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How BetGames aims to stand out with the launch of debut Crash Game, Skyward

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How BetGames aims to stand out with the launch of debut Crash Game, Skyward
Reading Time: 6 minutes

 

With the rise in popularity of Crash Games and the genre’s deceptively simple, yet engaging gameplay, BetGames made its debut on the scene with the launch of Skyward. BetGames CEO Andreas Koeberl has been pleased with the game’s performance so far, and here, he details some of the game’s intricacies, how it stands out in a busy sky full of similar games and where he sees the growth in this currently red hot sector.

 

Skyward is the latest game from BetGames’ ever-expanding roster of engaging titles. Can you give us an overview of what players and operators can expect from it?

Skyward is our first crash game and we’re really excited about it because it’s just the perfect complement and addition to our growing Instant Games vertical that we launched early last year.

We all know the popularity of the crash sector, we know it’s a hot trend and players love it so we set to work on finding the best way to integrate that into our portfolio and put our stamp on it.

We see a massive overlap in terms of what our players play, so Skyward serves as an amazing acquisition tool for us because it allows us to put game launchers and their thumbnails, into different categories – casino, slots, instant games, crash games – and drive net new players towards BetGames on an operators’ lobby.

That’s amazing for us and that comes naturally for the operators as well as a benefit because they can use the crash game, which is a low-margin game, to upsell to our other BetGames products, which usually comes with a margin of more than double. So it makes a lot of sense for operators as well. This is backed up by the early performance since launch which has been extremely encouraging.

 

Crash games are among the most popular types of content in today’s markets and there is much competition from suppliers – what sets Skyward apart in a crowded field?

As with all our products, we try to add a unique touch. Skyward is a game where we haven’t reinvented the wheel, as we have done with some of our previous innovative endeavours, but we have stamped our indelible mark in a few areas.

So first off, it’s probably one of the quickest crash games on the market in terms of play duration and how quickly the plane rises throughout the stages, which makes it extremely engaging.

We also combined a few very popular features like Auto Play and Auto Bet into one UI element. It makes the player experience that much slicker. Fewer clicks are immensely important for such a fast-paced game.

But the true USPs are twofold: one of the main differentiators is the bonus engine which is something that the market currently lacks. We give bonuses and extra plays to value players who take risks and play continuously. The crash game category has a big issue in most developing markets where there’s a lot of bonus abuse due to the super quick nature and players betting on 1.1x or 1.01 X to just turn their bonuses into cash.

What we do is give players bonuses based on their gameplay, but instead of just randomly throwing cash at them, we look at the player behaviour and you can reward those that, for example, have a risk profile not cashing out before 2X,3X and have placed a certain number of bets, then they get a reward while bonus abusers don’t benefit.

That’s something that some of our major partners asked us to look into when we did the market research earlier this year and was an important element of the design for them, so, we made sure we incorporated that.

And the last thing that is really exciting is what we refer to as ultimate localisation. We have fully bespoke, branded animations that we can tailor the game with. It’s not just putting a logo on a plane, it’s the entire game itself. Each is unique, can have individual animation per partner, and is developed to an exact design.  We launched one already last week and have several more almost ready to go live in the coming weeks.

 

Many might not have expected BetGames, with its heritage in live-based titles to expand into this sector – what has driven you to move into this area?

We’re catering to the player – it’s really that simple. BetGames is the go-to gateway between sports and gaming. We are a non-traditional live dealer provider and our player is different from the £50 roulette variety. We help partners convert and nurture recreational punters into casino or better games players. We see this massive overlap within our player profile with rapid play genres like slots and crash, rather than live casino and that overlaps a lot with the slots category, crash games and instant games.

That’s also why we dedicated an entire vertical last year to this topic with a couple of titles out now along with Skyward because players simply demand it. We’re evolving what we do to match the evolution of player taste, moving with the shift in the market.

When you look at what’s going on, this vertical of what we call instant games is something that is booming. We see the key areas our partners focus on and where they invest their marketing, and it’s all about slots, instant games, crash games, et cetera. These are the major growth areas but live casino and live entertainment are still there. We are a live supplier by heart and will always be, but we can’t ignore global market trends and those of our distinct BetGames players and what they want. Again, our mission is to convert sports-savvy players organically. This requires more than one category of games. Twain Sport was one piece of that puzzle, and Skyward is another.

 

How have you leveraged your expertise in crafting unique and ground-breaking experiences to develop Skyward?

