Russian Moonshine

"Our goal is simple: create the best games in the world... We
consider computer games a new kind of art!"

Andrey "KranK" Kouzmine, president of K-D LAB

Though computer and video games are widely considered a worldwide phenomenon, the common perception is that all development happens only in America, England and Japan. As a result, the attention garnered by the IGF finalist Moonshine Runners was even more pronounced when people realized that the creators, K-D LAB, were based in Russia.

"Don't forget that we were the single team from the Eastern Hemisphere -- all other winners came from the USA or Canada!" said Andrey "KranK" Kouzmine, president of K-D LAB. He admits that because of the geographic distance his team of 17 have not been able to correspond with other developers as much as their North American peers.

One thing K-D LAB does share with many of the former IGF finalists, however, is a publishing contract. "A couple of months after the IGF we signed an agreement with the largest Russian software publisher, the 1C company, to publish the game in Russia. In June, Moonshine Runners was featured at the cover of the best national game magazine, Game.EXE. Then we showed the game at the ECTS trade show. Currently we are in negotiations with different companies about publishing our game in USA, Europe and Asia," Kouzmine said.

Even with limited contact K-D LAB gathered a wealth of constructive criticism from others through the GDC, the 2000 conference being the first the team had attended. The insight gained, Kouzmine said, helped make Moonshine Runners a more appealing game to publishers. "At the festival we got some great feedback from the GDC participants, including both developers and publishers. We analyzed it and decided to change several important aspects of the game."

K-D LAB is busy working on multiple projects outside of Moonshine Runners. It has a strategy title in the works, funded by 1C, as well as a small-scale project. "We are going to start another big game in the near future based on a licensed technology, which we are in the pre-production stage of now," Kouzmine said.

Despite the number of projects, Kouzmine said K-D LAB has a straightforward goal for the future. "Simple: create the best games in the world."