G4 Exclusive: ‘Force Unleashed’ Producer Interview

G4.com has posted an interview with Cameron Suey, associate producer of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. The interview give some information on what to expect from The Force Unleashed as well as some info on the gameplay. It also reminds people that the demo can now be downloaded on the XBOX LIVE for gold and silver members.

Also be sure to stay tuned for Gamespots Force Unleashed Gameplay marathon starting Friday, September 5 at 11:00 a.m.

Interesting Rumor / New Interview with The Force Unleashed Producer Haden Blackman

First thing I want to get out there is a new rumor that i’ve come across. According to SlashGamer.com they have stumbled across some proof that there will be, “downloadable content” released for The Force Unleashed. Although they don’t release their source, they say that Lucas Arts is working on it right now.

It’s a nice speculation and unfortunately I cannot confirm that this is true or not, so for the time being i’m going to keep thinking that it is a rumor.

We’ve just got word from a source that was at LucasArt’s game division today and had some interesting information concerning Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. As our source was walking through the halls he was invited into their Foley room. If some of you are wondering what the Foley room is; it’s where sound is reordered live for movies and games.

As he watched two Foley sound technicians finishing up some work, he asked them, “what game are you recording for“. The two men responded and said it was for the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed game, and they’re working on “new content” but weren’t allowed to go into detail. What exactly do they mean “new content”. Generally speaking, the Foley room recordings are done well in advance and Star Wars is scheduled to be released September 16th. So why would they still need to record sound for the game? From what it seemed like and how it was worded, LucasArts is already well underway and creating downloadable content for the Force Unleashed. Which makes sense, this Star Wars game could be the biggest game for the franchise up to this point.

Next off ActionTrip.com has posted a great interview with The Force Unleashed Producer Haden Blackman.

Some of the interesting questions include:

AT: To what extent was your team restricted while working on characters, worlds and other aspects of the game. How much of the development was overseen by George Lucas?

HB: I don’t think we ever felt restricted at all. Early on, we worked with George Lucas to determine the setting for the game — the era between Episodes III and IV — and he gave us a rundown of what is happening during that time period. He told us the types plots Darth Vader might be hatching, what some of the major characters are doing, and how the Emperor might play a role in any story we create. Once we had an approved story (which took many months), we checked in with George Lucas and Lucasfilm Licensing periodically, but we basically had a great deal of freedom to explore the time period, really push the boundaries of the Force, and tell the story in a way we felt would be most compelling.

AT: Combining DMM and Euphoria was obviously a great challenge. Do you see these technologies used in other projects and for different genres?

HB: I certainly think we can continue to expand on the ways these technologies interact, and the technologies themselves. We’ve barely scratched the surface of simulation-based gameplay, environmental interactivity and destructibility, and bio-mechanical AI. While different genres might be better at exploiting these technologies, I think that many game concepts could benefit from the level of interactions we’ve achieved in The Force Unleashed, and I hope we continue to blow the doors off of real-time simulation moving forward, especially as we become more skilled at building games for the current generation of consoles and start looking towards the next generation.

AT: The upcoming demo features the Tie Fighter Construction Facility level and a different conclusion to that level - one that won’t be in the final game. Is this ending an important segment of the overall story in The Force Unleashed?

HB: We added a new enemy at the end of the demo that players normally won’t encounter at that exact location so that players get a taste for what it’s like fighting a bigger unit.

AT: If all goes well with Force Unleashed, can we expect a sequel some time in the future?

Be sure to check out the full interview here, it’s a great read!