Though the remastered version of the 2004 original was intended to release later this year on Xbox 360, Lionhead Studios took to its blog to announce that Fable Anniversary will be delayed until February, 2014. According to Microsoft’s first-party studio, the high definition overhaul, which includes the first game in the fantasy series alongside Fable: The Lost Chapters, requires extra time to complete.
Here’s what the game’s lead designer Ted Timmens had to say about the rescheduling:
We’ve been working hard for the past year to bring you the very best Fable Anniversary experience on Xbox 360. We feel though, that we need a little more time in order to meet our ambitions and give you, the fans, the best game possible.
I know I speak for everyone at Lionhead when I say that we can’t wait for you to see what we’ve been up to, and it gives us great pleasure to let you know that you can expect Fable Anniversary to be both on-shelves and online via the Xbox Games Store in February 2014.
It’s not easy making these decisions and I know that us asking you to wait a little longer whilst we get to play test the game every day is downright unfair, so over the next few weeks we’re going to be sharing with you more screenshots, more game footage and perhaps even some… top secret announcements!
Given the significant modifications that the studio is applying to the mystical realm of Albion – which includes achievements, a reworked user interface and SmartGlass compatibility – Lionhead’s decision to delay the project is entirely reasonable. Plus, Timmens openly confirmed that the game will be available through retail outlets and digitally via the Xbox Games Store from day one.
In order to address the audience’s concerns, the development team will take to Twitter to answer questions from 5pm to 6pm (GMT) later this evening. Mind you, Fable Anniversary isn’t the only project at Lionhead Studios vying for attention; following the announcement of the co-op based Fable Legends at Gamescom earlier this year.
What do you make of the setback, though? Do you plan on picking up the revamped Fable Anniversary when it finally launches in February, 2014? Let us know below.