Don’t Get Lost in Translation


GIOVANNI FODERA Regional Manager for


Italy and South Africa Yggdrasil


Know Your Players Know Your Game


Yggdrasil’s Giovanni Fodera explains how player data, regional expertise and market- specific preferences are shaping the company’s approach to localisation across more than 28 regulated markets, and why understanding differences in player behaviour, themes and game mechanics is essential to international success.


Yggdrasil’s games are now available across more than 2,000 brands globally. When you enter a new jurisdiction, what tells you that a game or mechanic needs genuine localisation rather than simply translation and regulatory adaptation? For me, the clearest signals come from the data and operator feedback. If a game is translated and compliant but still underperforms against similar titles, that suggests the theme, maths or presentation may not be connecting with local players. Tat’s when we need to look beyond the language and understand how they like to play. A familiar theme might catch their eye, but the gameplay is what keeps the reels spinning.


Yggdrasil has continued to expand into markets 52


including South Africa, while strengthening its presence in established European territories such as Italy and the Balkans. What differences do you see in player preferences between newer and more mature regulated markets, and how does that influence the content you introduce? In newer markets like South Africa, players often respond well to clear mechanics and familiar formats. In more mature markets, such as Italy and those across the Balkans, players have ex- perienced a wider range of content, so there’s a greater appetite for depth, innovation and variety. We use those preferences to shape the mix of games we introduce, while recognising that es- tablished favourites still have a strong following. A good example is 777 Volt, our top-performing


game in South Africa, where its familiar theme and straightforward format resonate with players. In Italy, it doesn’t feature in our top 10. Instead, Valley of the Gods leads the ranking - a long- standing favourite in several European markets. Tat contrast shows why we look at what players actually respond to in each market when building our content offerings.


Your Game Engagement Mechanics (GEMs) - such as GigaBlox™, MultiMax™ and Splitz™ - are recognisable elements of the Yggdrasil portfolio. Do particular mechanics perform noticeably differently from market to market, and can those differences sometimes challenge your assumptions about local player tastes? Yes, we see differences in how mechanics perform


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