Creating game changing slots mechanics with Bragg

Bragg Gaming senior director of games Deane Hendricks explains the supplier's approach to the development of its slots titles.

In your opinion, what are the most essential elements of slot mechanics and why?

All mechanics need to be understandable, engaging and importantly, rewarding for the players. To understand the objective of the mechanic is essential, as this drives interest. Once you understand the mechanics, the effective delivery can be reinforced by impactful art, animation and sound elements which drive up interest.

Then of course there is the reward - if the reward for the player is lower than that of the effort taken to achieve it over multiple times/playing instances, then the overall value of the reward will be lost, often to the detriment of the gaming experience.

In what ways does Bragg’s approach to creating slots mechanics differ between regulated markets?

Of course, there are many challenges and many differences when it comes to creating slot mechanics for audiences in our various operational markets - it's not always the same. We have to adhere to different regulations in different jurisdictions, as well as player protection and responsible gambling standards, which can also differ depending on the market.

There is also the fact that different markets have different player preferences, for example, players in the US market will want a different style of title to their counterparts in Europe, largely due to the heritage of land-based casinos in the market. These differences may result in math changes, changes to our in-game visuals, as well as various other points as we navigate the individual regulator’s requirements and cater to the preferences of players in individual markets.

At Bragg, we’re cautious in our approach, preferring to take the time to ensure that the players receive the optimal compliant experience, while at the same time enjoying our games in a safe, secure playing environment.

Do Bragg’s operator partners ask for specific sorts of mechanics and how do you deal with those enquiries?

Feedback is always welcome. Our operators and partners have the necessary data to see which games are driving value, and when feedback is shared this is something we definitely take into account during our slots design process.

Of course, this very much depends on the stage of the development which the title is in, however the sooner we receive feedback, the better. In any event, we’re constantly collecting data on our titles and how they are embraced by players, and a lot of these insights form the basis for our slots mechanic development.

What can you tell us about some of your current slots mechanics that Bragg is using across its slots portfolio?

We have an ever increasing portfolio of game mechanics, with all of what you would expect to find as an operator or player using our titles, but we also have an expanding list of new designs and a pipeline of development.

Our proprietary content studios (Atomic Slot Lab, Indigo Magic, Wild Streak Gaming et al) have created new mechanics such as Connect&Collect, Pop’nSplit, Cash Tower and lots more. We’re working on two more new mechanics currently in our pipeline which I can’t reveal any details about at this point, but we’re growing the number of games in our portfolio using these new mechanics every day.

What role do things like compliance and responsible gambling play in the way Bragg develops its slots mechanics?

Compliance and responsible gambling play a very important role in how we develop our slot mechanics for the various titles in the portfolio. Firstly we have to ensure that our games are compliant, of course, so we ensure that we keep abreast of any regulatory changes through regular communication with our colleagues in the product compliance department. Over the years, we’ve seen changes to things like betting limits, bonusing, bonus buy, side bets and more.

Of course it would be great to have a single global regulatory benchmark to adhere to, but since this isn’t the case, we work to ensure we adapt by market, a process which necessitates extending our design process to incorporate these requirements. So in effect, we’re creating a consistent benchmark/standard across all our slots development process. Ultimately, these mechanisms are to protect players, which is both necessary and understandable, so as the requirements change we adapt to them accordingly.

How do Bragg’s slot mechanics interact with its other technology solutions?

Bragg’s slot mechanics interact with a wide variety of our technology solutions, but the most immediate one that springs to mind is our in-house developed Fuze player engagement tool. Fuze uses a variety of different tools geared towards building player engagement, primarily from gamification-based, data driven insights, things which are derived from learning about players.

Tools in the Fuze arsenal include an AI-powered game recommendation system, themified in-game widgets, tournament gaming with real-time leaderboards, quests, flash jackpots and bonus promotions. These tools mean that players get a lot more than just a slot spin, they get a gaming experience.

The beauty of these tools is that they can be tailored to suit local audiences, but also are not just designed to work with certain types of operators or games, they work across the board, catering to all player types and with no additional integration required.

Where for you are the biggest unexplored areas of slots mechanics innovations?

I think we’ll have to wait for new technology to be introduced to best answer this one. Currently +80 per cent of our volume is driven by mobile- and that’s changing too. If our screens get smaller, you can't have double or larger reel areas.

If they increase, we could have a more land-based experience with more out-of-reel engagement, bigger jackpot displays, etc. I love how land based suppliers have all the space, as that really allows them to explore new mechanics/designs.

What is next on the radar for Bragg in terms of slots mechanic innovations over the next year?

Lots of innovation & testing new ideas. We have a number of new mechanics in the pipeline already, so it's always best to keep an eye on our roadmap. Our portfolio is so much more than just slots - its arcade, crash, table games and more!