[Interview] They did Dracula!
Published with permission from iworld-club.com. An honest interview at once with the whole team of Moregames Entertainment , Russian developers who made the most popular game for the iPhone at the moment and deprived sleep of hundreds of thousands of people. About how they work, what they play and what they want.
A couple of days before the appearance of four new monsters in iDracula and a heap of useful things (a long-awaited update!), The idols of Moregames Entertainment iPhone owners took the time to answer our questions, for which we are very grateful.
The Moregames team consists of developer Pavel Kupriyanov and graphic artist Andrei Kovalchuk . They create, and the earthly tasks they help solve Natalia Kovalchuk . She began a story about More Games Entertainment.
')
It all started simply: Pavel had already made a game on the PDA and he was looking for an artist through the Internet, while Andrei dreamed at that time to find an understanding programmer who could realize his ideas, and both had a great desire to make games regardless of the game developers. I remember that there were not so many offers from programmers and all of them were vague, there was no clarity of the picture as a whole. But Paul’s proposal stood out against the background of others - everything was detailed and laid out on the shelves, Andrey really liked this approach and we decided to meet. This is actually how we met
In our team, only Pavel and Andrey do all the work from concept to project implementation. Of course there is an exception - this is a musical arrangement, we order it from professionals. Therefore, if we talk about the creators of the game iDracula, then Paul and Andrew made it almost together.
Andrew about himself: I graduated from an art school in 2000, and immediately after graduating from college I began studying programs in order to be able to make games myself. I found all the information on the Internet, mostly observing and analyzing how the best companies make games. Several times was on the CWI. But at the lectures I didn’t learn anything new about creating games there, they give very superficial information.
Pavel didn’t tell about himself separately, but compensated for this with detailed answers.
Do you want to remain a small company or think about growth?
Natalya: As long as we remain a small company, and we will probably
to recruit freelancers.
Andrei: In general, there is a future for freelancing, so for now about a direct expansion of the state
we do not think. The game can be done together, having everything in hand
materials. The only thing is that it is not always possible to get the result that is necessary from the freelancer, but we are ready to waste time on correct explanation of what we want to get in the end
Do you work in the office or separately?
Natalya: We work separately, but very harmoniously, otherwise it is impossible.
Do you play a lot?
Andrei: Previously, while they didn’t do so intensively games, I played a lot. Now I practically don’t play games of other developers at all, only
Pavel loves strategies, and I have always loved 3D shooters and platformers from the SegaMegadrive console - I still sometimes play around on an emulator
Pavel: I play quite a lot, mostly in my own games. I use other people's games as a rule as a subject of research - I rate, I look for ideas,
I try to understand why it is interesting to play, and so on.
Although there are games that I play for fun - these are almost exclusively games from Blizzard - Warcraft3, Starcraft.
What do you think about the fact that the virtual world has long become richer in reality?
Pavel: The normal process. Otherwise, why would he be needed if he were more boring than the real one?
Andrew: You can talk about this for a long time, but I will be brief. The virtual world only emphasizes the real, with the right interaction. If you separate one from the other, then specifically in our time, in the technological age, you will most likely be deprived of knowledge in some areas. A virtual world gives great knowledge in any field, just need to be able to find and apply them correctly, and this already depends on the personality of each person.
What inspired you to create this game? Possibilities of the iPhone or was the idea even before its appearance? Perhaps something completely different?
Natalya: We conceived the game about Dracula 3 years ago, and wanted to implement it on PocketPC. Andrei has already made some graphic work.
But since we have a lot of ideas, this project, like many others waiting in the wings, was left for later.
After the release of the game Orions: Legend of Wizards on the iPhone, we needed a small game that can be done in 2-3 weeks, and we liked the idea with Dracula most of all, besides, there were no similar isometric shooters for the iPhone.
iDracula was invented specifically for the iPhone or was there an analogue for other platforms before?
Andrei: This game was planned under a different device, and we had just concepts for the game in the form of an idea and a few sketches.
Is someone from the team still playing iDracula?
Pavel: I am pleased to play during the last month, not even with the purpose of testing, but simply during a trip in transport or standing in a queue. Other games are also in large numbers, but to play them, as a rule, is boring.
Andrei: We all play, constantly. After all, we are now making an update, we have to spend many hours playing a game.
I think that after the release of the update to the game, we will play it, it's nice sometimes to just shoot monsters. Well, if someone does something like that, then I certainly will play this game with pleasure
Can the creator of the game itself receive pleasure from the process?
