K-Division - a group of computer game enthusiasts - was founded by Andrey "KranK" Kouzmine on the basis of Kaliningrad State University. The people who formed the group were, for the most part, senior students. Most part of our staff had graduated from physics and math university departments and our interests focused on the field of real-time technologies for visualization of virtual game environments and realization our own, unique game concepts.

During the first few years we were improving our skills and shaping our own attitude towards game technologies. During that period we devoted most of our time to academic research and participated in scientific conferences, as well as developed several unfinished game projects: Maze, ZondAge, Fast Brain etc. The core of the team consisted of KranK, Steeler, Sicher, Kron and ChSnark. In 1993 Dmitriy "Rooble" Radinovich joined the group to manage business issues.

Yulia "Ylitka" Chapochnikova-Kouzmina joined the team. She directed art. We decided to establish a company K-D LAB and concentrate on game development for the PC platform. We rented our first office and started working on our first serious projects, particularly on SUR.

K-D LAB was invited to festival of computer graphics and animation Anigraph in Moscow. Two unfinished projects were demonstrated there: Trapoine and Tunnerve. Trapoine won the award.

We started working on prototype of new computer game named "VANGERS".

We moved from our first office, that was placed in apartments with roaches, to a larger one rented in a state institution. The President of Buka Entertainment, a national game publisher, visited our unfurnished office to look at our new project.

A publishing agreement for "Vangers" title with Buka Entertainment was signed, where they stood as licensor, selling the rights to an international publisher. Buka also funded the development.

Our game called ""BRAINY BALL", designed by Michail "ChSnark" Piskounov and coded by Eugene "Steeler" Hudenko was awarded "Second Prize" ($10'000) at ENIX Internet Entertainment Contest, a worldwide contest of entertainment software held in Japan by ENIX Corporation, the famous console game developer.

After a few months of part-time working, 3D modeling and 2D art specialist Vlad Spizky joined our team.

We released a game called "BIPROLEX+" as a worldwide freeware product. In this game we combined two classic concepts: Tetris and Arcanoid, which made a new dynamic game based on well-known rules. The game held Internet Top Download 40 for seven months and we received favorable feedback from gamers all over the world. We ourselves were addicted to it for a long time, so exciting it was. Biprolex+ can be found on many gaming sites, and many people consider this game the classic of dynamic puzzles.

"Vangers" appeared on the cover of the best Russian gaming magazine Game.EXE #4. Inside there was a large publication based on the design documentation of the project. Victor "Ruber" Krasnokutsky joined our team and took responsibility for sounds and music.

Important meeting in Buka's office. Decision to prolong the period of "Vangers" development. Buka presented the game to western publishers.

We moved from our second office to the third one, rented in the ground floor of a private house.

We presented a demo of our game "Vangers" at ECTS'97 in London. It was carried by "Audi-crew" consisted of KranK, Ylitka, Rooble and Sicher across Europe. They covered the way from Kaliningrad to London in 24 hours! At ECTS they met the Leader Producer of I-Magic company Paul Potera, who was greatly impressed by Vangers. On our way back, in Holland, we lost a wheel.

Alexey "Ivn" Ivanov joined our team and immediately started low-level optimization of Vangers.

Domen name KDLAB.COM was registered and our corporate website was launched soon. MOBL was created and sent to Japan.

A publishing agreement with an international publisher, Interactive Magic, was signed to distribute our product "VANGERS: One For the Road" worldwide.

Our MOBL project was awarded "Grand Prix" at the ENIX Game Software Contest II (the prize $200'000), a worldwide contest of most original computer games held in Japan, for being the most interesting game presented amongst hundreds of other projects from a great number of countries, including America, European countries and Japan. This game is an abstract implementation of a gameplay concept of "Indirect Management" invented by Andrey "KranK" Kouzmine; it was coded during five days only especially for the contest. We ported MOBL into Java, and at the end of 1998 we released it as online game.

A public demo version of "Vangers" was released, which got on cover disks of all major game magazines. This demo was holding Internet Download Top 40 for more than half a year, and reached the third place. Also in this month the lead authors of Game.EXE: Motolog & Scar visited us.

