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[tusharngf]

The Playground Games developed Xbox exclusive action role-playing game, Fable, is currently in a playable state.

According to the LinkedIn profile of Playground Games producer, Vijay Gill, the studio’s forthcoming reboot of Fable is now in a playable state. In his profile, Gill states that he is preparing and facilitating regular game playthroughs of the game, alongside build reviews with key stakeholders.

Gill is leading production for Fable’s cross-discipline workstream consisting of gameplay design, technical design, gameplay animation, engineering, VFX, SFX, UI, and more. He is the production owner for design teams, defining their key workflows, tracking dependencies, and constructing delivery roadmaps while collaborating closely with design and game directors.

Previously, it was revealed that Fable is still using the studio’s proprietary engine, and any rumors regarding a change of engine aren’t grounded in reality. A rumor regarding a change of engine for Playground Games’ Fable had made the rounds on the internet some time ago. Based on the rumor, Fable had been rebooted internally, as the most recent build of the game had been deemed “unplayable” by most of the development team. As a result, the studio had allegedly ended up rebooting the development using Unreal Engine. However, this rumor isn’t based on reality, and there’s evidence to support this.

However, a job listing for a level designer posted by Playground Games later revealed that the studio is still using its proprietary Forza Tech engine. Based on the listing, the new recruit would create world locations that closely support the project vision using the studio’s proprietary engine. Meanwhile, over on LinkedIn, a quick search for people at Turn 10 Studios in against the keyword “fable” revealed that there are several Turn 10 employees who have been working on Forza Tech for Fable, and they share engine equipment with Playground Games.

Source: https://twistedvoxel.com/playground-games-fable-playable-state/

 

[diffusionx]

This means nothing. Technically a character model walking around a Bubsy 3D environment swinging a sword is “playable state.” I feel like articles like this come out because people read the internet, MS is starting to feel heat about not delivering games, Fable is in dev hell, and they have to put something out. If anything this article makes me more suspicious of the state of the game.

 

[MOTM]

Yeah but that other random insider with a throwaway twitter account said it was in development hell. Also confirmed by the experts here on GAF.

Edit: i.e comment above.

 

[Punished Miku]

There really is an epidemic of false, negative Xbox rumors these last few months. Looks like the game is on track in a normal time frame.

For an estimate, Final Fantasy XVI was playable start to finish June 2022.
https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2022/06/final-fantasy-16-is-fully-playable-from-start-to-finish

So I'd guess this is holiday 2024, but who knows. Game was announced in 2020.

 

[poodaddy]

Really hoping this turns out well. Huge fan of the original Fable, would adore a quality reboot.

 

[adamsapple]

We're getting there, fams.

 

[dorkimoe]

Throw some more bodies at this game. lets go!

 

[analog_future]

Holiday 2024 sounds about right for the release of this game.

Can't wait.

 

[Chukhopops]

Never had any doubt considering the developer but it’s good to see it’s making progress.

Also shows that the rumor about the engine change was complete bollocks just like most rumors.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Okay.

Now show US the gameplay, then. Wasn't the original rumor from Schreir? Or am I getting that confused with the Avowed stuff?

Anyway it always feels like "tell, don't show" with Xbox when it comes to trying to prove this stuff. And "playable state" could mean anything. The graphics could look like an N64 game but the physics and basic logic are in place, that's a playable state. Let's see how far along the game actually is.

This means nothing. Technically a character model walking around a Bubsy 3D environment swinging a sword is “playable state.” I feel like articles like this come out because people read the internet, MS is starting to feel heat about not delivering games, Fable is in dev hell, and they have to put something out. If anything this article makes me more suspicious of the state of the game.

Exactly. It's like when Jez Corden "told" everyone about the Avowed gameplay he got to see. Video games aren't novels; it's a medium where visuals are a key part of expression & communication. Why do I need Jez to tell me something about a game if it's supposedly so far along, versus getting to see it myself?

 

[Black_Stride]

This means nothing. Technically a character model walking around a Bubsy 3D environment swinging a sword is “playable state.” I feel like articles like this come out because people read the internet, MS is starting to feel heat about not delivering games, Fable is in dev hell, and they have to put something out. If anything this article makes me more suspicious of the state of the game.

Wait you think MS wrote this article?

 

[Kacho]

Anyway it always feels like "tell, don't show" with Xbox when it comes to trying to prove this stuff. And "playable state" could mean anything. The graphics could look like an N64 game but the physics and basic logic are in place, that's a playable state. Let's see how far along the game actually is.

This isn't Xbox PR. Why are you melting down?

 

[diffusionx]

Yeah but that other random insider with a throwaway twitter account said it was in development hell. Also confirmed by the experts here on GAF.

Edit: i.e comment above.

It was announced THREE YEARS AGO. Rumors were it started development in 2018. We have not gotten a single screenshot or any footage of gameplay since then. If that isn’t dev hell what is.

Wait you think MS wrote this article?

I think MS puts out feelers and info to people to get them to write these articles, yes. Of course they do, everyone does it.

