“ The combination of math and art is extremely important to any slot product .”
— Andrew DuBose , Game Designer , Ainsworth
you were able to execute . To put it simply , the power of microprocessors today is infinitely more powerful than anything that was available in the past . The ability to use graphics to reflect the math has obvious changed significantly over the years . You can do things today that would have been unfathomable 20 years ago .”
“ Great game ideas come in all different shapes and forms ,” says DeDeaux at AGS . “ Sometimes it ’ s iterating off of mechanics we are familiar with in the market and building math models that accentuate the game . It starts with the concept of a game and simultaneously , graphics , art and math come together to complement it . We identify what we want to achieve and have ongoing development and iterations of it to get there .”
“ Concept first , then we assign a math model ,” explains Martin Blais , mathematician manager for Bluberi . “ And it all has to gel , following our cornerstone design principle of ensuring everything is ‘ where it matters .’ Big animations should coincide with significant math contributions , for example .”
DuBose at Ainsworth comments that effective game design is a process that can take many forms . “ In the recently released Grand Legacy and Royal Legacy , we thought we had a good game theme and wanted to incorporate some ideas like larger multipliers and the chance to win multiple jackpots on a single spin ,” he says . “ We sat on it for bit until we were able to come up with the right math for the game .”
“ Konami ’ s R & D works closely with product management to determine the business and market needs with respect to all the different types of games required ,” says Arrowsmith . “ The game designer usually has an idea of the type of game they want to make . They then work with both math and art to come up with an initial concept , with the math and art complementing each other , to produce an awesome game .”
What has changed in this process is the complexity of the games themselves , according to Konami ’ s Crosby . “ The games have become more complex as more and more exciting new free game and bonus features are included ,” Crosby says , “ and thus , product technical documents have grown to be the size of a large novel , and simulations of the math models have become a critical part of the math design process .
“ Also , the design of the math model is much more collaborative between mathematician and game designer to ensure the best playing experience is achieved . Wizard Strike is a perfect example of this , where mathematician
and designer worked hand-in-hand to produce this compelling model .”
“ Games used to be pretty simple , but they ’ ve grown significantly in complexity ,” says Blais at Bluberi . “ The role of a mathematician has also evolved , where today a strong mathematician needs to be versatile — he or she has to know some programming , for example .”
“ Back in the day when it was three reel , one-line stepper , it was here ’ s a math idea first ,” says IGT ’ s Baerlocher . “ That ’ s inverted in today ’ s world . It ’ s really more about coming up with the concept and then making sure that the math fits . And then what we see happening is the math actually adapts to the original concept . If we find it doesn ’ t play the way it was originally envisioned , we make modifications so that the concept and the math work hand in hand .”
“ Game math is fairly finite ,” says DeDeaux at AGS . “ You may have a game concept that is creative in the types of bonuses you want to do , but adapting the game math to the game is challenging , and takes a lot of creativity and finesse to have the exact outcome mathematically in the bonus , features , and base game . It requires a lot of art , science , and being creative in solving challenges .”
Into the Future
Those challenges will no doubt increase as the creative teams at the slot suppliers come up with more innovative concepts and new ways to play .
“ One thing that is certain is that games will become more complex in the future ,” says DeDeaux at AGS . “ As an industry , we will face the challenge of entertaining and capturing the younger demographic . When you look at how tech has evolved , and the types of entertainment experiences offered on cellphones , we will need to think about how we can compete with future technology , in general , to continue moving forward as an industry .”
IGT ’ s Baerlocher sees the challenges of game design evolving as more information becomes available on player preferences . “ The big thing I see changing in the industry is the availability of data ,” he says . “ It used to be really hard to get any type of information out of the casino industry on how games were performing , but in the past four or five years , operators are being more open to sharing data because they realize that by giving the suppliers some insights , they ’ re going to get a better product .
“ With information like the Eilers report and ReelMetrics that shows which games are the top earners , you can spend more time studying those games and learning from them ... using data to help our creativity .”
“ I like to use the analogy that building a game is like building a great ( music ) album ,” says DeDeaux at AGS . “ You need lyrics , your music , and all the different elements to create one . But it ’ s the combination of all these things working harmoniously together that makes it great .
“ Math is like the heartbeat of a game , similar to how the rhythm is the heartbeat of a song — and it is critical to the overall success of the game .”
16 Global Gaming Business DECEMBER 2022