Connect with us
WINNING COMBINATION

Interviews

Keith Goddard: Blazing a trail for iGaming disruption

Published

on

Keith Goddard: Blazing a trail for iGaming disruption
Reading Time: 4 minutes

 

In a chat with European Gaming, Blaze Gaming CEO Keith Goddard discusses how the games developer plans to stand out as a beacon in the gaming industry with its entertainment-inspired portfolio of games.

 

Blaze Gaming is a new studio looking to make its mark on the industry. Tell us more about the team behind the business and how you plan to stand out in a crowded market.

Blaze Gaming is owned by Digient Technologies and has a rich cultural diversity with team members hailing from all corners of the world including India, Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe. This wonderful tapestry of cultures, values and experiences infuses our creative process with a unique global perspective, bringing a vibrancy to our games that sets us apart from other studios. It also means our games resonate with all players in all markets. We’ve gone to great lengths to ensure our management structure reflects this diversity and consists of incredibly talented individuals representing various backgrounds and genders. This openness and inclusivity fosters innovation and creativity and ensures our decision-making is enriched by different insights and viewpoints. Ultimately, this allows us to develop better games while allowing Blaze Gaming to stand out as a beacon in the gaming industry. This, combined with the entrepreneurial capacity of our owners, serves as a driving force behind Blaze Gaming, empowering us to take bold risks, explore new opportunities and always push the boundaries of what’s possible.

 

Can you talk us through your portfolio and what it includes?

Our expansive portfolio has been designed to meet player preferences and expectations in markets across the world. Right now, we have 23 slots, 11 draw games, four table games and five roulette variants based on a variety of themes and with a brilliant mix of mechanics and bonuses to ensure each provides an immersive and engaging entertainment experience. We also offer eight Casino Trading Games – this is a super interesting format that seamlessly blends the excitement of cryptocurrency trading with the edge-of-the-seat thrill of traditional casino gaming. In addition, we have dedicated platforms for poker, rummy and sports betting so that our operator partners can offer the players a comprehensive suite of gaming experiences. Looking ahead, we’ve got a busy product roadmap covering the next 12 months with at least 30 new games set to land in our portfolio.

 

Your Casino Trading Games sound like they have the potential to be the next big thing. What are they, how do they work and who will they appeal to?

You’re right, they are a game changer. They capture the adrenaline of the volatile, high-risk/reward world of crypto trading and fuse it with the presentation and polish of a casino game. They deliver fast-paced action, boundless entertainment, endless excitement and tons of big-win potential. We know that players are seeking deeper and richer experiences at online casinos and these games deliver exactly that round after round.

 

Which markets do you see as offering the greatest potential for Blaze Gaming? How will you look to localise your portfolio for each of these markets?

We see huge potential in emerging markets such as Latin America and Asia as well as established regions like Europe. We recognise the importance of locally influenced partnerships in these markets, especially when it comes to distribution and growth. This is why we prioritise forging strategic alliances with local stakeholders including established operators, content aggregators and marketing partners so that we can maximise our presence and reach. These partnerships allow us to leverage the expertise and networks of trusted local entities which in turn facilitates a much smoother market entry and expansion. Working closely with our partners gives us invaluable insights into the market, regional trends, player preferences and the regulatory landscape we need to navigate and this in turn guides product development, the localisation of our portfolio and the marketing strategies we deploy. Through this emphasis on locally influenced partnerships, we can maximise the distribution opportunities while fostering sustainable growth and deeper relationships in each jurisdiction we target.

 

The slot provision space is highly competitive. What challenges have you faced so far and how were they overcome?

We’ve encountered many challenges so far including market saturation, regulatory compliance, customer acquisition, technology infrastructure and the constant need to innovate and differentiate. But this is what makes it such a fun space in which to operate. To clear these hurdles, we have focused on premium distribution channels, daring to be different in the quest for true innovation (our Casino Trading Games are a great example of this), have never compromised on quality, have established a dedicated compliance team and have adopted a multi-faceted approach to customer acquisition. We’ve also invested heavily in technology infrastructure and fostered a culture of creativity and experimentation within our diverse development teams. By doing this, we have overcome all obstacles in our way while ensuring we deliver exceptional gaming and entertainment experiences to players worldwide.

 

What can we expect from Blaze Gaming in the coming months? Can you share any big announcements coming up?

Hold tight as we’ve got a run of never-seen-before product releases set for the coming months. This includes slots with exhilarating math models, diverse draw, table and trading games and much, much more. Digient Technologies has also entrusted us to rebrand its poker, rummy, sportsbook and igaming platforms and we’ll be making more announcements about this shortly. But until then, you’ll just have to watch this space.

Africa

SmartSoft’s expertise and future vision for the African market

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Interviews

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

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Interviews

Safety First: Slots Temple Q&A

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Alpha Affiliates
Advertisement

EveryMatrix

Advertisement

Launch your iGaming business swiftly and effortlessly with our comprehensive turnkey solutions

Trending (Top 7)

EuropeanGaming.eu is a premier online platform that serves as a leading information hub for the gaming and gambling industry. This industry-centric media outlet reaches over 200,000 readers monthly, providing them with compelling content, the latest news, and deep-dive insights.

Offering comprehensive coverage on all aspects of the gaming sector, EuropeanGaming.eu includes online and land-based gaming, betting, esports, regulatory and compliance updates, and technological advancements. Regular features encompass daily news articles, press releases, exclusive interviews, and insightful event reports.

The platform also hosts industry-relevant virtual meetups and conferences, and provides detailed reports, making it a one-stop resource for anyone seeking information about operators, suppliers, regulators, and professional services in the European gaming market. The portal's primary goal is to keep its extensive reader base updated on the latest happenings, trends, and developments within the gaming and gambling sector, with an emphasis on the European market while also covering pertinent global news. It's an indispensable resource for gaming professionals, operators, and enthusiasts alike.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 - European Gaming is part of HIPTHER. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania

We are constantly showing banners about important news regarding events and product launches. Please turn AdBlock off in order to see these areas.