Correctly harnessing the power of slots franchises and sequels are far from a new phenomenon. However, their importance has surged to stratospheric heights in recent times.
As numerous regulatory headwinds continue to hamper iGaming on a global scale, many studios are looking at what’s tried and tested to continue to be a major allure for players.
Participating in an exclusive iGaming Expert slots series, Oscar Persson, Game Product Owner at Relax Gaming, delves into a plethora of key talking points.
In addition to looking at if this regulatory pressure will continue to play a significant role, Persson details why these are of a particular appeal to users, what goes into developing a successful series or franchise and what lies next for the company following the numerous achievements already enjoyed within this space.
Why do you believe that sequels and franchises capture the imagination of players?
I actually think familiarity is a bigger factor than imagination.
We’re creatures of habit and generally don’t like change. In a busy life, people value the little free time they actually get, and nobody wants to waste it.
What a successful franchise offers is familiarity and clear expectations. You’ve already invested time in getting to know a product and enjoyed the experience. A sequel essentially says: ‘Here’s more of something you already know you like’.
It’s almost like a quality seal. It comes with an implicit promise that you’ll probably enjoy this as well.
This isn’t something exclusive to iGaming. Just look at what Marvel achieved during the years they dominated cinema. They released movie after movie, and people kept showing up because they already trusted the brand and knew roughly what kind of experience they were going to get.
Nobody bought a ticket because they expected something completely different. They bought it because they enjoyed the previous films and felt confident they would enjoy the next one too.
In a world where people have endless options competing for their attention, familiarity has real value.
In that sense, franchises create a sense of safety for everyone involved, both the provider and the player.
Given the regulatory clampdown being witnessed across numerous jurisdictions, is this a path that could be more frequently trodden as studios look to what’s tried and tested rather than risk something new?
Yes, it’s definitely already happening and has been for quite some time. Pragmatic Play has its Big Bass series, the 1000 series and now Super Scatter.
Players never seem to get enough of ELK’s colourful bird characters in the Pirots franchise, and before that we saw multiple entries in both the Gold and Nitropolis series.
Regulatory pressure certainly plays a role, but I honestly believe there’s an even bigger factor at work.
In many ways, the biggest challenge today isn’t regulation, it’s discoverability.
The number of providers and game releases has exploded over the last few years. In today’s market, a new game only gets a few days of visibility before it’s pushed down by the next wave of launches. During that short window, it needs to prove that it deserves a place in the lobby long term.
This is where franchises have a major advantage. Operators ultimately decide which games receive premium placement. When you bring them a sequel to a proven performer, it naturally feels like a safer bet.
What are the key techniques that lie behind introducing a successful franchise or sequel of slots in capturing the imagination of players?
The most logical place to start is with the numbers. The games that perform best are usually the strongest candidates for a franchise.
It helps if they also have memorable characters, distinctive mechanics or a visual identity that players instantly recognise. What you’re really looking for is a concept with a clear identity and room to grow.
With a sequel, you’ve already solved the hardest problem. You’ve found a formula that resonates with players. The challenge then becomes finding the perfect balance between familiarity and innovation.
A sequel should feel both new and familiar at the same time. You want to amplify what already works while introducing enough fresh ideas to justify its existence. Push too far and it stops feeling like the original. Stay too close and players will wonder why it needed a sequel at all.
Relax Gaming has often ventured down this route to considerable success. Why has this been the case?
All successful providers do this to some extent. The numbers tell you what players enjoy, so naturally it makes sense to give them more of it.
But if all you do is make sequels, eventually you’ll run out of things worth making sequels to.
At Relax, we absolutely pay attention to what resonates with players. It would be strange not to. At the same time, one of our biggest strengths is being willing to take risks and try things that haven’t been done before.
That’s a much harder path, and sometimes it doesn’t work. But that’s also how you discover your next big franchise instead of simply extending an existing one.
We have witnessed a continuation of this with the resurrection of Money Train. What was behind the decision to bring this series back to life?
The discussion started quite a while ago, but we were all aligned on one thing from the very beginning: if we’re going to do it, we need an idea worthy of the legacy.
There were a lot of conversations and pitches back and forth, but eventually one concept emerged. The moment it was presented, there was a feeling in the room that this was it.
We knew we had found the game.
What’s next for Relax Gaming when it comes to slots sequels and franchises?
We’ll continue doing both.
We have an incredible portfolio of games, and many of them deserve another moment in the spotlight. At the same time, some of tomorrow’s franchises haven’t even been invented yet.
That’s why we’ll continue revisiting proven successes while also experimenting with new ideas, mechanics and concepts.
Following Money Train 5, we have two more major releases on the horizon that players will definitely recognise.
Unfortunately, that’s all I can say for now.
