Meet the Developer: Maxim Grankin studio MaxNick

In MacRadar we try as much as possible to talk about the people who create great apps and games for iOS and Mac OS X. Today interviews with interesting guests. Maxim Grankin - co-founder of MaxNick. The studio produces excellent toys for iPhone and iPad. We were talking about iCurling, iChapaev, Doodle Invasion, BoxBattle. The most powerful of the game - Spider Jack - recently updated. Owners of the iPhone is now available to 125 levels.

We first talked about the game, which was created by your more than a year ago the team. In my opinion, during this time you have made great progress. Simply compare the complexity of the games and performance iChapaev Spider Jack. Tell me how you do in game development?

Look closely to the development and to try their hand, we started in May 2009, it was then that we bought from Apple the ability to publish applications, and bought a Mac hakintosh put on one of the machines. Actually it iChapaev was our first test of strength, we decided to go all the way from the beginning - the idea of ​​the game, until the end - getting the first cash.

iChapaev, the first studio project was relatively simple

Thus by the end of 2009 we have more or less formed an understanding of what the process is, and as we are practically free from their past activities. And like any new business starts on Monday, we decided to create a new studio in 2010.

The studio three founding father. Geographically we are situated in the small town of Stavropol, in southern Russia.

In the past, we have extensive experience in the telecommunications, Internet and IT. Creating applications for mobile terminals attracted me for a long time, since I actively use mobile terminals since 1997, the actual founder of the team befriended tighter at a time of our joint work on the launch of the first GSM operator in the Stavropol Territory.

Since it was a clear desire to be in the market all over the world, we chose the game as one of the international instruments of communication, such as music or art.

We believed, and now confident that we have something to offer the world market.
At the moment our team is constantly working recites 10, as well as several people we attract to piecework.

In August 2010, we signed a long-term contract with a major publisher of games for iOS English company Chillingo, and the fall of their known successfully acquired all EA. So we have rich experience in independent games publishing and publication in collaboration with the publisher.

Spider Jack - fresh game MaxNick studio

Can you tell us about the process of creating the game? How did it all begin?

It's hard to talk about this kitchen, because the word is quite difficult to convey the subtleties, but as you know all is in the details.

If you try to formalize it briefly, it looks like this:

1. Idea, idea, idea, idea... ..and another idea
2. Discussion of ideas, most of "the furnace"
3. Choose one and try to make a prototype
4. We look at the prototype and often "in the furnace"
………………………………….

and so the cycle until the prototype is not pleasant
5. We begin to make a game and to win back
then again, most of the options "in the furnace"
6. That's actually what remains, we produce :)

One of the first options that safely left "in the furnace"

There is much talk about the rigidity of the reviewers App Store. Say, denied applications for the most insignificant reasons. This way or fears exaggerated?

I think it's a horror story in a certain way, at least in the games area. All in principle is quite simple, you need to follow the rules, we have the existence of such restrictions until created significant difficulties.

Possible application developers are faced with big problems, but I think it should be remembered that it is due to this policy, we have a degree of user satisfaction, which We have.

Another version, which never saw the light

Do you specialize only on the iOS-platform? What are the advantages you eppstor? And what is not to like?

At the moment, we are trying to make all of our current and future products are present on three mobile platforms, iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7. However, we do not have any religious hostility to other platforms :)

App Store - it's great, but unfortunately no advantages compared with other developers, he does not give us :). As for the paradigm of digital content distribution method that is certainly very cool and comfortable.

What is bad? Imagine a supermarket with a showcase that lurk over the horizon and on the shelves of all your favorite cherry jam... .. only from different manufacturers... Showcases long eg 400,000 km.

Is there a chance that you will buy the bank's products, which is on the shelf at least 200 meters? Therefore, despite the fact that Apple is trying to present the opportunity to sell all developers to provide visibility of all consumer products is not possible. And that's when the real world is knocking on the door to virtual and starts - advertising, promotion, budgets, brands, publishers and so on ...

Too early work

How did you meet with Apple products? What use? What software is installed on Macs and iOS-gadgets?

First saw the iPhone in 2007, became the happy owner in 2008, from August 2009 moved to the Mac OS, well, actually and hit the "slavery" to Jobs.

Regarding the software is difficult to say, not a lot. Despite the fact that I'm a geek, I've played enough is enough, and many chose basic, necessary for operation. Very pleased with MS Office 2011 output for the Mac, unfortunately while similar products Apple still not up.

But Mac OS pleased indeed when compared with Windows - just works. On iOS devices, of course, first, and secondly it installed a lot of games, because it is work, and books for the soul.
I listen to music a little, mostly audio books.

In any iOS-game you play yourself?

Play, or rather look at it and analyze all of the major casual games Top50 US, you know it work :)
I do it all the time, but I am not an avid gamer. I can not pick out your favorite games, most I can say that I very much appreciate some quality games, such as the idea, implementation, marketing and promotion.

I believe that the Angry Birds, not so much a game as an approach the company Rovio, - this is an example and a lesson to all of how to do the brand. I think that all the awards received by Cut the Rope is absolutely deserved. In my opinion, this is probably the best game is now in the AppStore. Undoubtedly the idea and implementation Frute Ninja and Doodle Jump is extremely successful.

There are on the way for some new games or update existing ones, which you could tell readers MacRadar?

Talk about those games which we are now engaged in honest hard as they say one is better to see once than to hear 100 times, I think that we will have something to show to users during this summer. Therefore, we will not get ahead of ourselves. :-)

Thank you, Max, for agreeing to answer our questions :-)