Tom: I'm working on Anachronox, a 3D third-person, epic sci-fi role-playing game. It's pretty cool.

VF: How is it to work at Ion Storm?

Tom: We've had our struggles starting the company, but it is really cool working here. We've got some awesome folks on our team. It's rare to get to work with such cool, passionate people.

VF: Would the next PC Keen game be 3D? If it ever came to happen, would there be new enemies, or any other new features, such as mini games?

Tom: It would be 3D, but have a variety of gameplay--some traditional platforming, some free-roaming, some vehicle-based, and so on...and there'd be tons of secrets and mini-games....

VF: What do you think of the huge amount of Keen fan games and web sites?

Tom: I think they're cool. It's nice to see folks embrace the character so.

VF: In which kind of environment would we see Keen walk among if you made another game? What genre of music and what type of sound effects?

Tom: It would be a cool, interactive world, but you'd keep the same simple controls. And it would be bizarre, big, and funny. If I did another Keen, Bobby Prince would have to do the music. :) Sound effects would be digital, but most would be charming updates of the originals. :)

VF: Do you think Commander Keen has enough fans to make it successful and profitable again?

Tom: Don't know. I know I still get mail from folks enjoying his adventures, though.

VF: How would Keen's voice sound?

Tom: Probably like me at age eight. :)

VF: If Keen existed, would he have a geographical location, or would it remain as "his home in the suburbs"?

Tom: Keen is from Madison, Wisconsin. You couldn't tell from where his Bean-with-Bacon Megarocket landed in that one "cinematic"? ;^)

VF: Because some people think this; is Billy Blaze an albino?

Tom: No. He was just in 16 colors. Keen is pretty pale, with freckles, though.

VF: Can any of the non-human Keen game characters speak except from the Vorticons?

Tom: It all depends on the particular race or species. The ones that spoke in the first games would speak in a new one...

VF: Just another of my curiosity questions; if you was able to use more than 16 colors when you made the Keen games, would you have changed any colors? Who, what, which? Were you at any time annoyed by these color limitations?

Tom: You work with what you have. I think Adrian was brilliant in his color use. But given a cartoony game, things would still be done in bold fields of color. They'd just look nicer now.

VF: Who would you like to work with you on a new Keen game? The original team, or people at Ion Storm?

Tom: Well, we've all gone on to do our own style of things really. Working on Keen with those guys was one of the best development experiences of my life, though. Teamwise, the only thing I've promised is that Joe Siegler of 3DRealms gets to do the belch of the Dopefish. :)

VF: Are there any other things you would like to tell the Keen community? Thanks for your time.

Tom: Hope the Gameboy Color game is fun, and true to Keen's spirit.
And, if I ever have time...there may be another dream on the horizon...

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