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If looks could thrill…
In a world of photo-realistic video game graphics, can online gaming risk falling behind presentation-wise? Betsoft Gaming certainly doesn’t think so, as Matt Broughton discovers.
If an online slot developer’s web site is effectively its ‘attractor mode’ then Betsoft wins before the competition begins! Apart from the sheer number and diversity of titles on offer (shall I be Mr Vegas today, get involved with loveable rodents Ned and his friends, or live the dream as a Rockstar?) the presentation is instantly miles ahead of its competition. NONE of this is an accident…
Betsoft Gaming was founded in 2005 by a small team of industry veterans with a combined experience of over 25 years in the industry. From day one the team devoted themselves to one thing and one thing only: developing the most innovative and graphically impressive slots games for the i-gaming industry.
“By the beginning of 2007, we’d already begun to make forays into advanced 3D graphics, looking for ways to push the envelope of online slots technology,” explains Betsoft’s Product Manager, Anthony Locke, “By the end of that same year, we had already hit upon new technologies and processes which would eventually culminate in our amazing Slots3 product line.”
The Slots3 product line was introduced in early 2008, and was the first such product to bring this high quality style of slots to the i-gaming market. The reaction was immediate and very positive, as Locke explains: “Players were drawn to our games because there was nothing else like them on the market. All the competing products were still relying on primitive 2D vector style graphics, with minimal animations and little to no audio. Once we saw the great thirst for such a revolutionary product, we decided to focus our efforts on bringing the best possible games to the industry.”
Betsoft’s design teams had been growing increasingly frustrated with the limitations of the existing technologies that were in use at the time. Being aware of the tremendous strides in audio and graphics technology, they identified a massive untapped niche in the market for 3D video slots made to the exacting standards of animated feature films or console video games. The latest advances in technology, including the latest version of Adobe’s Flash Player, showed them that it was possible to go beyond 2D graphics and simple animations. “There was really no question,” says Locke, “according to our research, true cinematic 3D slots were in high demand, and we, as the pioneers of this technology, were perfectly poised to provide the supply.”
LOOKING GOOD
Locke strongly believes that presentation has become more important to gamers across the board: “From the moment the player logs in to an operator’s system we aim to provide the best presentation possible, from the promo banners and button graphics to the intro cinematic - which we work very closely with our partners to provide - and the actual user-interface for the game. A tight, cohesive and pleasing presentation is critical to a game’s success. We take this to the extreme in our Slots3 product; every control and button is designed to look like a part of the environment our game depicts.” Betsoft also believes consistency is key and that the user should be able to figure out how to operate the game within the first five seconds of it loading. “Our games are so intuitive; the players immediately grasp how they work without having to read help texts or contacting support.”
Another feature of Betsoft Gaming’s titles is the proprietary EXPANDICON technology. “Slots icons are no longer confined to their places on the reels,” explains Locke, “Instead, they burst forth in thrilling 3D to expand upon wins, increasing the entertainment factor for the player. This is something you simply do not see with other games.”
Another hallmark of the Slots3 collection is strong, clearly defined themes. “A large part of our development cycle is devoted to researching and then creating rich themes for each game to further increase the quality of experience. We select themes that vary in dynamics so as to appeal to all demographics.”
Regarding the development cycle, how does a Slots3 title compare to traditional slots in time and effort? “As you might imagine, creating a traditional slot is a pretty simple affair,” says Locke. “You generally only need one or two artists to create the entire game, and a simple 2D slot can be made, quite easily, in one-to-two weeks by a team of less than five people. A great deal more goes into making a Slots3 game; 3D graphics require modelling, texturing, lighting, rigging, animation, rendering, colour correction and then final implementation into the game application itself. None of our games are exactly the same - there’s no recycling of assets or models. Luckily for Betsoft, we employ only the best of the best in every field, with most of our team boasting long years of experience in the AAA video gaming and feature film industries. “
SUCCESSFUL SLOTS
Betsoft have been releasing a new Slots3 title every month, and plan to ramp this up to two per month as a minimum. “This is where we set ourselves apart from every other operator,” says Locke. “We have the most experience in this market as we’re the ones who brought the first true 3D slots to the market. We have the most games, we have the best people in the industry behind it, and no one else can say that. Nothing else comes close.”
So just what is Betsoft’s secret to success beyond the technology; what makes a great slot? “If you asked ten different people this question you’d get ten completely different answers,” suggests Locke. “In our opinion it’s a combination of all the elements that went into making the game. In short, the result is greater than the sum of its parts. For example, consider one of our perennial favourites: Mr. Vegas. This has been one of our top performers since its release last year. By any metric, it’s a very successful slot. What made it so successful? Was it the amazing graphics, the entertaining and innovative theme, the incredible theme song? It was all of these things, but more than that, it was how they all gelled together in such a flawless, seamless way which gave the players a memorable and entertaining experience. Our games are not just slot games, but a unique, complete cinematic experience from top to bottom.”
Locke believes that Slots3 will be the template for what slots gaming will become. “We have no doubt that our groundbreaking endeavours will continue to lead the industry. We’re always looking to the horizon for the next technological breakthrough that will open up new markets and new ways to bring our exceptional gaming products to the masses. We’re well aware of imitations of our products showing up throughout the industry, imitations that fall short of our work, but this only serves to solidify our place at the forefront of 3D slots and i-gaming development. We are the originators, the leading innovators in the 3D slots market. We were the first to market, and we were the first to leverage the advanced technologies that had become available, but we’re never content to rest on our laurels. We’ll continue to raise the bar in regards to what’s possible, improving and redefining the concept of 3D slots.”
Beyond slots, BetsoftGaming have a number of plans and initiatives in place for the emerging mobile gaming markets, and are also in the process of expanding into other new and exciting markets, such as online poker. “We’ve developed an amazing system called Poker 3,” explains Locke, “which takes our graphical expertise from the Slots3 product line, and leverages it with an amazing True Cinematic 3D poker client. Poker networks aren’t exactly known for their amazing graphics, and we aim to change that. While still in beta, this new poker client has already been given extremely positive feedback from our preview builds. This will definitely be something to watch in the future.”
