James Duncan, voormalig Lionhead-artiest (Fable 2, Fable 3), heeft een boekje opengedaan over zijn ex-werkgever. Hij vertelde dat de studio letterlijk op haar knieën zat voor de overname door Microsoft in 2006. In een interview met Eurogamer vertelde hij het een en ander over de overname.

"Literally the day I started Microsoft said we're buying you. It was a big time, a lot of upheaval in the company. When you're bought by Microsoft it's quite a big deal. Lionhead was on its knees. They desperately needed help, let's put it that way. So really, when Microsoft came along it was jubilation. A lot of people were taking sighs of relief that Microsoft had come in as the savior."

"Things were difficult at the time, let's put it that way. Certainly when Microsoft came in with the offer it was good for Lionhead because they needed maybe a stronger hand to come in and help them out at the time."

Ondanks de lastige omstandigheden waar de studio mee te kampen had voor de overname was studiohoofd Peter Molyneux het licht in de duisternis, aldus Duncan. Hij vindt dat de industrie meer mensen nodig heeft zoals Peter.

"The thing you can never take away from the guy is he is a fantastic speaker and a great motivator, somebody who can gee the troops up, come in with an idea or something and really sell that idea and project it outwardly to guys like you. That's an enormous advantage for any company. You need that. Companies live and die on advertising or just getting the presence out to other people so they know they exist. In that respect Peter Molyneux is absolutely grade A one solid gold."

"He's the sort of person you'd rather want than not. The industry needs people like that. It's great to have these kind of people because it just generates interest, and that's so important. You can have the best game in the world but if you don't have the promotion you're dead in the water. Equally, you can have the worst game in the world and have fantastic promotion and have a million seller."

"With Mr Molyneux, it's gold dust to have that kind of thing. It's sound-bite galore. He's absolutely fantastic for you. Anything the guy says, whether it's rubbish or not, you'll print it and in a way it's just generating further hits for Lionhead and for the game and just publicity."

"No publicity is bad publicity is how the saying goes, and it's true. He's an asset."

Duncans eigen studio, RedBreast Studios, is op dit moment werkzaam aan een iPhone- en iPad-game: een hommage aan klassiekers als Elite, Tie Fighter, Red Baron en Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe.