Pulse

Game design: blending the right ingredients

By Lewis - 21 November 2019

The slots industry is becoming increasingly crowded and it is becoming harder for content developers to be noticed. Annamaria Anastasi at Betsoft explains how finding a unique flavour is vital to standing out in a saturated market

The iGaming industry continues to grow at an incredible rate and as long as there is demand, there will be slot suppliers. Today, new providers are entering the market on a monthly basis. With so much competition, it can often be difficult to make yourself heard above the noise. Couple this with the fast-moving technological advancements in slot creation and increasingly providers need to have a truly unique flavour to stand out. It is crucial for slot developers to have a clear and instantly identifiable personality. In the 13 years that Betsoft has been creating games, we have produced close to 200 titles. We believe in quality and it is the cinematic quality of our titles that makes our games instantly recognisable.

The fundamental reason for our success has been our laser focus on designing high-quality products for specific, localised audiences. Team this with our engaging math models and mechanics; and you have the beginnings of a unique Betsoft experience. Our titles take on an exclusive essence once our cinematic artwork is added into the mix. This is highly evident in our recent releases Gemmed!, Wolf Moon Rising, Gold Canyon and the soon to be released Take the Bank. All these titles encapsulate what makes a Betsoft gaming experience so exciting.

When creating cinematic games, we also constantly look to push the boundaries of innovation. This is evident in our revolutionary title, Max Quest: Wrath of Ra, which sees a unique take on the slot vertical. By combining the excitement of a slot game with the interactive capabilities of a video game, we have created a truly disruptive, highly original concept. From its conception right through to release, Max Quest was designed to bridge the gap between video games and slot games. Through this commitment, the result has been a totally unique title that appeals to a much wider market than has previously been possible.

Providers will all have a different opinion on why their games are among the best in the market, or why their own unique feature is so effective. While it is up for debate as to who actually has the best ‘recipe’ for success, it is clear that Betsoft has managed to stand out by doing something very different.

Developing market-specific content
Our focus on localisation has been evident in recent years, and this is highlighted in our latest range of market specific content for Asia with our Red Dragon suite of slot titles. Launched in September 2019, one game in this highly innovative series will be released every month for the rest of this year enhancing Betsoft’s multi award-winning content portfolio across the fast-developing Asian marketplace.

Each game contains specific Asian symbols, characters and localised gameplay. These showcase the supplier’s unique cinematic style, providing fresh themes, huge wins and the fast-paced action that players in the region demand. The first title launched was Bamboo Rush, a high-potential offering, complete with stacked wild features. Players will seek out the treasured Golden Panda scatter to trigger the game’s spins feature. They can win up to 20 free spins with the potential to uncover even more.

Players who enjoy Bamboo Rush will also love future 2019 releases Caishen’s Arrival and Dragon & Phoenix. Both games feature revolutionary themes, huge wins and plenty of fun to keep every type of player engaged and entertained. Caishen’s Arrival, the second title in the Red Dragon suite, focuses on Caishen, the Chinese mythological God of Wealth. He is often depicted riding a black tiger and holding a rod that can turn items into gold. During the game Caishen provides lucky players with his blessings, enabling them to discover boundless wealth as a result. The innovative slot features fast-paced gameplay and a multiplier of over 35000x.

UX key to creating life-long fans
Having a first-rate user experience is almost an expectation for today’s slot players and a target we endeavour to hit with every slot game we create. We have found that although features play their part, the truth behind a great slot game is that it is a harmony between several functions. Art, math, animation, flow, timing, audio and market fit – all count towards what makes a game successful.

High quality artwork and animation are vital to catch a player’s eye and stand out from the crowd. Exciting mechanics and a good math model keeps players engaged, while the perfectly aligned audio can both complement and raise the bar for player experience. However, for a game to stand out and keep players coming back, it needs to have the ideal blend of all the above factors in line with the supplier’s brand and reputation.

Today’s slot players not only require the best and most consistent user experience, but also demand new features and functionality introduced across real-money products. Our slot games are instantly recognisable. Across a range of themes designed to appeal to a variety of demographics, our vivid artwork, crisp audio, graphics and animation are proven to attract and retain players. To stand out in a crowded market is not easy and it takes time to develop that unique flavour. Over the years we have perfected this and become well known as market leaders in cinematic slot design, putting innovation at the forefront of everything we do. Betsoft is known to produce best-performing, story-driven games that players around the world love to come back to time and again.