Pavel: Certainly. In general, the creator in the process of creating the game plays a lot of different games - every fork, every decision made, every innovation changes the game. This is the greatest pleasure - in one game to play countless of them, in which no one except you will ever play.
Andrei: I would say significantly more than a simple player
After all, this is our brainchild, where each pixel is created by our hands, we can add new game details or remove what we don’t like. This is not possible for other players. In Orions, after its release, we played for a very long time.
Does the fact that you have created a game means that you can automatically complete it with the maximum result?
Andrew: At the maximum result we can pass, but again there is no time for that. Specifically, in iDracula there are some players who already “fill” more than 50 million points at a time. Such patience is certainly surprising.
Pavel: The game has no “ending”, that's the beauty of it - you can play essentially infinitely, trying to improve the previous result.
What do you feel when you play your game?
Pavel: Pride is a good game. However, the range of feelings is much more complicated, and depends on the game.
Andrei: When you linger on your own game for a long time, you no longer see what you did, but just play the pleasure of passing. But if you saw a bug or a malfunction, then you also remember that this is your game, and that it can be fixed or improved. Now it turns out that we are only doing that we are playing our own games - and you know, it's damn nice !
What is the most difficult in the process of creating a game?
Andrew: Running and polishing, almost finished version. There is always a bunch of small parts here that you need to be able to follow simultaneously, and this is very important to guarantee a successful project.
A lot of work has been invested in the game, all components are very organic and relevant.
Andrew: This is the whole point of the modern game project. We do not like to make hack, even if the game is small and with one level. Let it be better to be a small project, but fully appropriate in atmosphere and content. As an artist, I follow this very carefully,
Take any other our game and you will see that everything is in its place, I try very hard to avoid bloopers in the schedule.
And when you asked about the significance of the virtual world, it helps me a lot in finding the right information to create concepts, I use the capabilities of the virtual world for the benefit of my development, and along with this information I can draw games.
At the same time, the idea that the graphics, complexity and intrigue - like a full-fledged computer game, and that it is possible only on the iPhone, does not leave.
Pavel: Games on the iPhone are fully-fledged computer games, in our opinion. The platform has its limitations and features, otherwise it is essentially nothing
no different from the Wii, for example.
Andrei: We plan to make quite a full-fledged gameplay for iDracula-2, because we see that people like this game, and in most of the comments, the players ask to make a campaign. As for porting the game to other platforms, this issue is under discussion, but for us it’s still more important to create games. We are extremely creative individuals, and it is much more important for us to implement our ideas than to simply do business. Creating a good project, we already earn enough - why go after the golden mountains, when the best wealth is the knowledge and ability to realize and embody your thoughts.
When you created the game, did you imagine the number of people who want to play it?
Pavel: We imagined that such a game should be interesting to play to a large number of people. In other words, we made “pops,” in the good sense of the word.
What is the key to the success of the game? What distinguishes a mediocre game from ingenious?
Pavel: The recipe is simple - it is interesting to play a good game. And it is very interesting, and constantly throughout the development time. If the interest in the game cools, most likely something is wrong with the game. If playing the game is not interesting even to its creator, a good game will never come out. I do not know about the genius, but a good game should “catch”. The overwhelming majority of games have everything - an interesting plot, beautiful graphics, special effects, good music, well-thought gameplay. And at the same time there is no elusive nuance, trifle, feeling that turns the game into the Game, something that breathes life into it.
Andrei: I will touch on this topic a little deeper. Brilliant game is our human race. Because I can not call it otherwise, as a game. Humanity has no goal, no desire to protect itself and nature, and to live with it in balance.
There are leading players in the world who control this whole crowd, and it looks like they are not the best. After all, what values ​​dictate from above, then people chew. I would like knowledge to be used instead of money, fear to lose this efimer material invented value would disappear. In this scenario, the development of civilization would go a completely different way - the best. But in this life apparently not destined.
If to speak in essence, the key to a good game is the correct interaction and attitude of people between themselves, making the game. For the prosperity of any company, not even a game, is respect for work and for the person doing this work, and not so much that you have a big salary - do what they say. No good project in this case will not work. Respect for the individual and work in all its forms is a guarantee of any success.
Can you name any trends in new games?
Pavel: There is no definite tendency - development goes along with parallel courses in different genres.
Will something completely new be created for iPhones?
Pavel: Almost every day something absolutely new is created.
Andrew: Of course, we will try too
How difficult is the new game to get into the Appstore? How fast can a new game become popular?
