Ahead of this year’s ICE London, Yogonet caught up with Stuart Trigwell, Director of Business Development at Play’n GO, to see what the blockbuster casino entertainment studio has in store for 2024.
In an exclusive interview, Trigwell talked about the company’s key goals and clients’ demands, shared his assesment of 2023, and discussed the provider’s expectations for the expo and 2024.
What will be the main focus for Play’n GO at ICE London this year? Given ICE London’s status as one of the major global events in the industry, what are your expectations for the expo, and what are the company’s key goals for the event?
We’re really excited to link up with our partners in London in February. While we won’t be exhibiting this year, we will be sending the largest Play’n GO delegation in history to ICE to share our plans for 2024 and beyond.
In terms of products, as usual, we have a pipeline of premium titles that we’re confident will exceed the expectations of even our biggest fans. And beyond the games themselves, we have some exciting projects this year that will cement Play’n GO’s position as the most innovative and forward-thinking studio in the business. We have big plans for Play’n GO Music, our imprint for showcasing the best soundtracks from our games.
We’re keenly anticipating the start of the Formula 1 season, following our recently-announced partnership with the Haas F1 team. The global reach of F1 is almost unmatched, and it is going to introduce Play’n GO to new audiences around the world.
This year’s ICE is also the end of an era, with the show leaving London for Barcelona in 2025. It’s been a fantastic run in London. In the early days of the conference, Play’n GO’s stand was little more than a folding table and a roll-out sign, and it’s been a real honor to grow alongside ICE. We’ll certainly be there in Spain next year and we’re sure the conference will continue to go from strength to strength.
How would you describe the industry’s and your client’s current demands at the time? What markets will you focus on at the expo?
Online gaming is a very different industry compared to even a few short years ago. We haven’t sat back and observed that transformation; we’ve played a very active role in pushing for it. That’s why we’re now the leaders in regulated markets worldwide, active in more than 25 such jurisdictions.
Our operator partners are demanding great content that can drive sustainable growth. That means a strong focus on slot games that are genuinely entertaining to play. We’ve long said that players have a right to a fantastic and most importantly fun experience, regardless of whether they win or lose. For us, that translates into industry-first game mechanics and gameplay, AAA visuals and sound, and narratives that actually engage people on an emotional level.
The event comes as we enter a new year for gambling. What is your assessment of how the sector developed in 2023, and what should we expect from it in 2024? What role will the company play in this 12-month period?
We expect the trends we’ve seen play out over the last few years to continue and even accelerate in 2024. Hopefully, this will result in more markets coming online with sensible and sustainable regulatory frameworks over the next 12 months. One we’ll be monitoring is Brazil, which looks to be close to making the jump after many years of gradual progress.
Another trend we expect to feature heavily in 2024 is online casinos focusing more on creating bespoke UXs for their players. Everyone has different tastes, and serving up the same games to each and every customer doesn’t do enough to acknowledge this. As operators get better at tailoring the titles they serve players, great content will be worth its weight in gold. We’re delighted to see this development, as our portfolio of more than 350 premium titles is the most diverse in the industry.
What other industry events does the company plan to attend this year?
As we expand our footprint in North America, G2E has become an increasingly important conference for us. We’ve been visiting Las Vegas for many years, but now that we’re live in several regulated states, it has become one of the most vital dates in our calendar, and we’re already looking forward to the 2024 edition.
Beyond that, our team will have a presence at trade shows around the world this year, as we’ve been doing for more than a decade now. One region to single out is Latin America, where we’ve been supporting industry events for many years now. As early movers at these conferences, it has given us a significant advantage as the region regulates and begins to offer some really interesting opportunities.
Can you discuss the role of player feedback and market analysis in shaping Play’n GO’s game portfolio?
Ultimately, if our games don’t resonate with players and keep them on the edge of their seats, we’re out of a job. So we put a lot of work into building those channels of communication directly with our fans so we have a good understanding not only of what they like, but also the areas we could do better.
We’ve always been proud of the fact that Play’n GO slots are enjoyed by the true connoisseurs of the space. That’s no coincidence, because we’ve always built these games from the perspective of a player. At the end of the day, we love these games ourselves, and building the types of title we want to play results in a far more genuine product.
