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“My vision was to create a game that can deliver excitement and anticipation with every spin” – Exclusive interview with Toby Woolhouse, PO at Push Gaming
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Push Gaming has made a name for itself as a supplier that always looks to deliver on quality over quantity. In one of our latest exclusive interviews, we sat down with Push Gaming’s youngest PO to talk through his vision for their latest slot, Wheel of Wonders, as well as how we should expect player preferences to evolve this year when it comes to entertainment.
Wheel of Wonders marks the final slot released by Push Gaming in 2020, what made this title your favourite?
As one of the younger POs on the team, I’m very much drawn to providing a gaming experience that can really offer something different. As a passionate gamer, I’ve always been into Ways and the Cascading style of games, so I really wanted to deliver something that matched the same aesthetics, but also offered a real twist with something fresh and exciting.
The mathematics behind the game also provide something entirely new, especially when it comes to balancing the gameplay. My vision was to create a game that can deliver excitement and anticipation with every spin. As a result, Wheel of Wonders is absolutely crammed with exciting features that ensures that every single part of the game can bring in massive wins of over 1000x! But more importantly, anything can happen along the way, which is what makes the game hugely unpredictable and fun. For me, Wheel of Wonders is a truly entertainment-first product. Every feature is there to engage the player, rather than the usual mode of waiting for free spins to trigger.
Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind the game’s features?
Features were a massive part of the thought process behind Wheel of Wonders, and we wanted to develop something that would really stand the test of time. I’ve used a lot of the cascading influences from our games – and rather than your usual 5×3 slot, it instead dynamically expands through each spin, bringing layers ever-changing win possibilities for each spin to really keep things interesting.
To a certain extent it’s a relatively new concept, but it’s something I really think players will buy into given what we’ve seen from games with similar ideas. Elk’s Gold series has plenty of shared characteristics, as well as Cygnus – which makes me confident that players will really enjoy the hugely changeable gameplay as the fundamentals of the game continue to shift throughout.
Last but not least, for the theme, we wanted to do something that centred around the best of the ancient middle east. Mesopotamia, Babylon, Assyria – we were influenced by them all. Our team put in some serious research into the music and sounds to ensure we could really bring together a disparate set of cultures, and I’m absolutely delighted by the result.
Are there any particular features that you wanted to incorporate that would particularly resonate with current player preferences?
I’m very excited about Wheel of Wonders’ variable reel set because it provides the player with a fantastic level of additional engagement. Games with progressive elements such as these are proving particularly popular right now, and I believe the inclusion of gamified features is something that is resonating very strongly with players.
Whether that’s randomised sequences that evolve as the game continues, or the expansive selection of completely new combinations of elements, there was a gameplay flow that we wanted to capture, and expanding reels proved to be a great option for doing that.
We took the slot through plenty of rigorous tests and we actually refocussed the game on this mechanic during the creation process. We saw what would make the game even more exciting and we incorporated it into the development, which really allowed us to elevate the parts that were entertaining. For me, the key learning is that we didn’t start out looking to tap into a fundamental formula, but rather evolving the title as we created it to come out with a game we were really happy with, and ready to share with our players.
Can you give us some insight into some of the standout moments players can expect in Wheel of Wonders?
For me, there’s two things players should look for. The first, and this is the same as any top-quality cascading game; a really fantastic element of unpredictability that will keep you engaged throughout each stage.
The second, and it’s something I’m really excited about, is the Base Game wheels – you can effectively work out the prizes you want to see. Because of how variable the game is, and the raft of different prizes and multipliers that come with it, there’s just so many ways you can move advance through the slot and begin to really understand what will be the most valuable on the reel at any moment. I think this type of entertainment will really keep players hanging on to their seats, and we’ve had some really great feedback since its launch.
When it comes to development, is there a signature style at Push Gaming and one that players can recognise across your catalogue?
On one hand, we put a lot of stock into the elements that go into the gameplay experience, as we want to make sure it emotionally satisfies the moment that comes with the pay-out.