Andrew: Our game took off in the top five for 3 days. Before that, we had ported another game -Orions-, which did not even make it to the top hundred. It is difficult to draw any conclusions. Today, people like to roll a ball on an iPhone, and tomorrow they will like to disperse crowds of zombies.
Are you working with a partner? Is this a prerequisite to have a massive sale?
Natalya: Much depends on the publisher, but not everything. iDracula became popular due to the successful symbiosis of good graphics and gameplay, and, of course, the price was attractive to many.
Can we expect new games from you? Maybe not just games?
Andrew: I think only games. Making games more interesting and more difficult than entertainment, as To create games, a more extensive amount of knowledge and experience is required, which allows you to constantly actively train your brains.
What else would you like to do in life?
Andrei: We would just like to make people happy with our games. After all, it's nice to play a well-implemented game from the side of the gameplay and graphics in free minutes of working time, or just on a bench on the street or in the subway. The game actually gives high-grade food for the brain - you play, and at the same time you pay attention to what interests you in the game - for example, for character costumes, for surroundings backgrounds, people can develop their management skills in strategies, I can list endlessly because The game is a collection of various information, bundled into the project.
And it is better to learn by playing, because it is an excellent intermediary mechanism for the development of a person’s personality. I do not agree with those who said that playing is harmful. I have been playing myself since I was 8 years old, and I have passed thousands of games on Dendy, SegaMegaDrive, superNintendo, Playstation and PC, and I feel great, I have good eyesight, and always a good mood!
I would love to live for 1000 years, and become a musician, philosopher, professor, etc. But life is short, and it is better to do one thing, but with dignity.
PS
About that most seductive price:
If you haven’t yet downloaded iDracula, you have the last few days to buy the game at a seductive price of one dollar. The iDracula update is already waiting for appling in the AppStore. With the release of the update, the cost will rise to $ 2.99
The update will be:
- 4 new monster;
- 2 additional game modes: Super Survival, Wave Attack;
- 2 new levels: Dracula’s Castle and Frozen Land;
- 2 new weapons: Flamethrower and Blade Ripper (only for Rush mode);
- additional bonuses (perks): Haste, Rage, Time Stop, Bomb (only for Super Survival);
We stopped waiting!
Reference to the source: http://iworld-club.com/articles/oni-sdelali-drakulu
A couple of days before the appearance of four new monsters in iDracula and a heap of useful things (a long-awaited update!), The idols of Moregames Entertainment iPhone owners took the time to answer our questions, for which we are very grateful.
The Moregames team consists of developer Pavel Kupriyanov and graphic artist Andrei Kovalchuk . They create, and the earthly tasks they help solve Natalia Kovalchuk . She began a story about More Games Entertainment.
')
It all started simply: Pavel had already made a game on the PDA and he was looking for an artist through the Internet, while Andrei dreamed at that time to find an understanding programmer who could realize his ideas, and both had a great desire to make games regardless of the game developers. I remember that there were not so many offers from programmers and all of them were vague, there was no clarity of the picture as a whole. But Paul’s proposal stood out against the background of others - everything was detailed and laid out on the shelves, Andrey really liked this approach and we decided to meet. This is actually how we met
In our team, only Pavel and Andrey do all the work from concept to project implementation. Of course there is an exception - this is a musical arrangement, we order it from professionals. Therefore, if we talk about the creators of the game iDracula, then Paul and Andrew made it almost together.
Andrew about himself: I graduated from an art school in 2000, and immediately after graduating from college I began studying programs in order to be able to make games myself. I found all the information on the Internet, mostly observing and analyzing how the best companies make games. Several times was on the CWI. But at the lectures I didn’t learn anything new about creating games there, they give very superficial information.
Pavel didn’t tell about himself separately, but compensated for this with detailed answers.
Do you want to remain a small company or think about growth?
Natalya: As long as we remain a small company, and we will probably
to recruit freelancers.
Andrei: In general, there is a future for freelancing, so for now about a direct expansion of the state
we do not think. The game can be done together, having everything in hand
materials. The only thing is that it is not always possible to get the result that is necessary from the freelancer, but we are ready to waste time on correct explanation of what we want to get in the end
Do you work in the office or separately?
Natalya: We work separately, but very harmoniously, otherwise it is impossible.
Do you play a lot?
