Opinion: Up your game

Quickspin’s chief product officer Joachim Timmermans says operators and slots developers are underachieving when it comes to gamification features

Real-money online casino developers have long been trying to decipher just what gamification means, and how it can be applied to their platforms and games to better engage players, increase playing time, and drive revenues. And while some have made attempts to figure out the formula, the code has yet to be cracked. Sure, some developers have rolled-out additional features, but they are rather basic and mobile dwell times remain short with players unmotivated by the lack of goals and rewards above and beyond basic bonuses.

If we look to our social cousins, however, this is not the case. Their game makers have become gamification gurus, layering their games with rich features and countless achievements that players can strive towards on top of bonus rounds and credits. Social casino games apply the same mechanics where they hook players, reward them for their continued play, and keep them coming back for more. RMG developers need to take note; if they don’t pick up the pace, part of the player base will simply revert to social casino games where the experience is all the more rewarding.

Blow the house down 

But this need not be the case. Effective gamification is relatively easy to achieve; things like trophy rooms, as well as additional quests and goals, go a long way to giving players a great experience. Take one of our games, Big Bad Wolf, for example. During the free spin bonus, players collect moons to help the wolf blow down the houses of the three little pigs. This could be enhanced further by adding in rewards at different stages by introducing a layer of achievements that can be unlocked by the player.

At the end of the day, it’s about appealing to basic human nature. In the world of video games, many players are seen as explorers and completists. They want to discover new things and engage with additional elements of the game, going off at interesting tangents rather than straight from A to B. The same applies to slots players; they don’t want to simply deposit cash and get as far as they can towards the jackpot before their funds run out. They are seeking to be entertained by extra goals and rewards outside of the base game story; other reasons to play than just free spins and bonus rounds. This is particularly the case for millennials, who expect more nuanced hooks and gratification.

Consistency counts

 It’s not just real-money slots game developers that need to start pushing the boundaries of gamification, platform providers must get in on the action too. Gamification needs to be standardised across all games on sites and mobile apps, or players will become frustrated that they can access such features on one particular title, but not on another. Again, using the video game industry as an example, Xbox has built-in features, rewards, competitions and leader boards that span all of the games released via its platform. In short, platform and game developers need to work hand in hand for maximum impact.

While the social casino industry acts as a good yardstick for what the RMG industry can achieve with gamification, one area of differentiation is social media, and in particular players sharing their successes on Facebook, Twitter, and the like. Social gamers are more inclined to do this, but there is still a stigma around real-money gambling and people don’t always want to be seen to be regularly engaging in the activity. That’s not to say they don’t want to see replays of winning spins, because they do for their own personal satisfaction, but they need to be broadcast on an operator’s site and not on social media.

This is win win for operators, as they can use these replays to encourage other players and convince them big wins are achievable through playing their games. We keep on investing in additional features, and in the meantime, it’s important the RMG industry keeps one eye on how social game makers and video games continue to gamify their titles, and the other on developing their own products.

Those who do will be able to offer their players a more engaging, entertaining and fun experience, and those who don’t risk falling by the wayside.