Dear Microsoft: We Could Already Have A Fable

Earlier this week, rumors leaked that Microsoft’s already-rumored Fable project was indeed being helmed by Playground Games, and that it had been green-lit due to the success of Horizon Zero Dawn.

Okay, Microsoft. I’m going to say this as plainly as possible: That’s bullshit.

Back when Fable: The Journey turned out to be an on-rails Kinect title, the fans asked, “When will we get a true Fable game?” Only to be met with silence.

Then, when Fable Legends turned out to be a MOBA-style online.. thing.. fans asked, “When will we get a true Fable game?” Again, nothing.

Last year, Fable Fortune was announced, as a card game, and fans asked, “When in the BLUE HELL are we going to get a TRUE FABLE GAME?” Nope, still no word.

Now, after years of failed Fable projects, you finally are getting around to maybe creating a true Fable action RPG, and this is only after Horizon Zero Dawn was a commercial and critical success? Really?

Seriously, Microsoft, this is why you’re behind. This is why you’re being heckled at online events for not having any games. Because instead of taking the time and giving fans the Fable they’ve been asking for, you’ve been trying to establish the brand by giving us shovelware that we never wanted. Now, you’re pretending that you’re just now realizing that there’s a market for single player Action RPG’s? When we’ve been asking for a true Fable game for the past SIX-PLUS YEARS??

And if the rumors are true, and you’re just now putting a team together, it’ll be at least another three or four years before we might even see a release? Now is not the time to be starting all this. I know it’s better late than never, but if you would’ve done this from the get-go, back when XBO was announced, you’d have a finished product by now, or damn near close to it.

Phil Spencer, you’ve been talking about how it “takes time” to establish this great library of exclusive titles, but just what the shit has been going on over there for the past three years? You’ve been getting a lot of flack for a while now, and with this leak (which I pray to God is old) it sounds like you’re JUST NOW getting started on new Perfect Dark, Fable, and Mechwarrior games? Call me crazy, but it seems like these should’ve been in the works for a while now.

I can’t pretend that I don’t love a good Gears of War game, and the Forza Horizon series has seen a huge leap in quality with FH3. I’m excited for Sea of Thieves. I understand why delays like Crackdown happen, and why games like Scalebound have to be scrapped. I also understand why you’d be hesitant to announce games too far from release (again.) But you’ve been way too quiet. Keeping projects under wraps is great, to an extent. But every so often you should throw a bone. Not only does it keep the skeptics cautiously optimistic, but it lets us longtime Xbox users know that there’s something in the works.

The looming uncertainty is this; Projects starting up all at once like this strangely resembles a launch lineup. A new Fable, a Perfect Dark reboot, a new Mechwarrior, etc. are great but they are way off on the horizon (no pun intended.) In this day and age, the four years or so it might take to produce these games could effectively extend into an entirely new console cycle. If what I personally expect to happen, happens, and the Xbox One and XBO S consoles are slowly phased out, and the Xbox One X becomes the base console, will these games be based on the X hardware? Or will I need to buy the new Xbox One XL Deluxe to enjoy them?

My concern, as a gamer who is yet to buy a XBO X (but wants to,) is that the X is going to be the recepticle of a bunch of “enhanced” old games and third party support that is held back by the base XBO, and that it won’t be until the “next” console that you truly show your first party support.

Ugh.. okay I’m just rambling now. I’m worked up, because I’ve supported MS for a lot of years while waiting for them to truly give us some much-anticipated game announcements, only for them to pretend we don’t exist and then magically light up when they see another game do well. Then they exclaim “Oh! Single player games CAN sell well!”

It’s eye-roll time, Microsoft. We’re giving you an epic eye-roll, right now, followed by a facepalm. Listen to your fans for once. We’ve been asking for a new Battletoads. We’ve been asking for a new Conker. We’ve wanted a Fable. Fans have been CLAMORING for a new Crimson Skies. All of these hopes and dreams have continued to go unanswered, because why? You’re waiting for someone else to beat you to it?

We did get Voodoo Vince though. So thanks for that, I guess.