The creator of the first person shooter, John Romero, brings a unique perspective to the world of gaming and he believes that ‘really great design’ is essential to a game’s success.
Games simply can’t solely rely on their graphics in order to ensure engagement according to Romero, who cited the original Wolfenstein as a title that lacked in graphics but was brought to the fore by immersive design.
Speaking to SBC, he also pinpointed Minecraft as a game that has truly evolved the way players engage with games.
Romero revealed that he absolutely loves immersing himself in a ‘badass slot machine’. He went on to express how much enjoyment he gets from “when you can play something like Wizard of Oz and you sit in that chair and feel the bass and everything, it is a totally different design.
He added: “It is a lighter touch design than something that is super immersive and heavy like Helldivers 2, that’s what we call destination games, a game where you are going to stay for a long time. The design of a casino game is very much akin to an arcade game, where they need you to keep spinning and they need to keep feeding it – what the player needs to feel is that they are getting bang for their buck.
“They need to get that multimedia response from what they are doing in the game. The more levels of intensity that you can get into the design, the more exciting the game gets.
“When you see Wheel of Fortune in the casino, it is always full because there is a second stage that can be reached. Anytime this is the case, and there is a roll happening because of what is happening in the main game, you have a design that is really exciting.”
He went on to underpin the importance of feedback as being crucial to elevating the gaming experience and ensuring that players continue to engage with the game.
Romero also lauded the innovation that is currently being showcased in both video games and igaming as something that has significantly grown in recent years. What is critical according to Romero is understanding the audience when designing games, as he revealed that he had to develop an understanding of the audience before creating games.
Live service is also something that Romero underlined as being vital when it comes to unlocking new levels of community for players.
Other studios continuing his legacy with expansion of his titles is something that clearly gives Romero pride as studios through much dedication have uncovered how to bring Doom to a new era.
In terms of lessons that can be learnt by the slots industry from the video game world, Romero said: “You have fixed mechanics that you can’t really change with slots and they are something that everyone knows how to play and they are critical to success.
“What you need to do to focus on innovation is to think of it like a movie, why are people watching this? Is it because of the Director? No, usually it is because of a really great plot. Genre is important and you have to make sure you are pulling players through the genre and treating games like a movie.”
He added that if you can enable players to change the narrative then this is also a vital factor for elevating player engagement – giving them a choice and expanding upon just button mashing.
Romero will be sharing more insights when he provides the exclusive keynote at the CasinoBeats Summit in Malta next month. You can currently purchase your tickets with a nice Group Discount for the price of just €400 (a discount of €200 off a standard ticket).
Operators and affiliates can apply for complimentary all-access passes to the event.
Operators – apply for a free pass!
Affiliates – apply for a free pass!
Source: CasinoBeats