A Deep Drink From The Fountain of Eastern European and Russia

A Deep Drink From The Fountain of Eastern European and Russia : Slide audio & slides (42 MB)

Many of the most successful casual games in the world are coming from Eastern Europe and Russia, where hundreds of talented developers are pouring their blood, sweat and tears into hit releases such as Farm Frenzy, Go-Go Gourmet, Blood Ties, The Apprentice: LA and others. This session will take you behind the scenes to reveal the history of game development in these richly creative regions and offer an intimate portrait of these people. It will also provide vital information on the robust Russian casual games market, which grew an astonishing 500 percent in 2007 and is expected to exceed $30 million in revenues in 2008. Is this market worth pursuing?
How can you make inroads into it? What lies ahead? This session will answer these questions and others in addition to explaining native payment systems, localization issues and more. If you want your time in Seattle to be well spent, this is one of the essential sessions.

Delivered at Casual Connect Seattle, July 2008

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Tatiana Chernova (email)

Tatiana Chernova joined Alawar Entertainment in September 2004. In the beginning, she was responsible for game localizations and translations. Since 2006, she’s served as public relations manager for the company. Today, she holds the position of Director of Marketing Communications and PR. Her responsibilities include soliciting coverage of the company’s projects through the mass media and the strategic planning of PR campaigns. Additional duties include the planning and organization of Alawar’s participation in exhibitions, conferences and other events. Moreover, Ms. Chernova serves as PR Advisor of the Casual Games Association (CGA). She’s also responsible for coverage of CGA activity in East European mass media and the organization of CGA Europe: East — the first specialized conference in Eastern Europe dedicated to the casual games industry. Tatiana holds a Master’s Degree in Linguistics from Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University and a second Master’s Degree in Economics and Management from Novosibirsk State University. Before coming to Alawar, she worked as a TV journalist and the host of a program featuring notable stories about city life in Russia.

Taras Tarasov (email)

Taras Tarasov is one of the pioneers of casual game development in Eastern Europe. He entered the industry in 1999 as one of the founders of Another Day LTD. In 2003, he established Friends Games, one of the largest and most experienced companies in Eastern Europe which provided custom game development services for the casual games industry on various platforms. The new studio was the evolution of ideas he began exploring with his first company. The main reasons for the success and growth of Friends Games have been Taras’ high creative energy, broad professional outlook on casual game design, and a streamlined and efficient processes for casual game development. In October 2007 Friends Games was acquired by Oberon Media and is now branded under I-Play Rivne studio. Taras joined Oberon as Director of European Developer Relations and manages relationships with casual game developers throughout the region.

Agger joined Adobe in 2005. Prior to joining Adobe’s Mobile & Devices Business Unit he was a product marketing manager for Adobe’s Creative Suite product line. Agger has held director-level positions at several software and hardware companies including Ericsson and Radius. He holds a Bachelor of Computer Science from the University of Copenhagen.

HOME \| LECTURES & ARTICLES \| INDUSTRY BUSINESS \| A Deep Drink From The Fountain of Eastern Europe and Russia audio & slides (42 MB) Many of the most successful casual games in the world are coming from Eastern Europe and Russia, where hundreds of talented developers are pouring their blood, sweat and tears into hit releases such as Farm Frenzy, Go-Go Gourmet, Blood Ties, The Apprentice: LA and others. This session will take you behind the scenes to reveal the history of game development in these richly creative regions and offer an intimate portrait of these people. It will also provide vital information on the robust Russian casual games market, which grew an astonishing 500 percent in 2007 and is expected to exceed $30 million in revenues in 2008. Is this market worth pursuing? How can you make inroads into it? What lies ahead? This session will answer these questions and others in addition to explaining native payment systems, localization issues and more. If you want your time in Seattle to be well spent, this is one of the essential sessions. Delivered at Casual Connect Seattle, July 2008 DOWNLOAD Tatiana Chernova (email) Tatiana Chernova joined Alawar Entertainment in September 2004. In the beginning, she was responsible for game localizations and translations. Since 2006, she’s served as public relations manager for the company. Today, she holds the position of Director of Marketing Communications and PR. Her responsibilities include soliciting coverage of the company’s projects through the mass media and the strategic planning of PR campaigns. Additional duties include the planning and organization of Alawar’s participation in exhibitions, conferences and other events. Moreover, Ms. Chernova serves as PR Advisor of the Casual Games Association (CGA). She’s also responsible for coverage of CGA activity in East European mass media and the organization of CGA Europe: East — the first specialized conference in Eastern Europe dedicated to the casual games industry. Tatiana holds a Master’s Degree in Linguistics from Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University and a second Master’s Degree in Economics and Management from Novosibirsk State University. Before coming to Alawar, she worked as a TV journalist and the host of a program featuring notable stories about city life in Russia. Taras Tarasov (email) Taras Tarasov is one of the pioneers of casual game development in Eastern Europe. He entered the industry in 1999 as one of the founders of Another Day LTD. In 2003, he established Friends Games, one of the largest and most experienced companies in Eastern Europe which provided custom game development services for the casual games industry on various platforms. The new studio was the evolution of ideas he began exploring with his first company. The main reasons for the success and growth of Friends Games have been Taras’ high creative energy, broad professional outlook on casual game design, and a streamlined and efficient processes for casual game development. In October 2007 Friends Games was acquired by Oberon Media and is now branded under I-Play Rivne studio. Taras joined Oberon as Director of European Developer Relations and manages relationships with casual game developers throughout the region. Agger joined Adobe in 2005. Prior to joining Adobe’s Mobile & Devices Business Unit he was a product marketing manager for Adobe’s Creative Suite product line. Agger has held director-level positions at several software and hardware companies including Ericsson and Radius. He holds a Bachelor of Computer Science from the University of Copenhagen.