1) The Wheel of Time series - Robert Jordan. This series moved me personally because of its intricacies. The subtle and multi-threaded plot lines are what were missing in the Fantasy genre, particularly in the game industry. It was our goal to create a story line that was very complex and compelling as Jordan had done. One of our goals at Silicon Knights is to become the Robert Jordan or Steven King of the video game industry. 

2) The Unforgiven - Directed by Clint Eastwood. I am not a big western fan but after I saw this movie I was blown away. This movie was more about people then anything else. This movie was the ultimate definition of gray. There were no real "good guys" or "bad guys". Everyone had a good side and everyone had a bad side and every action had a price. I knew instantly that after seeing this movie that our industry needed a game that addressed these issues. Image a game were everyone in the world was your enemy (including yourself), a world where you had to kill innocents to survive and a world that you are the ultimate pawn. How would players react in this situation, how would they feel. If everyone in world thinks you are evil, are you? Or is evil simply a matter of perspective. 

3) Necroscope Series - Brian Lumley.  This author created a scientifically based vampire series that was very visceral. This series particularly inspired Ken who wrote the scripts for the story that Ken and I conceived. When we create stories we try to model some classical models that were laid out by Shakespeare. You see, when he wrote a play he targeted his story at several levels. For the drunken commoners in the front rows he would insert dirty jokes to keep them entertained but for the aristocracy in the balconies he would write very cerebral metaphors. For Silicon Knights the gore is our dirty jokes, but for those who want more there is a real story behind Kain. A story that you can sink you teeth into and one that you can learn something from. We tried to address morals, evil and good, propaganda and fate in ways that have never been explored in a computer game before. 

4) The Pillars of the Earth - Author?. I never read this book but just stared at the cover, which inspired me to create the "Pillars of Nosgoth" (which is what Kain was originally called). Sometimes it is funny how things come to you. 
 

Defender (arcade) - I would play this game until I got blisters on my hands and thumbs. It had great interface once you got used to it. It had great game mechanics.

Empire - Without this the grandfather of strategy games we would not of had Civilization and other classic strategy games. 

Ultima III - (Atari) The best in the series in my opinion. I can still remember when I was sucked into the whirlpool for the first time and I thought all was lost. 

Dune II (PC) - This started the real-time strategy craze. 

Carrier Command (Atari) - A really neat concept. A multi-player game before its time. 

Virtua Fighter II (Arcade) - Great graphics and game play. 

Soul Blade (Sony) - Great character design and game play.
 

Some background: 
When Rick and I first started making games we thought that there was way too much quantity and not enough quality. There was a certain magic missing from games that we wanted to bring to the industry. Since those times the conditions of the industry have only gotten worse and not better. There is so much crap out there right now that it is unlikely a non-gamer will buy a good product out of a lack of knowledge. This means that they are unlikely to buy a product at all. Even the gamers are getting frustrate. This is shown by how 10% of the games in our industry make 90% of the money. Our industry needs to get the non-garners to buy games, to increase the market to the average person. But our industry still seems to be too immature for this, and too many companies are thinking short term and not putting enough time and money into games. It has been our goal to change the industry by putting magic back into it. This is a goal we will never stray from. 

Finally the answer: 
In order for us to completely put the "magic into software" we must create a game that completely immerses players into a state of optimum experience. It is part of Silicon Knights agenda to discover how to do this. There is no formula that makes a good game and we are unlikely ever to find one. But we now believe that it is not one but a combination of fundamental principles will allow us to do the best games. We believe that a combination of Art, Story, Game-Play, Design, Technology, Music and Sound that combine in a way that makes them greater then the sum of their parts. We came to this conclusion halfway through the development of Kain. So if you liked Kain, wait until you play our next game where we hope to take the next step towards our "Holy Grail”.