Fast-paced online slots dominate the online gambling market and are one of the main reasons for the growth of iGaming in recent years. The high demand for slot games led to high competition in the casino development market. iGaming studios have to release new products every few months to stay successful. On top of that, the game has to be well-accepted by the target audience. To better understand how to do it, we researched a real-life case of the slot launch.
Aleksandr Kosogov, CEO of the slot development company Gamzix, has told GBC Time how to create a video slot game and launch it in three months. Aleksandr shared a real-life experience of developing a fast-paced game for the CIS and European markets. All below in the expert’s own words.
Case slot with immersive engine
Every launch of a new slot is a unique and interesting case for our team because we always try to produce a perfect game. For two years of work, Gamzix has experienced a lot because we launch at least one new slot every month.
I would like to tell you about one of the latest Gamzix slots – Gold Mania. It is a mining-themed slot with amazing artwork on five reels and ten pay lines. The game is fascinating, full of perfect details, and has an immersive engine.
Main goal: to entertain a gamer
As you know, there is nothing that players can do to affect the outcome of the spins. It depends solely on chance. So, our main goal was to entertain a gamer through graphics, sound, and a variety of in-game features. As for the business, we planned to gain at least the same financial results, which were achieved from the previous slot release.
Main KPIs: nu mber of players, GGR increase, and profit
Generally, we are guided by:
- the number of players;
- GGR growth;
- profit.
It is also crucial for us to distribute the game to different regions – the more we cover, the better it will be. Moreover, the total bet is the most important indicator.
Key point: to make a unique video slot
We conducted market research on the theme and mechanics of slots. The key point was to make a unique video slot. During the research, we selected the mechanics, style, and theme of the slot so that they were distinctive.
Target markets: the CIS and Europe
We also analyzed Gamzix’s key markets – the CIS and Europe – to understand what exactly players prefer, including the size of the bet, graphics, and sounds.
Target audience: gamblers aged between 20 and 45
One of the popular tools for determining the target audience is social media, like Twitter, Twitch, and YouTube. Thanks to these platforms, we found out that our target audience is gamblers 20-45 years old, preferably, who like to have fun by spinning and winning. Many of them play after work, while others can be obsessed with a game all day long.
The slot is presented in over 400 casinos across the globe
Thanks to the partnership with more than 400 casinos and other big international companies, as well as software platforms, Gamzix’s slots are presented in the markets of CIS, Western Europe, Canada, Australia, South America, and South Africa.
Compliance was the main issue
From the first days of the project launch, we devoted a lot of time to the compliance of our games with the laws of various countries. For now, our games have been certified according to the requirements under the jurisdictions of Curacao, Romania, Italy, and Belarus. Now we are launching the process of certification and licensing for several countries, but we are 100% sure that there will be no problems. And if we face any issues, our product is very flexible, and any changes will not be a problem for us.
Main stages of the slot launch process
Market analysis and management consulting
Primarily, we analyze the market. It helps us to understand in which direction we are moving. From here, we begin to share our ideas and find the perfect one, then we consult with our management and make the final decision.
Creating a technical task and developing visual and mathematic components of the slot
After compiling a detailed technical task, we launch both graphics (1.5-2 months) and mathematics (up to 1 month).
Back-end game development and testing
When these parts are ready, we develop the game on the backend (up to 1 month) and the frontend (2-4 weeks). Then the testing process begins and lasts 1-2 weeks.
CPO & CEO review and game presentation
After all the stages are completed, the CPO and CEO check up on the game and make minor changes if needed. Then we finally present the game to the team and make a release for production.
There are no easy and difficult stages. At each stage, we have maximum concentration and desire to face new challenges and create!
Workshop and front-end engine – key technologies for slot development
We are proud of our workshop. This is our constructor for creating games on the backend. Thanks to it, a person without a programmer education can create a game. It is very convenient and speeds up all processes.
We are also making a new front-end engine by using cutting-edge technologies. This engine will allow you to create the most complex and cool games according to the latest trends.
