Fable Co-Creator Simon Carter Leaves Lionhead

Lionhead technical director Simon Carter, who co-founded Fable originator Big Blue Box, has left the company to pursue "lots of new opportunities" in the digital download space. Speaking to news site GI.biz [registration required], Carter explained that it is time to try something different. "The games industry is an exciting place at the moment, and there are lots of new opportunities to pursue," he said. "Everything is changing: consumer play habits, the relationship between the player and the developer, new funding and payment models; in a few years things are likely to look very different from the industry we know now." He continued, "This is the time to do something different, so that's what I'm planning to do." Carter plans to create Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, Steam and mobile games with his brother Dene Carter. Discussing his relationship with Lionhead, Carter noted, "The decision to leave Lionhead was a very difficult one." "After initiating the franchise over a decade ago I still love the world of Fable, and I'm very proud of what Big Blue Box and Lionhead achieved. I'm leaving behind some very good friends and some of the best developers in the industry, and I couldn't have chosen a better group of people to spend the last ten years with." In his previous time at Bullfrog, Carter also worked as technical lead on classic strategy title Dungeon Keeper, as well as a number of other Bullfrog games.