Andrei: Previously, while they didn’t do so intensively games, I played a lot. Now I practically don’t play games of other developers at all, only
Pavel loves strategies, and I have always loved 3D shooters and platformers from the SegaMegadrive console - I still sometimes play around on an emulator
Pavel: I play quite a lot, mostly in my own games. I use other people's games as a rule as a subject of research - I rate, I look for ideas,
I try to understand why it is interesting to play, and so on.
Although there are games that I play for fun - these are almost exclusively games from Blizzard - Warcraft3, Starcraft.
What do you think about the fact that the virtual world has long become richer in reality?
Pavel: The normal process. Otherwise, why would he be needed if he were more boring than the real one?
Andrew: You can talk about this for a long time, but I will be brief. The virtual world only emphasizes the real, with the right interaction. If you separate one from the other, then specifically in our time, in the technological age, you will most likely be deprived of knowledge in some areas. A virtual world gives great knowledge in any field, just need to be able to find and apply them correctly, and this already depends on the personality of each person.
What inspired you to create this game? Possibilities of the iPhone or was the idea even before its appearance? Perhaps something completely different?
Natalya: We conceived the game about Dracula 3 years ago, and wanted to implement it on PocketPC. Andrei has already made some graphic work.
But since we have a lot of ideas, this project, like many others waiting in the wings, was left for later.
After the release of the game Orions: Legend of Wizards on the iPhone, we needed a small game that can be done in 2-3 weeks, and we liked the idea with Dracula most of all, besides, there were no similar isometric shooters for the iPhone.
iDracula was invented specifically for the iPhone or was there an analogue for other platforms before?
Andrei: This game was planned under a different device, and we had just concepts for the game in the form of an idea and a few sketches.
Is someone from the team still playing iDracula?
Pavel: I am pleased to play during the last month, not even with the purpose of testing, but simply during a trip in transport or standing in a queue. Other games are also in large numbers, but to play them, as a rule, is boring.
Andrei: We all play, constantly. After all, we are now making an update, we have to spend many hours playing a game.
I think that after the release of the update to the game, we will play it, it's nice sometimes to just shoot monsters. Well, if someone does something like that, then I certainly will play this game with pleasure
Can the creator of the game itself receive pleasure from the process?
Pavel: Certainly. In general, the creator in the process of creating the game plays a lot of different games - every fork, every decision made, every innovation changes the game. This is the greatest pleasure - in one game to play countless of them, in which no one except you will ever play.
Andrei: I would say significantly more than a simple player
After all, this is our brainchild, where each pixel is created by our hands, we can add new game details or remove what we don’t like. This is not possible for other players. In Orions, after its release, we played for a very long time.
Does the fact that you have created a game means that you can automatically complete it with the maximum result?
Andrew: At the maximum result we can pass, but again there is no time for that. Specifically, in iDracula there are some players who already “fill” more than 50 million points at a time. Such patience is certainly surprising.
Pavel: The game has no “ending”, that's the beauty of it - you can play essentially infinitely, trying to improve the previous result.
What do you feel when you play your game?
Pavel: Pride is a good game. However, the range of feelings is much more complicated, and depends on the game.
Andrei: When you linger on your own game for a long time, you no longer see what you did, but just play the pleasure of passing. But if you saw a bug or a malfunction, then you also remember that this is your game, and that it can be fixed or improved. Now it turns out that we are only doing that we are playing our own games - and you know, it's damn nice !
What is the most difficult in the process of creating a game?
Andrew: Running and polishing, almost finished version. There is always a bunch of small parts here that you need to be able to follow simultaneously, and this is very important to guarantee a successful project.
A lot of work has been invested in the game, all components are very organic and relevant.
Andrew: This is the whole point of the modern game project. We do not like to make hack, even if the game is small and with one level. Let it be better to be a small project, but fully appropriate in atmosphere and content. As an artist, I follow this very carefully,
Take any other our game and you will see that everything is in its place, I try very hard to avoid bloopers in the schedule.
And when you asked about the significance of the virtual world, it helps me a lot in finding the right information to create concepts, I use the capabilities of the virtual world for the benefit of my development, and along with this information I can draw games.
At the same time, the idea that the graphics, complexity and intrigue - like a full-fledged computer game, and that it is possible only on the iPhone, does not leave.
Pavel: Games on the iPhone are fully-fledged computer games, in our opinion. The platform has its limitations and features, otherwise it is essentially nothing
no different from the Wii, for example.
