Interview: Steve Jackson

Graveyard Greg: Who are you? Why are you here answering these questions?

Unknown Stranger: Who wants to know? Fnord.

Hm. Wait, I recognize you! Oh yeah, you're Steve Jackson, the founder of Steve Jackson Games. How long has it been in business, and what was the first game they published?

Steve Jackson: Since 1980. Our first release was four things at once - RAID ON IRAN, ONE-PAGE BULGE, KUNG FU 2100 and the first packet of CARDBOARD HEROES.

GG: Quick, name some of your gaming credits--past, present, and future!

Jackson: Ogre, Car Wars (with Chad Irby), Illuminati, INWO, GURPS. Someday, HOT LEAD and a new edition of TRIPLANETARY.

GG: You really like conspiracies, don't you? Especially if they deal with the Illuminati?

Jackson: Who told you to ask that?

GG: Sorry, Steve--I never reveal my sources. I can reveal, however, that I remember the first edition of GURPS. What's the origin story behind that one?

Jackson: Basically, I just thought it was a real shame to have to learn a new set of game mechanics every time you changed genres. So I wanted to do one set of mechanics that would work for everything. Sounds obvious now. Back then it was radical.

GG: Tell me, what's the best thing about your job? Besides having absolute power, that is.

Jackson: Seriously? Meeting and developing new talent.

GG: In my opinion, there are two men who can be dubbed as the "Gawdfathers of Gaming": yourself and Gary Gygax. Who are your "Gawdfathers of Gaming"?

Jackson: Rick Loomis and Marc Miller.

GG: In your opinion, what's the state of the gaming industry right now, and what direction are we headed?

Jackson: In flux, big-time. Electronic stuff will grow and grow, but books won't vanish for a LOOOONG time. Mid-size companies will get squeezed between monsters like WotC and classy garage operations like Cheapass. That doesn't mean all the midsizers will vanish -- I'm doing fine -- but there will be fewer of us.

GG: Favorite snack food at Midnight?

Jackson: Peanut butter cups.

GG: What's the deal with Legos?

Jackson: They're cool.

Can't argue with that, and speaking of Legos, will that Pirate Game of yours ever see print? Or is there some legal red tape to wade through first?

Jackson: Print like "on dead trees", probably not. But it's on the web now as freeware.

GG: Cool! I'll take a look as soon as I can. If you had to work with anyone in the Gaming Field, who would you like to work with?

Jackson: It would depend on what we were going to do. If it's paintball, I want Richard Garriott on my side. If we're going to take over the world, I'd choose Greg Costikyan. If we're going to do a new version of TRAVELLER, I want Marc Miller and Loren Wiseman. Hey, wait, I got that wish already.

GG: And we gamers are very lucky you got that wish. Next question, and you knew this was coming: What is your all time favorite game?

Jackson: I don't have one favorite. Life is too short to have one favorite.

GG: Avoiding the question, eh? Well, quick Steve! It's Celebrity Deathmatch time! Gary Gygax (who needs no introductions), Dave Williams (of L5R and Doomtown fame), and Richard Garfield (of Magic: The Gathering) are squaring off against each other. Who would win, and how?

Jackson: How can they square off when there's three of them? That would be a triangle. And the triangle has an I in it. So I would win. Fnord.

GG: Point taken. What's the deal with Evil Stevie? Does he look just like you, only without the beard? :)

Jackson: No, he's got a beard.

GG: Now I'm scared. Finally, here's a question from Nathan Hill of Oklahoma: "Steve, what are you and your company planning on doing to shake things up in the RPG industry?"

Jackson: Heh. Watch our website. I can't leak that just yet.

GG: I like that, it leaves us with a touch of mystery. Thanks very much for your time, Steve Jackson--may you have continued success in the gaming field!

Jackson: You're welcome!