Hitting the big time in North America

Big Time Gaming CEO Nik Robison shares his insights into the US market and what online slot players are looking for in the games they play

What slot themes and experiences are proving to be popular in the US? Is this as expected, or have there been some surprises?

US players are looking for slots that surprise, entertain and drop jaws, and those featuring our Megaways mechanic do all three. As we’ve done in other markets, our flagship IP is available for US studios to license – plenty have done this with the Megaways revolution sweeping across the country.

We have some creative themes that are wrapping around Megaways with titles such as Bonanza, Golden Catch and Max Megaways landing straight at the top of casino lobbies.

Extra Chilli has also emerged as player favourites in the US. The fast-action gameplay and innovative bonus features, combined with great themes, give these games widespread appeal, catapulting them towards classic status.

Of course, these games have been hugely successful in other markets so this might not come as too much of a surprise. What I have been surprised by is the popularity of games carrying seasonal themes, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Games like Christmas Bonanza and More Turkey surpassed pre-launch expectations by a long shot.

We’re excited to see how our upcoming release, Fireworks Megways, performs during the 4 July celebrations. It’s been designed to tap into the famous patriotic spirit of American players while delivering the explosive, volatile action they’re looking for.

Broadly speaking, US players have been incredibly open to slots carrying fun, interesting and in some cases, unique themes, and have quickly embraced those with innovative mechanics such as Megaways. As a studio, this means we can keep thinking about what’s next and bring fresh, never-seen-before themes, mechanics and experiences to US players.

You mention that Megaways is performing well in the US. What makes it so popular? Again, have there been any surprises with how it’s been received?

The beauty of Megaways – and the reason for its success – is its simplicity. Based on dynamic reel layouts, it offers thousands of ways to win with each spin. Players can instantly understand how it works and, more importantly, how they win, and this means they don’t need to spend money learning the game which isn’t always the case with trademarked mechanics.

It really has taken the industry by storm, becoming a category of game in its own right. Megaways is just as popular in the US as it is in other markets, showcasing its universal appeal and its ability to transcend geographical boundaries – this makes it unique in a world where localisation is considered to be a must.

We always believed Megaways would provide the experiences US players were looking for and the numbers coming out of the market confirm this. But it’s not just Megaways that’s doing well – Megapays and the just-launched Megadozer have hit the spot, too.

Megadozer made its debut in Bonanza Falls and sees the gleaming gold Bonus Coins loaded into the dozer, poised and ready to drop and cascade down the reels to unveil awesome prizes. Players can uncover Wilds with Multipliers of up to 5x, watch as repeating symbols are added to the reels creating up to a 10x Multiplier for each individual symbol, enjoy additional Free Spins or witness the Free Spins Win Multiplier surge.

It builds unrivalled anticipation and then delivers the monster wins players in the US – and around the world – are hoping for each time they spin the reels.

Is there a strong link between what’s popular on the casino floor and online? If so, as an online developer, how have you approached this?

There is a correlation between what’s popular on the casino floor and online, but there are differing player preferences and expectations which means studios need to deliver specific experiences for each channel.

At Big Time Gaming, we’ve approached this link between the two by crafting games that offer a twist on household-name entertainment brands in games such as Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, Monopoly Megaways and Gifts of Fortune. We’ve also produced games based on popular land-based casino themes including fantasy, thriller, seasons/holidays and even Chinese red envelopes to celebrate the New Year.

Being an online developer, we’ve been able to combine these themes with gameplay that put players on the edge of their seats – I’ve always felt that land-based slots are all talk, no action. They often rely heavily on flashy visuals and the buzz of the casino floor, but our slots stand out by offering higher RPTs, off-the-scale volatility and features simply not found in traditional slot machines.

Ultimately, our aim is the bridge the gap between land-based and online play by introducing players to the wonderful world of online slots through the brands and themes they are familiar with and recognise from the casino floor.

How are you bringing new player experiences to the US market? Does innovation here look different to other markets? If so, how?

By striking the delicate balance between innovation and familiarity. We’ve always pushed boundaries but it’s just as important to stay true to player preferences, especially in a new market such as the US where players are experiencing online slots for the first time.

The way I see it, innovation for the sake of it never works. At Big Time, we have always approached innovation by bringing unique features and engaging gameplay to the market before anyone else but wrapping them up in themes that resonate with players or by partnering with brands they trust.

Ultimately, players want to spin reels but how the reels spin and the ways they win can be shaken up. This is exactly what we did with Megaways – a genre-defining, game-changing innovation that still felt familiar and natural to players. We’ve actually got a new mechanic in the works that when it debuts later this year could blow Megaways out of the water.

Can a studio go too far when it comes to innovation? How do you push boundaries without going too far?

If you rest, you rust, so it’s important for a studio to keep bringing new concepts to the market. Can you go too far too soon? Absolutely. But innovation should challenge norms and disrupt that status quo – Megaways actually made its debut in Dragon Born which was released a few years before Bonanza hit the market, so it can take time for something new to achieve mainstream adoption.

I thought we might have gone a bit too far with Bonanza, but it turns out we got it just right – even today, it remains one of the most popular slots on the planet. Bonanza set a new standard and we’re now working on a follow-up title that lifts the bar even higher, featuring the new mechanic I mentioned in the last question.

That’s the great thing about this industry. The perfect slot game doesn’t exist. But we’ve come as close to it with Bonanza. As a studio, we can pull out all the stops to get close to perfection, but there’s always room for improvement and by combining iteration, improvement and innovation, we continue to progress and provide players with exciting experiences that make them hungry for more.

Branded content is now a must-have for studios and operators. What’s your approach to this?

Branded content is big and provides unique entertainment experiences for players. Our approach to branded content is to identify partner brands that resonate globally while at the same time considering market-specific preferences. We have a long-standing partnership with Sony Television Pictures, giving us access to the best entertainment brands in the business.

This has enabled us to develop now iconic slots around brands such as Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Monopoly which we combine with our roster of trademarked Megaways mechanics. We’ve also licensed branded songs from The Cult, for our games like Sanctuary, Wild Flower, Lil Devil.

North America is seen as a big opportunity, but what are your thoughts on South America, especially Brazil? Will Big Time make a move into the market?

North America is indeed a massive opportunity, but we are also keeping a close eye on South America and in particular Brazil. The LatAm region offers a vast market with a sizable population and significant demand for online casino and slot experiences.

We’ve done a deep dive into the South American market and this research is telling us we need to take a tailored approach. Our current portfolio of games is engaging but complex and this may not align with the early-days nature of the market and what players will initially be looking for. To address this, we’re developing a portfolio of slots for the South American market.

This includes low-stakes games such as Fizzy Pennyslots where players can wager as little as one cent per spin! This will allow us to engage players across the region with content that meets their preferences and then as the market evolves and player tastes mature, we can start to introduce our more complex titles that top the charts in more established markets.

Initially, it’s about making players aware of Big Time Gaming through great games that deliver the experiences they are looking for.