In 2000, work began on an unofficial, fan-made sequel to the popular King’s Quest series that was produced by Sierra Online in the 1980s and 1990s. The team behind this project, Phoenix Online Studios, has grown to include more than forty talented members from several countries all over the world. Even Ken and Roberta Williams, respectively the founder of Sierra and the creator of the King’s Quest series, expressed their support for the project.

On September 30, 2005, the team received a letter from Vivendi Universal Games (the owners of Sierra and consequently the King’s Quest brand) ordering them to cease production of the game, then entitled King’s Quest IX: Every Cloak Has A Silver Lining. Though Phoenix did not begrudge Vivendi’s decision to protect its intellectual property, it was felt that an arrangement could be made that would benefit all concerned parties. To this end, Phoenix commenced negotiations with Vivendi, while fans of the project ran a concurrent campaign to save the game through the website http://www.SaveKQIX.org.

A major breakthrough in the continuing negotiations was made on November 29 when Vivendi granted Phoenix a license to continue work on the game, aptly renamed The Silver Lining. The game is scheduled to be released in three parts, beginning in 2006 with the first part “Shadows,” which will be freely available to download from the game’s website.

With work on The Silver Lining progressing at a rapid pace, Phoenix Online Studios wishes to invite the gaming community and gaming press to once again experience the exciting and memorable world of King’s Quest and share the exciting results of this ambitious undertaking, a combination of the dedication expected from a fan project and the high quality normally associated with a professional production.

GGT had the opportunity to sit down with Phoenix and ask a couple questions:

AzuraRutlan: I'd like to begin with where the idea for the project came from, and how it did it get started?
Saydmell Salazar: The idea is way back from 2002, the script and all the current design was started way back then, ever since the team shaped up into what you believe to see nowadays
Saydmell Salazar: it all started as a creative group within the idea of coming up with a lead of the KQ series. Going through a deeper thought into the same concept of that it's known of the series

AzuraRutlan: One of the things that drew a lot of attention to your project was the Cease and Desist letter from Vivendi Universal Games. Could you tell us a little bit about what happened from when the letter was received till the eventual blessing they gave you?
Saydmell Salazar: Well
AzuraRutlan: or is that all sealed?
Saydmell Salazar: there's a lot about it, we got the C&D last year. It was unexpected, no matter what some would choose to believe. The team didn't expect it right then, we sort of knew it could happen of course but as always, it came without warning.
Neil Rodrigues: the details of the negotiations themselves are confidential, but we can talk about our experience about it both before and after. And yes, we always thought there was a possibility of getting shut down, but still it came as quite a surprise because it was somewhat sudden (it occurred shortly after our Trailer went public all over)
Saydmell Salazar: It was somehow awful to deal with because, obviously, our work was being stopped and they had all the right to do so being their IP and such. Either way, the team stayed supportive and the fans even more so. It all came down to the point of us having a fair action towards them, we let them know we received it and accepted, and therefore we were evaluating our situation. And from there fans started to voice out their opinions
Neil Rodrigues: yes, we indicated on our website that we would simply change character names and titles of lands if VU ever contacted us, but unfortunately intellectual property has a very broad range
Saydmell Salazar: SaveKQIX.org became a reality, and it took over the net. Fans organized their efforts and things reached out beyond we thought of, hearing from VU representatives itself that they would appreciate if we kept our fans quiet, sad to say we had NOTHING to do with them so we had no doing in such. We started talking with the VU representatives and they were kind and open to us.
Neil Rodrigues: yes, as Say mentioned, our fans gathered to support us during the whole process, even organizing a campaign (SaveKQIX) with petitions and letters, getting the word out to as many sites as possible, all without any input from the team whatsoever
Saydmell Salazar: Eventually, things got to the point of VU asking us for a demo, we put together our current work and such, we delivered the demo and VU approved. We started negotiating and we got a license.
Neil Rodrigues: within the team, we were busy discussing our options and trying to figure out how to convince VU to change their minds and give us a chance, because obviously we could not afford to fight them in court
Saydmell Salazar: It was a rollercoaster cuz we weren't really prepared for when it happened, as all bad things, but in the end it turned out to be the beginning of a true opportunity for us, cuz we never expected the outcome yet we're quite happy about it.
Neil Rodrigues: the entire process took about 2 months from C&D letter, to them granting permission
Saydmell Salazar: Once VU gave us their approval, we got back into full production, let's say Jan 2006. Obviously the details of negotiation are not open to be discussed due to legal agreements and such. Our lawyer is taking care of such, anyhow. Nothing was to be changed but the name itself. The cars and whatnot are still the same, once we finish the game VU is obviously in need of check before we can launch.
AzuraRutlan: Completely understandable. Legal departments love the law as it tends to be chock full of loopholes and such
Neil Rodrigues: yes, VU is trying to protect their rights, and we are trying to protect ours

