absent or highly condensed. When a player visits an online casino, they have a library of games presented to them, usually represented by small game tiles. Operators typically promote new titles through page banners or emails announcing new game arrivals, and brands need to stand out based on those few impressions. Having a well-known brand or having a loyal fan-base wins part of that battle, as the game is immediately recognisable in a sea of unknown game titles. It’s a challenge that involves a ton of creativity, subtle messaging and artistic talent. We have to find a way to capture a game’s entire aesthetic in those very small areas.
Bonus features very obviously tap into the nature of the narrative theme, but can the base game do the same?
Absolutely. If the bonus is the climax of a story arc, the base game is the build. Just as in a novel, there are ups and downs. In a slot, there are base game wins and losses. Te big difference though is the gambling aspect. Within a slot narrative, there’s no guaranteed resolution unless the player acts. A novel ends the same way every time it’s read. A slot tells a different story with every spin, and every story has a different ending, though the differences are subtle.
Te base game of a slot is a comfortable setting. Te symbols on the reels are recognisable, the characters are familiar, and the situation stays the same unless a winning pay line hits. In a novel, the reader is made comfortable by the setting, just as a base game does in a slot. When conflict is introduced in a novel, the best slot parallel is a random feature trigger or a bonus hit. Even a bonus anticipation, where two out of three needed symbols appear and the third is eagerly awaited, can be a story catalyst. Anything that stirs a player’s emotion contributes to the narrative, even if it’s not a bonus.
How important a role does narrative play in the overall design process when it comes to game design in your products? At what part in the process is narrative discussed? And how is narrative integrated into the game design?
Te Interactive process begins with a story. We decide who the characters are, why they’re important, and what they do. Te setting is equally important at this stage. It’s a small bit of storytelling, but it serves as a stepping stone to the aesthetic elements that will eventually make the final game: sounds, art, animations, etc., as well as a base for the dynamics of the
A sinister king sits atop a dark throne, powerfully clutching a
sword with its sharp end in the ground. Fire glows at his feet
and sharp rocks levitate around him. His medieval
surroundings set a dark fantasy tone.
gameplay. In the final product, these elements come together. For example, our Sword of Destiny game features fantasy characters wielding deadly weapons, sometimes surrounded by enemies. In one scene, a sinister king sits atop a dark throne, powerfully clutching a sword with its sharp end in the ground. Fire glows at his feet and sharp rocks levitate around him. His medieval surroundings set a dark fantasy tone. Each character represents a different bonus feature in the base game, so the developer must stay cognisant of the fact that the features they create should reflect the tone and attitude of that particular character.
NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / MARKET DATA P65
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