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Blue Ring Studio’s design and development philosophy has its roots in the established and inarguably mature, land-based slot market of New South Wales, Australia. The studio was founded in 2023, and has ever since managed to grow in a beautiful way.
The team’s creativity with visuals is combined with a mathematical approach to give the player a most fun gameplay. They are also collaborating with Games Global recently and are coming up with a new game titled 9 Lives of the Nile.
We’ve conducted an interview with the Product Director, Peter Wilkins which will reveal some interesting aspects about the company. Go ahead and read all the information to find out more about how they managed to keep players engaged, their recipe for an entertaining game and even the incorporation of safety and fairness.
Could you start by introducing yourself, what is your role at Blue Ring Studios, and how has journey in the iGaming industry began?
My name is Peter Wilkins, Product Director at Blue Ring Studios. Before Blue Ring I held senior management positions in both creative and commercial roles with both Australian and US based slot manufacturers for over 20 years.
How has the partnership with Games Global influenced the direction of Blue Ring Studios? What opportunities has this collaboration unlocked for the studio?
Blue Ring’s founders established the studio with the intent of leveraging many years of collective experience in the creation of land-based slots and coupling that with new techniques and approaches they needed to learn in the online environment. The partnership with Games Global was critical to this direction and brings access to markets, infrastructure, data and valuable advice that is second to none.
Your studio emphasizes a “math-first” approach and simplicity in mechanics while maintaining depth in gameplay. Can you elaborate on how this philosophy shapes your game development process?
We do have strong core competencies in slot maths design but at the end of the day a slot game, like any form of entertainment, must be fun to play. I have always liked to use the analogy of the creation of great food. In slots the maths is the recipe and the visuals and effects the ingredients. Both are critical to success. Our maths designers start with the recipe and then our skilled artists and effects team can adapt the look and feel of the ingredients to reflect how much influence they have in all, or parts of, the game. The interaction between each discipline and attention to detail this engagement brings to the surface is fascinating to me and is the core of our game creation process.
Blue Ring Studios is known for focusing on the player experience. How do you balance simplicity with innovation to keep players engaged across different markets?
Great question that goes to the heart of Blue Ring Studio’s evolution. Whether land based or online, if you don’t understand player expectation, the game will never be a success. Each environment can present its own challenges in deriving this information, but all have one thing in common - familiarity. In short, find out what players are used to, incorporate recognisable aspects in gameplay, introduce innovation in a portion of the game, and then evolve that innovation into subsequent games over time. Sounds easier than it is….
How has your experience in land-based and retail gaming markets helped with the approach to online games development?
Most of the team at Blue Ring Studios have been involved in multiple markets globally in both casino and retail-based slot markets. This often involved developing multiple iterations of the same game adapted to suit differing player preferences or regulatory requirements. As a young online studio, it is important to acknowledge that the online environment comes with its own range of requirements and player expectations. These are constantly evolving with much yet to be learned. Our land based exposure to similar research challenges, albeit with differing outcomes, has shaped our mindset. I think this is helpful.
How does player feedback influence your game design process? Can you share an example where this feedback led to a significant change or improvement in a game?
Player feedback is one of the building blocks of our development process and as acknowledged in the last question, doubly critical to a young studio. From concept through execution, we take as many opportunities as possible to expose all workable portions of a game to a wider audience. This includes opportunities for feedback provided through our collaboration with Games Global. A prime example is our latest release 9 Lives of the Nile™, which underwent multiple evolutions and modifications both mathematically and visually prior to being ready for release.
Your upcoming release, 9 Lives of the Nile, is generating buzz. Can you tell us more about this game? What makes it stand out, and what do you hope players will experience?
9 Lives of the Nile™ went through a stringent process of review and refinement, the end outcome differing considerably from early iterations of the game. I would like to think the game is also a fine example of some of the points raised in this interview already. Our collaboration with Games Global has allowed access to a familiar and successful brand in Epic Strike™ with the addition of a new free spins innovation, Hold ‘n Drop™, developed by our maths team. This game also incorporates new techniques and methods learnt as part of our online journey so far. With a classic theme, we are very encouraged by its early results. We expect players will find it easy to look at, easy to understand, good value for money, with interesting and exciting free spins.
With the growing importance of responsible gaming, how does Blue Ring Studios incorporate safety and fairness into its game development process?
Certainly from a regulatory and testing perspective, Games Global‘s oversight and access to infrastructure ensures compliance to the highest degree. Regardless, game integrity and transparency are key to a player’s enjoyment of a game so designing with this at the forefront is one of our core principles.
Looking ahead, where do you see Blue Ring Studios in the next five years? What role do you hope to play in the evolution of the iGaming industry?
Blue Ring Studios is just at the start of its journey in the online space. Our goal is to keep learning, be nimble and adapt to changes in the industry as they occur and leverage our slot design experience to be a competitive and innovative content provider globally.
Before we conclude, what message would you like to share with the players, partners, and supporters of Blue Ring Studios?
Well firstly, I would like to thank your readers for getting this far through the interview! On behalf of the entire team at Blue Ring Studios, we look forward to engaging with as many of our stakeholders as possible and continual improvement in our games for the enjoyment of players worldwide.
