Interview with HyperBees Ltd, Developers of Speedx 3D
by Antonio Wells
Apr 16, 2010 1:42 PM –
Today we are interviewing HyperBees Ltd, developers of the awesome Speedx 3D accelerometer fast pace 3D game for Android. Joining us is Bartlomiej Janusz, Speedx 3D Developer and Tom Mleko HyperBees Ltd, Speedx 3D publisher. Lets learn more:
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Bartlomiej: I work as an embedded Java developer for a multinational company in southern Poland. I live in Katowice, Poland.
Tom: We are a young and ambitious publishing company focusing on the Android Market, based in the UK.
Why did you create your app?
Bartlomiej: I bought an Android phone and decided to write a simple app – and that turned out to be fun. As I’m familiar with 3D graphics, I created a 3D falling block game called Blockx 3D, which even made it to the ADC2 finals. With base code ready and some experience from previous projects, I decided to go for something more challenging and that’s how Speedx 3D was born.
What technology did you use in creating your App and why?
Bartlomiej: Eclipse running on Windows. I use these tools on a daily basis so I’m quite comfortable with them.
About how long did it take to create your App?
Bartlomiej: About two months of after-hours work, but as I said, I used a lot of code from my previous 3D game.
What other interesting uses can come from the App?
Bartlomiej: Funny thing but a lot of people on the XDA forum say they use Speedx 3D as a benchmark for custom ROMs.
Can you tell us about future feature enhancements with your App?
Bartlomiej: More types of obstacles, more challenge and more fun.
What did you really like about creating Apps on the Android platform?
Bartlomiej: It’s easy 
I work with embedded Java on a daily basis so I’m really familiar with it, and I love seeing so many people download and enjoy my game.
What are some things you would like to see improved with Android?
Bartlomiej: Definitly less fragmentation, developers have to support the still broadly used Android 1.5, it’s becoming painful to support all OS versions that are in the wild.
What is your opinion of the Android App Market’s distribution method?
Bartlomiej: In comparison to Apple’s model (with its strict control over the iTunes store) or the Windows Mobile model (no store at all), I think that some basic application screening would be great. Lately we’ve had thousands of “sexy models” (and similar spam) apps spreading over all possible categories and bloating the market.
Tom: I fully agree, a bit of control would be nice. There are some gaps in the model, like the 24 hours refund policy, piracy and limited access to paid apps, but we’re sure Google will take care of them. Sooner or later
What is your Opinion on the state of the Rating/Feedback system in the App Market?
Bartlomiej: It’s simple, and that’s what makes it work, even if there are some abuses.
Do you have plans on releasing Apps for other markets (i.e. iPhone, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, etc.)?
Bartlomiej: Not for the moment.
Tom: HyperBees focuses on the Android Market, but if there is an app that looks promising, we’d give it a try for sure.
Your app is a paid app, why did you choose this model over the free model, and how to you project its success?
Bartlomiej: The Android market has been growing really quickly. I assumed there should be enough potential customers and I was right, Speedx 3D has had almost 10k downloads in 2 months. It’s more than I had hoped for so I think it’s quite a success.
Tom: We, as publisher, are obviously very happy that Speedx sells so well. We decided to go with a paid app because we believed people would be willing to buy it. We were right. No surprise here, Speedx is a great app after all. It’s also difficult to copy, as it requires real programming skills to ensure smooth 3D performance – also on older phones.
Must-have Android Apps?
Bartlomiej: ES File Manager, StreamFurious.
Can you tell us what future Android Apps you have brewing?
Bartlomiej: I have some ideas, but currently I’m focused on enhancing Speedx.
Tom: First of all we want to work with Bartlomiej on making Speedx even more exciting for the players. He’s one of the best coders we have ever worked with, so expect some interesting stuff! We are also looking for developers with great ideas and products willing to sell their apps on the Android market. If you are such a developer, even from the market where paid apps cannot be sold, give me a shout (tom@hyperbees.com). We’ll be happy to help you.
Thank you Bartlomiej and Tom for your time and for producing an awesome game. Don’t forgot to check out our Android Game Review of Speedx 3D which was recommended “App of the Week“!