Game developers are always looking at new ways in which they are able to create new titles and bring new experiences to players in order to keep them coming back for more and play for extended periods of time.
Those who work within the slot niche of the online casino industry will know that they have to be on top of their game with each release, as they face fierce competition. There are thousands upon thousands of different titles for a player to choose from, thus making it difficult for a software provider to stand out.
However, there are many who are able to follow a certain process and create the best experiences possible with almost each and every release they provide. Those who do will typically follow a plan that has worked for them in the past and could look a little like the following:
- Planning of ideas
- Researching whether it would work
- Come up with the game’s requirements
- Create a prototype
- Design the slot and develop it
- Test it before release
- Launch and market it
- Post-release updates
A lot of work goes into the creation of a slot game
Given that slot game development involves at least eight steps that must be followed to increase its chance of a successful launch, software providers face an uphill struggle when creating slot game content.
Naturally, the initial step for creators in any process involves coming up with an idea. Unfortunately, due to so many options already being available, it can often be the hardest step of all; having thousands of ideas already out there already makes it harder for developers to generate fresh ones that attract players. At this stage the theme, gameplay features, payment stakes etc must all be thoroughly thought out as any changes later could halt release completely.
Once an idea has been decided and plans are confirmed, developers need to conduct market research to see if it will work. They are able to look at the collection of slot titles that are available in their own libraries and see what has proven to be popular, or they could look at an online casino’s offering and see what competitors are doing well with. They can also leave surveys and ask players questions, as their feedback can be invaluable in the process.
Game requirements need to be clearly laid out before creating and testing a prototype version of any video game. Once developers understand all they require for development (programming language, themes, mechanics and visuals desired, etc), they are then able to develop an early version that they can test out as soon as the concept takes form on paper or as intended by testing their idea against what will actually work when made into reality. Prototype creation serves this function effectively to guarantee its implementation successfully in reality.
When a slot starts to come to life
Once a slot has been designed and its concept tested successfully, its actual realization becomes possible in terms of what other players experience and can see and enjoy.
Developers begin the design of a game with visuals and themes specified by designers, using software programs to help create the imagery they desire. Once this design has been finalized, developers add random number generators (RNG) into slots to ensure fairness while making sure all mechanics featured work together efficiently to provide players with a pleasant playing experience.
Once these steps have been followed, software developers are ready to test their game in order to ensure its readiness for release. By doing this, software developers are able to identify any bugs or issues which have not yet been fully ironed out and deal with them before releasing the product to market – otherwise, this could seriously compromise their reputation in an unforgiving industry.
Release time!
After a slot has been tested and passes all the stringent checks, software developers will be able to release the game. However, they will still need to undertake a few more steps to ensure it is able to achieve as much success as possible.
Once launched, they will need to advertise and promote it through various channels. They will need to attract players to give it a go, and this can take some time and effort. They might not always be able to rely on their brand name, meaning some additional work needs to be completed.
On top of that, they still need to ensure the game runs smoothly and offers a quality gaming session with each spin. They can do this by keeping a close eye on the newly-launched titles, while also launching updates regularly that can improve the gaming experience.
Final Words
As can be seen, there is a lot of work that goes into slot development, and while there are thousands of options available, it is easy to understand why software providers have to go through so much to make sure they get each release right.
