SLOT REVIEW Mallorca Wilds
Thomas Wendt, co-founder and director of Apparat Gaming, spoke to GIO about the company’s latest release, Mallorca Wilds.
Please introduce yourself. Thomas Wendt: My name is Thomas Wendt, and I am one of the co-founders and directors of Apparat Gaming. I have been working in game development for over 30 years, having created my own computer game studio all the way back in 1993, which was sold to a listed TV production company in 2000. I’ve been involved in the German gambling industry since 2004, including more than six years as managing director for the No. 3 German manufacturer of gambling machines, Bally Wulff, until 2020. Then, together with a group of incredibly talented industry veterans, I took the big step and founded Apparat Gaming.
Tell us about your recent release, Mallorca Wilds. TW: Mallorca Wilds invites players to take a holiday from the stresses of everyday life and head to the beach on the favourite holiday island of more than just the Germans. The slot brings holiday feelings and is set on the beautiful beaches of this Balearic gem with everything that belongs to a Majorca holiday, of course. Backed by summer holiday party music, it offers a free spins round with some sticky wilds. This combination has proven to be a hit with players in the past, and we look forward to seeing how our players react to these features in an entirely new setting.
How does Mallorca Wilds tie in with the rest of your slots portfolio? TW: Mallorca Wilds is a slot that is all about partying on the beach. And as much as it sounds uncharacteristically German for everyday life, it’s almost a German stereotype for the months of summer holidays, so much so that Mallorca has already been dubbed Germany’s 17th state. And of course, we’ve developed this title with all of the trademark efficiency you have come to expect from us. Like many of our other titles, we have taken a popular theme and sharpened it up with some high-quality German engineering and skill. In addition to a good portion of Augenweide (eye candy), we have also included a little wink of irony for the connoisseurs and lovers of the sometimes-excessive Mallorca holidays.
Despite being a relatively new slots studio, Apparat Gaming is a recognised name in the industry. What differentiates Apparat Gaming from other companies? TW: One of the main reasons why operators like to work with us is our many years of experience in both the German land-based and online markets. This experience has provided us with years of insight into what German players enjoy, and we have a track record of delivering enjoyable games that resonate with players in the market. This unique insight into the market has made us an attractive proposition, and it helps out stand out from other companies. We also have a very homemade feel.
Of course, our selection of slot games also helps. We have taken a very German approach to slot gaming, ensuring that our games all run efficiently and provide an enjoyable online gaming experience. Creating something entirely new in the
market is extremely difficult. Instead, we have taken established themes and improved upon them by adding a German accent.
Apparat Gaming follow the slogan ‘iGaming with a German accent.’ What are German players looking for in their slot games? TW: The German market is still relatively fresh, but in our experience, German players are looking for a slightly more conservative approach to slot gaming. This is by no means a bad thing. They are looking for high-quality slot games with well-established themes and bonus features to provide a top-quality gambling experience. German players are not looking for the quirkiest theme or the most complex bonus, they want straightforward and well-designed games that are engaging and enjoyable. Thankfully, our previous experience and our German approach to game development mean we are perfectly suited to capturing what the market is looking for.
In terms of visuals, content, themes and features, how will you evolve your portfolio going forward? TW: This answer may come across as very German, but we are not attempting to reinvent the wheel with our approach to slot gaming. We make products from the market for the market, and we know what German players like.
Our goal is to improve every day on what we have delivered before - efficient German slot machine technology mixed with a dash of eye candy, based on game features that are popular and successful in Germany - but not only there. And we like to do this, as we are doing now with Mallorca Wilds every now and then, on a theme to which the Germans in particular have a special connection, but which of course also works internationally. We are not out to shake things up too much, we just want to work efficiently and continue to offer the types of games that have already proven successful with our players. That may sound very boring, but it has been incredibly successful for us so far.
GIO AUGUST 2023 7
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