Andrzej Hyla, Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan, looks at how the ever-increasing amount of content in the industry requires studios to develop more than just games to stand out, and how giving players choice has elevated the studio to new heights through one simple approach to game development – that players know what they want to play.
Good games are everywhere – how can they be made great?
Everywhere you look, there are new games popping up every single week. From the latest fishing game to a trip to ancient Egypt, or a ghoulish Megaways extravaganza, there are constantly new, exciting, and engaging games being rolled out by providers of all sizes. However, in an industry that is always looking forward, with players anticipating the next big thing, how can studios ensure their products remain memorable, and achieve that highly sought-after ‘stickiness’?
Ingrained in our slot development process, is the concept of providing a game that satisfies players’ personal preferences. The success of our Freedom of Choice suite inspired Wazdan to continue looking at ways we can empower players to tweak the gameplay style and create experiences that are optimised for them.
Using this sentiment in our innovation workshops, we came up with the idea of Chance Level, designed for players looking to activate their favourite bonuses and prizes. The in-game modifier allows players to increase their base bet, which they can switch on and off at their discretion.
Putting Wazdan’s partners at the heart
Early reception from our newest slots shows our engagement-boosting philosophy in action, with Chance Level proving to increase the game session time and bet sum. In our latest oriental-themed title, Moon of Fortune, 46 per cent of all bets had this feature turned on, while in one of our top-performing games Hot Slot: 777 Cash Out, 31 per cent of players had taken advantage of the feature within a month of the game’s release. These figures show an appetite from players to feel in control of their gameplay and we will be implementing it with all new releases we have up our sleeve.
Debuting in Hot Slot: 777 Cash Out, it set the pace for the new feature, and we attribute Chance Level to the slot’s success among players and operators. The list of games boasting this feature kept growing following the strong demand from our partners and it has given our renowned series, 9 Coins and Hot Slot, a new lease of life thanks to the player-focused element of this exciting new feature.
The list of our slots with this feature currently includes Hot Slot: 777 Cash Out, Hot Slot: 777 Coins, 15 Coins, 9 Coins Grand Platinum Edition, Moon of Fortune, Mighty Wild: Panther, 16 Coins, and Mighty Symbols: Crowns, with more to be released in the upcoming months. Between all games, we saw an average uptake of 30 per cent from players using the Chance Level mechanic.
Striving for excellence
Wazdan’s commitment to our partners is to stay ahead of the innovation curve by consistently developing new features and looking for ways we can improve our games. This includes looking at our existing mechanics and finding ways to elevate them to the next level, a process that was executed with our Chance Level feature, which initially granted a 2x multiplier but was later modified to include various modes and tiers for players to benefit from.
We’re set to further build on this with the release of an upcoming game 9 Coins Grand Diamond Edition, which will be a particularly significant release for us. This sees the introduction of our biggest-ever Chance Level multiplier, 10x. In total, this will increase players’ chances of triggering the bonus round by at least 13x, in turn completely raising the stakes for players.
A fleet of customisable features
Our Freedom of Choice suite is a feature-rich premium that aims to make players feel as connected to the game and in control of the narrative as possible. As well as Freedom of Choice providing players with the ability to customise the gameplay to their needs, we also have a host of mechanics to give players the ultimate experience. Ultra Fast Mode allows players to secure wins even quicker, Volatility Levels provides an outlet for players to control the size and the frequency of wins while the popular Buy Feature instantly triggers the bonus round.
Wazdan is a pioneer in facilitating this level of customisation and making sure players can make the most of their gaming experience. Rather than endlessly searching a casino homepage for a slot to give them the gameplay they are looking for, players know that with a Wazdan title, they are in control. Our mission is to continue to provide freedom of choice for players and we’ll be carrying this through all our future releases.
