We figure as gaming-journalists, it should really be our duty to confront circulating rumors and report on their validity. Well, the PS3 has been surrounded by nothing but rumors since its release. My favorite rumor, solely because of its lack of logical thinking, was that Sony will stop selling PS3s with Blu-Ray drives in them, rendering them completely useless. But a new rumor has emerged, one that is both wrong and right.
The website RumorReporter (I've never heard of it, either) has published a story regarding a high profile PS3 1st party title that is seeing some severe development issues and may end up being cancelled. On the Neo-GAF forum, David Jaffe (God of War director) was quick to throw some of his own words into the mix, partially denouncing and explaining this rumor. For those who don't know, Jaffe plays a pivotal role with SCEA, as he oversees much of SCEA's development in Santa Monica.
The RumorReporter claims that they were tipped off by a source who is actually involved in development of this high profile game. The words this source used stated that the development has "stalled completely". Apparently a rift in development has also sparked the bringing in of a new director to work on the game. Additionally, this game is said to have only 4 completed levels, with no online groundwork laid down yet. Word around that studio says that if things continue to not go according to plan, the game may end up as a downloadable title, instead.
Everyone, myself included, were quick to guess Warhawk. Indeed it seems so, as the website later revealed the title in question – but then took down the info. But fear not, worried folk; Warhawk is neither getting cancelled nor thrown into the PlayStation Network Store. Below you will find the entire post Jaffe made about Warhawk's "growing pains", as he put it, and what the reasons are behind them.
"Guys (gals?), just be aware that MANY MANY MANY games- including 90% of the ones I have worked on- go thru growing pains. It's called the creative process. Sometimes those pains are so bad that you don't think you can go on (GOD OF WAR, in my case), sometimes they are not that bad. BUT just because you hear about a game that is (or WAS) struggling thru the process, doesn't mean ANYTHING. That is the process for much of the time. Hell, they KILLED the first draft of HALF LIFE and started again…how many times did they push back ZELDA (which ZELDA? Hell, how about MOST of them)…you REALLY think it was to 'give the game more polish and give gamers the game the deserve'? Well sure it was, but you also never stopped to think that the extra time was needed because the game didn't sail thru the dev. process like butter in the first place?
So just because some disgruntled ex-worker- who thought the game should have been made HIS way- is now getting his 15 minutes by spouting off to some news source, does not mean he is bringing any meat to the table in terms of valid information. It may be TRUE information in terms of a game having been down a tough road, but again- that is par for the course."
In a follow up post, Jaffe stated: "I think you guys will be happy when you play the game in question tho. Very happy." Pretty assuring words, if I do say so. I have faith in Jaffe, and I'm sure Warhawk will turn out the fantastic high-caliber title we're all anticipating it to be. There's nothing really special going on behind the scenes of this game, that hasn't happened with other games. The arm-flailing is blown out of proportion.