eGaming Review April 2012 | Page 50

SPONSORED EDITORIAL SLOTS FOCUS development focus has been to safeguard the player experience offered on mobile, which should be on a similar level, or better than what is already provided on a PC. Feedback received on our mobile developments so far has been very positive and encouraging. Slots development is a competitive business and we will continue to see new features appearing in games. This is healthy for developers like ourselves, operators and the slots player. Net Entertainment prides itself on innovation and will continue to create new features and improvement in game play and mathematical modelling. Almost every Net Entertainment product launch contains new features that are exciting and add real depth to our partners’ offering. Branded content is a natural addition to our existing portfolio offering. One key success factor for being able to work with a strong brand is access to sufficient image rights, and when executed properly you can maximise the total experience, which secures wanted business and player value – a win-win for everyone. Many operators say that branded games are important for player acquisition but they don’t have such a glowing reference when it comes to retention – our focus is to create branded games that players keep coming back to. Net Entertainment’s partnership with Universal saw the highly successful launch, in May 2011, of Frankenstein™ – a game which certainly achieves this aim – and we have followed this up with yet another mass market brand based on a classic Universal movie, Scarface, which we unveiled to great anticipation at ICE. Scarface is planned to be released in April 2012. After a high-performing 2011, we see a very exiting 2012 in front of us with a continuous strong product pipeline. Without giving too much away, 2012 will feature a diverse mix of great slots, features, 3D games, branded content, mobile games and much more including our new live casino offering. We will always continue to look for new and exciting ways of offering the highest performing and pioneering casino game technology and strive to maintain our position as an industry leader by continually pushing boundaries. We will maintain that leading position by continuing our ?rm focus on portfolio excellence, technology leadership and operational excellence. It’s hard work, but we are not afraid. NETENT Tomorrow’s world Bjorn Krantz of Net Entertainment looks to the future of video slots Attempting to predict what the video slots of the future will look like is not easy, but it is easy to get excited about some of the advancements we are witnessing, such as 3D technology. There is a positive appetite among consumers for 3D, as demonstrated by cinema and home entertainment, and mobile as the next logical step. However, our main focus is always to push the boundaries in maximising the player experience, irrespective of the types of games developed. Adobe’s entry into the mobile market with Flash 11 is of particular interest for us as it allows us to create 3D graphics to the standards you would expect from Net Entertainment. We are investing in providing the very highest level of gaming graphics and are incorporating it into our offering through platinum games such as Robin Hood: Shifting Riches™, Boom Brothers™, Gonzo’s Quest™ and our latest title, Jack and the Beanstalk. Today 3D games are not yet a core driver in creating the highest performing slot games for our partners – they do, however, offer excellent market acquisition potential. Our focus is to create branded games that players keep coming back to The mobile market is rapidly growing, but it is still in its early days. Mobile development and prominence is something Net Entertainment is closely monitoring, and we launched our initial mobile games, NetEnt TouchTM, at the end of 2011. Mobile is a strategic product area for Net Entertainment, and it complements our existing portfolio offering. Key BJÖRN KRANTZ Björn Krantz, CEO and chief of GMO Net Entertainment Malta, has more than 10 years' international experience in sales and marketing management. He has also worked for several telecoms companies. 50 www.egrmagazine.com