In August, you will be celebrating two years in your position. What do you think has been your main contribution during this time to promote business increase of a fast-growing company such as Play’n GO?
Back in 2018, I joined a company with a very clear long term plan. My contribution has been to take an active part in an already functioning team, using my experience and knowledge from outside gaming to add a different dimension of value to what we are doing here. Our core values: Trust, Energy and Quality, were in place long before I joined the Sales and Account Management team. I took those values, combined them with the long-term ambitions and built an organization that can deliver on the strategy. I was handed the ‘what’ on a silver platter, and we defined the ‘how’, ‘where’ and ‘when’, executing it successfully. The next steps on this journey are going to be even more exciting.
What sales strategy did the company adopt in the last quarter to take advantage of the advancement in the consumption of online gaming in 2020?
Digital entertainment has been one of the few areas that could continue to function more or less undisturbed. This reality, combined with the fact that we already had our long-term strategy for 2020 in place, meant that we continued as planned with no significant deviation from what we had already mapped out. The most important thing was first to assess the situation, instead of just ripping up our plans and chasing a new direction for some perceived benefit. We analyzed where we were, what we had planned and how the situation might affect those plans. Once we looked at the situation, we realized we were already in the best position to deal with what was happening. Of course, in the long run, we all want and need the economy to get back on its feet, and to get back to some semblance of normality. But, right now, we’re focusing on the things we can impact, and sticking to our long-term plans.
What has been the response of customers to the strategy of launching one slot per week? What partnerships could you highlight among the several that the company closed during this year?
The operators enjoy good, high-quality content. No one ever says no to the right products they can see value in, regardless of their frequency. The concern, if any, has been regarding an ability to maintain the high levels of quality for which we’re known. As long as we stay on that level, our games will continue to be attractive. A game per week is not an arbitrary quantity that we thought would sound impressive; it is our current capacity that we feel we can comfortably produce, within the quality guidelines. Add to that the variety and creativity of our offering being as wide as it is, we’re offering something different each time. Operators are taking games from suppliers on a weekly anyway, so why shouldn’t those games be ours? We have increased our presence in all markets, and we continue to sign with new customers every week. What we seek are true partnerships, where we can team up on many levels, with several touchpoints and share common goals on how to transform the industry, bring new content online and provide the next generation of slots and entertainment to the audience.
The company has shown interest in various markets in LatAm. What attracts Play’n GO the most about this continent: the passion of its players, the vast growth potential, or the diversity of its operators?
All of the above, I’d like to say. The drive in that region towards regulation is especially appealing, as it fits with our goal of being the supplier of choice in regulated markets, so those are our primary targets. Latin America is a growth initiative for us, our product is appreciated, and we have established several healthy, long-term partnerships that we intend to invest even more in going forward. The potential of the region is limitless. We want to help our partners, both current and prospective, to tap into that potential and give people the quality of entertainment seen in other parts of the world.
You recently stated: “Operators should present different games to different audiences, tailoring their offering towards various demographics.” With the wide range of content that you provide them (music-based slots, adventure-themed games series, a 3D Game, others related to history, myths, mystery), do you think you are helping them to take those steps?
We like to think so, yes. If you look at our video bingo games as an example, they are immensely popular in Latin America, and, at the same time, available globally. They can be used by operators to target a specific audience if they like. As with the music-based slots, like Saxon or Twisted Sister, they have a particular profile, but are really good games by themselves that can be played by anyone regardless. Taking music games as an example again, it is important to understand that while the theme will attract the fans of the band with exclusive music tracks and graphics, it is a high-quality slot game that can be enjoyed by any audience. It is a great way to combine functions. That’s the key, while we may have an idea of which demographic a game may be more suited to, or will appeal to more, it still needs to stand on its own two feet. It needs to be able to appeal to people outside of that demographic and provide an experience that doesn’t rely on its niche to be interesting; otherwise, it won’t retain players. I’d also like to beat the drum a bit on our more experimental games, like Gold Volcano and Diamond Vortex. These examples of next-generation slot games take the player experience to a whole new level. By using it cleverly, operators can enhance the entertainment value of their offering, and both acquire and retain players.
How will Play’n GO anticipate the new directions the industry is taking by creating quality content for the next generations of players?
It might sound audacious, but we want to be part of defining the direction, not following it. Again, the next generation of slots is a critical part of this. With a mix of content ranging from our popular series (Egyptian, Medieval, Aliens, Leprechauns etc.) to our themed games like Nyjah Huston – Skate for Gold, Win-A-Beest or Rally 4 Riches, we try to offer a complete portfolio. We do this not only to cater to the current market, but to innovate and try to play our part in shaping the future. The roadmap for the rest of 2020, and beyond, holds much more in store and will put our ambitions on display.