INSIGHT SHAPING THE FUTURE OF SLOTS ARMADILLO STUDIOS
Dave Stoveld Chief Operations Officer Armadillo Studios
Conducting field research in Las Vegas on land-based games in 2014, Dave Stoveld stumbled upon some fun online slots, decided to apply, and moved to Stockholm to pursue a career in the iGaming industry. Dave, now Armadillo Studios’ Chief Operations Officer, reflects on how the sector has evolved and the directions it’s headed.
“A mobile first mindset has been key to operators like
LeoVegas, as well as game providers like BTG. Dynamic reels were already common on Aristocrat slots on their enormous screen cabinets for example, but the real
innovation on Megaways was a clever way of sizing the
reels to fit nicely on mobile single screen devices, as well as the common sense to advertise the feature, a
proven strategy synonymous to the likes of High 5 Super Stacks.”
David Stoveld In a nutshell, what are 2023’s slot trends?
United States expansion, regulated gaming, feature buy variations, crypto, top win records and advertisements, and collaboration gaming projects.
What’s changed since 2014?
Aside from the various timed jackpot innovations, a mobile first mindset has been key to operators like LeoVegas, as well as game providers like BTG. Dynamic reels were already common on Aristocrat slots on their enormous screen cabinets for example, but the real innovation on Megaways was a clever way of sizing the reels to fit nicely on mobile single screen devices, as well as the common sense to advertise the feature, a proven strategy synonymous to the likes of High 5 Super Stacks.
P118 WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS
Tese days there are so many different game categories within slots themselves, not to mention one-off categories like crash games, and instant win and all kinds of cross selling strategies with sportsbooks and brand deals and exclusivity partnerships. Each company has a different vision and structure to their roadmap, and in a booming industry there is an unlimited number of possibilities that can lead to success.
What game themes have remained popular, which have blended in the background, and have any new themes come to the fore in recent years?
Aside from sweets and large animals, most popular themes revolve around the nature of what slot players want to win, money. Whether it’s a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow or a rich
How have new technologies changed the way slots are developed and played?
While it’s always fun to see 3D slots and various gimmicks and video game style synergies at trade shows, community play continues to be a viable next iGaming changer category.
Streamers and competition tools have made huge progress, and while land-based community games like WMS’s fun compete to win has gained a lot of attention, the power of the internet and cutting-edge companies such as BeyondPlay will mean new formats and ways to play will soon emerge. AI is also already having an effect on games.
Games can be imagined and created faster, coded and calculated faster, prototyped better. It’s like Napster all over again during the dot- com boom, and AI is just getting started.
What games have you taken most pride in seeing succeed, and why?
My debut in online slots as a product owner at NetEnt was pivotal in my career. I was lucky that the CPO believed in me enough to give the chance to work with top tier members from executives to business intelligence, Phd mathematicians, experienced artists and developers and with one of the strongest brands in the world.
Naturally, it was a huge moment to see all the effort that went into creating the games lead to some extremely profitable slots. Looking ahead, our Exotic Wilds have performed very well for us at Armadillo Studios under SlotMatrix, and Fairy Fantasy is going to be the next release to showcase how far the team has come. I’m really proud of the job they’ve done.
How has the methodology for creating game portfolios changed?
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