Owning studios such as Marvel Entertainment, Lucasfilm – aka Star Wars – 21st Century Fox and Pixar, to name but a few, Disney set the trend in independent studios becoming part of a joint network under an umbrella company. 

Jumping over into the igaming sector, we are witnessing the same movements from smaller studios integrating with bigger companies, most recently Nolimity City being acquired by Evolution for €340m. 

The topic of mergers and aquisitions will also be discussed by Fredrik Elmqvist, Founder and Board Member at Yggdrasil, at SBC Barcelona this month during his industry innovation keynote.

In the latest CasinoBeats 100, we asked our members what the positives are to being an independent studio, along with the negatives, compared to being purchased by a bigger company.

Tom Wood, CEO of Raw iGaming, expressed that “selling out” does not necessarily kill creativity but stated it is “true” that currently most innovation in the gaming space comes from small, independent studios. 

“Barriers to entering the industry have dropped in recent years, which has led to an influx of smaller studios who dare to be different. Often, they are idealistic, disruptive and have more creative agility than bigger companies.

“They’re not bogged down by legacy systems and preconceived notions about what a game should be. They want to challenge the monolithic mega-providers that are churning out the same old thing at volume. 

“On the other hand, the influx of new studios has created a highly competitive market and the desire to innovate can expose you to financial risk. There’s a vast array of content out there held by large companies who control vast percentages of casino share and market space.

“Obviously, being acquired by a top-tier provider can absorb some of this risk. You just need to ensure you retain creative control, so you can continue to do what you do – creating daring, thoughtful, innovative content. Hopefully that won’t be a problem because this was what they liked about you in the first place.”

Another of our members, Robert Metzger, Business Development Director at Fugaso, emphasised that being an independent studio “certainly has its challenges” but equally it is “incredibly rewarding”. 

He explained: “A particular highlight for the team is to have full creative autonomy which subsequently gives us the luxury of choice.

“As a team we have full creative freedom from conceptualising an idea to the final execution. We have free rein over names, features, character development and even colours. To watch a concept come alive from a storyboard to a fully functioning game is a real privilege. 

“As an independent studio we also set our own timeframes and deadlines and we don’t have to work to someone else’s schedule, we run our own. Having this flexibility really helps our team members to grow and flourish.”

However, Metzger noted that, inevitably, the studio’s budget is smaller compared to its larger counterparts but stressed that, from a team perspective, a smaller budget results in a more “streamlined workforce” which “values every single person’s input”. 

“A con might be that on occasions, the perception of smaller budgets and a smaller team can sometimes hinder our prospects with regards to larger scale projects, but we prefer to stick to what we are good at and let our quality of products speak for themselves,” he continued.

“We also know that as an independent studio, we have to constantly find new ways of differentiating ourselves from the larger game studios. Ensuring that we are at the cutting edge of technology and new market trends is vital but we know that the time and investment in this research will ensure our future success.”

Finally, Charl Geyser, CEO at HITSquad, claimed that being an independent studio has resulted in the firm having the “freedom to be as creative as we want”, allowing the design of games that the studio are “truly passionate about”.

“We work in a fast paced and competitive industry, therefore it’s imperative that we continue to innovate and create content that players want,” Geyser explained. “The advantages of being independent means that we can react quickly to market demand without being slowed down by multiple decision makers or being restricted by red tape. 

“I also think that being independent means that we are incredibly incentivised to make the business succeed and who doesn’t like a David and Goliath story?”

Echoing Metger on the negatives of being an independent studio, he noted that it is “crucial” to gain sufficient financial resources to enable it to grow and for any unexpected issues. 

He concluded: “Resource can also be a hurdle as we won’t have access to huge development, legal, compliance teams etc, however this is all surmountable with the right team and strategic planning.”

iGaming Innovation is to form one key aspect of this year’s SBC Summit Barcelona 2022, which takes place at Fira Barcelona Montjuïc on 20-22 September.

This will see 6,000 delegates enjoy a 12-track conference covering all aspects of the international sports betting and online casino industries, an exhibition with 200 companies showcasing their latest innovations, and a programme of spectacular evening networking events. 

Visit the SBC Summit Barcelona website to book your all access or discounted group pass.

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The latter gives publishers in the affiliate space access to game information, assets and content on the latest slots before anyone else. 

By connecting game developers directly with the publishers who promote their content to players, First Look aims to increase the volume, quality and compliance of game marketing.

Tom Galanis, Managing Director at First Look Games, noted: “HITSqwad are a really exciting new games studio and we’re thrilled they’ve chosen First Look Games. 

“We think they’re going to make a real splash in the market, and we want to help them do that by delivering maximum exposure for their games.”

The online casino content developer’s maiden jackpot titles include the military themed BRAVO MISSION as well as the Viking inspired RAGNAR, as well as its debut jackpot title First Strike. 

