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Skyward was launched by BetGames in response to the popularity of Crash Games, a genre that is known for its deceptively easy, but engaging gameplay. BetGames CEO Andreas Koeberl is pleased with the performance of Skyward. Here, he explains some of the intricacies of the game, how it stands apart in a crowded sky of similar games, and where he expects to see the sector grow.
Skyward is BetGames latest title in their ever-expanding list of exciting titles. What can players and operators expect from this game?
Skyward was our first crash-game and we are really excited because it is the perfect complement to our growing Instant Games Vertical that we launched in early 2011.
We know that the crash sector is popular, it’s hot and the players love it. So we started working on the best way to incorporate it into our portfolio.
Skyward is a great acquisition tool because it lets us put the game launchers, and their thumbnails into different categories, such as casino, slots and instant games. It also allows us to drive new players to BetGames by displaying them in an operator’s lobby.
This is great for us, and it’s also a huge benefit for operators, who can use our low-margin crash games to sell other BetGames, which have a margin that is usually more than twice as high. It makes sense to operators too. The early results since launch have been very encouraging.
Crash Games are the most popular type of content on today’s market. There is a lot of competition among suppliers. What sets Skyward apart from the rest?
We try to give each of our products a special touch. Skyward is not a game that we’ve reinvented, like some of our other innovative ventures. But we have added our own unique touch in certain areas.
It’s one of the fastest crash games available in terms of duration of play and how fast the plane rises through the levels, making it very engaging.
We have also combined some very popular features such as Auto Play and Auto Bet in one UI element. This makes the experience of the player much smoother. For a game that moves so quickly, fewer clicks is essential.
The bonus engine is a key differentiator, something the market lacks at the moment. We reward players who are willing to take risks and continue playing. In most developing markets, the crash games category is a problem because of bonus abuse. Players bet on 1.1x and 1.01x to turn their bonuses into real money.
We reward players based on the way they play, rather than just throwing money at them. If, for instance, you have a high risk profile and don’t cash out before 2X or 3X, and you have made a certain amount of bets then that player gets rewarded, while bonus abusers are not.
When we conducted the market research in the beginning of this year, some of our biggest partners asked us to consider that as an important design element. We made sure that we included that.
The last and most exciting thing is what we call ultimate localisation. We can customize the game using fully bespoke, brand-named animations. This is not just about putting a brand on a plane. It’s the whole game. Each one is different, has a unique animation for each partner and is designed to a specific design. We launched one last week, and several others are almost ready to be live in the next few weeks.
With its history in live-based games, many people might not have expected BetGames to move into the sector. What has motivated you to do so?
It’s that simple. BetGames offers the perfect gateway to sports and gaming. Our live dealer is not the traditional PS50 roulette. We help our partners convert and nurture their recreational punters to casino or better game players. We find that our players are more interested in rapid play genres such as slots and crashes than in live casino. This is because they have a similar player profile.
We also dedicated a whole vertical to this subject last year, and we have a few titles available now as well as Skyward. The players demand it. We are constantly evolving our offerings to keep up with changing tastes of players and the market.
This vertical, which we call instant-games, is growing. Slots, instant games and crash games are the main areas of focus for our partners and their marketing. Live casino and live entertainment remain popular. Live is what we do best and always will be. But, we cannot ignore the global market trends or those of BetGames’ players. Our mission is to convert sports-savvy gamers organically. It is not enough to have just one type of game. Skyward and Twain Sports are two pieces of the puzzle.
What are some of the unique experiences you have created?
Crash games can be deceptively complex. They may look simple at first, such as an Atari-style airplane flying into the sky, but their core elements can be difficult to master.
This is not a front-end slot where you have your own games. It’s a common draw game. All players will play the same session, and see the same results. It is difficult to implement this because it has to be considered that a player in rural Brazil may have a 3G connection. You have to make sure they receive their money when they click on cash out and not have an error due to a network delay. These challenges can be difficult to overcome because they cannot simply be solved via the front-end for various reasons.
Our experience as a engineering company was invaluable in resolving this issue.
It’s our BetGames heritage that I believe has been the most valuable in helping us build this game and solve the technical challenges. What happens if a player loses connection for a half-second and the plane takes off? Is the game over? What happens if I lose the game? What can I do to resolve these issues? Skyward’s creative features and bonuses were based on our experience in creating highly successful live products.
Can we expect BetGames explore this type of content in greater depth going forward?
Yes and no. We have a list of crash game concepts, but it’s not certain that any will be developed. We might develop another game, but our main focus is on the instant-games vertical we’ve been exploring and that continues to do well for us.
We are also working on a non-crash, unique, trademarked BetGames title that offers rapid play at low stakes. This is something we have never seen before, so we’re very excited to launch it.
But back to crash games, I don’t know how many varieties you can create without simply cannibalizing your existing content. Titles of a similar instant-play, rapid-play, nature are certainly possible. More information will be revealed closer to the release date.
BetGames is a leading supplier to Tier-One operators. How will the expansion of your product range support this?
That comes to me naturally. When you see what our peers in the industry are doing, you’ll notice that they’re investing heavily into slots. The market is shifting and the fact that the major players are going that way tells you quite a bit about the current market.
We’ll try to bring our own unique style to every project we undertake, and offer something that no other company can. Skyward has a few tweaks we feel the market is still lacking. We’ll also be building a new instant game that has never been done before. This allows us to position ourselves so that we can attract big brands that want to offer a variety of games in their lobby in order to stand out and give players the choices they desire. Our vision is to be the gateway between gaming and sports.
