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Appbite.com – During last Christmas, I
went through kind of a puzzle mania, and reviewed a
bunch of puzzle games, representing a small number
of how many I actually played on my iPhone. But I
gotta say, that amongst the better ones I put my
hands on were Strimko and LetsTans. Both these
puzzles games came from the personal hands of Peter
Grabarchuk, the man with the puzzle. I’ve been
talking with him for some time about his puzzles,
what makes them tick and what goes through his mind
when he comes up with them. I did my research, and
it seems like he is dedicated heart and soul to
puzzles, on paper, on the web or on a mobile device.
He plans to release a few more, so I asked him a
couple of questions and he courteously accepted to
answer them.
1. Tell me a bit about you and Grabarchuk
Puzzles, the values and team that hold it all
together. What drives and motivates you?
Peter Grabarchuk: We are a big family puzzle
group (my dad Serhiy and mom Tanya, my elder brother
Serhiy Jr and his wife Kate, and me and my fiancée
Helen), which creates, develops, and promotes
puzzles for many decades. We are driven by passion
for puzzling and puzzles, each almost form the
childhood. I could say that the main motivation of
our activities is wishing to propose smart puzzling
to people around us and all around the World.
2. What does it take to succeed in this market?
Peter: Same as in any other market - it's not
too easy at all. But for sure we must have a new
idea, prefect production, and a very good promotion.
3. I’ve seen that you’re truly dedicated to
puzzles and developing great ones online as well as
in print. I think the number 1 question is “Where
does inspiration come from?”
Peter: I think from everywhere, very often -
suddenly and without any warnings. :) Inspiration,
like motivation or other similarly delicate matters,
seems to be quite an illogical thing. Maybe after a
few more decades I'll be able to answer this
question more precisely.
4. What made you develop for the iPhone? Are you
planning to extend to other mobile platforms?
Peter: Seven years ago we have started
PocketPLAY project at puzzles.com - small playable
puzzle apps for PocketPC handhelds. In fact it was
very similar to nowadays iPhone apps. But only a
year ago we've got a wide market where millions of
puzzle lovers from any part of the world could see,
try, and even buy your creations. And, yes, we also
have plans to extend our puzzles to other mobile
platforms.
5. What sets you apart from competition both in
the App Store and the general market?
Peter: I hope that our numerous puzzles could
answer better than myself to this question. I
believe our puzzle products really differ by their
original ideas and quality of their design.
6. Your favorite gaming genre for the mobile age?
The most successful and/or popular?
Peter: Puzzle. Puzzle and/or puzzle :)
7. For our readers, please describe your puzzles
in just one word.
Peter: Puzzling
8. What was your favorite thing about designing
for the iPhone and iPod Touch? The biggest
challenge?
Peter: Most favorite and challenging thing -
to design a neat and meaningful 57x57-pixel icon.
9. What apps do you have on your iPhone or iPod
Touch? What’s your favorite?
Peter: Strimko, LetsTans, Subway Shuffle,
Fling, Geared, Theseus, Catcha Mouse, Trism,
Wriggle, Labyrinth, Nintaii, Magnetic, Cross
Fingers, and plus >100 other.
10. If you had to pick one and only one medium to
create and share your puzzles, which one would it
be? Print, Web or Mobile?
Peter: If you'd ask me this question
"yesterday" - I'd answer Web, if "the day before
yesterday" - Print, but today - indisputably it's
Mobile. But I feel if you'd ask me this question
again "tomorrow" - I could answer Web, if "the day
after tomorrow" - Print. Everything changes.
Thanks Peter and good luck with the puzzles. I
understood you have more coming and I hope to see
them available on the AppStore very soon. Cheers! |
