Alan Hansen gives us his take on his own beautiful game
Northamptonshire, UK: Oxygen Games has been fortunate enough to get an interview with Mr Football himself, Alan Hansen, star of Alan Hansen’s Sports Challenge, for Playstation 2, PC and Wii.
Oxygen Games: What made you decide to put your name and talents into a videogame?
Alan Hansen: I liked the concept and thought it would be quite a fun project to be involved with. And I was right!
Oxygen Games: What has it been like working with Oxygen?
Alan Hansen: It’s been great – everyone is very professional but still retains a sense of fun. My involvement with this has been a lot easier than working on TV and radio; I was able to just go to the recording studio and do my stuff. Nobody yelling “Cut” every time I recorded a take! Shooting the promo ad was really fun too.
Oxygen Games: What’s been the best/most fun aspect of making this game?
Alan Hansen: Several things really; working with Oxygen was great, as I mentioned earlier but also, being given a free hand in the voice-over.
Oxygen Games: Would you consider doing more videogames in the future?
Alan Hansen: I might; really it would depend upon the project.
Oxygen Games: How does voicing a game differ from television or radio work?
Alan Hansen: I can only speak from my own experience but I found it to be much less frenetic. Certainly there’s less pressure, and as I said before, there was no script. They let me do more or less what I liked.
Oxygen Games: Which is your favourite part or feature of the game?
Alan Hansen: Being the kind of person that likes to exercise his brain, I’d have to say the questions. Although having said that, my caricature is pretty amusing!
Oxygen Games: Would you recommend Alan Hansen’s Sports Challenge to your friends and family?
Alan Hansen: Of course! In fact, I may have to insist they play it this Christmas!
Oxygen Games: Would you recommend it to strangers?! Why? What about it makes it so good?
Alan Hansen: Again, of course I would. What makes it good...apart from *my* involvement, you mean?! Let me see – well, I suppose the fact that you have to think on your feet, so to speak; you have to be quick off the mark if you want to win, and it’s really good fun. A bit like sport eh?
Oxygen Games: Have you played Cheggers’ Party Quiz? If not, would you and do you think you’d be any good at it?
Alan Hansen: To be completely honest, I’m not really a games person, although obviously I *have* played this one. However, as I said before in another interview, it’s important to keep the mind as well as the body in shape – quiz games are great for this.
Oxygen Games: Who’d do better – you playing Cheggers’ quiz or Cheggers playing yours?
Alan Hansen: I believe Keith Chegwin said that I’d fare much better playing his game than he would mine…I think it would be ungentlemanly of me to contradict him!
Alan Hansen’s Sports Challenge (along with Cheggers' Party Quiz), for Playstation 2 & PC is in the shops now, with the Wii™ version released tomorrow, December 7th.