Q&A: PDC World Championship Darts legends

Despite only becoming an officially recognised sport in Britain in 2005, darts is still a popular pastime across the country, and the world championships attract large audiences. And now the "arrows" are virtual, too. Oxygen Interactive is set to release the officially licensed PDC World Championship Darts for the PS2 on December 1 in the UK. (There is currently no known US release date.) The game will include 10 real-life players, tournament venues that span Britain, the Netherlands, and North America, and commentary from legendary pundit Sid Waddell.

At last week's launch of the game, world-class players Phil "The Power" Taylor and Colin Lloyd were on hand to play darts with attendees and talk about the game itself. One of the greatest darts players on the planet, Phil Taylor has notched up 13 world titles in his illustrious 18-year career. Colin Lloyd, meanwhile, is one of the most famous young players in the game and is currently ranked world number one in the PDC rankings. GameSpot sat down with the pair to discuss life at the top of the profession, and what it's like to be immortalised in game form.

GameSpot: Have you had chance to play PDC World Championship Darts yet?

Phil Taylor: It's the first time we've actually seen the game today, and it's very good. We can't get near it though, everybody's playing it! I've got four children and they love playing anything like this, but if I played the actual darts game I know I'd get addicted to it, so I have to be careful. We're competitive people, so we like a challenge.

Colin Lloyd: Yeah, it's the first time we've both seen the game, and it looks great to me--it just goes to show how big our game has become. We're being noticed, and if someone is going to bring out a video game for the PlayStation, it goes to show that we're moving in the right direction.

GS: Phil, your kids must think it's pretty cool that you've made it into a game.

PT: Oh yeah, they love it! My grandson's nearly 12 and he'll absolutely love it. It's really good for kids if it educates them and makes them think. They've used darts to train kids in maths, so I think that there's some educational benefit there too.

GS: The game features British, American, and Dutch competitions, as well as commentary from Sid Waddell.

PT: Ha! Yeah, nutty Sid!

CL: The great thing is that it's come out really well as a video game. Not every player wants to play on their own against the computer, but if you are a darts enthusiast, you'll be able to play as Phil, or even me if you want to! It has the same buzz about it as any other game, and hopefully it will prove to be popular.

GS: Colin, you're one of the more famous younger players in the game; do you see a lot of new talent coming into darts?

CL: Yeah, there are some tough young players out there! There are kids that are tough that we haven't even met yet. I'm sure there's another Phil Taylor out there lurking somewhere just waiting to make an appearance. The thing about me, though, is that if I go up to play and give that person the respect they deserve and I get beaten, I can't do any more than that. I always go out there wholeheartedly, and if I lose then hey, I'll just have to come back another day.

PT: That's the problem, though--these youngsters don't give us the respect we deserve.

CL: Yeah, they have no fear. They have an attitude where they think they can show Phil Taylor a thing or two. I mean, I hope that some people see me as their idol, and I know that people will see Phil as their idol. They think that they deserve to be where we are, and fair play to them. But it's up to us to maintain our standard so that when they do come through we can give them a couple of spankings, and hopefully they'll settle down a bit!

GS: You talked about idols there--who did you look up to coming into the game?

PT: I like winners across a lot of sports. So I like figures such as Roy Keane, Nigel Benn, Joe Calzaghe. I've not much time for the runner-up. Having said that, I'm a big fan of Port Vale, who nearly beat Tottenham the other day!

GS: How do you maintain your performance at the top level?

CL: You have to practise! And I think it's just the same as with professional snooker players, you have to always think a few moves ahead. Like with Phil, he'll have a plan of what he wants to do, but if he misses one shot he'll still have an idea in his mind of what to do to keep his rhythm going. The level I'm at now has been 22 years in the making, but I still love the game as much as when I started.

GS: So speaking from a personal perspective, what's been your favourite venue to play in?

CL: Probably Blackpool. I've been to Vegas, but it's been a very unkind place to me. I don't know what it is, I can never seem to get to grips with it. The whole thing about Vegas is that it takes your focus away.

GS: Phil, you've said that the favourite match came fairly early on in your career. Are there any memorable matches that stand out for you, Colin?

CL: Obviously, the first title that I ever won, in Eastbourne in 1999, is the one that got my foot in the door, and winning the world grand prix and the world match play are the two biggest titles I've won. If I were never to win another title, at least I could walk away with those. The other thing is that I've been lucky enough to travel the world doing something that I love.

GS: Thanks, guys.