AzuraRutlan: Let’s talk about the fans for a moment, since they had a large part in getting VU to grant permission for the game to continue. How has their support been from the start of the project up through now?
Saydmell Salazar: Wonderful. We would be nowhere without that unconditional amazing support.. Ever since we started, the team was somehow void. It had quite a low profile dead production development
Neil Rodrigues: well, I have been with the team for just over 3 years now, and our fan base keeps increasing more and more. Their support has never failed us over the years, and we really appreciate all they've done for us. Our department works with the website, so we're always developing features and things specifically for our fans, whether game-related or otherwise
Saydmell Salazar: in 2003, we took care of projecting things in a much more better direction, so we could get talent, opportunities and obviously a much better position to manage with this.
Neil Rodrigues: Say and I also find it incredible that to this very day, our fans pledge to support us, without even having played the game yet.
Neil Rodrigues: they are quite dedicated
Saydmell Salazar: We've been truly amazed by the amount of people that have reached us out to get to know us and get to give us 5 minutes to speak up. MTV News, Computer Gaming World, Game Informer and the list goes on, as well as the old supporters way back from 2002 like Just Adventure, Quandaryland, The Inventory and such. Fans are all over even magazine editors who seem to be in love with the project and seriously supportive towards our accomplishments. Right now we're an underground game going somehow into a big spotlight cuz we handle over 7 mill hits, and a newsletter of over 3 thousand people. Tons of GB of info monthly, and all of this is without having even a demo available.
Neil Rodrigues: yes, the news of the shutdown ended up attracting even more fans that didn't even know about our project, but wanted to give us their support
Saydmell Salazar: our forums are crowded with people and such, the TSL community is like one big family that just keeps on growing

AzuraRutlan: Well, you are working on a game series that has an extremely large following, as well as one of the most popular franchises in video game history.
Saydmell Salazar: Fans are truly a blessing, and we would be nowhere without their love and support, seriously. Even though that KQ has an audience per se, we do have supporters that have absolutely NOTHING to do with KQ but maybe other old Sierra franchises that they just happen to visit TSL forums and stay because the environment is that nice for them. The website itself is our gathering place in which you can find goodies as well as entertainment per se while the game is being developed.
Neil Rodrigues: yes, it's true that the game attracts the KQ fan base, but also I have seen places such as Slashdot, MTV News and others that know nothing of KQ or even adventure games, which complement our game screenshots and professional-looking website
Saydmell Salazar: Yes, our biggest accomplishment is to get indie games and independent developers out there in the spotlight, again. Hard work, indeed.

AzuraRutlan: I think that has more to do with the fact that you, the development team, were just a bunch of fans who decided to try and continue a beloved franchise (as to why other non-traditional outlets are covering the game).
Saydmell Salazar: We have taken a lot of risks and no matter what; things have worked out for us so far. We've been lucky for one too many reasons and one of them being the fact we do not lie and we are for real.
Neil Rodrigues: yes, there is a risk in trying to continue a franchise that we don't own. Obviously the legal one, but also if we fail to meet our fans' expectations, we can be doing as much damage to the series that the last official game (Mask of Eternity) did to it
Saydmell Salazar: Time is not our own, this is not our main job, yet we do dedicate so many hours within a week, we lose sleep, we have no weekends and we don't do anything else but sit here and love what we do, love the people we do it for and just work as much as we can each day to make this happen. Fans do know this, and they support us no matter what, even though sometimes it's impossible for us to keep up they are right there to give us that breath we need to continue and that's why we work so hard for.
Neil Rodrigues: yes, they are the ones that continue to motivate us to complete this game
Saydmell Salazar: The concept of the game itself goes further cuz the characters get a real profile, they're connected, and it goes through a lot of different shades that might appeal one too many even if it's just for the sake of reviving good old moments from the KQ world.
Neil Rodrigues: right, as far as the game itself goes, the first couple of chapters are reminiscent of familiar KQ worlds, but beyond that there are new and original ones that our team has created

