--> Game Insight takes the city builder genre to new heights on WP8 !

Have you heard of Game Insight? Aside from what the name might imply, it’s not a company that reports on gaming metrics or user behaviors. They make

highly engaging strategy and role-playing games for leading smartphone platforms.

All of their games are free to download, and do not include any advertising. There are options for in-app purchases to get access to various tools and resources that assist you during gameplay.

Additionally, their games have been customized in 24 languages to meet the needs of users worldwide, showcasing an attention to detail that has paid off.

 

Their hugely successful My Country and Rule the Kingdom games, both available for Windows Phone 8, have received widespread praise in the Windows Phone Store; and My Country won the app of the year award in Russia for Windows Phone applications this year.

To begin, take a look at this short Nokia Developer video about Game Insight: 

 

We had the chance to speak with Darya Trushkina, Senior Vice President of Business Development for Russia’s Game Insight, to learn more about their current apps.

Could you give us an overview about My Country?

Darya: My Country was the first game we launched on Windows 8 platform including Windows Phone 8 … Releasing My Country for Windows Phone 8 was a strategic step for us because we wanted to test out the platform to see how it would work … I would call this game the next generation of city builders in gaming, [as it is] the hybrid of city builder as well as a management and strategy game.

What’s your favorite part of My Country?

Darya: My personal most favorite features in it is that there is an ecology piece integrated into the game which is very educational for all who are playing the game … It teaches you to manage different resources at the same time and not just think about people, or contracts or money in the game.

And tell us a bit about Rule of the Kingdom.

Darya: Rule the Kingdom was the second game we released on Windows Phone 8 as well as on a Windows 8 platform. Rule the Kingdom is a unique game because it’s also a hybrid of two genres: city builders and RPG game… I’m pretty sure we were the first developer who integrated the map into the game so basically inside the game, you have several different destinations … My favorite feature in that game is that I actually have an avatar, and I can also equip it with different armor, a costume, and call it any name I want.

Who are the types of gamers you are trying to reach?

Darya: The profile of our users on Windows Phone 8 right now would be fifty-fifty between male and female, 19 to 35 in age … Our biggest countries for Windows Phone 8 right now are Russia, China, and some smaller countries in Asia.

How do you ensure that people using your games come back and play them again?

Darya: We engage our users and keep them interested on a daily basis with respect to countries we release the game into. For example we run the holidays, special actions, and discounts to purchase in game currency. We do create very exclusive and unique items within the game for users to buy, and kind of create a collection and then energize or power that collection.

What has been the response to your games so far?

Darya: Both of our games on Windows Phone 8 have been received very well by audiences worldwide, and I would say that both games are successful. But I have to brag about My Country being the application of the year for Windows Phone 8 in Russia this year. Considering that this was our first game on Windows Phone 8, I think that’s a great achievement for us as well.

What does the Nokia Lumia 625 mean for you as a developer?

Darya: I think that the Lumia 625 is the perfect device for users to play games as well as to read our motion comics with Narr8. I think it’s affordable, which is very important. And it also extends our reach to audiences we didn’t have before. The larger screen provides developers the ability to create something amazing and more high-quality for consumers because it gives you the opportunity to implement more features than you could on smaller devices.

What does the future hold for your company?

Darya: The future is very optimistic. We believe in Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 … We definitely want to be present in more and more countries, and we want to have more loyal, appreciated, and grateful audience for our content. We’re going to do our best to reach that audience and create something amazing, think outside of the box and creating something that nobody did before us!

Do you play My Country or Rule the Kingdom on your Nokia Lumia? What do you enjoy about the games? Share your feedback in the comments below.

Source:  conversations.nokia.com