Gamecloud - How does creating a game in episodic format change how the game is structured in terms of its plot and design?

Shawn Ketcherside - You always want to satisfy the gamer. You don't want to leave them without a sense of closure. So an episodic game is not like a chapter in a book, it still needs a definitive beginning, middle, and end -- following the classic story structure. You can have cliff hangers, you can have call backs, you can do anything you want -- as long as you satisfy the gamer. For us, that meant having to view the game on two levels. In the first, more macro level, we have to figure out how this particular episode fits in with the entire story we want to tell. In the second, more micro level, we concentrate on one particular episode. We have to figure out how express key events that are important to the overall story, generate potential hooks for future exploration, look for call backs to previous story elements, and, most importantly, have a satisfying story by itself.

Gamecloud - Many people are saying that PC gaming will become less of a force in retail stores, especially when the next generation of console games (PS3, Xbox 360) are released. Do you believe that Internet distribution will become a bigger force in selling PC games in the next few years, even for high profile titles?

Steve - Retail dollar sales for individual PC games has been on the decline but the overall PC market is actually growing when you factor in subscription and downloadable content. We expect to see developers of all sizes embracing the digital distribution model and that will lead to a massive increase in the amount of PC content available to gamers. That goes for episodic content and traditional length games. Publishers are not ignoring digital delivery either and they will also get into this market as well. More sales and more customers will equal more PC games made. This is the best news for PC games in years honestly.