AzuraRutlan: Why did the team choose to work off of the King's Quest franchise, and not just a completely original game?
Saydmell Salazar: Long story short, the project was started as such. We all joined in and it became bigger than what we thought. If we had known or had the vision then of what we would be nowadays, we might have done something original, but truth is that we did it for the love of it, and we never even imagined we would ever get in touch with VU and that a large group of fans would save us from it!
We don't regret it cuz it has made us what we are, but seriously, even though we were aware of the amount of work and unconditional passion we have for game development as well as Sierra old games... we didn't really foresee that. We just wanted to do something good, we still do.
Neil Rodrigues: most of the staff on our team are fans of the series, but the ones that aren't were attracted to the work we have on our site itself, and wished to be a part of our project. It provides them with an excellent portfolio, experience and something to put on their resume. I've personally been asked by interviewers about this project as well
Neil Rodrigues: real-life job interviewers, that is
Saydmell Salazar: it's just that now, circumstances are different and now everyone knows about us!

AzuraRutlan: That's not uncommon at all (about being asked in interviews), but is interesting to hear. You'd be surprised at the doors it can unlock
Saydmell Salazar: Personally, it's been amazing for me. I watch MTV myself and I can't believe I talked to Stephen Totilo myself! Quite a big goal for me in my own field so to speak. So it allows me to be myself and grow professionally and obviously just reach out further than what I have ever imagined!
Neil Rodrigues: yes, personally, video game development wasn't a career path I had really considered, prior to joining the team, but now it's one I’d love to have especially with Phoenix Online Studios, as does the rest of our team
Saydmell Salazar: we had learned a lot as the game grows; a lot of people have achieved nice jobs at Activision and many other companies in the gaming industry. Just by showing TSL portfolios and speaking out of experience gained within the team and such.
Neil Rodrigues: yes, Activision, Triumph Studios, UbiSoft
Saydmell Salazar: What were the other companies, Neil?
Saydmell Salazar: yeah
Neil Rodrigues: I believe even Electronic Arts
Saydmell Salazar: a lot of members, so hard to keep track of by now.

AzuraRutlan: That's an impressive list of companies
Saydmell Salazar: Indeed! So, you go figure our list of contacts keeps on growing and growing
Neil Rodrigues: they are all impressive workers as well
Saydmell Salazar: cuz they still dedicate to TSL and work day and night on this cuz POS gave them that opportunity and all. Ken and Roberta have also been so kind and sweet to us
Neil Rodrigues: the thing that I enjoy is that what we learn from working within this team are skills that directly apply to real life, things like managing time, priorities, deadlines, staff, and assignments. And of course each department specializes in their own field
Saydmell Salazar: even though they are not involved, obvious legal reasons, they still cheer us from the side
Neil Rodrigues: yes, it is great having the support of Ken & Roberta Williams on our game
Saydmell Salazar: Totally, every single thing I do at TSL is from my real professional field, as well as MANY other directors. We all have got either professional background or working towards it (university students)
Neil Rodrigues: we've even had staff in high school that decided to choose a career path similar to their position within the team, because it interested them so much
Saydmell Salazar: So, to be honest I'm a real life manager at an international company but even so I do have a 9 to 6 job I live and breathe TSL
Neil Rodrigues: yes same here. I’m presently working at an international company as well as a web application developer 9-5, and in my spare time I try to manage TSL.
Neil Rodrigues: Our dream is to one day have TSL and Phoenix Online Studios as our only full-time job
Saydmell Salazar: Phoenix Online Studios is just getting started.

