Thank you for participating our interview. Please tell us a little about yourself.
I’m living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands with my Wife and three young kids. I’ve got a 4 year old son, a 2 year old daughter and a 5 week old baby. All of us live in the old center of town in an apartment that was already on the small side when we moved in before we had kids. For those of you who’ve been to Amsterdam, it’s right at the edge of the canals, in the middle of the Jordaan. I’ve been creating games for more than 15 years now, in different roles and companies. The past five years I worked at Spil Games, where I managed the teams who created fun kids apps like My Dolphin Show, Shopaholic World and Sara’s Cooking Class. At the start of 2013 I left Spil to become self-employed through my own company called Wungi, with the goal to make interesting and fun apps for young kids.
How did the idea for your app come about?
My son suddenly got obsessed with pirates. Big time. So, we got him some pirate books and It was cool to see how many nice pirate things are available in print. Pirates in the Street (I think that’s what it’s called) for example is a really nice book for kids. When I searched for a fun app I was surprised I couldn’t find something to match his interest. There are pirate apps available, but I couldn’t something that matched his fantasy and the richness kind of pretend pirate games he was playing with his friends. So, I offered my son to make him and app if he would help me in the design process. He happily agreed.
And how long was the process from the original idea to the release of the app?
It’s been a fairly fast process. In total about two months, which is fast in my experience. I started out with a family brainstorm session. One of the walls in the kitchen has been painted with blackboard paint, and we just sat down at the table and my son would shout out stuff he wanted to see in the game. I was amazed how complete his knowledge of pirate cliches was. Some things he didn’t know the word for (like crowsnest) but he would still make sure I understood and wrote it down. So, the list had objects and activities like digging for treasure on it and with that I designed an open, sandbox type of gameplay that would allow kids to play the game in different ways. Iv’e got a feeling we sometime underestimate what kids can do and understand on tablets and phones which results in a lot of very linear content. This game is experimental in the sense that it offers freedom of choice and an open 3D world.
Did you hire a developer or do it yourself?
I build the initial prototype myself and tested this with my kids, their friends and some remote volunteers who we found through a local Facebook expat mums group. (my wife is from England). When the basic system was clear, I teamed up with a game studio called Xform. I’ve worked with them for years and they are a fantastic group of people who really care about quality. I’m very happy they agreed to partner with me on this project.
What has been the hardest obstacle you have had to overcome in the development process?
I guess choosing what to put in the game and what to leave out. We have so many ideas that we would like to implement, it’s been hard to move thing to the future update list. For example, my son is still insisting that the pirate ship should feature a plank. For now we need to see if people are willing to buy the game. If we get a good response we intend to add a lot more to the game.
Have you had much support during the development process (from family, peers, Apple Inc.)?
My family has been very supportive and I’ve had some really nice encouragement from my game industry friends, even those who are in “core” gaming, especially those who have kids themselves.
What are your plans for the future? Will you be developing any more apps?
First off, we intend to launch this game on Android device as well. Then, I have some ideas for other “open” games for kids set in different themes. I would love to make them! However, the app store is very competitive place and we’ll take it one step at a time.
What sort of feedback has your app been receiving so far?
So far it’s been positive and the kids I’ve seen playing it seem to really enjoy it.
And finally, what advice would you give to anyone considering creating their own app?
Testing with your audience is critical. Don’t trust your own instincts too much.
Thank you so much for talking with us today and sharing a bit about your company. We really appreciated the chance to get to know you!
