SlotBeats Insight delves into the backgrounds of Evoplay Entertainment in a three part series taking a look at the creativity process in slot development.
“It’s all about adaptability, accessibility, speed and mobility,” noted Roman Sadovskyi, product owner at Evoplay Entertainment, as he explained about the recent trends within slot development.
We spoke to Sadovskyi who highlighted the key evolution of product development, their own creativity process and pinpoints what’s hot right now within slot development.
SlotBeats: What’s hot right now in slot development and which trends should we be keeping an eye on?
Roman Sadovskyi: It’s all about adaptability, accessibility, speed and mobility. As tech continues to evolve, we’ve got a wealth of solutions now available that would have been hard to imagine even five years ago. This is everything from minimisation of the game’s size (great for the data plans), as well as optimisation of performance across multiple device models – ensuring we’ve been a real hit with players in emerging and established markets alike.
We’re also seeing far greater mixes of different mathematics and graphics in the same title, as well as far more ability to skip intros and speed up their spins, enabling players to concentrate on everything else available. There’s also a trend towards high volatility slots that offer plenty of pay-lines at the moment and in-game bonus features, which is offering players a wealth of choice.
Inevitably, the next trend in slot development is going to be seasonal content for the upcoming holidays. Halloween, New Year, Christmas, Valentine’s Day – you name it, players always like to feel the atmosphere of what’s happening around when they’re playing!
SB: During your time in gaming, what has been key in the evolution of product development?
RS: I was lucky enough to begin my career when innovation and creativity was far more paramount in the development process. At that time, slot developers were moving away from the classic 3×5 slots to produce something that would go beyond just the same old ‘spin and win format’, which was laying the groundwork for some exciting avenues of innovation.
Accordingly, we’ve seen lots of experiments with styles and mechanics, such as Megaways and the industry’s first 3D slots, that have become widely popular among a global fanbase of players. That timing, and being part of an industry that has seen exponential change in recent years, has played a huge role in my professional development, as it encouraged me to experiment and think outside the box with the slots we develop.
SB: This year’s shift in player preferences, especially when it comes to low stakes and extended sessions, have proven a real game changer for suppliers. Will you be adjusting your development pipeline accordingly?
RS: Low stake slots have always been in demand for an audience of players who enjoy playing for the gameplay just as much as the pay-out. Exciting animations and features that provide that extended entertainment offer just that.
Of course, player behaviour has also changed significantly this year, with low volatility titles becoming increasingly popular. This is primarily due to the tendency to gamble more conservatively during a global lockdown, but we also have a raft of newcomers to slots who are trying to get a feel for the best products available.
While entertainment has always topped the agenda for us, especially when it comes to the launch of some of the industry’s most innovative titles, we’ve certainly made sure to onboard plenty of lessons from this year. We’ve taken a very diverse approach in what we’re developing right now – and aim to cater to a wide range of player preferences with a very exciting catalogue of upcoming launches.
SB: When it comes to the creativity process, do you have your own fixed process you like to go through when developing a slot?
RS: A PO wouldn’t be honest if they claimed not to use ideas adapted from other games, but I consider each title as a separate project to be designed with a particular target audience in mind. This certainly means incorporating previous elements that I feel would resonate well, but as a team we really want to go above and beyond in developing fresh content – which means we’re never lazy in our approach.
The development process starts with a micro analysis of the spectrum of players I feel would enjoy this particular slot, and of course the best way to understand a player is to be one myself! Spending time with slots as a player really slows me to look at the product the way a player does, which is essential and the reason I first got into gaming development. As a player, there is always something that you want to see tweaked to make it better, and it really drives me to try and create the ‘perfect’ game.
Outside of the development studio, I’m always on the lookout for new and thought-provoking ideas that make an impact. My pastimes include video games, movies, music and contemporary art. Getting in as much culture as I can gives me an idea of what people are interested in, and how I can provide them in my future games – which always fuels creativity.
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