In our newest #WeArePlay movie, which celebrates the individuals behind apps and video games on Google Play, we meet Mikkel – the founder and CEO of Miksapix Interactive. Mikkel is on a mission to share the wealthy tales and tradition of the Sámi individuals by means of gaming. Uncover how he’s constructing a robust platform for cultural preservation utilizing a superheroine.
You went from a profession in broadcasting to changing into a founder within the video games business. What impressed that leap?
I’ve had an curiosity in video games for a very long time and all the time discovered the medium attention-grabbing. Whereas I used to be working for a broadcast company in Karasjok, I used to be pondering, “Why aren’t there any Sámi video games or video games with Sámi content material?”. Sámi tradition is kind of wealthy in lore and mythology. I needed to carry that to a worldwide stage. That is how Miksapix Interactive was born.
Your sport, Raanaa – The Shaman Woman, is deeply rooted in Sámi tradition. What’s the significance of telling these particular tales?
As a result of these are our tales to inform! Our mission is to inform them to a worldwide viewers to create consciousness about Sámi id and tradition. Most individuals on this planet do not know concerning the Sámi and the Sámi cultures and lore. With our languages in danger, I hope to make use of storytelling as a technique to encourage Sámi kids to worth their language, have a good time their id, and take satisfaction of their cultural heritage. Sámi mythology is wealthy with highly effective matriarchs and goddesses, which impressed us to create a superheroine. By way of her journey of self-discovery and empowerment, Raanaa finds her true energy — a narrative we hope will encourage hope and resilience in pre-teens and teenagers world wide. By way of video games like Raanaa – The Shaman Woman, we get to convey our tales in new codecs.
How did rising up with wealthy storytelling have an effect on your video games?
I used to be raised in a reindeer herders household, which implies we spent loads of time in nature and the fields with the reindeers. Storytelling was an enormous a part of the household. We’d eat supper within the Lavvu tent sitting round a bonfire with family and oldsters telling tales. With Miksapix Interactive, I’m taking my love for storytelling and bringing it to the world, utilizing my first hand expertise of the Sámi tradition.
How has Google Play helped you obtain world attain out of your base within the Arctic?
For us, Google Play was a no brainer. It was the best half to simply launch it on Google Play, no problem. Now we have extra downloads from Google Play than anyplace else, and it has positively helped us getting overseas in markets like Brazil, India and the US and past. The constructive Play Retailer evaluations motivated and impressed us in the course of the growth of Raanaa. We use Google merchandise like Google Sheets for collaboration once we do a localization or translation.
What’s subsequent for Miksapix Interactive?
Now, our sights are set on progress. We’re very targeted on the Raanaa IP. For the cellular sport, we’re wanting into localizing it to totally different Sámi languages. In Norway, we’ve got six Sámi languages, so we are actually going to translate it to Lule Sámi and Southern Sámi. We’re planning to have these new Sámi languages accessible this 12 months.
Uncover different inspiring app and sport founders featured in #WeArePlay.