These, it is said, will form the first of several completed HITSqwad games that will be released to the market via the Playzido Network in the coming months.

“We’re delighted to partner with First Look Games. HITSqwad is committed to working with the highest-quality partners to enable the entire industry and players to get the best from our exciting product range,” stated Charl Geyser, CEO of HITSqwad.

“The initial two games are locked, loaded and ready for action, and there are many more in the pipeline. Registered affiliates can see them first at First Look Games.” 

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The approval allows HitSqwad to make its online games available to operators in the UK market and forms part of the company’s “wider plans” to launch its jackpot games in core regulated markets around the world, with its first titles set to debut to players in the UK via Playzido early next year.

Charl Geyser, CEO of HitSqwad, said: “Securing our UK Gambling Commission licence is a milestone moment for HitSqwad. Not only is it our first major licence, but it allows us to launch our content into one of the world’s largest online gambling markets.

“Our strategy going forward is to now secure additional licences in other key regulated markets with the objective being to provide as many operators and their customers with access to our innovative and exciting jackpot games as possible.

“Our games and platform have been built to be flexible and customisable, allowing us to easily ensure they meet the rules and regulations in each of the markets we target. The UK is a significant market for us and the wider industry, and we are thrilled to have been given the green light to enter the fray.”

Moreover, the provider is developing a series of jackpot themes, each of which will have a family of associated games to ensure its portfolio is “varied” while also allowing operators to identify the themes and brands its customers engage with and then add more titles. 

Each title will be developed with a mobile-first approach and will deliver unrivalled player engagement by providing a range of exciting features to trigger each jackpot.

The approval from the UKGC concludes a busy November for HitSqwad after the firm recently linked-up with development studia Twin Win Games, with the former receiving aid on the production of its content suite. 

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Under the terms of the agreement, Twin Win Games will assist the group with art production and game client development, where the provider plans to have one solution across all major operating systems and devices. It will also aim to allow HitSqwad to rapidly develop games and scale teams as and when required.

The online games development firm states that it has world on “hundreds of projects” for customers across Europe, North America and Asia.

Natalia Makarova, founder of Twin Win Games, said: “We are very happy and proud to become partners with HitSqwad and to help bring its innovative ideas to life.

“We will work together with Charl and his team towards a common goal of creating high quality and entertaining content. We are sure that the synergy of our teams working together will deliver amazing results and that our partnership will grow with the success of each title.”

HitSqwad, which asserts that it has “identified a gap in the market for jackpot games,” will utilise Playzido’s open architecture platform to deliver a range of games, as well as permitting the firm to customise these to meet the regulatory requirements in each of the markets they target.

The group says that it has developed each jackpot slot with a mobile-first approach, as well as ensuring that the games are ultra-light weight for quick downloads and that the user interface is highly functional, but simple and easy to understand. HitSqwad’s first jackpot slots are set for launch via Playzido early in 2022.

Charl Geyser, CEO of HitSquad, commented: “This is another key partnership for HitSqwad. It will allow us to leverage Twin Win Games’ unrivalled experience and incredible team of talent to rapidly deliver our products on a single platform that covers most major operating systems, web browsers and devices.

“We are an ambitious studio and in Twin Win Games we have a partner that can help bring the vision for our business and, more importantly, the vision for our games to life. I look forward to a long and successful partnership between HitSqwad and Twin Win Games.”

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HitSqwad, which asserts that it has “identified a gap in the market for jackpot games,” will utilise Playzido’s open architecture platform to deliver a range of games, as well as permitting the firm to customise these to meet the regulatory requirements in each of the markets they target.

The group says that it has developed each jackpot slot with a mobile-first approach, as well as ensuring that the games are ultra-light weight for quick downloads and that the user interface is highly functional, but simple and easy to understand.

Stuart Banks, managing director of Playzido, commented: “As a content aggregator, we look to partner with studios at the cutting edge of game development and in HitSqwad we have a developer that is pushing the boundaries with jackpot slots.

“I look forward to seeing its first games launch to the Playzido network later this year and for our operator partners to be able to leverage the potential of these exciting jackpot slots.”

The developer is currently working on its first series of jackpot slots which will be made available to Playzido operators starting in the fourth quarter, with more to follow.

All jackpot slots will meet the regulatory requirements of each target market, whilst ensuring that “the highest levels of responsible gaming” are met.

“We are taking an innovative approach to game development and in particular jackpot slots,” Charl Geyser, CEO of HitSqwad, said of the partnership.

“We believe there is huge untapped potential for these games, which combined with the striking animations and engaging sound we are building in to each game, makes for a jackpot slot product like no other. 

“I’d like to thank Playzido for partnering with us on this and look forward to debuting our first game later this year. Collaborating with Playzido allows us to rapidly deploy our games and focus on what we do best.”

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