It’s quite interesting how many challenges such a project brings because crash games are deceptively complicated. At first glance, they’re simple, like having an old Atari-style plane going into the air but the core elements, for example, cashing out, can be quite tricky to perfect.

It’s not like a slot that is front-end driven where you basically have your own game. This is a so-called common draw game, so all players play the same session and will see the same result. This makes it quite tricky to implement because you have to think about a player sitting in rural Brazil with a 3G network, and you have to ensure that when they press cash out they get their money and not an error because of a delay caused by the network connection. It’s these kinds of challenges that can be tricky to solve because you cannot just do so via the front end for various reasons.

Ironing this particular issue out saw us benefit greatly from our experience as an engineering organisation.

I think that’s one of the biggest benefits of our BetGames legacy that has helped us to build such a game and to solve its technical challenges – what happens if the player loses the connection for half a second and the plane flies away? Do I lose the game? Do I get my stake back? How do I solve these issues? That was the key thing, and all the creative features and bonus features stemmed from our heritage in developing hugely successful live products, and we leveraged that insight with the development of Skyward.

 

Is this type of content something we can expect BetGames to explore more thoroughly going forward?

Yes and no! There is a full roster of crash game ideas we have on file, but I wouldn’t say for sure that any of those will definitely see the light of day. We may develop another, but we’ve absolutely got our focus on the instant games vertical that we have been exploring recently and which continues to perform quite well for us.

We’ve also got another non-crash, trademark, unique BetGames title on the drawing board, something that will offer rapid play for low stakes and has never been seen before so we’re excited to bring that to the market too.

Back to crash games though, I’m not sure how many different varieties you can produce without just cannibalising your existing content but titles of a similar, instant, rapid-play nature, certainly. We’ll be able to reveal more nearer the time.

 

BetGames has proved itself as a supplier of choice for tier-one operators how will your expansion into a wider product base support this?

I think that comes naturally. If you look at what our industry peers are doing, they’re putting big investments into slots, because the market shifts and when the big players go into that direction, that tells you a lot about what’s going on in the market.

We will always try to add our unique touch to everything we do, and we’ll always be able to offer our partners something special that no one else can. Skyward comes with a few unique tweaks that we think the market still lacks. The next instant game we’ll build has also never been seen before so we’re able to position ourselves in such a way that our offering is attractive to the big brands who crave diversity in their lobby to differentiate themselves and provide the choice that players are after. Everything we do is part of our vision to be the go-to gateway between sports and gaming.

Africa

SmartSoft’s expertise and future vision for the African market

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SmartSoft’s expertise and future vision for the African market
Reading Time: 4 minutes

 

In recent years, the online gaming landscape has witnessed a surge in innovative and engaging titles that capture the interest of players worldwide. Among these, first ever flying crash game by SmartSoft – JetX emerged as a standout game, particularly gaining substantial traction in Africa. This article provides an in-depth examination of JetX, a popular online crash game, and explores the expertise behind its creation. By focusing on the game’s features, the developer SmartSoft Gaming, and insights from an interview with the Vice President Commercial, we aim to highlight the factors contributing to JetX’s success and its impact on the gaming industry.

About SmartSoft Gaming

Founded in Georgia in 2015 by industry experts, SmartSoft set out to create a one-of-a-kind casino games provider that offers high-quality gaming experiences worldwide. By combining interactive features with captivating visuals, we blend gaming and gambling to deliver more engaging, entertaining, and superior experiences. Our mission is not just to attract players but to enhance their enjoyment.

To gain further insights into the development of JetX and the vision behind its creation, we spoke with the Vice President Commercial of SmartSoft.

Rusa Javakhishvili Vice President Commercial of SmartSoft shared insights and analytics from African countries, and outlined future plans. Rusa joined SmartSoft two years ago as Head of Finance and Strategic Projects. In early 2024, she transitioned to the commercial side as Head of Account Management, and is now Vice President of Commercials, overseeing several regions, including Africa.

What was the general concept and inspiration behind JetX?
In recent years, the online gaming landscape has witnessed a surge in innovative and engaging titles that capture the interest of players worldwide. Among these, JetX has emerged as a standout game, particularly gaining substantial traction in Africa. The main concept of the game is that it is easy to play, the player is involved in the decision as much as possible, it is fast and within the fast-paced world we think that it delivers exactly what players need for an enjoyable experience.

How does JetX differentiate itself from other crash games in the market?

