Interview: Bringing Dragon’s Lair To Xbox Live Arcade

Dragon's Lair has been a classic that's been celebrated for almost 30 years now, getting its start in arcades way back in 1983 and living on through re-releases over the years.  Digital Leisure has really been pumping out new versions of the game lately, including re-releases for PlayStation Network and Blu-Ray, as well as a Dragon's Lair Trilogy featuring the original, the Timewarp sequel, and Space Ace.  On May 18, the team will introduce the game to an all new format, Xbox Live Arcade, complete with the ability to play the game with the Kinect device.

To get more information on this — and the game in general — we spoke with Digital Leisure's Paul Gold about the forthcoming release, including what to expect and if more games are on the way.  Take it away, Dirk the Daring!

So what took so long for Dragon's Lair to come to Xbox Live Arcade?  It's been released for many other formats but that one, and that seems to be a popular choice right now.

Paul: You're right, it has been released for many formats over the years. People have been asking for it to be released for some time on XBLA, but the timing just seemed to never work out with our planned released schedules. Then Microsoft released the Kinect – it just seemed like the perfect way to create an all new gaming experience for Dragon’s Lair. So, we began to fine tune and develop a fresh new way to play one of the most beloved classic video games of all time. We think this Kinect version is really the ultimate way to play and for those who have yet to get themselves a Kinect, the Controller play is also fully integrated.

Has Dragon's Lair on Xbox 360 gone through the same treatment as previous ports?  Does it still look better than ever?

Paul: Well, we certainly gave this version its own unique look and feel. The HD quality you’ve seen on other releases is included and we also have some fun new extras you’ll have to discover on your own!

What features are you adding to Xbox Live?  Will there be leaderboards, access to the director's cut, stuff like that?

Paul: Yes, we’ll have Leaderboards a variety of fun new achievements and even some unique Avatar items to unlock!

How do the Kinect controls work?

Paul: The Kinect controls are very intuitive so any new or seasoned player will be able to jump right in. Users will basically become ‘Dirk the Daring’ and have to jump, run and avoid all of the pitfalls that get in to Dirk’s way.

Whose decision was it to add Kinect support to the game?  Don Bluth's or someone different?

Paul: The decision was certainly more group than individual when it came to adding in Kinect support.

Will other Bluth classics follow, like Space Ace and Dragon's Lair II: Timewarp?

Paul: We’re currently focused on this weeks Dragon’s Lair release, but we’d love to bring Space Ace and Dragon’s Lair II out on to XBLA as well!

Look for Dragon's Lair on Xbox Live Arcade this week!