14 DAY TRIAL // Remember David Jaffe's Project HL? Sure you do, there were tons of rumors on the PSP game called Heartland (as God of War creator revealed later on), but there were several reasons why the game didn't make it on the PSP, or on any other console for that matter. Thus, speaking to Newsweek about this and that, interviewers didn't miss the opportunity of asking Jaffe about Project HL, or Heartland and why it didn't make it on the market:
"The game was very much a liberal person's response to the Bush administration and the war in Iraq. When I was entertaining lofty thoughts, the idea was to create an experience that would try to make the players--whom I mostly assumed would be of the Western world--feel what it must be like to have their own homeland occupied by another country. SCEA and I went back and forth over if we would ever say it was CHINA vs. AMERICA as they were a bit worried about being so literal, but that fight had not yet occurred when we pulled the plug."
Great idea for a game, you have to agree, but SCE worldwide president, Phil Harrison didn't fully agree with a PSP port and wanted to see the ambitious Heartland on the PS3. As Jaffe continued his comments, he disclosed some details about Harrison's point of view:
"... his biggest issue was thinking a game so epic should be on PS3. But I was always pushing for PSP, saying that Heartland should do for the PSP what Halo did for the Xbox. But as you know, Phil's a total supporter of innovation and games as art and so he was more than willing to see if I had anything worthy to say, as well as the talents to say it through the medium."
And of course, Heartland's final blow and main reason for kicking the bucket - resources: "If the team would have been the right size, we would still be in production with Heartland today. That was the main reason we killed it, not enough folks to make the game. Granted, I would be 40 pounds overweight again, sad, depressed, and maybe even divorced, as it would have consumed me just like God of War did."
So I guess, this also answers the question on whether or not we'll ever be seeing Heartland. Well, not fully but it's certainly a tough nut to crack if they do decide to wipe the dust off the old HL project and start all over, this time for the PS3. Although, a people's liberal response towards Bush's administration in a video game looks like the main reason for the game not making it.