Bill is producer and director of third-party development at Blizzard, the company that created WarCraft 2 and proved it wasn't just Westwood who could make great realtime strategy games.
Neil West

FG: Played any good games lately?
BR: This year was simply unbelievable for games, so a definite yes to having been able to play some good ones. I just finished Half-Life and am now trying to decide between about five others.

FG: What do you think of Lara Croft?
BR: Lara and I used to see each other in college, so it's a little tough to talk about since she dumped me for Bono from U2. She's really become a household name, and I wish her all the best and continued success.

FG: What name or initials do you enter on high-score tables?
BR: I put in my initials: BDR

FG: What games systems do you have at home?
BR: SNES, PlayStation, N64 and, of course, my PC.

FG: If you could keep just one, which would it be?
BR: It would have to be under great duress that I gave up any of my game systems since they all offer such diversity. If I had to use just one, though, it would be my PC.

FG: What's your favourite bit in Super Mario 64?
BR: Since this is the game that made me buy the N64 in the first place, it's tough to pick just one. The first time you shoot yourself out of a cannon is really a blast, and it shows off how expansive and well designed the levels are, too.

FG: Who'd win in a fight, Sonic or Mario?
BR: Sonic definitely has the speed, but Mario has the endurance and experience. I think that it would go the full 15 rounds and end in a judge's decision for The Plumber.

FG: Were games better in the "good old days"?
BR: Games definitely took more chances, and although there weren't as many coming out, I do think that the overall quality was higher. Also, those games didn't use graphics and technological buzz words as substitutes for solid gameplay and fun.

FG: Describe Dreamcast in five words.
BR: Sega Re-enters The Console Wars.