SM: Fallout 3 will now be developed by Bethesda Softworks. How do you think about this?

CS: Generally, I think that Bethesda is a very good developer. As a gamer I hope they won't go too far away from the original 'Fallout roots' and that they especially take a sharp look at FO1. As a designer, though, I feel a bit sadened that it's not me who gets to work on FO3 now.

SM: Do you know the people who work at Bethesda and if so, what do you think of them?

CS: I don't know the bethesda staff personally, only through the usual buiseness gossip. Undoubtfully there are a lot of talented folks amongst them. I've only heard good things so far. The team works very well structured and motivated, as far as I know.

SM: Does Bethesda have the potential to produce a true sequel to the previous Fallouts?

CS: In any case (-- Or maybe just "For sure!". Originally Carsten said "In jedem Fall" which is a german phrase to underline the faith in a certain thing and to make clear that there is no doubt whatsoever. --). The question is, will they go a purely commercial way or will they also try to implement content that isn't very popular amongst the masses, but true to the original series. As a gamer, I wish that they try to stay as close as possible to the original FO1.

SM: The american Fallout-Fans aren't very positive about the license deal with Bethesda. What do you think is the reason for that?

CS: The FO-Community is well know for being very critical. I don't believe there's a fanbase more loyal and direct. Of course, as a gamer I have concerns just like the fans. It would be truly sad if FO3 wouldn't be recognizable as a Fallout game. But as a designer I'm much more open to new things. I don't think that everything automatically gets worse as soon as you start thinking about changes. Maybe Bethesda manages to convince the fans of their (-- Bethesda's --) good ideas, which they will hopefully have. This is the only way for them to get the fans on their side.

SM: Why didn't Silver Style get the rights? Are you disappointed?

CS: Only Interplay can give you an answer to the first question. Financial aspects were surely part of how things went. To the second question: Of course we would have loved to develop Fallout 3, but we knew right from the beginning that there were other companies competing to get the license, too. So it's not that tragic to us. You win, you lose.

SM: How do you think will the FO3 by Bethesda look graphic- and storywise? Will FO3 be 'fallouty'?

CS: Of course I can't say much about that. I also believe that even Bethesda doesn't know for sure yet, how to approach Fallout3. It'll take at least two years from now till Fallout 3 will hit the stores; I'd even say rather three. In my opinion, the graphics probably won't have much to do with the first two games, but from a today's point of view that's a positive thing. I think, only very few players will want to play an FO3 in the year 2007 that still looks like FO1 or 2. When it comes to story and the design of the game world, I just hope they'll stay as true to the original as possible.

SM: You didn't hear anything about Bethesda for quite a while. Could they overastimated themselves when acquiring the FO license and could this lead to them eventually ending up in financial trouble just like Interplay?

CS: I'm sure Bethesda's management knows what's possible for the company and didn't bite off more than the can chew.​