Heightening engagement is a critical ambition for all suppliers across the igaming space as crucial stickiness, as well as favourable placement within the eyes of operator partners, is sought.
For JDB Gaming, it is hoped that this will be achieved through fish shooting games that have become a key component of the studio’s success and are described as a “highly engaging” online casino experience.
In the first of a three-part CasinoBeats series, Sharon Chung, Marketing Manager of JDB Gaming, will be dissecting numerous aspects of this segment, delving into themes such as the history of these titles, what makes them so appealing to players and just how wider penetration will be achieved.
Set against a backdrop of popularity within Asian markets, the company has worked on transitioning fish shooting games to the online realm in a bid to build-on the success previously evidenced within the land-based gaming ecosystem.
The basic premise of these games centres around using cannons to shoot at various types of moving characters, which have traditionally been witnessed as marine life. Each of these contains a different multiplier that sees players earn rewards.
“Players often enjoy the combination of skill and chance”
“The core appeal of fish shooting games lies in their simple yet engaging gameplay, offering real-time action and instant rewards,” she says.
“The games are typically multiplayer, allowing several players to compete simultaneously, creating a dynamic and competitive atmosphere.
“Players often enjoy the combination of skill and chance, as they need to grab the chance, aim accurately while managing their resources, such as ammunition or coins, to maximise their rewards.”
Significant popularity within the aforementioned region is aligned to the immersive experience created, vibrant graphics, and the sense of excitement generated. This, JDB Gaming states, increases the appeal to both casual gamers and those seeking high-energy, skill-based entertainment.
“JDB Gaming has brilliantly transferred the technical expertise of physical land-based fish shooting games to online gaming,” Chung comments.
“Not only does it perfectly recreate the thrilling and fun gaming experience, but it also brings the same competitive, multiplayer feel to the online platform, allowing fish shooting games to reach a wider audience.
“Many players, driven by ambition and a desire for positive change, are drawn to the game’s low investment threshold”
“Players can now enjoy the excitement anytime, anywhere. With nearly a decade of deep roots in the Asian market, JDB Gaming’s fish shooting games have become a household name, and their immense popularity has established JDB Gaming as the dominant leader in the igaming industry across Asia!”
Chung identifies early headway having been made within China, which remains the continent’s dominant country when it comes to player numbers, due to land-based fish shooting games having many touch-points with daily life.
Primarily, this is put down to such games having a low barrier of entry in helping to make them accessible forms of entertainment that players could enjoy for a relatively low fee.
“With JDB Gaming’s years of experience, we’ve observed that in regions with relatively lower average incomes, fish shooting games have attracted a dedicated following for a different reason,” she states.
“Many players, driven by ambition and a desire for positive change, are drawn to the game’s low investment threshold, hoping to achieve significant wins through skilful gameplay.
“This positive response has fueled JDB Gaming’s expansion beyond Asia”
“This sense of possibility has made fish shooting games equally popular in countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, where the number of loyal players is also substantial.”
However, resting on your laurels is often a fast track to losing ground on competitors. A situation that it is clear JDB Gaming is firmly avoiding.
Driven by widespread positive feedback, an uptake in player numbers, years of experience and expertise and a brand philosophy of ‘just do the best’ are cited as positive indicators that the company can take fish shooting games to a whole new level.
“Our dedicated team, through extensive market research, constant experimentation, and testing, has refined the design of our beloved fish shooting games to make them shine even brighter and better meet the needs of different markets,” Chung says.
“This positive response has fueled JDB Gaming’s expansion beyond Asia, with fish shooting games making their debut in the LatAm, CIS, and European markets over the past year. We are very optimistic about this exciting development!”
Building on a foundation of retail prosperity and encapsulating this within the online realm is far from a simple task, with JDB Gaming identifying a number of distinct features that ensured the process was as pain free as possible and, perhaps more crucially, had the desired results.
“Our goal is to evolve beyond just ‘fish’ gameplay, pushing the boundaries of the genre”
These include multiplayer involvement to deliver an added sense of competition, a lower threshold of entry when contrasted to online slots, an inclusion of skill and strategy, less restricted gameplay and offering more room for imagination.
“Leveraging our deep research and understanding of fish shooting games, JDB Gaming has combined the strengths of land-based fish shooting games with the popular mechanics of slot games,” she explains.
“This blend allows first-time players to be drawn in by the captivating graphics and thrilling gameplay, while familiar bonus game elements are interwoven to enrich the experience.
“We believe this fusion offers players a more dynamic and engaging gaming experience, ensuring sustained high engagement and loyalty. At the same time, we are not resting on our past successes.”
With continued improvements on the agenda, JDB Gaming stresses a desire to develop even more exciting and captivating fish shooting games moving forward.
During this next stage of development, the company stresses an intention to explore new game themes that depart from traditional styles with a view to elevating the genre’s skillful, competitive, and attractive nature.
“Our goal is to evolve beyond just ‘fish’ gameplay, pushing the boundaries of the genre,” Chung concludes. “Furthermore, JDB Gaming will boldly experiment by integrating fish shooting games with different types of games, presenting a more diverse and innovative experience to players worldwide!”