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Spotlight: Techpad Productions

Posted by AppBite Team
   

You might remember a couple of weeks ago we had the evil pleasure of reviewing one incredibly funny app that made it to our Top 2 and Top 10 Round-up. It was called IMEvil. Its developers from TechPad Productions have agreed to talk to us about how he started the app and how it will develop in the future.

1. Tell us a bit about TechPad Productions, the values and team that hold it all together. What drives and motivates you? How long have you been in the business?

Dan White: We've been in this business for over 5 years. Ben and I have have been friends and worked together in various industries for many more. One of our favorite shared experience is video gaming and entertainment. There's a lot of Quake, Halo and Everquest hours logged between us!

Ben Fisher: Yes, we have known each other since about 1995. We have the luck of being able to attract really talented people like John Laster and Susan Davis and great partners like James Little, David Sobolov and Jennifer Campagana.

You hear it a lot, but what motivates us is to create a great product that is fun for the person who buys it.

2. What does it take to succeed on the market?

Dan: We'll let you know.... joking. Perseverance, the willingness to work at it even when it seems overwhelming, have a great team to work with, believe in and enjoy what you do. Friends and family support helps too. I think these things are pretty universal to all successes.

Ben: Dan hit the nail on the head there, you have to be patient and just have fun with it. There is a lot of trial and error when creating in this marketplace. I have seen some ideas that should have done really well, but did not. Then someone creates an exact clone and it takes off.

3. What made you develop for the iPhone?

Dan: Timing in the marketplace mostly. We had the right mix of creatives and resources to make it happen. Plus it's cool to work with a new and growing platform like the iPhone.

Ben: We had created a board game called ServerMania as a promotional piece for the industry we were in at the time. When Apple opened the AppStore, we saw the opportunity to take an existing IP and thought it would be great to see how it would do in a mobile environment.

4. What do you think sets you and IMEvil apart from competition both in the App Store and the general market?

Dan: David's voice is the most obvious. It's so distinctive and has been heard in one form or another in every household in the US, and many others abroad. The app is well made, using one of the best engines for sound on the AppStore.

Ben: In general, we went the extra mile in becoming Screen Actor Guild Signatory's. This allows us to hire Hollywood talent for our apps and games. Most apps that you see out there are using pirated or recorded audio or music. We took the route of contacting the talent and going through all the legal channels.

5. With the new SDK released, a whole new world opens up for developers such as yourself. What can you expect from the market and how will you respond to more expectations from your IMEvil app?

Ben: This is a pretty large subject, I think we are seeing a lot of new, cool, apps hitting the marketplace that are using the 3.0+ SDK. We are going to be rolling out an update shortly that takes advantage of 3.0 with in app email, versus having to launch the email client on the phone.

6. Do you plan to release any updates and/or sound packs for the app, or do you have any prepared?

Ben: We have an update that is coming on the horizon that we think will be exciting to gamers. In addition, we are running contests that will allow winners to have their own lines end up in the app and voiced by David.

7. What was your favorite thing about designing for the iPhone and iPod Touch? The biggest challenge?

Dan: My favorite thing was the exploration of what can be done with it. For that reason, the hardest challenge was to keep the project in scope.

Ben: My favorite thing about designing for the iPhone was working together with talented programmers and actors to create a creatively unique experience.

8. What other apps do you have on your iPhone or iPod Touch? What’s your favorite?

Dan: Fav would have to be Pocket God, so compatible with iMEvil . I wish we could do some Godly voice overs for it. My regulars are Holdem, Stansa, iNetMania - another of our games, Flck Fishing. Four Free and FS5 Hockey. I also have a dictionary, the US Constitution, and Google Earth for those times when I need to look up something. Then there's bunch of others I don't recall the name of atm.

9. For our readers, please describe IMEvil in just one evil word.

Dan: Delicious

Ben: Perfected!

10. What’s your favorite line and associated sound from the app’s repository?

Dan: Tough question that... on the current release, probably the laugh. There are a couple that have the laugh with them; "Your Mine" and "Come Get it", that are fun to use online like in PVP on WoW.

11. We’ve mentioned IMEvil can be used in literally limitless situations. What’s your take on this and how have you used it so far?

Dan: It's fun to think up new ways it can be used. Mostly used for pranks so far, and some videos, but the best use I've experienced so far was when my mom was being pestered every day by this obnoxious telemarketer. He just wouldn't quit and she was intimidated. I happened to be over there when he called, so I gave him the "iMEvil" treatment. We've not heard from him again for the last 3 weeks.

iPhone Review Posted in Developer Spotlight

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