Interview with Paul Gold of Digital Leisure – Dragon’s Lair for Xbox 360? Space Ace for PS3?

Despite his many duties at Digital Leisure, Paul Gold took the time to answer our questions regarding the PS3 launch of Dragon’s Lair, the possibility of it coming to Xbox 360, and what the future may have in store for Digital Leisure. Read on to find out what Mr. Gold had to say.

PixelPerfectGaming: Paul, would you mind telling us how Digital Leisure became involved with Don Bluth Studios?

Paul Gold: Digital Leisure has 10 year plus relationship with the Don Bluth Studios and Dragon’s Lair LLC. This stemmed from the relationship which David Foster, Digital Leisure’s president, nurtured during his time at the helm of ReadySoft who originally developed and published many of the Dragon’s Lair/Space Ace home editions in the 1990s.

PPG: What was your involvement in both past and present Digital Leisure projects?

PG: I joined Digital Leisure back in its infancy handling the development of the DVD-Video based iterations of the classic laserdisc and arcade games. Since those humble beginnings the company has morphed it to a full fledged development and publishing studio. I now supervise the production of all our titles on a variety of platforms whether it be Wii, PlayStation or iPhone. However, as any small company we all wear a lot of hats, and that has me working with our creative people and also answering emails or posting on forums to answer feedback from our awesome fans.

PPG: Digital Leisure was very quiet while developing Dragon’s lair for Playstation 3.

Was this done to surprise the fans?

PG: Even though Dragon’s Lair has been released on over sixty platforms since its arcade release in 1983, fans demand it on every new format! So, we thought putting an HD version together for a download would be a nice holiday treat for fans. So yes, it was done as (a) sweet surprise.

PPG: Can you tell us if Don Bluth was involved in the development process of Dragon’s Lair for Playstation 3? If he was, did he play test the final product?

PG: Don Bluth Films certainly reviews many of the graphical items in the games, especially items like the Dirk the Daring costume on PlayStation Home, but there was no direct involvement with the PlayStation 3.

PPG: Tell us a little bit about the decisions made during the development process of Dragon’s Lair. Since previous home versions of DL didn’t include High Score tables and a Save Game Feature, was Digital Leisure aiming for something a bit more unique with this release?

PG: Well, we certainly want every version to have something unique for users to have. The PlayStation 3 is a fantastic system that allows us to create some really unique gameplay items for Dragon’s Lair like High Scores and fun Trophies for people’s collection. The Save Game Feature was something fans have always wanted, but we always felt the game was short enough to not really require it, but we thought “why not” this time.

PPG: Digital Leisure has a long history of releasing laserdisc games on various platforms, including DVD players. With its debut on PS3 finalized, what are the chances of Dragon’s Lair appearing on Xbox 360?

PG: I would say the chances of having Dirk and the gang appear on the Xbox 360 are pretty good. In fact, at this point the Xbox is basically the only current generation gaming console that doesn’t have Dragon’s Lair on it! However, it’s always nice to hear from fans, so if you want it on your 360 – Demand it!

PPG: How successful was Dragon’s Lair on launch day?

PG: Dragon’s Lair was very successful on its launch week! In fact beyond the success of the game comes all of the fun extras available on the PS3. We have a unique Dragon’s Lair Theme, Wallpapers and even a bunch of items for PlayStation Home so you can dress up as Dirk, Daphne and even put Singe in your space.

PPG: Has feedback been positive from the fans?

PG: The feedback has been beyond positive. People love having Dragon’s Lair on their console in full HD – no discs or trips to the store necessary!

PPG: Going forward, will we be seeing Space Ace and Dragon’s Lair II: Time Warp for Playstation 3?

PG: I would say that’s a pretty good assumption. I don’t have any specifics right now, but you could see Ace and Kimberly on your PS3 this Spring!

PPG: Before this interview comes to a close, is there anything you would like to say to Don Bluth fans and the gaming community?

PG: All we can do is send out our thanks to everyone who loves these games as much as we do. The fans have been massively helpful in getting everything perfectly arcade authentic over time and we couldn’t be happier. Many things we’ve created and developed have been done based on suggestions and feedback. Should anyone want to see a specific item for PlayStation Home or a unique Trophy in Space Ace, Dragon’s Lair II you should email us at [email protected], we’d be happy to hear from you.

PixelPerfectGaming.com would like to thank Paul Gold for taking the time to answer our questions. We would like to congratulate Digital Leisure on the successful launch of Dragon’s Lair for Playstation 3.