When we’re making a game, the Push team is always looking to be as flexible as possible during the development process to find ways we can make our games deliver that little bit extra. We’re always ready to leverage that during production, and we do everything we can to ensure our games can deliver something that is truly fun to play. Key here is to make sure that our games can still be broadcast years later as a flagship for the brand. Jammin’ Jars, Fat Rabbit and Razor Shark are great examples of this from our catalogue, and I’m proud to be part of a brand that really pulls all the stops out to make sure we deliver a premium level of gameplay.
How do you think player preferences towards slots have changed this year?
There are a few conflicting schools of thought here. For me, two things are really popping off right now. I’m a big believer in ‘in your face potential’ when it comes to the gaming experience, and I think super-clear, big numbers, exciting gameplay and a clear understanding of the mechanics are what’s needed right now. Easy-to-understand gamified elements are really taking off too, such as progressive jackpots and the like, and players are really buying into it.
Games crammed with plenty of different mechanics and a wealth of symbols to choose from can create massive wins – which is the holy grail for many, but with it comes plenty of challenges for design and mathematics. From what I’ve seen over the last few years, there’s a strong risk that players may find too many instructions as a barrier to engagement, but I also think that’s really opened the door for a massive variation of elements that players can connect with.
Players always look for new experiences and shifting preferences are starting to open the door for mechanic-driven titles, as well as feature-rich slots that offer multiple additional levels of gameplay. As a PO, I’m going to be very happy if that is the case, because it opens the door for us to get even more creative with our content.
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: “My vision was to create a game that can deliver excitement and anticipation with every spin” – Exclusive interview with Toby Woolhouse, PO at Push Gaming
Reading Time: 2 minutes
SoftSwiss has recently announced its expansion to the Brazilian market with its most popular solutions for the iGaming and sports betting industries. SoftSwiss’s advanced Online Casino Platform is now fully equipped with local ready-to-use payment solutions, such as Boleto Bancário, by far the most popular payment method in Brazil, pay4fun, PayRetailers, and more. As the company representatives explained, SoftSwiss will not stop in Brazil and will continue its systemic expansion into other Latin American markets in the near future.
In addition to the payment gateways tailored to Brazil, SoftSwiss clients can also expect to benefit from CoinsPaid, the rapidly-growing crypto processing engine. A reliable tool for handling crypto transactions comes in handy: the LATAM region and Brazil in particular appear to be the leading regions in terms of popularity of crypto payments, as recently highlighted in the SoftSwiss Game Aggregator Q1 2021 corporate report.
Furthermore, the company plans to expand its gaming portfolio by adding more game content that is of high demand on the local Brazilian market. The current SoftSwiss Game Aggregator’s offering already consists of more than 11,000 games with over 3,000 available for playing with crypto.
Max Trafimovich, ССО at SoftSwiss, commented on this topic: “SoftSwiss continues setting its footprints all over the globe this year. In fact we’re expanding to the second new continent after our recent move into Nigeria in February. That’s a milestone and we cannot wait to welcome new players and clients from the LATAM region. We, in turn, are committed to giving them the proven technology that will make their overall iGaming experience more versatile and safe”.
SoftSwiss keeps blazing trails to new markets – in less than six months the tech brand adapted its software solutions to better cater to five new territories including Japan, South Korea, India, Nigeria, and now Brazil.
About SoftSwiss:
SoftSwiss is an international tech brand supplying widely acclaimed, certified software solutions for managing iGaming operations. SoftSwiss holds a number of gaming licenses, providing a “one-stop-shop” white label solution by taking care of all technical, legal, and financial processes on behalf of its customers. The company has a vast product portfolio, which includes an Online Casino Platform, Game Aggregator with thousands of casino games, an affiliate platform, and a recently launched sportsbook platform. In 2013 SoftSwiss was the first in the world to introduce a bitcoin-optimized online casino solution. The company has thus been regarded as the leading technical expert when it comes to the use of cryptocurrencies in online gaming.
