Since Greentube is an unmistakably successful arm of the iGaming empire that is Novomatic, Bernd Baumert’s direct input is an exciting opportunity. His willingness to discuss the successful transition from land-based popularity to digital gaming prowess is an excellent opportunity. However, Greentube is not resting on its laurels; instead, it is actively innovating its spot atop the iGaming market. Bernd introduces some of these exciting moves in this new entry in SlotsCalendar series of interviews with iGaming’s best!
Bernd, could you tell us about your journey in the iGaming industry? What inspired you to take on your current role at Greentube, and what excites you most about leading game production and operations?
Since my first day at Novomatic, I have been deeply involved with Greentube. From gathering coordinates for an app to show the closest places to play Sizzling Hot in landbased locations, bringing Plurius from Novomaticto Greentube, and helping out categorise the games on the Greentube website!
So you could say that me joining Greentube was a story more than 12 years in the making. Having the opportunity now to ensure the smooth transition from game idea to seeing the game being enjoyed by players is just amazing, plus having a natural knack for finding solutions helps greatly!
What key trends have you observed in slot gaming over the past few years, and how has Greentube evolved to meet these new demands?
There are of course many trends but to name a few, I would say it is definitely mobile first or cross-selling from online/mobile to land based and vice-versa, increased player protection and having better analytics of the games. I can also confidently say that Greentube has a big focus on those streams, since we showed our Piggy Prize – Wand of Riches game land based at G2E. Despite originating online, it is now live on machines in both the UK and US markets.
Greentube has a strong reputation for transforming land-based casino classics into online hits. How do you approach modernizing these titles while staying true to their original appeal?
The key ingredient is to determine what players enjoyed about the game in the first place and ensure that they will find that aspect in the online version of the game. Once we have that, we can add our secret sauce to make the game also appealing to online players.
Player engagement is critical in today’s gaming landscape. From bonus mechanics to innovative features, what do you think makes a slot game stand out and keep players coming back?
The first attraction for a player is of course the aesthetics, so what does the game look like, graphic style, etc. In this context, we can see a slight trend towards more comic style or characters that appear to have fun. Once the excitement for this side of the game is created, it is all about the mechanics.
From a Game Design POV, we aim to provide an attractive experience for the player where the mechanics and overall gameplay are enjoyable, and the players want to come back. So, from my POV, the gameplay and mechanics have to be done right, with attention to detail and what the player journey might look like. When you pay attention to those details, players will come back to the Greentube games portfolio.
Can you give us an insight into some of your upcoming new titles, in particular Piggy Prizes Wand of Riches 2?
After the success of Piggy Prizes – Wand of Riches, it was very clear that we wanted to keep the main character but add a little twist and some enhancements. Hence, the idea to add a Super Magician in a golden suit to provide our players with more excitement which would drive their engagement because there are now 2 powerful symbols that will help in their journey. On top of that, we will also add more games to other successful families likeDiamond Link, Diamond Mysteries or Cash Connection.
What was it about Piggy Prizes Wand of Riches that had you coming back for a second instalment?
Piggy Prizes – Wand of Riches is a perfect example for a very successful addition to Greentube’s games portfolio which originated in-house. Naturally, the next question we had to answer was how can we take the key aspects that players enjoyed – like the magician, the Piggies and mechanics such as Magic Rewind – and add more excitement to the game? So we decided to add an exciting sequel which will make the Piggy Prizes Family even more interesting for our customers.
Bonuses and promotional tools are major factors in player acquisition and retention. From a game development standpoint, how do you design slots that integrate well with various casino promotions, such as free spins and deposit bonuses?
The key focus point here is to ensure that the Meta Retention Tools are clearly visible and easy for the player to see but don’t take up too much space from the gaming area. Once you achieve that, adding more promotional tools will not be a big issue.
Many game providers now create exclusive branded slots for casinos. Does Greentube collaborate with operators for custom games, and how does this impact both player engagement and your creative process?
Yes, that is a big topic and we are very happy to see our partners trust our content that much, that they even want their own version with for example their logo on it. There are a couple of options from a freshly designed game in one of our core game families, to graphical clones or simply adding the partner’s logo to certain symbols. No matter which way we decide to go, we treat those developments with utmost care.
Greentube has expanded significantly in North America and Europe. What are some regional differences in how players interact with slot games, and how do you tailor game mechanics accordingly?
Luckily, some of the most prominent mechanics work in both markets but from the player’s POV, there are some differences. US players are more interested in entertainment and bells & whistles, compared to a player in Europe. On the other hand, fruit games are in way more demand in Europe compared to the US. This type of game is usually not that rich in features and shows simpler symbols from a graphic POV. Greentube has been enriching this type of game with more established mechanics like Fortune Streaks or Cash Collectors. Those are just two factors that we keep in mind when designing our games to ensure a great experience for our players, no matter where they are located.
Two years ago, Greentube launched Mynt, its next-generation technology platform. How does this new framework improve game development, and what benefits does it bring to both operators and players?
Greentube is in a unique position to understand the pain points of operators because we experience it ourselves with our own B2C operations. So, when we decided to develop our new stack, it was clear that we had to keep the operators needs in mind but also the customer journey of a game studio. The reason behind that is to ensure a smooth and quick transition from game idea to an exciting game in front of the players. That’s why Mynt is not only an RGS but rather a complete suite of modules which will help everyone through the entire value creation chain from creating the game, certifying it and even operator onboarding.
The industry is seeing a rise in crash games, iLottery, and hybrid game mechanics. How does Greentube decide which new verticals to explore, and do you see these alternative formats becoming a bigger part of your portfolio?
Alternative formats or new types of games are definitely worth checking out but innovation is also always the most expensive route. There is a reason why slots are still the number one game type in our industry. Nevertheless, we have the previously mentioned categories in our portfolio like Crash Games with our own Company Capecod in Italy and once the right formula is there, we will increase that niche in our portfolio even more.
Looking ahead, what major trends do you believe will shape the future of online slots? Are there any upcoming innovations from Greentube that players and operators should watch out for?
Localisation plus time-to-market will become even more important, given the competitiveness of our industry. Some of our innovation projects are focused on Meta Retention tools which our partners and the players will enjoy. Other initiatives are focused on how we can cater a single game to more than one player type. We have games now that offer a player the choice to play only the high paying symbols without any effect on the RTP. So, you are getting 2 games in 1, with that attempt and we will see more of that in the future.
As Greentube continues to grow, what is the company’s long-term vision for game production, and how do you plan to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive industry?
Greentube’s vision in this regard is to ensure a seamless transition from game idea to successful game launch at our partners. By focusing on that aspect throughout our value-creation chain, our time-to-market will naturally become even more competitive and with our number of game studios that produce games for our global markets plus localisation, we are more than prepared for what the future will bring.
This interview was authored by Alexandra Mureșan , with special thanks to Bernd Baumert for his invaluable contribution to the creation of this piece. Read the complete interview at Slotscalendar.com
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