Fingersoft is specialized in the development and publication of high-quality apps and games and is one of the fastest-evolving start-ups in Finland.
The ‘fun’ company was founded by Toni Fingerroos, who developed his first game at the age of ten, and launched its first mobile game in 2012: the driving game Hill Climb Racing, which was an immediate success, spreading across the globe.
“With more than 400 million downloads to date, Hill Climb Racing is one of the most popular racing games ever,” says Business Development Director Jarkko Paalanen. “It is hugely addictive.”
Since its foundation just over two years ago, Fingersoft has developed into a leading, innovative games publisher.
“We have managed to grow from a one-man business into a major player without becoming a corporation with crusty structures or losing our creativity and originality,” Mr. Paalanen describes the main challenge in the last two and a half years. “Despite our success, we have decided to stay small and focus more on quality than on quantity. We have no plans to expand aggressively. We are one of the most successful smaller-scale global players.”
In addition to developing and marketing its own games, Fingersoft publishes the games of other developers. “We have published six titles now, five from Finland and one from Ireland,” states Mr. Paalanen.
The first third-party game published by Fingersoft was Benji Bananas, developed by Tribeflame Oy, a casual game with beautiful graphics which is very easy to play. The sequel, Benji Bananas Adventures, offers even more fun than its famed predecessor, and together they have been downloaded over 60 million times.
Fingersoft markets its games through various app stores, with 99% of all games selling outside Finland. “Our biggest market is the USA, followed by Western Europe, Russia, India and Brazil,” explains Mr. Paalanen. “We are also developing the Chinese market, which is unknown territory culturally speaking. People play, but the rules are not the same as over here.”
Fingersoft is currently developing a sequel to its best-selling game Hill Climb Racing, without racing against time like so many other games publishers.
“You know it’s ready when it’s done,” Mr. Paalanen points out the relaxed approach of the Finnish company, which also aims to develop into a better publisher, again without pressure but with its focus on fun and quality.