"Vangers" at Game.EXE #5 cover for the second time. There was a large publication about the game and K-D LAB with a lot of pictures. In Russia "Vangers" got the biggest publicity compared with other released titles and gathered a remarkable collection of various awards and became a "cultic" title for many gamers. At Anigraph "Vangers" won in two nominations.

"VANGERS: One For the Road" was released in USA and UK after having received positive reviews at E3'98 that was held before. In Russia Buka Entertainment organized a presentation, that was visited by KranK, Ylitka, Sicher and ChSnark. Many useful contacts. Trip to Saint Petersburg with Zavhoz, Neva cruise with orchestra and a picnic.

K-D LAB staff was dismissed on deserved vacations, but some new employees came. That month Michail "Dervish" Zhinko started working on 3D technology. On the 17th of August financial crisis broke in Russia and affected K-D LAB's bank savings. Sales collapsed.

KD-expedition throughout the Europe. In two "armored mechoses" Krank, Ylitka, Kron, Sicher, ChSnark and Scar made exploratory voyage through Poland, Germany (Berlin), Holland (Amsterdam), Belgium (Brussels), France (Paris), England (London to visit ECTS'98), France again (The Azure Coast, almost reaching Spain), Switzerland (we were not passed through the border, but we drove in the mountains), Germany once again (were about to be arrested) and Czechia (Prague). Unforgettable!

"VANGERS: One For the Road" was translated into German and published in Germany and Austria.

We start working on our new project "Mechosoma". All preparations and researches were done in autumn. Maxim "Aruer" Mileyev, 3D modeler appeared in our team.

"Vangers" received "Our Choice" award from a major national computer game magazine Game.EXE and won the titles "Action'98" and "Twister'98". For the first time a Russian project had such a privilege to be recognized by both professionals and game community.

K-D at E3'99 in Los Angeles showed new project. This month issue Game.EXE magazine dedicated the cover and "The theme of the issue" to Mechosoma.

To jobs@kdlab.com came a message from Marina Guseva. We had a look at her and unconditionally accept to our team. Her first objective - online projects.

Current version of Mechosoma on 10 CD's was sent to GDC Independent Games Festival 2000.

The results of the first GDC IGF 2000 round held by Miller Freeman, Inc. together with Microsoft were announced. K-D LAB happened to be the only company from eastern semi sphere among the nine finalists. K-D LAB changed the name of "Mechosoma" project for "Moonshine Runners".

As IGF 2000 finalists Krank and Ylitka due to NetLord's special assistance visited world conference of developers GDC'2000 in San Jose, California. There K-D LAB made acquaintances with the leading game developers as David Perry, Chris Taylor, Alexey Pajitnov, Raymond Muzyka and others direct. MOONSHINE RUNNERS (Spanking Runners) was rated very highly by many experts.

K-D LAB signed a contract with the largest national computer software publisher 1C Company on publishing Moonshine Runners (Spanking Runners) for the Russian market.

We started the development of a unique RTS game The Perimeter. We signed an agreement on development, publishing, including selling rights worldwide, with the largest Russian software publisher 1C Company. 1C Company is a long-term strategic partner of K-D LAB.

K-D LAB's project is again on the cover of Game.EXE #6. This time it's Moonshine Runners (Spanking Runners).

Participating in Europe's premier interactive entertainment expo ECTS'2000 in London as exhibitor at the stand of the largest Russian software publisher 1C-Multimedia. For this purpose Krank, Ylitka and Kron flew to Britain.

Andrey "KranK" Kouzmine leaves K-D LAB and establishes a new company - KranX Productions.

K-D LAB's Team establishes a new trademark - KDV Games. First and foremost, KDV Games is working on the development of a toolset for the effective creation of quality entertainment software. A new unique technology Vista Engine - a professional tool for the creation of RTS\RPG series is in development.

Oficial KDV Games site is opened. KDV Games signes an agreement with Codemasters to develop new Game.