Chuck & Ken: We started working on The Hobbit about a year and a half ago. We currently have a team of about 30 people currently working on the game.

GameSpy: How does the Courage Points system work exactly?

Chuck & Ken: Courage Points are found through various means. You can complete quests, explore hidden areas, and kill monsters. In general, Courage Points reward you for doing brave and extraordinary things. When enough Courage Points are gained, you gain more health.

GameSpy: Describe how the interface works.

Chuck & Ken: The main part of the interface is your inventory. From here you'll be able to select your weapons, heal yourself, and see your overall status. There is also a quest journal that will keep you informed of what you are doing and what needs to be done.

GameSpy: To what degree can one explore the various environments?

Chuck & Ken: Each Chapter is completely open for exploration. Once you reach the end of a Chapter, you will be given the option to move on to the next Chapter, or stick around and explore some more.

GameSpy: Does the travelling from one place to another take places in real-time or are there certain 'jumps' in time?

Chuck & Ken: As The Hobbit takes place over several months, travelling between the larger areas is not done in real time. There are Page Turn Cinemas that describe your journey. Within each chapter though, it should be smooth sailing. No freezes or black load screens. Play at will.

GameSpy: Are there, save rendering invisibility, other tricks that can be performed with the One Ring?

Chuck & Ken: The One Ring has the wonderful ability of invisibility. Looking to sneak past someone? Put on The Ring and tip-toe away. There are some limitations though. You cannot wear The Ring the entire time. There is a system in place to balance when, where, and how long you can actually wear The One Ring. Hey, without some balance, you'd wear it the whole time right? So, as in the book, The One Ring will be dropping off Bilbo's finger at unexpected times and in inconvenient places.

GameSpy: Name a couple of prominent items and describe how they can be utilized.

Chuck & Ken: There are a multitude of quest items throughout the game. You will need these to get past certain obstacles and help others. Several of the quest items are used to solve puzzles. There are also several puzzle systems in place such as push block puzzles and raising and lowering water to traverse certain regions.

GameSpy: What kind of weapons do you have at your disposal to rid yourself of adversaries?

Chuck & Ken: There are three weapons that Bilbo uses, a walking stick, throwing stones, and Sting. I can tell you that there are special moves and attacks, but as for how they come together, you'll just have to wait and see.

GameSpy: What is the latest on the dialogue recording?

Chuck & Ken: Final casting is underway and recording sessions are being set. There will be a wide variety of LA-based character actor talent involved in The Hobbit. The goal is to create an ensemble of game characters who have personality, wit, humor, and the full range of emotions from the book. The script will allow the actors to bring both the book and the game to life.

GameSpy: Can you actually choose what to say whilst interacting with other characters, or is the dialogue static?

Chuck & Ken: Yes, there are cases where you will be required to choose how to react to someone. Of course, what you say does change the outcome.

GameSpy: Is the engine really capable of rendering the Battle of the Five Armies?

Chuck & Ken: Oh yes. The Battle of Five Armies will be happening all around you as you play Bilbo. It will be one of those levels in a game that you'll never forget.

Source: Gamespydaily.com