‘We wanted feedback from real players and to work closer with communities that are actively engaged with slots.’ noted Tamas Kusztos, head of sales and account management from Kalamba Games as he explains the idea behind its first streamer promotion.
Earlier this year, Kalamba and Wildz Casino debuted a collaboration, lauded as an ‘industry first’ to challenge eight Twitch streamers to win the chance to provide input into the design of a new slot title. The result of the promotion resulted in Sadie Swift: Guns ‘n Glyphs.
SlotBeats spoke to Kusztos and Hauke from CasinoTest24 revealing behind-the-scenes action and told us the benefits of the collaboration, the process of the development and how working with streamers could evolve.
SlotBeats: How did you end up working together on Sadie Swift: Guns ‘n Glyphs?
Tamas Kusztos: The idea was to do an industry disrupting promotion and we found the perfect partner in Rootz to make it happen. We invited Twitchers to enter a competition to win the chance of designing a game with us and we were very pleased to find such a worthy winner and great collaborator in CasinoTest24.
CasinoTest24: When we heard streamers were being invited to hit the biggest Bet-Multiplier win on one of Kalamba’s Slots for the chance to be involved in creating a game, we really wanted to be the winners. To give us a strong chance we bought bonus after bonus, especially on the last day of the competition.
Since the leader board was updated manually and not in real-time, we were not sure if our win of around 1000x the initial bet size would be enough, but surprisingly we won the competition ranked with the best and second best win. Being crowned the winner was an incredibly exciting moment, and we couldn’t wait to start creating a slot together with the Kalamba team.
What are the benefits for both parties in this kind of collaboration?
TK: From our point of view, we wanted feedback from real players and to work closer with communities that are actively engaged with slots. It works for both sides – players get the games they want to play, and developers benefit from learning about experienced player insight and behaviour which in turn can drive the development of subsequent games.
CT24: We as the promotion winners were able to give thoughts and ideas for a new slot game, which was an exciting experience and a lot of fun. As slot fans, being able to see your vision of the perfect slot game become reality was a real buzz.
For Kalamba, their slots were streamed regularly every day as the competition took place, which brought the different games in their portfolio closer to viewers and inspired them to play.
How did the process of working together go between Kalamba and CasinoTest24?
TK: The collaboration went seamlessly. It’s always great to work with people who share a passion for slots and entertainment and we definitely found that working with CasinoTest24. Obviously, some elements such as office visits were curtailed due to the pandemic, but one of the benefits of our industry is of course that we’re all very used to working remotely.
CT24: The Kalamba team were not only open to ideas but also kept us informed throughout the process, right from the initial brainstorming session. They helped us clearly understand which of our thoughts would work and found ways to stay true to the essence of what we wanted to create for those that didn’t.
We were updated regularly about the process and were frequently involved in the decision making when changes or tweaks had to be made.
How did you find the balance between keeping Kalamba’s house style and implementing CasinoTest24’s suggestions?
TK: It is a fine line on what possibilities there are especially when it comes to the math, but we wanted to make sure that all CasinoTest24’s ideas were taken into consideration and that the game reflected the Twitcher’s feedback.
CT24: While we thought our ideas would translate to an awesome slot that we could play for a day straight without getting bored, we quickly learned that it’s not so easily done. Although some of the features we initially planned had to be adapted to work in practice, the game still reflects the style we wanted to achieve in our initial thoughts.
Compromise played a major part in the process, but we’re more than happy with the middle ground found.
Are there any specific features in Sadie Swift: Guns ‘n Glyphs that you think will particularly appeal to a streaming audience?
TK: We have brought together possibly the two most popular bonus features in the industry in one game and packaged them in two of the most appealing themes.
Egyptian and Wild West settings are timeless in slots, and when you combine them with our range of established features such as HyperBonus and HyperBet, there’s really something for everyone within the game.
CT24: There are two different bonus options, which provides ample opportunity to be creative in our videos. A streamer could let the viewers vote which Bonus to go for, for example, enabling us to interact with the audience and build engagement.
Fundamentally, it’s an exciting game that has been built with our audience in mind, so we hope it’ll be a real hit.
We’re seeing of this type of collaboration happening – do you think it’s here to stay?
TK: These collaborations are a great way to learn more about what players engage with the most and we’re proud to be leading the way for the industry. We’re always keen to underline our commitment to innovation and are ‘walking the walk’ with this project.
CT24: I would really like to see more provider/streamer collaborations, as it means the games are more likely to live up to what players want. We’re the ones enjoying the slots, so it makes sense that we have a say in their creation.
As long as the streamers take an active part in the production and the providers are not just delivering a clone of an already existing slot, then it’s a really exciting direction for the industry.
Should streamers play a bigger role in content creation? If so, how?
TK: Active collaboration with streamers is for sure the way forward, but data informed innovation true to the game studio is equally important.
Games are a complex blend between art, technology, math, sound etc, and streamers are clearly a vital link in the chain, not only as a promotional channel, but of course as end users themselves.
CT24: There are streamer related competitions on casinos so that the whole community can participate together. If more streamers get such opportunities like our collaboration with Kalamba, then I think this will be a great development for players, providers and casinos alike.
Any final thoughts about Sadie Swift: Guns ‘n Glyphs?
TK: Well, as we say, ONE hero, TWO great adventures. It’s an ambitious title, but one we are enormously proud of. We really can’t wait to see how players respond. Judging by initial reaction, it’s going to be a strong performer in our portfolio.
CT24: The selection of slots available nowadays is so big that it’s hard for a new game to last with players. There’s to be a special quality to keep the players playing.
We wanted to deliver a slot that brought something fresh and exciting, a game that wasn’t just a clone of what’s already available on the market. Sadie Swift: Guns ‘n Glyphs has done exactly that, and we’re incredibly excited to release it to the world.
