Tetiana Shumakova, a Product Owner at Evoplay Entertainment, has told GBC Time about instant games, their attractiveness to users and operators, which consider this product type for adding to the library of games.
Instant games have started to become a hot topic since autumn of last year. Can you tell us a bit about why it’s starting to trend?
The popularity of instant games is surging for a whole host of reasons. Firstly, the diversity of mechanics they offer provide the level of variety demanded by the new generation of players, which is really proving to have strong appeal.
The second factor is simplicity. Instant games are easy to understand but compelling to play. Much of the gameplay shares similarities with the likes of Heads or Tails and Tetris and can be enjoyed by experienced enthusiasts and total newcomers alike. Slots, on the other hand, often take some getting used to – and the barrier for entry is the reason why you’re unlikely to see the majority of sports bettors getting involved in this vertical. Finally, let’s not forget how the immediacy of the outcome ramps up the excitement factor. After all, the clue is in the name – instant games provide an entertainment experience, which is uniquely instantaneous.
What does it offer players that slots and table games can’t provide? Does it appeal to a more wide-ranging demographic than slots, for example?
To put it simply – slot games do not offer the same level of variety. Table games, meanwhile, are more difficult to understand and play, so it’s a distinctive combination of simplicity and diversity that makes instant games stand out – and an attractive proposition for anytime for a gambler.
Given these strengths, it’s not surprising, therefore, to see them garnering such widespread player appeal. Instant games re-create the rush of excitement enjoyed by so many while playing “rock, paper, scissors” and the like – offering an easy-to-understand format that is in many cases, already popular the world over. Finally, it would also be remiss not to mention the potentially huge wins offered by each click of the “play” button! Such immediate entertainment never goes amiss.
Take us through the development process of an instant game. What’s different about it, and what key features are POs looking to apply?
Developing an instant game is a very exciting process. The team loves pitching in with theme ideas, and we have a lot of fun while creating the premium quality titles for which Evoplay Entertainment is known.
The unique element of instant game development is the absence of a reusable template from which to start. Every title must be created from scratch. State-of-the-art mathematical modeling is a must, as is rapid yet compelling gameplay. That said, overloading a game with different mechanics is a bad idea. The trick is to create a product that is simple, but exciting. Each game requires a unique approach, and I’m very proud of what we achieve here.
With the Euros coming up this summer, do you see instant games as offering a better cross-sell potential to sports bettors than other RNG alternatives?
Absolutely. Of all the different RNG options out there, instant games come closest to replicating the excitement of a live sporting fixture.
There’s also an impressively wide range of sports-themed instant games available, with something for everyone. Whether you are a football fan, a keen volleyball enthusiast, or anything in between, there’s an instant game out there for you. We’ve developed our catalog with this in mind, and I’m really confident that we’ve got a whole raft of options to keep the action coming in 2021, and I can’t wait to see what players make of our latest catalog!
How do you see CEE and CIS operators benefiting from expanding their instant games catalogs? What’s the case for broadening their reach from a commercial perspective?
Instant games are a very attractive product for operators, especially those located in the CEE and CIS regions. There’s a number of reasons for that.
Firstly, the mechanics and themes, which they deploy, resonate especially strongly with players from that part of the world. So much so that instant games are becoming a must-have for operators looking to acquire new customers. They provide the lightning-fast action that can prove so enjoyable during half-time breaks and the like – ensuring the onboarding process to the casino side is both fun and easy, and readily deployed as part of a marketing campaign by an operator.
As well as the immediate use-case of acquisition, they are also a great way of updating your offering with something new and different, going beyond the somewhat overused ideas that we see in today’s slot market. Combine good quality instant games with a well-executed delivery strategy, and you’ve got an engagement and retention tool that passes every test.
Last but not least, talk us through your favorite instant game. What’s exciting about it, and how does it offer players something entertaining?
There are so many great titles out there, it’s impossible to pick just one! From my very own titles, Xmas KenoCat invites players to hang out with a charming character, and Wheel of Time showcases a quality of mathematical modeling, which is simply unrivaled.
As a massive fan of Japanese culture and anime, in particular, Pachin-girl also features prominently on the list of my favorite products on our team sheet. It’s a fantastic twist on the time-honored Pachinko slot machines that are so popular in that great country, and I’m tremendously proud to have played a role in bringing it to life.
Finally, our sports-themed instant game, Penalty Shoot-out, was crucial in providing an alternative for the entertainment-hungry sports bettors who were looking for options when live fixtures were paused last spring. It’s proven really popular in markets such as LatAm during the cancellation of live sport, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what we can do to cross-sell similar games at the upcoming Euros – it’s going to be a very exciting year for us.
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