[IG] LEGO Batman the Videogame… dare we say the most anticipated game of the year? DC Comics has one of the richest universes available, what inspired you to create a game based on one of the world’s most popular superhero characters?

[LD] It was a fairly easy decision. LEGO had made some fantastic Batman sets and were in a sense, already bringing a LEGO Gotham to life. The rich, colourful, comic environment also lent itself very well to a LEGO adventure. All of the mini-figures in these bright, primary colours, look fantastic when bought to life. You’ve also made a good point when you describe him as ‘one of the world’s most popular superhero characters’ – Batman has over 70 years of heritage and is known by all ages the world over. It was too good an opportunity to turn down![IG] For comic and non-comic fans, the story sounds like it is dripping with Batman, how did you come up with the great idea of Batman cleaning up the streets of Gotham after a deadly breakout from Arkham Asylum?

[LD] We worked with DC to come up with this very classic Batman story. We’d always wanted to break all of the criminals out as they are so cool to have in the game! One of the great strengths of the Batman universe is the array of colourful villains and we’re now able to bring them to life in mini-figure format. As we weren’t working from any film we have been able to have a lot of fun bringing it all to life, both in the levels and especially in the cutscenes.

[IG] From the screenshots, it seems that LEGO Batman the Video may be based on the animated series with a strong homage to the comics. After over a century of Batman stories, how did you pick just one era? For many, this task may have been too much, how did you handle this rich history?

[LD] There’s no perfect formula, we just tried to create a LEGO Batman taking inspiration from the wide array of source material. You’ll see there are situations and settings where we’ve paid homage to some of the spectacular stories that have gone before, but we’re still creating a LEGO Gotham.

[IG] You’ve already wetted out appetite by informing us that the characters in the game can control a variety of different Bat vehicles, does this mean we can fly the Batwing through the LEGO streets of Gotham?

[LD] Of course! It wouldn’t be a Batman game if you didn’t get a chance to jump into his vehicles and go and kick some bad guy ass.

[IG] As gamers can play either as Batman or Robin, they also have access to his rogues gallery which include the Joker and Catwoman to name a few, what other characters do players have access to that may not be the norm?

[LD] There’s a huge array of heroes and villains in the game, some are very well known, others I hadn’t heard of until we started making the game. I think two of my favourite characters, who aren’t the most famous in the Batman universe, are Clayface and Killer Moth. Neither are the sharpest tools in the box and add a lot of comedy to the proceedings in the game.

[IG] Batman versus Joker? Who would win and why?

[LD] One of the great things about this game is that as you can play as the heroes and villains you can try this out for yourself. I’d have to back the bat in this one – he’s a bit too tough and smart for the Joker, although you can guarantee the Joker would try to have the last laugh.[IG] We’ve seen romance in the game between Batman and the Catwoman, any other “Bat” relationships that you have added to the game?

[LD] We’ve been able to bring some of Harley’s infatuation with the Joker in to the game, as you’ll see in some of the cutscenes. I’m not sure if that counts as a romance, as it is a bit one sided. Poison Ivy is also able to use her charms to manipulate those more weak minded characters in the game.

[IG] With regards to characters, who is your favourite character in the video game and what can they do in this LEGO inspired gaming world?[LD] Clayface and Killer moth are great fun, but I think Man-Bat is my favourite. Once again he isn’t the most legendary of Batman’s foes but he looks great in mini-figure form. He was also one of the characters that our artists were able to create from scratch. They have done a great job!

[IG] Are there any homage’s to other Batmen? For instance, the Adam West Batman or Christian Bale as Batman?

[LD] We managed the resist the temptation to put Adam West in the game! As the films have gone down a very dark path, we’re able to create a more fun, tongue in cheek Batman universe, not one where you’d find Christian Bale’s Batman. That’s not to say that fans of the bat won’t recognise scenes and settings where we have been able to pay homage to some of the classic Batman stories.

[IG] The LEGO series of games generally has a healthy dose of humour in their titles, what were some of the classic moments when transferred this humour into the game?

[LD] It’s been good fun with this game as the content of the story and therefore the cutscenes have not been dictated by any films. We’ve therefore had license to create our own comic moments in the cutscenes and the game. For me, Killer Moth is a cutscene legend – just watch him struggle with those lamps!

[IG] Are there any other DC Comic Super Hero guest stars in the game such as Superman or the Flash?

[LD] There were more than enough characters in the immediate Batman universe to populate the game. There are so many awesome heroes and villains that I think everyone will have their own favourite character, there is no one stand out character in LEGO Batman.

[IG] Do you have any hints as to some of the “Easter Eggs” that gamers might find in the video game?

[LD] Well, as with all eater eggs you’ll need to keep your eyes peeled! You should definitely check out the artwork in the gallery level though.

[IG] Featuring the inspirational music by Danny Elfman which could almost be considered the definitive theme of Batman, how did you come to choose this great composer for the music of the title and how does it interact with the gameplay?

[LD] It was great to be able to drop that score into the game. As soon as we first played it with that classic them it really made the atmosphere just right.

[IG] What were some of the challenges that you faced while creating this game?

[LD] We always work really hard to keep the LEGO games fresh and make sure that each really captures the feel of the story that we’re working on. With Batman that meant we had to work on the combat in the game. The Dynamic Dup are highly trained martial artists and skilled athletes, so we worked to add depth to the combat so that you can now grapple with the goons and dispatch them in a variety of ways. You’ll also find that the gameplay is faster than previous titles as a result.

[IG] What are you favourite moments in the game?

[LD] Probably the scenes from inside the asylum when you see all the villains in their cells. You should check out Killer Moth and Clayface.[IG] Creating a game for various console sounds like a challenge, how do create such a diverse game for such diverse consoles? Does each console version support its unique control system or graphical capabilities?

[LD] The 360 is the lead console and the game is essentially the same experience across all platforms apart from the DS. We’ve had a dedicated team working on recreating the LEGO Batman console experience on the DS and they’ve done a great job.

[IG] Lastly, the game won’t be released in Australia till the 15th of October 2008, what advice can you give gamers to help during this wait?

[LD] There’s always plenty of things to build with LEGO in those few days!

[IG] Thanks for your time and all the best for the release!