 

[Three]

There really is an epidemic of false, negative Xbox rumors these last few months. Looks like the game is on track in a normal time frame.

For an estimate, Final Fantasy XVI was playable start to finish June 2022.
https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2022/06/final-fantasy-16-is-fully-playable-from-start-to-finish

So I'd guess this is holiday 2024, but who knows. Game was announced in 2020.

Cyberpunk in 2018

https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/08/24/cyberpunk-2077-is-now-playable-from-start-to-finish

 

[Punished Miku]

Cyberpunk in 2018

https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/08/24/cyberpunk-2077-is-now-playable-from-start-to-finish

And released 2 years later. Holiday 2024 is almost 2 years. It's an estimate.

 

[El Pistolero]

What does that even mean? They've cleared the Alpha stage?

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

pretty much meaningless.

 

[Three]

And released 2 years later. Holiday 2024 is almost 2 years. It's an estimate.

Yeah but also maybe it shouldn't have.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Wait you think MS wrote this article?

I don't think anyone thinks MS wrote the article themselves. But there are definitely certain people in games journalism who effectively feel like they're doing some type of PR for the company. Destin Legarie, Jez Corden, and a few others are examples of this.

And we already know Jez has direct connections with at least someone in Xbox marketing, look how detailed he got with the Developer's Direct info right before Microsoft themselves put the info out officially.

This isn't Xbox PR. Why are you melting down?

Didn't say it was Xbox PR, and I'm not melting down. I'm just very critical of what they have to say, as should many people. It's been almost three years since we've seen nothing of the game but a CGI trailer. "Playable state" could mean anything.

I don't really know why the article directly referred to the dev rumors, that makes it seem like it was written in part to shut them down. And I get the point in wanting to shut down negative rumors, but with something like that one, actual proof is in the pudding. Let's see some gameplay.

Someone's probably going to try drawing a parallel between this and Sony shutting down the Bloomberg PSVR2 rumor, but the difference is that one dealt with a hardware product where they can only "show" by releasing it at the given launch date, and with the supply already spoken on. Plus that rumor could've had negative impact on stock prices and customer purchasing habits of the product. There's zero immediate, tangible fiscal impacts to a rumor of Fable having dev issues when the publisher is Microsoft. It's not even that "bad" (relatively speaking) compared to word on Coalition having games cancelled, or 343i situation, or Everwild's issues, etc.

Sometimes it's better to let rumors die out.

 

[Punished Miku]

Yeah but also maybe it shouldn't have.

Well sure, we don't know how it is yet. But the rumors of restarting development and changing the engine appear to be false. No real reason to assume the worst until we see it.

 

[reksveks]

I'm just very critical of what they have to say

who is the 'they'?

and what did 'they' actually 'say'?

 

[Magic Carpet]

Does that mean they have the Fairy flying mechanic down and are working on the Frog that chases you?
The teaser trailer told me that was what the game is about.

 

[Gaiff]

Nothing will convince people except for gameplay videos.

 

[ParaSeoul]

Will it be in a playable state at launch is what I'm concerned about

 

[adamsapple]

Sometimes it's better to let rumors die out.

I think you're taking this linked in profile news way more seriously than it needs to be lol.

 

[kanjobazooie]

Does that mean they have the Fairy flying mechanic down and are working on the Frog that chases you?
The teaser trailer told me that was what the game is about.

Teaser trailers always lie. They will make you play as the frog and the game is actually called Frogger.

 

[DenchDeckard]

1st post nails gaf stance on Microsoft news to a T

 

[diffusionx]

Cyberpunk in 2018

https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/08/24/cyberpunk-2077-is-now-playable-from-start-to-finish

This article does not say “playable start to finish” though, it says “playable state.” I assume if it was playable start to finish they would say that so what does “playable state” mean? It could mean anything, absolutely anything.

 

[Clear]

This is gonna be 2025. End of 2024 at a push.

Being in a playable state is a long way from being finished. Playable start to finish is Alpha and that's likely a year plus out on a large-scale project like a RPG where there absolutely needs to be a lot of tuning and tweaking in order to get the whole game flowing and feeling right.

 

[ResilientBanana]

armchair game developers lol.

 

[Topher]

Yeah but that other random insider with a throwaway twitter account said it was in development hell. Also confirmed by the experts here on GAF.

Edit: i.e comment above.

Jez Corden is a throw away twitter account?

1st post nails gaf stance on Microsoft news to a T

Nope....just one person's.

 

[Riky]

Hopefully see something at E3, have total confidence in Playground, more great news.

 

[Snake29]

What does that even mean? They've cleared the Alpha stage?

Playable state could also mean it's still in prototype and whitebox. That could mean it's still a long way off.

 

[Black_Stride]

I think MS puts out feelers and info to people to get them to write these articles, yes. Of course they do, everyone does it.

