Success stories on Windows Phone are hard to come by – or, at least, if there are any, few developers have been willing to go public about them.

News that Press Play, the studio behind the critically acclaimed Max & the Magic Marker, is about to launch fresh release Tentacles exclusively on the platform suggests there is business to be had, however.

Indeed, as Press Play's senior software developer and Windows Phone project lead Thomas Gravgaard told us, the conversion rate on Windows Phone Marketplace is actually pretty high.

The only problem is, the userbase such downloads are sourced from remains rather modest.

We caught up with Thomas for his take on the highs and lows of Windows Phone so far.

PocketGamer: What is Microsoft like to work with as a platform holder and publisher?

Thomas Gravgaard: With Max & the Magic Marker it was of course hectic – it was a launch title and many processes and tools were altered up to release.

With the next title, Tentacles, it has been more smooth and professional.

How does Windows Phone Marketplace's approval and update process compare to rivals?

When you are working inside the Xbox Live program on Windows Phone 7, it is comparable to working on XBLA.

It is not a mechanical process like it is on other mobile marketplaces. There are real people behind the process, and you get the feeling that every nook and cranny of your game is being examined.

Obviously, it takes a lot longer that way, but the results are also more robust. In all honestly, we haven't made a non-Xbox Live game, so I don't know how that process plays out.

How has Max and the Magic Marker performed on Windows Phone?

Well, the good news is that we have the best conversion rate from download to sale on Windows Phone compared to any other platform.

So, if only we could get a lot more handsets out there, we would definitely be in the happy zone.

Some allege only Xbox Live games are afforded visibility on the Marketplace. Do you think that's true?

When you have premium content, like Xbox Live games are, you will naturally want to give them a decent amount of exposure. At the same time, it is very important not to hide the indie games away.

You want that to be there as well, because that is where a lot of the more innovative stuff will happen.

The same discussion is happening at the moment with Xbox Live Indie Games, where people are complaining that the content is not visible enough, which I think is quite true. The key difference is that no other consoles have outlets like that.

On mobiles, all of the other marketplaces have decent space for content that does not need pre-approval. So you have to be a lot more open to get the content in there.

How do you think Windows Phone Marketplace as a whole is performing?

I think it is way too early in the life cycle to give an answer to that. At the moment, it is tied too closely to how the platform as a whole is performing, and the key indicator there is that there isn't enough units on the street.

But I think Windows Phone has potential to offer something different to other platforms. For one, Microsoft take premium game content seriously, and have the backing of the entire Xbox Live infrastructure, which is something I expect will be a key differential, especially when real-time multiplayer gets thrown into the mix with Mango.

They also have a long history with business apps that you have to take seriously as well. Bottom line is, it has only just got started.

Would you like to see Microsoft open up Windows Phone to allow third party marketplaces?

No. I think that would be a surefire way of causing total confusion. Having one moderated marketplace that works well for everyone that wants to put content in there is the most sensible thing to do in my opinion.

 

If you make sure to allow browser linking into the marketplace, third parties can create their own web base portals with links to the things that they want to feature and in a way that makes sense to them.

How important is Microsoft's strategic partnership with Nokia to developers?

It is extremely important. The most daunting task for the platform right now is to get more handsets out there. If they do that, and have a sensible way to make money there, developers will use the platform.

Nokia has a long standing powerful brand here in the Nordic region, and can really help in putting the phones into people's pockets, and that is what is needed for the platform to survive in the long run.

What plans do you have for Windows Phone moving forward?

Our newest game Tentacles will soon be hitting the Marketplace. After that? Who knows! I definitely wouldn't rule out the possibility of more Press Play games on Windows Phone 7 in the years to come.
Thanks to Thomas for his time.