Andrei: We plan to make quite a full-fledged gameplay for iDracula-2, because we see that people like this game, and in most of the comments, the players ask to make a campaign. As for porting the game to other platforms, this issue is under discussion, but for us it’s still more important to create games. We are extremely creative individuals, and it is much more important for us to implement our ideas than to simply do business. Creating a good project, we already earn enough - why go after the golden mountains, when the best wealth is the knowledge and ability to realize and embody your thoughts.
When you created the game, did you imagine the number of people who want to play it?
Pavel: We imagined that such a game should be interesting to play to a large number of people. In other words, we made “pops,” in the good sense of the word.
What is the key to the success of the game? What distinguishes a mediocre game from ingenious?
Pavel: The recipe is simple - it is interesting to play a good game. And it is very interesting, and constantly throughout the development time. If the interest in the game cools, most likely something is wrong with the game. If playing the game is not interesting even to its creator, a good game will never come out. I do not know about the genius, but a good game should “catch”. The overwhelming majority of games have everything - an interesting plot, beautiful graphics, special effects, good music, well-thought gameplay. And at the same time there is no elusive nuance, trifle, feeling that turns the game into the Game, something that breathes life into it.
Andrei: I will touch on this topic a little deeper. Brilliant game is our human race. Because I can not call it otherwise, as a game. Humanity has no goal, no desire to protect itself and nature, and to live with it in balance.
There are leading players in the world who control this whole crowd, and it looks like they are not the best. After all, what values ​​dictate from above, then people chew. I would like knowledge to be used instead of money, fear to lose this efimer material invented value would disappear. In this scenario, the development of civilization would go a completely different way - the best. But in this life apparently not destined.
If to speak in essence, the key to a good game is the correct interaction and attitude of people between themselves, making the game. For the prosperity of any company, not even a game, is respect for work and for the person doing this work, and not so much that you have a big salary - do what they say. No good project in this case will not work. Respect for the individual and work in all its forms is a guarantee of any success.
Can you name any trends in new games?
Pavel: There is no definite tendency - development goes along with parallel courses in different genres.
Will something completely new be created for iPhones?
Pavel: Almost every day something absolutely new is created.
Andrew: Of course, we will try too
How difficult is the new game to get into the Appstore? How fast can a new game become popular?
Andrew: Our game took off in the top five for 3 days. Before that, we had ported another game -Orions-, which did not even make it to the top hundred. It is difficult to draw any conclusions. Today, people like to roll a ball on an iPhone, and tomorrow they will like to disperse crowds of zombies.
Are you working with a partner? Is this a prerequisite to have a massive sale?
Natalya: Much depends on the publisher, but not everything. iDracula became popular due to the successful symbiosis of good graphics and gameplay, and, of course, the price was attractive to many.
Can we expect new games from you? Maybe not just games?
Andrew: I think only games. Making games more interesting and more difficult than entertainment, as To create games, a more extensive amount of knowledge and experience is required, which allows you to constantly actively train your brains.
What else would you like to do in life?
Andrei: We would just like to make people happy with our games. After all, it's nice to play a well-implemented game from the side of the gameplay and graphics in free minutes of working time, or just on a bench on the street or in the subway. The game actually gives high-grade food for the brain - you play, and at the same time you pay attention to what interests you in the game - for example, for character costumes, for surroundings backgrounds, people can develop their management skills in strategies, I can list endlessly because The game is a collection of various information, bundled into the project.
And it is better to learn by playing, because it is an excellent intermediary mechanism for the development of a person’s personality. I do not agree with those who said that playing is harmful. I have been playing myself since I was 8 years old, and I have passed thousands of games on Dendy, SegaMegaDrive, superNintendo, Playstation and PC, and I feel great, I have good eyesight, and always a good mood!
I would love to live for 1000 years, and become a musician, philosopher, professor, etc. But life is short, and it is better to do one thing, but with dignity.
PS
About that most seductive price:
If you haven’t yet downloaded iDracula, you have the last few days to buy the game at a seductive price of one dollar. The iDracula update is already waiting for appling in the AppStore. With the release of the update, the cost will rise to $ 2.99
The update will be:
- 4 new monster;
- 2 additional game modes: Super Survival, Wave Attack;
- 2 new levels: Dracula’s Castle and Frozen Land;
- 2 new weapons: Flamethrower and Blade Ripper (only for Rush mode);
- additional bonuses (perks): Haste, Rage, Time Stop, Bomb (only for Super Survival);
We stopped waiting!
Reference to the source: http://iworld-club.com/articles/oni-sdelali-drakulu
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/54358/
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