VGS: In today's competitive market do you think there is much hope for smaller independent MMO's to get funding or will it mainly be established names that get financing? In other word do you feel Vanguard would have been picked up by Microsoft if the people behind SGO were unknown compared to the heavyweights of Jeff and Brad?

ZK: I think experience is key here. It’s much like writing a book or pitching a movie. These games are expensive and a good idea isn’t always enough. A solid idea, a great pitch (those two are separate, btw), experience (and lots of it), and name cache are all part of what I believe inspires confidence in publishers. I don’t think Vanguard would have been picked up by Microsoft if it hadn’t been a team with a great track record, a game idea that was solid, and the pitch hadn’t been stellar. A good game can get made without it, but it certainly is a lot harder.