Fable creators, key Lionhead staff form new UK studio

The creators of Lionhead Studios' flagship franchise Fable, brothers Dene and Simon Carter, have formed a new UK-based development house called Another Place Productions. A number of key members from the Fable team at Microsoft subsidiary Lionhead have also left the developer to join the Carters at Another Place, including former art director John McCormack, technical director Guillaume Portes, and executive producer Jeremie Texier. Another Place hasn't offered details on any projects it's currently working on, but when Simon Carter left Lionhead last June, he said he hoped to work on games for digital platforms like XBLA, PSN, Steam, and mobile with his brother. The Carters helped create Fable at Lionhead's satellite studio Big Blue Box, which they headed before it was absorbed by Lionhead in 2004. The PC and Xbox 360 series has shipped three entries -- with a Kinect-powered spin-off forthcoming -- and has gone on to sell over 12 million copies. It's unclear if the departure of several critical staff members from Lionhead will affect the development of its Kinect game Fable: The Journey, the only title the company has announced, or any other projects in development. Fable: The Journey is expected to ship this year.