Interactive
GAME DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT REALISTIC GAMES
Realistic Games: game changing idea
Robert Lee, Commercial Director at Realistic Games, explains the inspiration for the developer's latest mechanic, Game Changer, outlining the research and testing process that ensures each iteration remains fresh and engaging for the player
squares offering 1x to 6x the player’s stake, good squares such as Win All Prizes, Level Up! or Random Stop, or bad squares such as Double Trouble, Roll Even or Take Prize.
Robert Lee Commercial Director, Realistic Games
Robert Lee is commercial director of Realistic Games. He has almost three decades of experience in the gaming industry, having spent almost 20 years at Gala Bingo in various roles. He then moved into product management at Ladbrokes, before leaving to join supplier IGT where he was Bingo Product Manager.
Could you explain the mechanics behind the Game Changer concept?
Game Changer is a unique bonus round triggered when a board game is formed around the edges of the reels in the main slot game. Players move around the board by rolling random dice, landing on squares that determine either a prize or a potentially losing square that could end the round.
Te delivery mechanic varies with each title, allowing us to award players creatively for a truly unique experience with every game in the series, offering anything from cash prizes, spins on a slot, enhanced boards and free spins with random wilds. Te first slot to feature the concept, also titled Game Changer, provides 324 million different board combinations of cash
P110 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / MARKET DATA
Meanwhile, in Hot Cross Bunnies – Game Changer, the second release in the series, prize squares display a Pink Bunny, Bell, or fruit. Landing on these squares then spins the bonus slot and awards 3, 4 or 5 of a kind of that symbol. Te concept’s flexibility means we can deliver a host of titles that both incorporate popular features as well as new, innovative mechanics that players might not have seen before.
What was the inspiration?
We’ve had the concept in mind for a number of years and reignited the idea over the last 12 months. For the first game in the series, Game Changer, we took inspiration from the classic TV Game shows of the 20th century that captured the hearts of nations every Saturday night at prime time.
Te prize symbols are based on iconic giveaways such as speed boats, flashy watches and giant teddy bears, bringing an element of nostalgia for programmes of the era. With succeeding iterations of the concept, we wanted to replicate the level of engagement that these shows attained as well as the familiar fun of board games by building anticipation with every roll of the dice.
What is the research process behind the creation of new game concepts?
It’s a combination of KPIs and market research together with our own knowledge and expertise. In Realistic’s 18 years, we have built a
When experimenting with a new concept or mechanic, feedback from previous releases is always at the forefront of our mind. It’s important to take on board what has worked and what has not in order to continue to advance our content. For big new ideas such as Game Changer we run proof of concepts, as well as employing a rigorous testing phase in which we run almost infinite simulations to ensure all aspects of the game come together in one neat, complete package. To measure the performance once live, we look at both short term indicators, such as the average player session length, and long-term success markers including the number of returning players after the initial launch wave.
How do you measure the 'human factor' when testing a concept to ensure players don't grow tired of the same feature? Do players enjoy the familiarity?
Balancing familiarity with originality is an art in itself. With a concept like Game Changer, we tweak the mechanics with every iteration so
We’ve had the concept in mind for a number of years and reignited the idea over the last 12 months. For the first game in the series, Game Changer, we took inspiration from the classic TV Game shows of the 20th century that captured the hearts of nations every Saturday night at prime time.
strong understanding of player preferences and a distinguished target audience that helps guide the creative process. It helps that a lot of our designers and developers are slot fans themselves and have a keen eye for what will work.
Of course, player preference will change over the years, demographics shift, and we have to move with the tides. Data plays a crucial role in not only keeping up with market trends but setting them also.
How do you test a new concept and at what point is a new mechanic considered a success? What are the key performance indicators?
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