Interview with Erik Yeo

Erik Yeo was formerly the lead designer for Westwood Studios' Command and Conquer 2 until his recent leaving to form his new gaming company, 7 Studios.

1) What will be your new position at 7 Studios?

My new position is Design Director. I oversee all things related to design and the creation of the games that we make at 7 Studios.  That really isn't too different from what I was doing as the Senior Designer at Westwood.  I am very excited to focus on one title for the time being, and direct all my creative energies in one direction.

2) What genres will 7 Studios be focusing on?

. Initially, we will focus on the action/strategy genre, but the field is wide open. We have lots of RTS experience, so we will be certain to leverage what we have learned in the strategy genre in our future games.  However, all of the members of our team have been leads on major projects, and we have a considerable breadth of general experience between us.  So don't be too surprised at anything we choose to do in the future..:)

3) Do you have any project ideas in mind as of now?

Yes, actually.  While we will never abandon the PC as a platform, and actually think that many of the next generation consoles look really promising, we are going with the PSX2 for our first project.  We have signed with Midway for a multi-platform, multi-project deal.  We decided to go with Midway because of their extreme experience in the console development arena, and because they really know how to develop a franchise -- like, for example, Mortal Kombat.  Not the smallest franchise in the world :) 

4) What gaming platforms represent your targets?

Our first game is being developed on the PSX2. We also have ideas for a variety of other platforms, so we're keeping our options open.

5) When should we expect your first title?

That's tough to say. I wouldn't expect anything until 2001.

6) Do you think your departure will have an impact on CNC2:TS's development?

I doubt it. When I left we were in the bug fixing/balancing phase. That phase can take a little while, but the design had been in place for a long time. So all the major design decisions had already been made.  My good friend Adam Isgreen will be overseeing playbalancing, and I think that ultimately, TS is in good hands.  My departure was close enough to the end of the product that it shouldn't have an impact.

Our thanks to Erik for taking time to answer our questions!