Game Over Online: How was Lost the video game conceived?

Gadi: We met with the Lost creative at the office in August 2006 for a 2-day brainstorm session to understand what are the rules of the show and what we all felt would be an interesting experience for the Lost fan. Once that was completed we had a 5-day focus test with Lost fans to understand what they liked about Lost and what they wanted to see in the game form the show.

It was very important for us to really understand the needs of the Lost fans since they were the main audience for the game.

Game Over Online: What kind of game is Lost: Via Domus? What is the focus of its gameplay?

Gadi: We developed a 3rd-person survival adventure game we felt that would be the best genre for a Lost game. Lost is not about shooting and killing, it’s about putting the player in situations to keep them thinking on what they have to do next to progress in the game/Island and there own story/mystery. Our main goal was to focus on creating action from the tension we put the player in, with the help of the music and mood of the game.

Game Over Online: In Lost: Via Domus, players will take on the role of a brand new character. Can you tell us a bit about this individual and his motivations?

Gadi: Elliott is a freelance photo-journalist from the US. Along with the other Lost castaways, Elliott has crashed from Flight 815 on a mysterious island. Because of the trauma from the crash, Elliott suffers from amnesia. He doesn’t know his own past and must work to regain his memory and to find a way off the island.

Game Over Online: Flashbacks play a key role in the television show. Not only do they reveal a little piece of a character's background, but often their motivations as well. Will flashbacks play a role in the video game and if so, will they be interactive or non-interactive?

Gadi: This one feature of the game was very important to make interactive. Just making the flashbacks viewable cinematic wouldn’t mean as much to players and they would probably just skip them. In the game the flashbacks are interactive and once you uncover the hint or message, you return to the Island. The information you learn will help you unlock elements of your memory to progress on the Island and help you solve your own personal mystery.

Game Over Online: What are some of the locations players can visit in the game, and who are some of the characters players will get to interact with that Lost fans will recognize?

Gadi: The storyline of the game takes place in seasons 1-2 and you will visit the landmarks up to season 3. The hard part was to keep the story in line with the events of the show. We put the player in the middle of the main events so they can be part of them and learn about them from the other castaways. We really wanted to stay true to the timeline of the show.

Game Over Online: It is my understanding that the mysteries of Lost will be left up to the show to reveal. In that sense, how challenging was it to create this brand new character and interweave his story within the Lost universe, without giving away any of the show's secrets?

Gadi: It was very challenging and that is why we worked very closely with the Lost creative to ensure we were true to the show and the Lost mythology. In fact we wanted to ensure we had things right so we hired a script writer form the Lost TV show to be part of our development team to ensure everything was authentic to the show.

Game Over Online: Visually the game looks great. Which engine is Lost running off, and what modifications, if any, were made to distinguish the Lost universe?

Gadi: We are using the GRAW2 engine; the same engine was used for Ghost Recon Advance War Fighter 2. GRAW2 was a very urban game so we had to adapt the engine to more organic environments. We developed vegetation and terrain tools to get the great lush jungle and beach atmosphere.

Game Over Online: The character models look incredibly like their real-life counterparts. Were you able to get some of the actors from the show to voice their characters to help make the gaming experience as close to the TV show as possible?

Gadi: We received many great references form ABC/Lost and we worked with them very closely to ensure we modeled the actors just right. We secured some of the original characters from the show, such as Ben, but the rest are soundalikes that the Lost creative team assisted us in finding.

Game Over Online: What part of the Lost video game are you most proud of?

Gadi: What I am most proud of is being able to provide the Lost fans their own Lost experience similar to what they feel from the show. I feel that with the help of the music that Michael Giacchino created for the game and the rich graphics and compelling story, that Lost fans will truly feel like they are experiencing an episode or season of the show.

One more thing to point out is that we also created the “previously on Lost” prologue which really makes you feel like you are part of the show.

Game Over Online: When will Lost: Via Domus be in stores and for what platforms will it be available?

Gadi: February 26th for North America and February 28th for Europe, it will be available on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Game Over Online: Last but not least, it seems everyone has their own theory about the show Lost (what is the smoke monster, what's the real story behind the island, etc.). Do you have any fun theories of your own you'd like to share with our readers?

Gadi: I have no theories. I am just dying to know how the show ends but other then that I am really enjoying the Lost ride.