Chuck Lupher, lead designer and Ken Embery, executive producer at Sierra, took time to talk about The Hobbit, an upcoming game for the GameCube. Here is the interview by GameZone.

Question: The Hobbit has been around in book form for more than 60 years and has legions of fans. How have you tried to stay true to the book? Do you feel the pressure from fans' expectations?

Answer: "We tried to remain as true to the book as possible. We picked the key points of the book that we felt would best support gameplay, while, simultaneously, bringing the story of The Hobbit to life. In a couple of areas of the book where Bilbo and his companions were resting or waiting or resupplying themselves, we took some creative freedom to enhance the gameplay experience. We know that we cannot make everyone happy, but we feel that this game will appeal to both Tolkien purists as well as the everyday gamer."

Q: This title and series of books has been guarded well from commercialization. Just recently has the door been opened to take these titles and explore the possibilities in multimedia arenas. Were there any guidelines imposed that you had to follow when developing this game?

A: "We have worked closely with Tolkien Enterprises to insure that we keep the game within the spirit of The Hobbit and the world of Middle- earth."

Q: Please explain a little about the concept of the game. What characters will be playable? What shortcuts to the Lonely Mountain does the game take? Does this game serve as a set-up for the Lord of the Rings release?

A: "Bilbo will be the only playable character in The Hobbit, as the book is based around the adventures of Bilbo. However, Gandalf and others will assist Bilbo in his epic quest. We wanted to allow the player to retrace the steps of Bilbo from where the book starts, Hobbiton, all the way to Lonely Mountain, where the game culminates with the Battle of Five Armies. As the player progresses through the game, identifiable locations such as Hobbiton, The Misty Mountains, Mirkwood, Laketown, Smaug's Lair, and Lonely Mountain will be available to explore."

Q: Can you tell us a little about the look and feel of the game. What images, if any, served as a role model for Bilbo, Gandalf and the dwarves (not to mention the other main players in this adventure)?

A: "We scoured endless amounts of Tolkien reference material during pre-production, and what really surprised us was the degree of variation seen from one image to another. This visual variety indicated to us that we had some creative room in which to grow our own artistic style for the game. What we finally decided on was a rich, colorful palette for our materials, characters, and environment. As for Bilbo, Gandalf, and the Dwarves, we let our imaginations be the guide. If you look at the screenshots that have been released, we think you'll find our look is unique and distinct."

Q: What do you think will be the first thing that players notice about this title, and what aspect of the game do you think will leave a lasting impression?

A: "The first thing players will notice about this title is the detail of Bilbo as a character, and the beauty of the world he's living in. If players are good enough to win their way through to the game's conclusion, we think they will remember the Battle of Five Armies for a long, long time."

Q: Has any new technology been incorporated into this game? Are there multiplayer options, and � if so � what do they entail?

A: "Over the past couple of years we have learned a great deal about the strengths of the GameCube and we plan to push the GameCube technology as far as we can. Some of the cool technology features that we have incorporated into The Hobbit are: one, a fully dynamic lighting system; two, per pixel lighting effects such as bump mapping, specular and anisotropic; three, multitextured materials using all of the GameCube texture stages; and four, multi-channel streaming interactive music.

"There are no multiplayer options in the game as we felt that the story of The Hobbit lent itself primarily to a single-player experience."

Q: What do you think accounts for the lasting appeal of these books, and how were you able to incorporate that into your game?

A: "We think the books remain popular because the story-telling all but explodes with action, adventure, and magic. The world of Middle- earth is completely realized. Tolkien fans view the collection as being the lost history of an actual civilization in an actual period of time. The series is easily the greatest fantasy tale ever told, which makes our job all the easier since we can draw off such stellar source material."

Q: To whom do you think this game will appeal?

A: "We've stayed true enough to the book to satisfy Tolkien purists. Yet, we've also packed the game with diverse gameplay, which should appeal to any action-adventure or fantasy gamer. Anyone who ever wished they were Bilbo, traveling with the Dwarves and Gandalf, can look forward to finally living out the legendary story."

Q: What presented the greatest challenge in creating the game, and what � once designed � provided the greatest sense of satisfaction?

A: "Remaining as true to the story of The Hobbit as possible while creating an interactive epic adventure. The greatest sense of satisfaction was bringing to life a story and a world that most of us enjoyed when we were children and still enjoy to this date. And hey�Just wait until you see Smaug!"

Source: GameZone