Layoffs follow Fable: The Journey release at Lionhead

Layoffs have hit the Fable: The Journey developer Lionhead Studios not long after the game's release only last week.

Microsoft cut "a very small number" of positions yesterday and is considering rehiring some of those employees elsewhere within the company, "which is actively hiring."

Statements from Microsoft excused the layoffs as part of normal procedure: “Following the completion of Fable: The Journey, the Lionhead studio is in the process of beginning work on its next projects," a Microsoft spokesperson told Game Informer. "As is common in the games industry, a reduced headcount is needed as projects kick-off and ramp up as development gets underway.

Although more reviews were unkind toward The Journey than positive, scores ranged all the way from 90 to 30 (on a 100-point scale) on the aggregate site Metacritic. The game released on October 9 and is a Kinect exclusive.

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