Imagina Gaming Interview: Staying True to Company Roots

We sat down for a quick but very informative interview with Imagina Gaming to talk about their latest Reel Royal release, uncover the creative process behind the creation of new games, the company’s proudest achievements in the past and their plans for the immediate future.

1) What can you tell us about some of your recent game releases, and about the upcoming Reel Royale slot?

Our premium classic and fruit slot line has actually launched on some of the largest European brands late last year, with great success. We believe that our content offers something different from the typical video slot formula which is so pervasive in the industry, and have been pleasantly surprised just how well this content has been doing.

The upcoming Reel Royale is a title we are particularly proud of. In this title we have poured all our knowledge of what works, what features our fans look out for, what design aspects are appreciated – and ramped it up a notch.  Graphics wise, this title has some of our most detailed design and artwork yet, transmitting a high-end, premium feel that reflects our passion for slots. The end result is an overall pleasant experience which I’m sure players out there will appreciate.

2) What's the creative process that takes place behind the scenes before you start creating a game?

Slot game creation is a highly creative process which involves a fine balance across multiple disciplines – from the artists and designers, to the mathematicians, developers and so on. The start of the process is a highly creative and iterative one, with many ideas considered, discarded, and improved. All departments pitch in their ideas on how to make the next slot the very best version of itself, and spare no effort to make sure it is spot on. Without giving too much away, we are highly meticulous on getting the balance of the game right, and involve many stakeholders to ensure that the game feels right prior to sign off. Once a design is rubber stamped and implemented, a lot of effort is also made to make sure that it works as expected, performing copious amounts of simulations and manual evaluations, ensuring that the game is just right on release date.

3) Your slots have a very distinctive and unique classic style, do you plan to ever expand into other styles or stick to these?

We truly believe in our style, which is appreciated for its uniqueness and high level of quality. As such, we plan to remain true to our roots - while pushing boundaries. In fact, while we have a healthy pipeline of upcoming “classic” titles, we are also working on some rather innovative titles as we speak – watch this space.

4) What were the biggest wins on Imagina Games last year? And what is the biggest win on an Imagina game in all the company’s history?

The good thing about low volatility titles such as ours is that we get to see sizeable payouts frequently in our short time of operation. In fact, we see wins upward of 3 thousand Euros on a fairly regular basis. Having said that, a few lucky players out there can reach winnings exceeding 8-10 thousand euros in one spin at a much higher probability than one can expect on a high volatility title.

5) You are based in Malta, does this somehow come into play in your work? How is the Maltese market as an environment for software developers, with so many based there?

Malta is an ideal environment for the online gaming industry. Firstly, there is a great concentration of big industry players in a small space, giving rise to an easy environment to do business. Moreover, the Maltese jurisdiction is one of the most reputable in the industry, offering an effective medium for industry professionals of high repute. From a people perspective, the island is full of talent – and is only attracting more as time goes by. This provides a creative space where people can freely share ideas and learn off one another. Finally, it doesn’t hurt that the island is in the middle of the Mediterranean and is blessed with beaches and good weather most of the year.

6) In how many markets are Imagina Games titles available? Are you interested in entering some geos in which you are not present nowadays?

With our titles available over Betsson’s brands, Video Slots, Slots Million and White Hat brands, Imagina slots are available across some of the largest European brands in the market. Having said that, we have every reason to believe that our titles will work very well in markets beyond our current ones, and are eager to try our games in Asia and Eastern Europe.

7) The iGaming industry is ever growing and as a natural result, it has become very competitive. How are you dealing with the competitive market, do you find a need in innovating and/or extending in order to keep up with the Joneses?

Firstly, a big part of our strategy is to create premium quality slots which target localised, niche tastes. By staying away from the generic video slot formula, our target is to reach a set of players who are looking for something different while still expecting games of the highest quality. On this note, our mission is to provide unique gaming experiences, offering a distinct blend of aesthetics and functionality which distinguishes our content from the crowd.

Apart from our unique content, we are creating some innovative stuff on the B2B side of things. In fact, as a technology company we offer an API-based solution for the creation of custom content. Think of it as white labelling on the game provider’s side, enabling third parties to get creative whilst hiding typical barriers to entry (such as platform licensing, RNG certification etc) behind one clean solution.

8 ) Do you have any major plans to achieve by the end of 2019?

2019 for Imagina is all about expansion. On the games front, we have targets to rapidly increase our game portfolio while still keeping up the quality and style we are known for. Our target is to reach at least 1 title per month, and plan to ramp it up even further in the medium term. Of course, it’s not only about the number of games, and have some innovative ideas, features and mechanics which we can’t wait to release. On the operator’s side of things, we have some interesting partnerships coming up which will take our content in exciting places.

Thank you so much for your time and for sharing with us some of the finer details about your company and the vision, especially in terms of the game creation process, which is always something players are keen to know more about. We wish you best of luck with your future efforts and hope to see many of your new titles in the upcoming months.