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Elliott Resnick, First Look Games, says studios need to ensure affiliates publish accurate information about games in order to maximize the marketing opportunities they offer
Slot studios are now aware of the importance of promotion. This is both to increase awareness of their titles and brands among players, as well as to get their names and content in front the casino managers who ultimately decide on whether or not to stock them.
Promoting games to operators and players is not easy. Studio owners must identify the affiliates with whom they will work, and ensure that any content about their games published is accurate. Compliance issues are also a concern.
Affiliates can be a very powerful marketing tool for studios as long as they provide accurate information about their games. Affiliates often confuse the aggregator and the studio. For example, SOFTSWISS is credited as developer, instead of Stakelogic.
A second area to be concerned about is the incorrect publication of game statistics for reels, rows and volatility. It may seem insignificant, but players will be disappointed if they expect a high-volatility video slot with decent RTP, and instead find a low volatility classic with low payout.
This can ultimately damage the reputations of both the studio and the affiliate, resulting in players avoiding the games of that developer. It’s not as if they lack choice, given the hundreds of new slots launched each month.
How did this situation come about?
Affiliates should only be able to get information from the asset pack or game sheet, but they don’t have access to them in most cases. They try to get information from other places, such as casinos, affiliate reviews, etc.
If they can access an asset sheet or game sheet they may find that the file size is too large to send via email, and the information contained in it has been hurriedly thrown together. The person who created the document will be overloaded with other tasks.
It is more concerning that these asset packs often contain links to the studio’s demo server, which affiliates embed on their websites so that players can play a few spins before going to a casino to play for real money.
If the affiliate is active on a market like the UK, then it is a requirement by the regulator that the demo link is placed over a full-fledged system of player identification. The studio will be in violation of the law if it does not.
Although there has not yet been a fine issued to a studio, several developers have received warning letters from the regulator for their demo games that are not age-gated. It’s only a question of time before someone gets hit in their wallet.
It could spell the end for smaller studios, who simply do not have the financial strength to endure a fine of a million pounds and still come out on the other side. This is before the knock-on effect of operators refusing to work with that studio.
What’s the answer?
Studio owners must give their game sheets and asset packs the attention they need. The packs should be designed so that the file sizes are reasonable and all the information is accurate.
It all comes down to the delivery of these asset packs to affiliates.
First Look Games is the perfect solution for those who find email and WeTransfer inefficient. Studios can upload asset packs into a dedicated library, where they are available for download by over 900 affiliates who have a combined audience of more than 20 million players.
Our accuracy tracker can be used by studios to identify any inaccurate information. It pulls data from content created and published by our affiliate partners. The affiliate is sent an email with the correct statistics.
Age-gating demo games is the biggest concern. Our partnership with 1account allows us to provide this service. This allows studios to quickly verify the identity of a player before they are allowed to access the demo.
Most studios have a problem with affiliates because of the work involved. This is why they only work with a few publishers. First Look Games has streamlined the process to provide direct access a large global network of affiliates.
This allows studios to promote their games in a way which ensures that all published information is accurate, and most importantly, compliant.
