Looking back at when you first started on the original Hitman, would you ever have thought the series would become so popular?
We weren’t even looking to make a sequel until after we finished HM1. Codename47 have sold more than 600k units, and that's pretty good for a first-time, PC-only title.

How does it feel to have created a character that is so popular and well known? Are you proud of what you've accomplished, what 47 has become?
I think it is a mix of talent, hard work and luck that made 47 happen. We did most things right design wise, but we were lucky that you guys like him so much.

When IO Interactive was founded and you started working on 'Hitman: codename 47'... why did you decide to make a game that involved a hitman?
Hitman started out as a violent shooter, a lot more Max Payne-style, but as we worked through the concept of a hired killer we came across so many situations where stealth was a lot more useful. This shaped the game into a stealth shooter instead, which we’re quite happy with today.

How did you come up with the cloning-story? and the barcode?
I think it started out as the classic mad-scientist story often used in computer games and just developed from there. The original Hitman story was very complicated and we had to cut out a lot to make it fit the game. As for the barcode, when you got a production line of clones running, barcodes are a handy way of keeping track of them.

Is 47 (or certain aspects of him) based on any real life people?
No.

Any fictional characters?
47 went through many stages, so it's hard to say, but a lot of fictional characters have of course influenced the design. The main inspiration came from Hong Kong movies like the Killer & Hard-Boiled, but the coolness of the robbers in Reservoir Dogs also played a role. Agent 007 has had a bit of influence as well. - We though it was cool.

When designing a character, how hard is it to find a good balance between "cool" and "realistic”?
It's very easy to get carried away and over-designing the character, but thanks to super-hero-eccentric Rasmus Kjær, 47 turned out just right

So...why is 47 bald?
When designing the character we found that leaving the hairdo out gave the character a more broad appeal. Hair styles have a tendency to narrow down the character to a specific audience, and we wanted 47 to be a very neutral character. The player should be able to jump into the suit of 47 with ease.

What has changed in 47's appearance when compared to the way you'd first imagine him to be? Has he evolved much throughout the games?
He's a lot cleaner that the first designs, he's also not as old and battle-scarred.

How did you come up with all the characters' names? Franz Fuchs, Lei Ling, Agent Smith?
Frantz Fuchs was inspired by a newspaper article I read about an Austrian Terrorist. Lei Ling (which by mistake got the name Mei Ling (which is now the one we use)) was just a case of a 'placeholder' name that never got changed. And the Agent, well, what better name for an agent? (it's an old joke that all agents use the name 'Smith' as a cover name

How about "Tobias Rieper"? That name isn't exactly very common...
Tobias Rieper was a cover name 47 used in one occasion, because it is the only 'real' name mentioned. People tend to think it's 47's real name but it isn’t.

You've told us about the evolution of 47's appearance, but what about his personality and mannerisms? How did those adapt through the development process of Hitman 1 and 2?
47 is slowly learning about his whereabouts and he keeps discovering new things within himself. He's in a constant battle with these 'human' feelings.

What would Hitman buy his relatives for Christmas?
What relatives?

What about his caretakers? 47 might not have biological parents, but what about the people who took care of him?
You can not trust anyone, especially people who are willing to pay for murder.

If you had to describe 47's character in a single word - what would it be? Please explain.
It's hard to describe a character like 47 with a single word, but the word I'd choose would be 'empty'. He's a character with no real memory of childhood, friends, or family. He has very few skills (although he's exceptionally good at the things he does know). He's searching for meaning in his life but ends up getting disappointed. From a character design point of view he is just a cool suit and a pair of silenced pistols, the player can make up the rest in his mind (which is great )

When designing a game around a main character who is a contract killer, you must have realised that this could be potentially risky - nowadays, violent games get blamed for many things wrong with the world and society. The recent Sikh - debate is a good example. How did you feel about this in the initial stages of making the first game? How did this influence the development process (if at all)?
Well, a contact killer isn’t that much different from a soldier. They're both paid by people they don't know to kill people they don't know. It's the fact that we take the scenario to civilian settings that makes it controversial. We do not make games for the sake of being controversial (that would be too easy or provocative, it just happens that our ideas have that affect on some people.

We've heard rumours that a 47 'back-story' or prequel would be produced. Can you confirm this?
We're trying to 'fill in the blanks'. A lot of players have never played Hitman: Codename 47 so there are some parts of the story that needs to be told again, and some parts that never made it to the first game need to be told.

In which form should we expect the back-story to appear? Will it be a videogame? Or will it be film-related?
You will find parts of this in Contracts.

We've also read that the 'Contracts' story will kick off on the streets of Paris. Can you confirm this? Is 47's visit to the French capital connected with the fact that his 'Fathers' were members of the French Foreign Legion?
The story begins in the minutes after a successful hit in one of Paris Opera houses. 47 barely escapes and gets wounded by the police. How did the police get there so quickly? 47 is hiding in a cheap hotel but the police are on his trail and soon the GIGN is surrounding the building....

You said that some parts of the history of 47 will be revisited in 'Contracts'. Do you mean that there are simply some storyline-elements that need to be re-told for the part of your audience that might not have played the first two parts? Or will it be an integrated part of the 'Contracts' story? - In other words: will 47 be going after his roots (and perhaps the Agency) in ‘Contracts’?
47 will indeed go after his roots The game is more true to Hitman 1 style of gameplay and you'll get a chance to see some old 'friends'

How will the character evolve in future games? Is there anything you can tell us about regarding Contracts?
47 gets more self-confident, he learns from the past where he has been manipulated by other people. In Contracts, 47 reflects upon his past (in his mind everything is dark and sinister).

Final question (almost): have there been any developments in the movie-negotiations that you can tell us about?
That, I'm afraid, I can't tell you about at this time.

Which actor do you think would play 47 the best (just in IOI's opinion) in a film?
One of the level designers have a poster of Daniel Day Lewis, in some role where he's bald and wearing a suit. It might not sound as the typical 47 actor but we think there's a definite possibility here He might have to wear grey coloured contact lenses then. - editor's note: IMDB profile for Daniel Day Lewis.

Thanks you for your time, and for making two fantastic games! Good luck with 'Contracts'!