playground Games established a third studio. According to their LinkedIn page, Playground now has three well-established studios in Leamington Spa. They are committed to supporting and growing the massive, dynamic Horizon community out of our original offices. Developing Fable, a fresh start for the storied brand, is something they seem to be enthusiastic about in their new facilities.
This makes it seem like two studios, rather than one, are working on Fable, which is something we haven’t seen from many other companies. Having more than one studio work on a single triple-A production is not uncommon. It is common practice to have a primary studio and a secondary studio to assist with tasks; this will continue until 2024. On the other hand, it seems like Playground Games managed to bring on a support studio while keeping production in-house. It streamlines everything and gives them more direct control, so it’s sensible if you think about it.
We’ve all witnessed this from Sony before when they acquired Valkyrie Entertainment, which has flown somewhat under the radar. They acquired the support studio in 2021, and since then, they’ve worked with them on games like God of War. Then, in 2020, they established Malaysia Studio, an additional support studio that has assisted them with titles like The Last of Us Part 1.
Nixxes was also bought by Sony, but to a lesser extent, making PC ports of games is their only profession. While it may lack visual flair, I believe these studios are crucial, and there’s a good chance they will lead to an improved Fable game when it launches (hopefully in 2025). This is more evidence that they are investing heavily in that game, in my opinion.
Having said that, many will wonder whether this third studio will ever return to their individual projects. Furthermore, they have made it clear the direction that they believe in. Hence, it’s not out of the question that such might happen in the future. Microsoft has put a lot of money into Playground Games, but that’s all we know about it for now. What this shows is how seriously they take Playground Games.
Clearly, Forza Horizon has been a smashing success. It’s up there among the finest racing games of all time. It’s up there among the greatest racing games available right now. Fable also seems to have a lot of support from Xbox.