So just so I get this straight.
Rumors its in development hell....obviously true.
Rumors it was rebooted and moved to Unreal Engine....obviously true.
Rumors its still in FT Engine and in a playable state.....obviously false.
Microsoft putting out feelers and info to people, who then gather it from LinkedIn profiles, exactly the same way the Unreal Engine rumor started totally logical.

Alright buddy.

 

[Three]

This article does not say “playable start to finish” though, it says “playable state.” I assume if it was playable start to finish they would say that so what does “playable state” mean? It could mean anything, absolutely anything.

I was referring to the comparison of another "playable start to finish" article which somebody posted. It didn't really give much away about the state of the game. You're right though, playable could mean anything at all.

 

[Topher]

It was announced THREE YEARS AGO. Rumors were it started development in 2018. We have not gotten a single screenshot or any footage of gameplay since then. If that isn’t dev hell what is.


I think MS puts out feelers and info to people to get them to write these articles, yes. Of course they do, everyone does it.

If Microsoft wanted everyone to know this then they would just have someone from Playground say it.

 

[reksveks]

This is such a non-story but the internet requires 'engaging' content so we have people data-mining linkedin for speculative articles.....

 

[Topher]

This is such a non-story but the internet requires 'engaging' content so we have people data-mining linkedin for speculative articles.....

Yeah, I believe it. Some guy needs to come up with a story so he starts trudging through linkedin for juicy tidbits to exploit.

"Journalism"

 

[DenchDeckard]

Jez Corden is a throw away twitter account?



Nope....just one person's.

 

[Ozriel]

Okay.

Now show US the gameplay, then. Wasn't the original rumor from Schreir? Or am I getting that confused with the Avowed stuff?

At this point, this pattern of demanding Xbox shows off their in-development games outside of major showcases is beginning to look like an unhealthy obsession.

You also know for sure that neither Schreier nor any credible insider has ever had anything negative to say about this game. Stealth warring, at this point.

Anyway it always feels like "tell, don't show" with Xbox when it comes to trying to prove this stuff. And "playable state" could mean anything. The graphics could look like an N64 game but the physics and basic logic are in place, that's a playable state. Let's see how far along the game actually is.

Nobody’s ‘telling’ you anything. It’s a fucking LinkedIn post.
Wait for a showcase if you want to be shown something.

Exactly. It's like when Jez Corden "told" everyone about the Avowed gameplay he got to see. Video games aren't novels; it's a medium where visuals are a key part of expression & communication. Why do I need Jez to tell me something about a game if it's supposedly so far along, versus getting to see it myself?

You didn’t ‘need’ Jez to show you anything. He doesn’t work for MS. And you certainly weren’t owed videos of Avowed last year.

 

[Topher]

Doesn't matter what you believe. One person doesn't speak for "GAF".

 

[feynoob]

Now show US the gameplay, then. Wasn't the original rumor from Schreir? Or am I getting that confused with the Avowed stuff?

It was 4chan crap.

Also, you won't see playable state. You will also have to request it from Sony too, if you want it.

 

[Del_X]

I think I’ll just listen to the armchair devs on GAF saying it’s in development hell, Microsoft can’t manage anything ever, and it’s doomed.

 

[IFireflyl]

I, for one, am excited about this. I love Fable, and I can't wait for this to get polished and released. I just hope it stays true to the original games.

 

[PharaoTutAnchAmun]

So just so I get this straight.
Rumors its in development hell....obviously true.
Rumors it was rebooted and moved to Unreal Engine....obviously true.
Rumors its still in FT Engine and in a playable state.....obviously false.
Microsoft putting out feelers and info to people, who then gather it from LinkedIn profiles, exactly the same way the Unreal Engine rumor started totally logical.

Alright buddy.

Read again the rumor is that they using the Unreal engine, however this not based on reality, so saying that the game will run on the Unreal engine is probably NOT true.

 

[Heisenberg007]

"Playable" or "playable from start to finish?"

As both can refer to extremely different milestones.

 

[Ozriel]

This is gonna be 2025. End of 2024 at a push.

Being in a playable state is a long way from being finished. Playable start to finish is Alpha and that's likely a year plus out on a large-scale project like a RPG where there absolutely needs to be a lot of tuning and tweaking in order to get the whole game flowing and feeling right.

It pays to read the OP. Try again?

It was announced THREE YEARS AGO. Rumors were it started development in 2018. We have not gotten a single screenshot or any footage of gameplay since then. If that isn’t dev hell what is.

Hardly the first time a game has been kept under wraps until close to release. We didn’t get any Elden Ring gameplay until about 8 months to release, for example.
Largely marketing reasons, but also because there’s no real need to show it.

 

[CherryFalls]

The game started devlopment 5 years ago, it should be ready to go by now

 

[Nitty_Grimes]

Will it be in a playable state at launch is what I'm concerned about

Asking the proper question there.

 

[Heisenberg007]

This is such a non-story but the internet requires 'engaging' content so we have people data-mining linkedin for speculative articles.....

It's fine though. It's just the people who are excited for a game, looking for any information they can find to keep themselves updated about the progress of the game. Nothing wrong in my opinion.