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On May 18 the Dutch Games Association will host a webinar that concludes the DGA Gaming Fieldlab. With the Fieldlab the DGA aims to stimulate the collaboration between game companies and researchers. Five research projects that had their start in 2019 will show their results. The subjects vary from VR-applications in healthcare and education, quality analysis of choice processes in serious games, to design principles for applied games.
Find detailed information about the webinar, the projects and the speakers on the registration page.
In the webinar, CLICKNL will elaborate on the possibilities of new research collaborations. CLICKNL serves the interest of the Creative Industry as a top sector.
The presentations start at 13.00 till 14.45. Before and after the presentations you have the opportunity to network with speakers, DGA representatives, CLICKNL employees, and other participants.
Reading Time: 3 minutes
The Guild Academy is the most comprehensive and innovative in the industry, developing the esports stars of tomorrow
Guild Esports today announces the opening of the Guild Academy – the world’s most comprehensive and innovative esports online academy.
The online academy will welcome budding players aged 11+, and provide a range of resources designed to nurture their learning and life skills, as well as gaming abilities. The Guild Academy will provide all players of any ability individualised support and personalised challenges.
Academy members will be able to access detailed training programmes, designed to improve specific areas of play. They will also be able to test their skills in tournaments, and have gameplay performance analysed by Guild’s team of experts.
For beginner and intermediate players, Guild will offer peer-to-peer coaching and advice, whereby players are able to record specific areas of gameplay which can then be reviewed by more experienced players and feedback and advice given.
Guild’s vision is to use its unique academy structure to find the next generation of talent within esports by scouting players showing the most potential. These players will be offered live player development, greater 1-2-1 support, and invitations to bootcamps to participate in local area network (LAN) tournaments. This is part of Guild Esports’ path to pro strategy – using its in-house talent scouts to recruit the next generation of players.
The Academy is launching first with Fortnite & Rocket League specific training, with more esports to follow in the next six months, including FIFA and Valorant. The Guild Academy online platform is the first step in creating an esports talent pipeline based on the traditional sporting model.
The mission at the heart of the academy is to ensure all players leave having acquired new skills, both in gaming and life, regardless of whether they turn professional. Guild’s priority is to put the person first, the player second. The academy will take the personal development of each player beyond gaming – with its industry-leading team delivering masterclasses designed to both improve learning, and provide knowledge and skills to succeed in later life.
Guild understands the importance of taking parents on the journey with their ambitious gamer children. As part of the online academy, there will be a dedicated Parents Centre, keeping them involved and informed about careers in esports. Robust policies will be in place to ensure a safe and friendly environment, and players will need the appropriate parental consent to join the academy, depending on local data protection laws.
Outside of esport-specific coaching, The Guild Academy offers a holistic approach to player development where the focus will be on building good habits through better nutrition, work-life balance and much more. The first activation will be alongside Guild’s main partner, and official Academy partner, Subway. Working together to develop a fully integrated programme to the Guild Academy which will provide opportunities and education to the membership—ranging from from career opportunities to health and wellbeing leaning on Subway’s values of empowering people to make better choices.
New players will be able to sign up to a 30-day free trial – access to The Guild Academy will be £4.99, or local currency equivalent, per month after this period.
Carleton Curtis, Executive Chairman at Guild Esports, said: “Over the last year, people have recognised us for building some of the most talented rosters in esports. The Guild Academy represents our vision for the future. The academy will contain the most comprehensive training platform in esports, with individualised support and tailored training programmes provided to develop the esports stars of tomorrow. Ingrained in all aspects of the academy will be our culture of excellence, and our priority is nurturing aspiring gamers to develop in all areas of their life. We’re thrilled to launch, and help to push the industry forward.”
Joe Sutton, Director of Academy at Guild Esports added, “We’re very proud to have created such a special and unique academy. The level of training and development resources we have on offer to players of all abilities, is what sets the Guild Academy apart. We’ll be working to provide each player the tools to reach their gaming potential, whilst also setting them up with life skills for the future. This is just the beginning, and we’re excited for the future of the academy.”
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