GamersInfo.net: The idea of putting Lego and Star Wars together in a video game is an extremely original idea. Where did this concept come from?

Jonathan Smith: Well, the world of LEGO Star Wars has existed in people's imagination since the LEGO Company produced their first range of vehicles and playsets back in 1999. When we were looking for a universe in which to develop some of our design ideas for a distinctive new type of LEGO game, it was very natural for us to be drawn to this exciting, character-packed world.

GamersInfo.net: George Lucas has always said that he has made his films for the younger generation. Lego is obviously aimed more at children, as well. Do you feel that this game is well suited to children?

Jonathan Smith: Right from the start, we set out to make a game that was accessible to *everyone*. This meant paying particular attention to the needs of children. As parents, we've always found it hard to find games which our children can play and enjoy; the interesting games are usually unsuitable in terms of content, and games "targeted" at children are often unsatisfactory from a gameplay point of view. So we spent a lot of time analyzing the ways in which children play, and had consideration for them as our core audience, in everything we did. We also tested the game extensively with children of all ages, throughout development - and took the time to implement their feedback.

GamersInfo.net: What was it like to come up with the models for the Star Wars models and characters that are not already created by Lego?

Jonathan Smith: For a team comprised entirely of LEGO fans, that was a huge thrill.

GamersInfo.net: Did Lego have any say in how these new models were designed, both in terms of style and the bricks used, or were you only limited by your imagination?

Jonathan Smith: We were lucky enough to have fantastic support from the LEGO play materials design team, right from the start. We were eager to get their views on the work we were doing. And they were delighted with it all! They really appreciated what we were doing. In terms of our designs - yes, we had complete freedom; but of course we all aspired to create new models which would sit naturally alongside the "real" LEGO sets and characters.

GamersInfo.net: This game features Episodes 1, 2, and 3. Why the choice made to go with the newer Star Wars films rather then the classic trilogy?

Jonathan Smith: We believe the new trilogy is actually better known by a lot of children; it's those films that they'll have seen in the cinema. And of course the opportunity to tell the whole story of the new movie, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and be a part of this year's biggest entertainment event, was hugely exciting.

GamersInfo.net: Episode 3 makes up approximately a third of this game, yet the film is obviously not yet released. How much access did you have to film footage and the screenplay when designing the levels and story for the Episode 3 portion of the game?

Jonathan Smith: We were privileged to have the most fantastic support from within the entire Lucasfilm organization. We worked initially from the visual script, with access to animatics and scenes as they were created; and we were particularly thrilled to view a full run-through of the entire movie, in production, at ILM, last year.

GamersInfo.net: George Lucas has stated that Episode 3 will be a much darker film and possibly the first Star Wars to earn a PG-13 rating in the US. How difficult was it to add some of these darker moments into the game and yet still keep it appropriate for younger children?

Jonathan Smith: When we worked through the early story treatment, and started to consider the action and scenes we'd be putting into the game, that was initially a concern of ours. However, the most extraordinary thing happens when you translate a story into the LEGO world; it turns into something completely different, and entirely safe. In fact, our LEGO interpretation becomes increasingly humorous, the more strongly dramatic our source material. When we have Obi-Wan falling flat on his face in the climactic battle with Anakin, the seriousness of the "real" dramatic situation only enhances the amount of fun we can have in a LEGO world.

GamersInfo.net: How does it feel to know so much about the final Star Wars film before it's released and do you feel less excited or more excited about seeing it when it hits theatres?

Jonathan Smith: Oh, much much more excited. Without a doubt. We were all Star Wars fans before starting on the game; but to have been so completely immersed in that world, and those characters, for so long, makes us feel an even greater connection. Plus, we know how cool it is!

GamersInfo.net: Now that the game is released, is there anything that you would have loved to have included but were not able to do so due to time or other constraints?

Jonathan Smith: We've all worked on lots of other games, and that's usually a feeling we have at the end of a project: but this is the first time for all of us, that we can genuinely say we're 100% delighted with the end product. We did give ourselves enough time from the start: we've been working on this for well over two years, and all the ideas we had as we went along, made it into the game!

GamersInfo.net: The game features John William's classic score, but it also features a number of Lego related sound effects. Did you blast apart and destroy actual Lego models in order to capture some of these sound effects or did you gather them from a different source?

Jonathan Smith: All our sound effects were created by a specialist team at Skywalker Sound; unquestionably, the world experts in this field. And, yes, I know that they did drop, smash and otherwise abuse real LEGO in order to create some of the effects.

GamersInfo.net: You worked closely with NVIDIA to provide Pixel Shader support on higher end video cards. How rewarding was it to provide this additional graphics support and how do you feel it helps with the immersion in the game?

Jonathan Smith: NVIDIA's involvement was critical to our goal of creating a game which would have real visual impact on PCs; and, crucially, which we could guarantee would run well on a wide array of hardware. Some of the effects we were able to implement, with their help, make a real difference to the vividness of our game world.

GamersInfo.net: What is your favorite Star Wars film and your favorite Lego model?

Jonathan Smith: As someone who's been immersed for so long in the drama of Episode III, to the point where I'm genuinely affected by the fate of Anakin Skywalker, and also because of its terrific variety and energy, I have to say that my favourite movie is "Return of the Jedi". Anakin's final redemption; the climax of Luke's journey, the defeat of Palpatine, in parallel with all the heroics of Han, Leia and the rebels, is an unbeatable mix. For my favourite LEGO model, it's a tie between the AT-AT walker from the battle of Hoth in "Return of the Jedi", and the new Arc Fighter spacecraft from Episode III.