Back in April, My.com released Evolution: Battle for Utopia on iOS devices. The game takes players to the planet of Utopia, which is inhabited by unwelcoming monsters. Players become stranded on the planet during an expedition, and must build a base and complete quests in order to survive in their new home. Now, a new set of gamers can get in on the fun, as Evolution has launched for free on Google Play for Android devices.
While building their base, players collect multiple resources, like steel and magmatite, which is used to build research centers, discover new technologies, upgrade the base's defensive capabilities and more. As a free-to-play experience, many in-game actions take time to complete, but users can speed these up with premium currency.
We had a chance to talk to Mikhail Ryazanov, head of Mail.Ru Group's Mobile Division, about the Evolution: Battle for Utopia franchise, how the game was accepted on iOS, and what players can look forward to on Android.
Inside Mobile Apps: Evolution: Battle for Utopia has been downloaded more than 2 million times on iOS since its release in April. Did you expect the game to be such an instant hit?
Mikhail Ryazanov: Our team put a lot of effort and passion into the development of Evolution and we were very excited to launch on iOS back in April. Evolution is a game unlike any other, but the way it hit 2 million downloads within such a short period of time was a humbling and amazing surprise. We were also excited to see the game so warmly welcomed by the Apple App Store – Evolution was featured on the App Store home page as one of Apple's "Best New Games" within days of its launch.
We're extremely excited to add to the number of Evolution fans with [this] launch on Android devices!
IMA: What has the game's overall reaction been like from fans?
MR: In general, players seem to be amazed by the game. The fusion of genres, besides other key features, made Evolution very successful on iOS. Overall we received a positive response which makes us optimistic for [the] Android launch.
IMA: Are there any major differences between this Android version of the game, compared to the iOS release?
MR: It is one game, both versions have the same gameplay, settings, features, etc. Android users can now dive into the same amazing world of Evolution that has become so popular with iOS players. Android will receive the same gameplay features and updates as the iOS version.
One thing that is worth mentioning however, is that with the next few updates we're planning to launch PVP mode between iOS and Android players, allowing fans to feel closer to one another.
IMA: If someone has stopped playing Evolution: Battle for Utopia since launch, what sorts of changes and updates have they missed out on?
MR: Evolution: Battle for Utopia is like a giant book with deep storylines similar to an encyclopedia. Throughout the game, players go page by page to uncover the planet's dark secrets which is why, as players know, the spaceship was hit in the beginning of the game. To stop playing the game is similar to only watching half of a movie, you'll never know the full story.
As for content updates – since the game was released for iOS it has been constantly updated to add new gameplay features and content such as allies, [a] rating system, new guns, etc. We're also planning a big content update shortly for iOS and later on for Android, so keep your eyes out for the official announcement.
IMA: Will we see the game released on additional platform going forward, like Windows Phone or Kindle Fire?
MR: Though iOS and Android have the largest user base, we are looking to expand to additional platforms in order to bring our games to all mobile players. We have already ported some of our titles to other platforms, so doing the same for Evolution is just a question of time.
IMA: Anything else you'd like to add?
MR: We are working hard to update and bring additional features to Evolution in order to provide long-lasting and versatile gameplay. We are very focused on building a strong experience for all players. We are continually working to create great games that players will love and want to devote time to. Keep an eye out for coming update announcements – more fun is around the corner!
