CasinoBeats Slots Roundtable, Part 2: Assessing the allure and importance of classic slots themes.
Push Gaming's Principle Game Producer Amit Samji contributed to a Casinobeats roundtable about the state of classic slots in an industry where preferences are changing. Read Amit's answers below and to read the full conversation with all the contributors. This is two of a two part series, to read part one!
The conversation around slots is one that never does, and most likely never will, come to an end, whether that concerns strategies for new market entries, potentially appealing to changing tastes being encountered in a long legalised jurisdictions and everything in between.
Ahead of SBC Summit Barcelona, where slots will be a central focus across an array of expert discussion points, we assess what life is left in those familiar themes that are heavily used, the potential risk of cult classics, and if classic titles are important for easing players into the vertical.
Is there still life in certain slot themes that have featured heavily in the last decade, such as Egyptian, Western and Irish games, or should slot studios be thinking outside the box when it comes to creativity?
There will always be life in the classics – these are themes that are player favourites. It all comes down to individual preference.
For example, you could have a game reskinned from an Egyptian theme to a western theme, and regardless of being reskinned there are players who prefer one or the other only because of its theme. Thinking outside the box will always highlight the creativity from the supplier but to have a mix of both makes for a great catalogue.
Classic slots have proven key in helping develop new igaming markets such as the United States and Canada, where players are instinctively drawn to games they’ve seen played in brick-and-mortar casinos. Are classic slots important for easing players into the vertical, or is North America an anomaly?
Classic slots are generally the comfort zones for players but they also have the potential to gradually grow into new, innovative slot games.
There are always players who are looking for something new to play and it sometimes only takes a handful of games to change that perspective. But in order to cater for the widest range of demographics possible, there needs to be those ‘comfortable’ games that classic slots bring to casinos.
I believe with the popularity of new innovations that we have been seeing in the European markets and the pace that it has been growing for many years, will definitely attract North American players.