At SmartSoft, we appreciate  our relationships with partners, it’s  very important to us. We constantly think and work to create a valuable product and maintain strong connections with them. SmartSoft’s portfolio includes a diverse range of online casino games, each designed to offer unique features and interactive gameplay but JetX is the literal gem!

JetX is an online crash game that combines simplicity with excitement, offering players an engaging betting experience. This dynamic gameplay requires both luck and strategy, appealing to a broad audience seeking quick, high-stakes action. JetX stands out due to its user-friendly interface, real-time gameplay, and mobile compatibility, making it accessible and enjoyable for players on the go. Its growing popularity in Africa can be attributed to its exciting gameplay mechanics and the potential for significant winnings.

What strategies did you employ to ensure JetX appeals to a diverse audience, particularly in Africa?

When we expanded into the African market, we knew it’s a big and diverse region, so it’s important to understand each country individually instead of seeing it as one market. With our partners’ help, we’re working hard to learn about each country’s marketing practices and what types of games people enjoy. It’s a challenging task, but the African market is a top priority for us, and we’ve allocated resources to quickly build our knowledge in this area.

How has JetX been received by African players compared to other regions? Are there any notable differences in player behavior or preferences?

The African market is one of the most interesting and significant  for us, and we believe it has great potential. It is a highly dynamic and exciting market, where players are exposed to a wide variety of games. Their enthusiasm for diverse content gives us inspiration and motivation to create games specifically tailored to their unique preferences and needs. Moreover, they are quick to engage with new releases, eagerly embracing fresh content when it aligns with their tastes and expectations. Although Crash products were introduced only recently, they have quickly become a favorite among consumers. We expect this trend to continue growing.

How do you assess player feedback and incorporate it into ongoing game improvements?
This is a crucial aspect for us. That’s why, in collaboration with our partners, we consistently review key feedback on our games and strive to incorporate it as much as possible into new versions. We strive to bring enjoyment in everything we do – whether it’s in our work environment, or for the end users. Our goal is to delight both the customers and ourselves with our work. Therefore, we integrate gaming’s fun elements into gambling to maximize enjoyment. This approach fuels our drive to innovate and create playful experiences, redefining the gambling industry and making it more entertaining;

What future developments or updates can players expect for JetX?
Our product has undergone numerous changes since its inception, with many more improvements planned. These changes are aimed at delivering the best possible user experience for players while ensuring the product remains of the highest technical quality.

How has the success of JetX influenced SmartSoft’s approach to game development?
JetX, the first Crash game created in 2018, holds a special place as one of the company’s most beloved titles. Its global popularity is evident, and we’re thrilled that players enjoy it. At SmartSoft, having a diversified portfolio is crucial, which is why we release new games every year. As pioneers in the Crash genre, we ensure that we continually expand our offerings. Our goal is to provide players with a wide range of high-quality games they can trust to deliver an enjoyable experience.

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Interviews

Slot Saturation – Q&A w/ Qianqian Liu, Senior Art Director at Gaming Corps

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Slot Saturation - Q&A w/ Qianqian Liu, Senior Art Director at Gaming Corps
Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

What are the defining visual features of a Gaming Corps slot?

We pride ourselves on the diversity of the look of our slots, we have three distinct styles that are all used to target different demographics. Firstly, Classic, this is a style which usually is also described as retro and some people would even say dated, we prefer nostalgic! But there is a player base who get great enjoyment from slot games like this. The second is Modern, this is a style that is sleek, shiny and incredibly high-fidelity with assets that look polished and could be very much suited to being hung up in a modern art museum. Thirdly is Stylised, this is a style that is completely entirely dependent on the theme, maybe a comic book style or similar, but it emphasises artistic freedom which is important.

All three of these are what makes Gaming Corps a unique slots provider, catering games for all types of target markets.

Where do you look for inspiration when designing an online slot game?

Different inspirations appear for different themes, if it is classic then an old fruit machine down a pub could be the inspiration. If it is a modern slot, then we like to refer to some modern day mobile apps that are more casual to play. The beauty of stylised is that the inspiration can come from absolutely anywhere but usually it can be something that the artist is personally interested in, such as comic books or anime.

How does Gaming Corp manage to distinguish its titles from others on the market?

We focus on iterations and high quality standards, we will start from a basic concept and iterate and iterate until the asset is exactly what would be expected of the target audience. We get feedback from customers as well to help hone in on a particular style that we are aiming to create.