Bonuses in the game
Gold Mania slot became very successful among gamblers, as it has a wide range of features.
There are three levels of free spins:
- Classic;
- x1-x5 multiplier;
- x1-x10 multiplier.
Free spins also consist of three levels:
- 10 free spins with the Sticky Wild;
- 8 free spins with sticky wild and x2, x3, and x4 multipliers;
- An infinite number of free spins with a moving wild. Each wild gives +1x to the multiplier.
The LVL UP symbol allows to change the level of free spins and adds up to x10 to the multiplier.
The whole team was involved in the creation process
All Gamzix teams were involved in the process:
- Front-end and back-end developers, DevOps, 2d artists, QA, and integration engineers were responsible for the game production;
- Account, sales, and marketing managers were dealing with game promotion;
- CPO, CBDO, and CMO provided a perfect implementation of the process at every stage.
High development costs were justified by the game’s performance: the slot ranked 3rd on the provider’s list
To make an accurate cost estimate, it is necessary to consider not only the time costs of developers but also administrative costs, as well as the salaries of top management. Actually, we do not do this for each game, as at the stage of the company’s development, we consider this an irrational waste of time.
If we are speaking about marketing costs, there is a cross-conversion effect: new game release, and its promo, getting into the top positions at the casino, big wins from streamers – all of this can drive traffic to the provider, but not to a specific game. Our task was to ensure that every new game gets into at least the current top 5 games, surpassing previous ones. Gold Mania ranked 3rd among our games in March, which is a good result for Gamzix.
Five stages of the promotion process
The slot promotion had several stages, including:
- Affiliate marketing (that is, we begin with): with the help of our partners – online casinos – gamblers have the opportunity to try the new slot, play, and win.
- Social media marketing: LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.
- Influencer marketing – we are cooperating with streamers to increase the number of gamers.
- Mass media – press releases and reviews publication.
- Offline events.
The active phase of game promotion was implemented right after slot release and lasted for a month or more. As the promotion process is well established, sometimes we face insignificant challenges, which are easily solved. By sticking to the strategy, each part of the promotion could be easy.
Trailers, teasers, quizzes, and other tools help attract the target audience
For us, it is very important to attract our target audience from the very first sight, so before the game release, we use such tools as fascinating trailers, teasers, quizzes, and images which we publish on social media and send out to partners, journalists, and streamers. Press releases, reviews, and interviews with developers are also efficient tools for promotion in mass media.
All these tools – together with casino bonuses, gamer tournaments, and branded merchandise – significantly affect slot promotion. To achieve all the goals, you should use a full set of promotion tools simultaneously.
All main goals were achieved: publication in 10 leading media resources and 300k+ reaches on social media
The main goal was to cover as many target audiences as possible: gamblers, readers, fans, potential partners, and others. Our team has done its best to make it. Gold Mania press release was published in more than 10 leading iGaming media, and over 30 popular CIS streamers were playing in the slot live on Twitch and YouTube. Moreover, we had about 300 000 reaches on social media.
The slot went live in 3 months
It took Gamzix 3 months to launch the Gold Mania slot. We are satisfied with the game, as we managed to fill it with a wide range of features so that a player can choose the one, he likes the most.
Graphics, immersive engine, and high payouts are the strongest parts of the game
The strongest part is the game itself, its mind-blowing graphics, immersive engine, and high payouts.
Limited budget is an only downside
The weakest part is a limited budget, but it is normal practice. Even huge corporations do not have an unlimited budget! It is better to make the most of what you have 🙂
As in Gold Mania, we realized all our goals, there is nothing we want to change if we could. Every game is our experience – we accept it, make conclusions, and move forward.
Expert’s advice: analyze the market and do not be afraid to try new things
Analyze the market, try something new, and do not focus on just one thing. It is better to spend time working on brand-new ideas than trying to make copies. Always look for creative approaches, because the market is large and a lot of things have become boring.
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