Pulse
SLOTS FOCUS - INNOVATION PLAYSON
Playson: the shape of slots
How will innovators like Playson continue the evolution of slot design without losing the fundamentals that continue to draw players to compelling games? G3 talks to Head of Games, Nikolay Illiustrov, about a balancing act that blends creativity with practicality.
What was the last innovation to shape the slots industry?
When discussing innovations, you expect to talk about cryptocurrency, virtual reality and the metaverse, these are three things that have slowly started being integrated into iGaming. However, currently these are not advances that are immediately changing the industry.
I believe there have been several global trends that have had a greater impact on the slots landscape. To mention a few, these are the Covid-19 pandemic, popularity of mobile gaming and the noticeable decrease in the attention span of users that have impacted slot provision in recent times.
Talking from a technological point of view, it’s also important to understand the drastic changes that have impacted the entire game creation process. For instance, the switch to HTML 5 that reinvented the development process for game creators, while similarly, the increase in demand for mobile-first content has resulted in companies prioritising the portrait mode.
How tricky is it to be truly unique and innovative when so many slots fail to make a lasting mark?
It’s quite tricky, the biggest challenge is trying to understand the psychology of players. As a supplier you have to learn to which extent the player is ready for innovation and how can we keep them safe when reinviting products.
You also need to incorporate the trends seen across the entertainment industry and try to merge this with slots in a successful way.
players another reason to return to our games.
Te tool allows players to collect virtual coins that can be used to spin a wheel and win additional prizes, this helps build much-needed retention within a very saturated market. Moreover, it’s our very own unique solution which allows us to develop our Playson universe and meta gameplay.
What factors dictate whether Hold and Win is implemented with Playson's most popular games?
We balance our portfolio with titles that offer different mechanics and themes. Aa huge part of our portfolio encompasses Hold and Win mechanics and we feel this is still an area of growth for us, as the mechanics haven proven to be so popular.
Nikolay Illiustrov Head of Games, Playson
Our approach in enhancing our offering is to focus on the familiar, more well-known aspects of titles and merge these with innovative solutions. Tis includes optimising the user experience and presenting different features that keep players enthusiastic, which can be achieved through gamification and promotional tools.
Overall, even when you find the perfect recipe, making sure you’ve struck the right balance between safety and innovation is always difficult. Strict regulations can really impact your creative freedom and ability to implement completely fresh concepts.
What is the most innovative game, mechanic or feature Playson has created, and how has it shaped the company's creative vision and direction?
We amplified our gameplay by investing in a variety of promotional tools that made our titles even more appealing to players, which naturally drove retention for operators. Our Reel of Fortune tool is a great example of this, as it gives
We’ve seen our Hold and Win content booming, even in land-based casinos. Tis is because these titles capture the audience with engrossing features that provide a ton of entertainment. I feel the immersive gaming experience offered by these games also maintains the rhythm of the gameplay, making it suitable for short mobile play sessions – something which is often preferred by the modern player.
Does the addition of certain game features attract and repel particular player demographics? For example, does Ultra Fortunator: Hold and Win attract different player types than other entries in the series?
As a supplier you have to learn to which extent the player is
ready for innovation and how can we keep them safe when reinviting products. You also need to incorporate the trends seen across the entertainment industry and try to merge this with slots in a successful way.
NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / MARKET DATA P129
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