In the second episode of SlotBeats Spotlight‘s venture into mobile exploration, we asked our experts how gamification can evolve within handheld devices in 2021.
With smartphones now proving to be an essential tool for not only providing a premium gaming experience but also with the ability to fully network games – how do you see the space evolving from a gamification perspective in 2021?
Henry McLean, 4ThePlayer: Gamification is essentially a way of engaging the player. We see engagement becoming even more important as the player has more content to choose from than ever before.
If the consumer is not engaged with our game, they can choose to close it as quickly as they chose to open it. One of the games we have in development, 3 Secret Cities, plays with this idea to ensure the player is constantly engaged in the experience.
Andy Sekula, Kalamba Games: An initial layer of collections can be added across games, to cross-promote and make the experience more engaging, and this can be utilised on both operator and supplier sides.
There are limitations imposed by regulators, when it comes to the flexibility in tailoring the experience to the player, but there are various ways operators and suppliers can engage the players such as having interesting tournaments with unique structures, to which entrance is granted when several tasks are completed.
Petra Maria Poola, OneTouch: Gamification will play a key role in the development of slot content going forward, and that applies both to mobile and desktop games.
With regulation getting stricter in a host of different territories, our industry will need to boost acquisition by driving up the entertainment factor, rather than attracting punters with the thrill of potential financial gain.
Gamification features, including enhanced bonus offerings such as the Wheel Bonus in our basketball-themed hit MVP Hoops, will therefore become more and more prevalent. In some markets, buy-in features could play a role too.
Take the example of a slot we launched last year – Flexing Dragons. Players enjoying the title often choose to purchase Free Games, within a tool that’s configurable in compliance with local regulation.
Vladimir Malakchi, Evoplay Entertainment: Right now, the casino sector’s hottest gamification trends include tournaments, multipliers, bonuses and leaderboards.
Suppliers who combine those features with a mobile-first approach could be onto a winner – although of course many may face challenges in delivering a uniform experience that can cover a wide range of devices, both old and new.
The new generation of players, in particular, like to communicate through a range of different platforms. And more often than not, they do so with a mobile phone. Social media will also play a role here.
For example, players who net a big win through an enhanced jackpot offering are likely to share it on their various profile pages, and individuals can compete with their friends by comparing results through their favourite social channel, which is a key acquisition driver.
To read part one of our latest edition of SlotBeats Spotlight, click here.