How do you manage to keep repetitive themes (Egypt, classic, Greece and so on) interesting?

For these, it is all about combining the innovative mechanics with a unique spin on a narrative that has been re-told before. Of course if you are to create an Egyptian theme you should still recognise it to be fundamentally Egyptian with its gods and its hieroglyphs. But is there a way to put the spin on the narrative that ties it to the mechanic that has not been done before. It is important to do market research to find common thread that you can capitalise on but also things to stay away from.

What impact does localisation have on game development from a visual perspective?

Localisation of Gaming Corps is super important to us, we sometimes want to create games that can be tailored for a particular market. Especially when working with casinos for bespoke content. For example, we created a game in 2023 called “Ramen Puzzle” which was launched with a casino partner in Japan. It was very important for us to nail the anime style that suited this market and it was a core part of the development cycle to research, develop and iterate on our designs to perfect the style.

Another recent launch this year was Samba Soccer, a crash product that was created with Brazil in mind. It had a stylisation that suited popular games in that market but also a theming that set the game in Rio de Janeiro. This visual combination allowed the game to be hyper localised to this market.

What future trends do you think are going to impact the look and design of online slot games?

More and more over the years, the target demographic has moved away from playing on desktop to playing on mobile, in particular on mobile portrait, so we will always feel as if designing with a mobile-first approach should be at the forefront of what we do at Gaming Corps. This I believe will continue to trend upwards. This has a big impact on the way that slot games look and feel, there is a small space with lots of elements fighting for room so it is important to be very clear with Product Owners on what are the most important elements of the slot game.

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Interviews

Safety First: Slots Temple Q&A

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Safety First: Slots Temple Q&A
Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

For a company that has begun to blur the lines between affiliate and operator, social responsibility remains the ultimate watchword for Slots Temple, says CEO Fraser Linkleter.    

 

How important is social responsibility to the affiliate side of Slots Temple’s business?

We began life as an affiliate business that offered free demo games and slots tournaments (and we still do!). This allowed us to build a highly engaged base of players that genuinely loved playing slots. From day one, we always put social responsibility at the heart of everything we did.

We always believed that an entertainment-driven socially responsible gaming experience created a sticky player-base that trusted us and created better quality traffic for our partners.

 

Has tightened regulation of the gambling industry over the past few years impacted affiliates’ responsibilities towards its users?

Definitely. Affiliates deliver an estimated 30% to 50% of acquisition to operators in the UK, and while the sector is not directly regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, these numbers demonstrate that the responsibility to protect players from harm should be shared.

Increased regulation over the past few years means that operators, rightly, must be more cautious about choosing their affiliate partners. Ultimately, as affiliates, we must accept the responsibilities we share as part of the gambling supply chain.

The reality is, while affiliates are not directly regulated, the standards to which operators are held by regulators are passed on to us through our partner contracts. Affiliates that do not comply with these standards will struggle in this climate because operators will only work with the partners they can trust to behave responsibly. So social responsibility has become not just an ethical consideration but a strategic business decision too.

 

In 2022 Slots Temple received a license from the UKGC which allowed you to offer paid tournaments and real-money slots. Has this changed the way you think about social responsibility?

Social responsibility was always a big part of our business model, and our UKGC license was a recognition of that. Of course, offering real money games means that we are held to the same high standards as all licensed operators.

That means KYC, deposit limits, timed reality checks, affordability checks, self-exclusion options, and so on. But for us, it’s about more than mere compliance. Our model has always been about being a safe destination for fun play and prizes. As I say, we’ve fostered this community of slots fans who trust us and it’s important that we maintain that trust through the way we operate.

Ultimately, the license allowed us to offer our player-base more choice. First, that was free-to-play tournaments with cash prizes, and then low-stakes paid-for tournaments with bigger prizes, plus real-money slots.

 

So, your experiences as an affiliate have made you a more socially responsible operator?

Yes, because it has helped us understand what our players want. For example, we believe safer gambling is about smaller deposits. Where we offer cash play, it’s always small buy-ins and small bet sizes. There are tournaments for 1p, or you can play for free in UK tournaments, all with real cash prizes.

We also think it’s important to educate players about the games we have on site. For example, we clearly display the return-to-player (RTP) and volatility of the game customers are about to play before they are able to access the game.

It’s about being on the side of the player – whether you’re an affiliate or an operator. Ultimately, we believe that an entertainment-driven, socially responsible gaming experience will foster a loyal, trusting player-base.

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