“Operators and consumers both have confidence in a title they’ve enjoyed before, so suppliers are making a safe bet on a brand,” noted Carl Ejlertsson, director of business development at Red Tiger, as he explained the growing trend of older slot titles being revamped.
At the end of last month, Red Tiger released its new slot title Gonzo’s Quest Megaways, enhancing NetEnt’s original title, which invited players to join the hunt for El Dorado to uncover lost treasure.
On the release, Ejlertsson stated: “Gonzo’s Quest has consistently proven itself as one of the best slot games on the market, so we are delighted to give it a further boost with the renowned MegaWays mechanic.”
SlotBeats spoke to Ejlertsson regarding the appeal for rejuvenating older slot titles, as well as the growing increase of high volatility slots in the market, player preferences and asked if there was a lack of originality in the slot industry.
SlotBeats: We’ve seen in recent weeks slot titles getting revamped, Gonzo’s Quest for instance, why do developers insist on revamping old games?
Carl Ejlertsson: I think the tone of the question is wrong here as ‘insist’ makes it sound negative. At Red Tiger we’ve made different iterations of games like Mystery Reels and Dragon’s Fire and they’ve all been successful.
Good IP is good IP and isn’t confined to one-off use. Operators and consumers both have confidence in a title they’ve enjoyed before, so suppliers are making a safe bet on a brand – just as they are with branded slots designed around a film, TV series, or band.
Players are connected to happy memories and it makes sense to revisit a title, particularly if you can also utilise newer maths models or features. The mix of old and new can actually be a happy marriage.
“Most people feel comfortable with things they already know – that’s human nature.”
SB: Do players prefer slots they already know? If so, then why?
CE: Most people feel comfortable with things they already know – that’s human nature. Generally speaking, we go to the same bars and eat similar dishes at the same restaurants. We all fall back on what we know. Slots are no different.
Of course, when we’re feeling adventurous or bored of the routine, we try new things. But the reason that it is a routine in the first place is because it’s often easier than change. You don’t always want to take the risk of being disappointed.
SB: Due to the market being heavily congested with slot titles, is there a lack of originality in new titles? How does the industry rectify this?
CE: Originality is not the core of most businesses that make money in this industry. Each game doesn’t have to be all about innovation and there is no need to be completely new. Using similar functionality in different ways is just as valid. We’re all pushing for progress, obviously, but there is no need to innovate for the sake of it.
Most suppliers are happy to capitalise on industry trends rather than blaze their own trail. It’s more important to produce good quality content consistently. I’m not convinced the industry is too congested yet. Yes, there’s lots of competition, but I don’t hear operators complaining about it.
If we had a game people really liked, we wouldn’t scrap it just because it is not different enough to the next game. Good functionality isn’t just good once. The practicalities of all this, lest we forget, is that we’re all trying to build the games that players want to play – not go down in history as the people who reinvented the wheel.
SB: Why is there a growing trend in the amount of high volatility slots?
CE: It’s probably important to define what we mean by high volatility slots here. We’re not talking about the original, land-based variety with three reels and punchy wins. Today’s online ones have a low volatility experience by comparison but have super high potential. That is where the volatility comes in. There is less access to the feature now, but more potential within it, as well as being friendlier to the player in the base game.
Effectively, it’s a maths concept to suit the latest generation of players. It gives them play time and they are happy to engage with that, as long as there is a chance of winning the big features.
It’s been growing as a trend over the last three or four years because it works. The MegaWays concept has just really drawn attention to it and has pushed the industry’s awareness. Previous games had similar models, so it’s not brand new. It’s just that there are so many more of them now. They are probably better described as high win potential rather than high volatility.
“Quite simply, developers are capitalising on a trend and operators like it because it works.”
SB: Why are more developers and operators making slots with high volatility?
CE: Quite simply, developers are capitalising on a trend and operators like it because it works. I wouldn’t say either are always making a conscious decision, however: it is the market that is deciding. The truth is that the trend is not necessarily beneficial for them to push these types of game as they create higher variance in their margin, risking their bottom line as a result.
But they are having to do it as that’s what players want. It’s a brave supplier or operator that bucks the trend as players will vote with their feet – or it might be more appropriate to say fingers and thumbs, in this case – if they don’t like a new game.
