ATP: What are your plans around an eventual expansion for Sid Meier's Pirates! – could you perhaps tell us something about stuff / features that you wanted to implement in the game, that for some reason didn't make it in this remake? SM: We're pretty focused on finishing up development of Pirates! for the Xbox which is due to come out this summer. We'll keep you posted on other plans down the road.
ATP: Piracy – Your thoughts about this - how are you trying to prevent it? Everyone uses copy-“protection”, but are you considering other options as well, such as bonuses to the ones that actually buy your games? (For instance, having an unique key that is only available from the retail box, that gives access to special features / goodies online?)
SM: I leave that kind of stuff to the business folks...if it's something that we feel is necessary moving forward than we'll come up with some solutions.
ATP: Sid, you've come up with lots of great titles and ideas during your career, and you are still going strong. How do you do it? Where do you get your inspiration from? What is it that makes you keep going?
SM: I feel like the luckiest guy in the world being able to make games for a living. I really love it, and I plan to keep on doing it for a long time. Most of my game ideas come from things I enjoyed as a kid…history, airplanes, railroads, pirates, civil war etc. …and things I discovered as an adult…golf for instance :) What keeps me going are the many game ideas I've yet to bring to life and the wonderful fans who have inspired me for over 20 years to keep making games that are fun.
ATP: Many fans wonder about your level of participation in the “Sid Meier's” games, can you perhaps tell us a bit about your role in the remake of Sid Meier's Pirates!?
SM: I have been the designer and lead programmer on the new Pirates!, which means I've been hands-on, knee deep in the trenches for the entire development process. I'm fortunate to have a really talented team of developers here at Firaxis who have worked with me to make this game really great.
ATP: Back when the original Pirates! was made, there wasn't many other games to draw inspiration from. Can you tell us anything about what made you come up with the idea of making a game about pirates?
SM: I've been interested in pirates since I was a kid, and had always thought it would be a fun topic for a computer game. I liked watching the old Errol Flynn pirate movies which inspired me to create a pirate game in which the player could be a swashbuckling hero like the one in the movies. And I designed the game so that it uses action sequences as they are used in movies, to tie together story segments in a fun and interesting way.
ATP: Ok, final question – what does it take for you to say “Sid Meier's Pirates! was a great success?” SM: If fans write to us and tell us that this game is even more fun than the original, I'll be very happy.
ATP: Thank you for taking the time to answering these questions- :)
SM: Thank you!
Sid Meier, Firaxis Games |
09.01.2007 - 