AzuraRutlan: That's something anyone can appreciate! You mentioned that one of your goals is to help rejuvenate the indie development scene. Are there other things you are doing besides just working on the TSL to further that goal?
Saydmell Salazar: We can't reveal much, but yes. We plan on expand POS projects. Obviously TSL is big enough to be our first and maybe last KQ attempt.
Neil Rodrigues: it actually depends on how you define indie
AzuraRutlan: Well, indie companies tend not to be owned by anyone. They are their own separate company that is not controlled by another company
Neil Rodrigues: ok, so then you're asking more about Phoenix Online Studios than TSL
AzuraRutlan: Yes
Neil Rodrigues: since TSL does involve Vivendi. Legally, in any case
Saydmell Salazar: POS is a real independent LLC looking for new projects; we're open to investors obviously. There's a lot to go for

AzuraRutlan: Well, any time you use an IP, that project will be overseen somewhat by the owner
Saydmell Salazar: as I said, we're just getting started
Neil Rodrigues: yes, we are still in the planning stages of our products for Phoenix Online Studios, but we know for sure we would like our next products to be commercial
Neil Rodrigues: and definitely original, as opposed to based on someone else's IP
Saydmell Salazar: commercial for the idea of being able to commit to this full time, we realize all beginnings are difficult and we're far from making big bucks anyhow, our goal is most likely as I said to be able to make something good cuz we do it from the best of us with a lot of passion and love for it.
Neil Rodrigues: yup, we'll be starting small and working our way into this industry just like everybody else, but we have the advantage of being known for TSL
Saydmell Salazar: we just really want to have a chance with the opportunities given, that's why I'm telling you we actually took it seriously enough to register POS as a real legal company and we do have plans in our future and we are NOW open to investors and such, so we can actually get somewhere just because everyone support us and believes in us so much.
Neil Rodrigues: we have even received offers from a few publishers for distribution of TSL, but obviously there are some legal issues with that, so we had to keep them aside for now
Saydmell Salazar: yeah, cuz TSL is somehow involved with VU but they are still interested in us.

AzuraRutlan: What are some of the problems you've encountered in trying to establish yourself as a legitimate business in this industry?
Neil Rodrigues: the obvious problems are legally related
Saydmell Salazar: Seriously, the fact that everyone is scattered around the world, so is still somehow limited, but everyone is truly committed and serious, the POS core team anyhow.
Neil Rodrigues: there are many license agreements that we aren't able to accept, because they must involve Vivendi and have their approval
Saydmell Salazar: but financially, we've invested ourselves, EVEN for TSL everything, has come out of our pockets
Neil Rodrigues: yes, server costs, LLC costs, etc

AzuraRutlan: One of the biggest things I myself have found with the video game industry is the negativity towards new faces, be it companies or individuals. How have your experiences been?
Neil Rodrigues: Heh, I would say prior to having VU's approval, it's been tough with certain companies. Since fan-games are a very grey in terms of the law, some people see them as illegal and others as fair use
Saydmell Salazar: Actually, maybe because of the nature of our project it has given some mixed emotions. Fans have been supporting us no matter what, some companies afraid of VU have been harsh, although now not anymore.

AzuraRutlan: So since VU has given approval on the project, a lot of the criticism from other companies has faded?
Saydmell Salazar: a lot
Neil Rodrigues: I would say so, yes
Saydmell Salazar: it was nothing against us, but just against the nature of our legal status
Saydmell Salazar: which, somehow it's nice to know
Neil Rodrigues: I’ve noticed personally that certain sites that have been "against" our project before, have now taken a more silent approach around us
Saydmell Salazar: there are always a lot of different opinions, of course but I can tell you that almost 90% of all the other third parties involved have been nothing but nice and generous to us in one too many ways.
Neil Rodrigues: yes, the vast majority have been supportive of our project
Saydmell Salazar: even so, I wouldn't say against, it's more like having an opinion
Neil Rodrigues: right, mostly their negativity was towards it not being an official game, legally

