Seems as if Hayden Blackman has been everywhere lately, especially with all the buzz coming out of E3. Click here for an interview with Hayden talking The Force Unleashed at guardian.co.uk. See the intro below...


"Star Wars games used to be great. Think the original arcade game in the '80s. Or the "Super" SNES games and the likes of Tie Fighter and Dark Forces in the 90's. But the last ten years or so haven't been kind to fans of the Force. Remember gaming atrocities like - shudder - Masters of Teras Kasi, Obi-Wan and the official prequel games. If you missed them you're lucky. If you're curious then feel free to splash out a quid or two for each on ebay. Of course there has been the occasional good 'un but interestingly these games - Knights of the Old Republic, Battlefront and possibly the early days of Galaxies if you're feeling generous - were all developed externally. So the pressure is on for next Star Wars game - The Force Unleashed. Released on Sept 19th the game is being developed in-house and has the added expectation of being marketed as the "next film". Luckily then what I've seen and played so far looks like it could banish those Super Bombad era memories for good. I recently spoke to LucasArts Project Lead Hayden Blackman about Force Unleashed, George Lucas and the stresses of creating a new Star Wars game."

(Thanks Ethan!)



More on TFU right here as teamxbox.com gets hands on with the Xbox 360 version of the game.



UPDATE: Another interview with Hayden Blackman has popped up, this time at ActionTrip.com. See the excerpt below:


"AT: What about storytelling? Does the game follow a linear plot or will players be able to choose how things unfold?

HB: The player will have some choices that impact the outcome of the game, but we really focused on a strong central narrative that feels true to the Star Wars films and allows for character development. In terms of player choices, we also wanted to invest a lot of our energy and effort into gameplay significant choices: so, you can choose how to rank up and improve your powers, or which combos to buy, for example.

AT: Other than Vader and Bail Organa, will we see any other familiar characters from the movies or the SW: Expanded Universe?

HB: Yes. Princess Leia has a pivotal role, as does the Emperor. We also have a few surprise cameos from the films and the Expanded Universe, which I think will show fans that we are committed to staying true to the existing continuity wherever possible."


Click here for the full interview.



Source: ClubJade.net



UPDATE #2: We're gonna be seeing a lot of these as we get closer to September 16th. Click here for an interview with Hayden Blackman at UGO. Exerpt below...


"We begin on the Wookie homeworld of Kashyyyk, and I heard that one of the early concepts involved playing as a Wookie. What has changed since the beginning of development? How involved was George Lucas with the story?

That was one of the early concepts, but it was a very different game. We spent months and months narrowing down our ideas until we eventually ended up with what became The Force Unleashed. Throughout that process we met with George to discuss story ideas and pitch him concepts. He offered his guidance, gave us suggestions, and encouraged us to explore new ground and create new characters."