In a matter of days Fable 2 has become a huge success story for UK-based developer Lionhead. Yesterday it climbed straight to the top of the UK charts, becoming the first Microsoft title to do so since Halo 3. Sales figures also show it has become the fifth-fastest-selling game in UK history, outselling the original Fable’s launch-week performance by a ratio of nearly 4:1.
Those figures alone are enough to make any developer, publisher and shareholder utterly delighted, yet Fable 2 has done something more than please those involved with it. Fable 2 has become a symbol of success in the context of discontent from within the UK game development sector.
“I think Fable 2 shows that UK studios have the talent, drive and collective strength of character to focus on innovation, craft and mood rather than simply playing safe and churning out something approved by numerous committees of grey men in greyer suits,” the game’s design director Dene Carter told Edge. “Ultimately, the big franchises have to come from somewhere. You don’t create money-making IP just by playing catch-up.”
In recent weeks attention has turned away from the UK’s capacity to deliver such commercially successful, renowned IP. British developers, publishers and trade bodies are lobbying the UK government to provide the same level of tax breaks that the film industry is currently enjoying. They are also calling for better standards and more relevant training in education.
But this call for better foundations for tomorrow has been somewhat diluted by the news that the UK has slipped to fourth place in the global game development rankings. With these facts taken collectively, there is a growing impression that the UK games development sector is doomed. Yet the truth of the matter is that UK games development, while largely overlooked as a crucial contributor to the UK economy, and though in need of stronger governmental support for the sake of its future, is today a prosperous British Industry.
“Everyone is very aware of the costs of development these days. Making big, risky, experimental games is, frankly, scary if you’re the one holding the purse strings. Fable’s commercial success proves that the UK can create strong, unique IP,” Carter says, adding however that foreboding global economic doubts will have a knock-on effect on development: “I don’t think we’re going to see a sudden rush of brave decisions from publishers over the next couple of years.”