AzuraRutlan: Well, you have to remember, most other companies were probably concerned others would try similar things to what POS did. They didn't want to see that happen.
Neil Rodrigues: some individuals believe only the true creators should be able to create sequels on the franchise, even though the creators do not legally own the rights to them. Yes, it is extremely rare for a fan-group to be granted permission to continue development after being issued a C&D letter. In most cases, the letter causes the group to shut down all operations, and even website

AzuraRutlan: One question still lingers in my mind. When you were given the C&D letter, how come you didn't do what a lot of other fan-based projects do and move the actual servers to a country outside the US jurisdiction?
Neil Rodrigues: we were given the letter on September 30, 2005. And obviously, we're not trying to hide from Vivendi. We never have
Saydmell Salazar: We wanted to do what was right, we were working without believing VU would mind, doing it all under fair use and whatnot. Then they expressed a disapproval towards that obviously we just didn't hide cuz we weren't attempting to run, we tried to talk to them instead.
Neil Rodrigues: other fan groups prefer to be secretive in their marketing (perhaps in hopes of never getting caught?) but our marketing has always been the opposite, to attract more to the series, more to the project, more to the genre
Saydmell Salazar: get caught? Sounds like you're doing a felony. We've been out in the open, clear, honest and obviously hard workers
Neil Rodrigues: well that's more my opinion of why they prefer staying low-profile
Saydmell Salazar: we take it seriously enough to just attempt to do what's best for the project within the limits of what we can
Neil Rodrigues: yes, so once VU contacted us, we wanted to be completely open with them and establish proper communication
Saydmell Salazar: we're not doing anything that would harm their IP and we're not trying to get filthy rich out of this, we started how we did and we got to where we are just cuz we work hard and we care about the project
Neil Rodrigues: not try evading the law, or illegally releasing the game onto file-sharing networks (yes, some people suggested this). Fans suggested it, that is
Saydmell Salazar: obviously, we had nothing to hide or to run from. It worked for us.
Neil Rodrigues: yes, I think that played a major role in their decision. They were able to evaluate our game first hand and see we were not damaging to the IP
Saydmell Salazar: yeah, It's not like we would give it up, but we certainly had to let them know we got the letter and that we were sorry for all the inconvienance and whatnot. We explained the nature of our project and all. In the end I think they didn't take us seriously till we got this big, because many fans work on these sorts of project but they all die along the road. We've gotten stronger and obviously right in the spotlight
Neil Rodrigues: yes, we wanted them to know we weren't developing some underground game that accidentally got found, we were working hard on a game that they would be proud to form a partnership or agreement with

AzuraRutlan: Well, this is the obligatory question...but when can we expect to see something playable?
Neil Rodrigues: our fans actually ask us that same question all the time
Saydmell Salazar: Things got really delayed; VU situation was messy at first.
Neil Rodrigues: it may be longer, because we now must have VU's final approval
Saydmell Salazar: we lost a lot of months of production from 2005
Neil Rodrigues: it's also the reason why we can't give an exact release date until VU has given us their approval
Saydmell Salazar: yeah, we have to touch base with VU as much as possible, so it might delay things more than what we'd like. So even if the game is done, bug free and all, VU has the final word.
Neil Rodrigues: yes, I’m hoping they don’t want us to modify a lot, since that would delay the final release. But again, that's out of our hands until they say it's approved

AzuraRutlan: Do you plan on releasing a demo ahead of the final release?
Saydmell Salazar: Yes. We will keep you informed how it goes
Neil Rodrigues: we have plans to have some private beta testing as well
Saydmell Salazar: but before the real game launch, we do have plans to give out a lil' bit in between negotiations or awaiting approval for launch. Since it will take some time, perhaps, we will make the best out of it. Well, there are 2 demo versions, just not available for public yet, anyhow.

AzuraRutlan: Wonderful! I'd like to thank you both for your time in speaking with me tonight
Neil Rodrigues: thank you :)
Saydmell Salazar: Thank you! :]

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