Today will be a day long remembered: Haden Blackman resigns from LucasArts

13-year LucasArts vet Haden Blackman, the writer and producer on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and creative force behind Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 and Star Wars: Galaxies, has resigned today, IGN reports. "I've had a fantastic time working with the team at Lucasfilm and am really grateful for their ongoing support," Blackman said. "While the decision to leave LucasArts did not happen overnight or come easily, I really feel that now is the best time for me to move on and explore new creative challenges and I look forward to the next phase of my career."

"Oh, sure, Joystiq," you might say, "go with a Star Wars joke as the headline. Real original." Well, look, we spent all freakin' day down at Toshii Station because Luke had to have this one power converter -- no, this one wasn't good enough, it's gotta be that one -- so excuse us if we're a bit off our game ... uh, this is kinda getting weird.

If you wanna join us in pouring one out for our departed comrade, we'll be down at the local hive of scum and villainy.

Reader Comments (29)

I misread that first line as 13 year old.

@Mrguy you know that guy

13 year olds, dude -- 13 year olds.

@Dave Hinkle

http://journeyhomeburke.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/24819bpthe-simpsons-homer-d-oh-posters.jpg

@Sally

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_F5blIU0mkJA/S03lC2GfYpI/AAAAAAAAAro/bGGpsx1rRZ8/S1600-R/o_rly.jpg

The company won't be worse off without him. Galaxies was a disaster, and The Force Unleashed, while decent fun, didn't live up to its potential and had a threadbare script that read like mid-grade fan fiction. There's a wealth of expanded universe novels (some great, some not) that top that stuff. Some directors just shouldn't write.

Then again, what was the last Lucasarts game with a great script?

@Aerothorn Does seem like he's jumping ship.. weren't a load of staff sacked after they completed work on SW:FU..

@Aerothorn

yup, this loser was partially responsible for ruined SWG along with Julio Torres. They scoffed and lauded fans who hated the NGE and made it their personaly mission to be complete a-holes.

I hope he finds no work for destroying great games.

Youre next julio.

@MyAbsolution

"Lauded" means "praised highly". I don't think you mean lauded.

@Drakkenfyre
maybe that was just the tip of the iceberg of the cruel mindgames they used....scoffing AND lauding!

@Aerothorn
not sure about script, but all I know is that Jedi Knight II : Jedi Outcast was absolutely amazing!
Had the most fun cheats out of any game I've ever played

@Brodo Yeah, Jedi Outcast was pretty fun. Was he involved with that?

@Aerothorn
no idea lol
I didnt read the post to be honest. To me he is just one happy smiling dude

I find it odd that he is resigning just as TFU2 reaches the home stretch of development. I hope this doesn't mean that the game has issues, because all I've seen of it so far has seemed pretty good (I liked the first one, but it did have some issues).

It seems like it would be simple to make a good Star Wars game (and for a while, that was true), but lately there just hasn't been a good Star Wars game. Maybe next time.

@adeese

You took the fear right out of my mouth.

@adeese

The game should be in the polish stages at this point if it is going to be any good, so this guy leaving shouldn't do anything at all; it's not like he's gonna sit down and bug test for a couple months.

Him leaving actually gives me more faith about the game's quality since it means that he decided to move on from making games in the same creative universe immediately after his last job was finished.

@adeese Yeah, the best Star Wars games lately have been called Mass Effect.

@adeese,

he probably secretly added a "Crappy-Game" grenade somewhere in the game's code.

That or he was caught tampering with the Force Unleashed 2 code....trying to make it as crappy as the last one.

Good riddance, Blackman.

I hate you for ruining SWG.

You could have easily gone with a Strangers with Candy reference. Something along the lines of Haden Blackman leaving LucasArts for a life as a giant squirrel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JDupjE3DTE

Principal Blackman ftw.

@honkyjesuseternal

That's why there making a sequel, to improve upon the mishaps of the original. Derp.

If this was someone involved with the adventure games or X-Wing / TIE Fighter series.. I'd be pouring one out.

Those games... not so much...

@hfm
Ditto. I would rather know what Tim Schafer had for breakfast today than learn about some random person's job change.

@hfm IF you must know, it was blueberry pancakes. And he said they were delicious. ;)

@honkyjesuseternal
Really..

Is this dude a well known industry legend or something? No.. I read a hella lot of games journalism and blogs.. and this is not the case..

Friend of yours, David?

The Force unleashed is one of the weakest Star wars game brands........

LucasArts lost its focus when it stopped creating revolutionary, groundbreaking games like Grim Fandango and Full Throttle. All it's been for the past 10 years is a cashcow; nothing more, nothing less.

Wow, three shit-sucking games, one of which ignored canon. Gee, he'll really be missed...

@Mrguy you know that guy

Two Worlds also got a sequel. Doesn't mean much

@Sally,

Good! I hated seeing his face during those stupid Force Unleashed demos and recently from TFU2 documentary.

He was probably fired cause TFU SUCKED JAWA BALLZ!

''Force Unleashed requires 4000$ PC"
Never forget.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2

Today will be a day long remembered: Haden Blackman resigns from LucasArts

Reader Comments (29)

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 6:05PM Mrguy you know that guy said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 6:33PM Dave Hinkle said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 6:44PM Mrguy you know that guy said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 6:06PM Mrguy you know that guy said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 6:11PM Aerothorn said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 7:09PM Mazrael said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 7:26PM MyAbsolution said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 9:07PM Drakkenfyre said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 9:24PM sigma8 said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 11:40PM Brodo said

Posted: Jul 30th 2010 12:05AM Aerothorn said

Posted: Jul 30th 2010 9:31PM Brodo said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 6:28PM adeese said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 11:08PM Centaur said

Posted: Jul 30th 2010 7:30AM Nobledevil Gaming Optimist said

Posted: Jul 30th 2010 11:01AM Petebot330 said

Posted: Jul 30th 2010 1:59PM EechuTah said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 6:36PM Dance Love Pop said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 7:13PM Mrguy you know that guy said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 7:48PM hfm said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 9:28PM sigma8 said

Posted: Jul 30th 2010 11:02AM Petebot330 said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 7:50PM hfm said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 10:03PM ZippyDSMlee said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 10:10PM metamorphic said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 10:20PM mietha said

Posted: Jul 29th 2010 10:26PM Cleric said

Posted: Jul 30th 2010 1:55PM EechuTah said

Posted: Jul 31st 2010 6:56AM rullers said

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