Realistic Games' Pablo Rubio: Keeping products fresh in online slots
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Realistic Games Senior Product Manager, Pablo Rubio, walks through his views on how to keep slot releases fresh and how to keep players engaged.
Can you give us a background into Realistic Games? When were you founded and what has the journey been like so far?
Realistic Games was founded in 2002, meaning that we have been a part of the online casino market from almost the beginning. Over the last 20 years, you can imagine that our company has gone through all the different phases of the journey. But what’s always been in our DNA is the ambition to make different, innovative and entertaining games.
One of Realistic Games’ founders reiterates that he founded a company where he could make the games that in other companies they wouldn’t dare to do. So, from its foundation until the date, creating new player experiences through our games is what thrills us.
How can slot providers ensure games remain fresh and attractive to players, without rehashing old content and things done before?
Probably it is a matter of keeping a good balance between market trends and innovation. Obviously, nobody has a magic wand or the perfect formula for how a game's portfolio should be looking like to make it successful.
"Online casino is becoming more and more community-based and social. There are social casino games, community jackpots, multiplayer sessions and influencer videos having thousands of interactions"
You have to be able to understand the players’ needs and create games that are aligned with general trends to reach those players. However, we believe in change and innovation. Even if you are using a successful feature or game mechanic, you should be able to create a differentiation factor. Otherwise, you will be lost with the many others who are doing and copying the same thing.
What are your predictions for the technological evolution of online slots? What will be the next innovation that evolves the slots industry?
That is probably the question that everybody is trying to solve, right? And, bad news, there is not a straight answer. What we can see today is probably a tipping point where all the options are on the table. There are games being extremely successful using old formulas, and on the other side, there are also successful games based on completely different ways of approaching slot games.
One thing though, is that online casino is becoming more and more community-based and social. There are social casino games, community jackpots, multiplayer sessions and influencer videos having thousands of interactions. Maybe there we can find some hints of where we should be going.
Why do you think certain themed games, ancient, fantasy, jungle, etc., are the most popular over other genres that don’t seem to be the most popular? What is the appeal here?
I think two major factors are playing here. First, it is the comfort factor. We all have that comfort movie that we re-watch or that comfort food that we eat whenever we want to ensure a pleasant experience. With slot games, something similar can happen. You might want to try new games but you also want that comfort factor that makes you understand the game on the very first spin, providing you with that familiar experience you are looking for.
But, on the other hand, I truly believe in storytelling in slot games. It is not a coincidence that Egyptian or Aztec games became successful because of that. Many of us dream to be a daring explorers and find a hidden treasure in an ancient pyramid or deep in the jungle (at least I did!), and essentially that is the experience these slots provide; we have the opportunity to find that treasure, to win the jackpot prize hidden in a very mysterious place. Another example is fishing-themed games, where you have to patiently wait until you catch that big fish. Think about any successful theme and there is always a good storytelling part behind it that sells it.
"There are games being extremely successful using old formulas, and on the other side there are also successful games based on completely different ways of approaching slot games"
What new releases and updates are on the horizon for Realistic Games in 2023?
We have quite an ambitious roadmap for this year. I think some of our players will be pleasantly surprised by the new games coming from us. We are increasing the quantity and also the quality of the games planned to be released in 2023.
We recently released a very engaging chili-themed game in January called Chilli Master, and we just released a completely renovated keno game, Keno Deluxe. We are extremely excited about our next slot to be released in May called Catch 22, which provides a completely different experience on fishing-themed games, ensuring more fish prices and offering a frustration-free feature experience.
And we are still in the first quarter of the year. We have many games in different phases of production and it looks quite promising. As stated before, we truly believe in storytelling in our games and we are working on games where the features and the narratives are linked. Just like Fortune Fortress – one of the games currently in production. It’s a siege-themed kind of slot with fixed jackpots and where your winnings will get you closer to enter inside the castle and take the loot.
We are also working to enhance the betting experience for our players, enabling them to customise the way they want to play. Can’t give any more details but a lot is going on in our headquarters working towards creating daring and innovative content. All I can say is stay tuned!
