Q: Describe for us what it was like making Coconut Queen

A: It was exhausting. There was a lot of work to be done, and thousands of decisions to be made. The individuals and studios involved in Coconut Queen Game span California, Oregon, Washington, the Phillipines, Ukraine and Russia. No matter how you slice it, coordination involves crazy, irregular work hours and lots of clear communication that can survive being translated into foreign languages and cultures. And yet, for everyone involved, there was no question about the rightness of creating Coconut Queen. This game simply had to be made. Did I mention that it was exhausting?

Q: What is your favorite element of this exciting new Coconut Queen game?

A: The premise is absolutely our favorite element. A few years ago, on a trip to Disneyland, a concerned parent asked a Cast Member (the term for an employee) whether the Haunted Mansion was too scary for children. The Cast Member explained that no, the attraction wasn't scary, but rather poked fun at scary things. That conversation was on my mind last year when someone proposed what eventually became Coconut Queen, and now we have a game that pokes fun at an "island queen and her muscular, devoted hunky natives" fantasy.But ancient times and ignorant savages rubbed us wrong, and making something completely contemporary didn't seem romantic enough. We found an answer that we all loved in the music and art of a bygone era, the "tiki lounge" culture of the 1950's and 60's. We drew inspiration from tropical TV shows (from Gilligan's Island to Fantasy Island), and beloved Disneyland attractions like "it's a small world" (yes, the name is all lowercase, and yes, I'm a Disneyland fanatic) and of course The Enchanted Tiki Room. Coconut Queen became the vacation to Hawaii that we could take year round.

Q: In your opinion why will Coconut Queen be one of the best & most favorite games of 2009?

A: This game is refreshing. We won't deny that it owes some of its origins to similar hit games by some good friends of ours, but we think that means you'll already be familiar enough with this kind of game to immediately "love what we've done with the place!" . But Coconut Queen has so much that is new, it will wake you up and make you pay attention. Our characters have real personality and depth. No other game looks or sounds like Coconut Queen. And there's so much to do in the game: Build resorts! Restore rainforests! Wrestle sharks! Make money during a recession! Ogle the hunks! But most importantly, playing Coconut Queen is the perfect reason to enjoy a fruity drink with a tiny umbrella in it. In fact, I think I'll go get one right now.