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Could you introduce yourself and Wizard Games to our readers?
I’m Joey Hurtado, Managing Director at Wizards Games. I joined Pariplay in September 2021 and shortly after we rebranded our games division to what is now Wizard Games. I lead the strategic development of Wizard Games’ diverse proprietary content, with a strong emphasis on delivering greater value to our partners. The Wizard Games portfolio includes a wide range of 120+ innovative and entertaining slots with around two new titles added every month. Our games are certified in a number of key regulated markets and have proven extremely popular with operators and players alike.
Wizard Games is Pariplay’s new in-house gaming studio that was launched at the end of 2021. What makes Wizard Games different from Pariplay? Why rebrand?
The rebrand was part of a strategic move to allow Pariplay to be positioned specifically as a leading aggregator and studio partner, with Wizard Games a separate entity developing products that form part of the wide-ranging content offering along with other game vendors.Wizard Games now operates within Pariplay as a distinctive business unit, ensuring we can further improve our games portfolio, led by a dedicated team.
Your gaming portfolio consists of slots, table games, scratch cards, instant wins, bingo, and keno. How much time does it take to create a game, from idea to release?
It really differs from game to game it can be anything from 3 to 12 months, we have ideas now that may not be implemented for at least another year. Over the last 12 months, we have released an average of two titles per month. This is a huge effort from our teamas we want to make sure the games add something new to our portfolio and that they are engaging and highly entertaining for players in every aspect, including theme, mechanics, features, narrative and win potential. We never want to rush a release as we want to ensure games are of the highest quality and will offer a premium experience that players want to come back to. However, we are also extremely conscious that our partners expect new content frequently from us and we work hard to ensure we deliver on that promise.
Among your most recent slots are Teddy’s Tavern and 12 Super Hot Diamonds. Can you tell us more about these games and their features?
Sure. Teddy’s Tavern is a St Patrick’s Day game where we introduce an exciting new mechanic. The three-reel, one-row title is set inside a classic Irish pub and has a simplified approach that does away with the standard paylines and ways. Instead, a set of unique symbols featuring numbers drop across the reels to create an easy-to-understand multiplier. For example, if the player lands a 0, 5 and 4 combination, they pick up 54x their stake. Should they land a 10, 0 and 0, then that would represent a huge 1,000x prize. The new mechanic we have developed is easy to understand and gives players an instant visualisation of what they have won. Coupled with the popular Irish theme and the fact that it is launched for St Patrick’s Day, it makes us certain it will be a big hit.
12 Super Hot Diamonds is a classic Vegas-style fruit slot, with nine jackpots up for grabs as well as four bonus features. The 5×3 reels in the base game can be expanded to 5×6 when the free spins feature is triggered, offering even more winning chances. As the name suggests, diamonds play the main role in this title and collecting 12 offers players a whooping 2,500 times their bet. The game offers a classic gaming experience but with fantastic features that really turn up the heat.
Slotswise loves one of your newest slot releases: Fisherman’s Bounty Deluxe. What was your inspiration and development process for this game?
The original Fisherman’s Bounty Game has been a consistent performer in our portfolio however it is quite old now and with their being a clear trend towards this theme over the last 12 months, we felt it was time to refresh the game and bring it into 2022. We looked at what worked across our games and what we felt could be improved from the previous title and worked to improve the math, audio and visuals of the game as well improving on the mechanic to bring more excitement to our players. I think it’s safe to say we got it right as the game is one our best performing releases ever and we have had a lot of positive feedback from our operator partners.
If you could choose one, what game from Wizard Games would be your personal favourite and why?
My favourite game is still in development but even at this early stage “Dogwood Magic” is definitely my favourite. Of the games we’ve released to date, “Gods of Kemet” is probably my favourite, I’ve always been a big fan of “book of” games and think we did a great job in our execution of a very popular theme. The games performance seems to back that up with the game now sitting firmly in our top 5.
Are there any games from other developers that inspire you to create your slots?
I don’t think there’s one particular game but we regularly play the new releases from our competitors as well as some of the older ones and will take inspiration from features, innovations and even the emotional aspects of them. It’s a very competitive space at the moment which is great as it inspires us to keep being creative and drives the standard up across the board.
What upcoming releases can we expect from Wizard Games in 2022?
We have a really exciting roadmap this year and one that I am extremely pleased with. We continue to push the boundaries in terms of innovation and this year will see us introduce a number of new mechanics and features that will take the gaming experience to a new level. I think we have really managed to create an identity for Wizard Games with a recognisable style and feel and this is something we will continue to work on throughout 2022. Teddy’s Tavern and 12 Super Hot Diamonds are definitely games I’m looking forward to and further ahead, Dogwood Magic and Jade King are 2 games released next quarter that I think really illustrate the progression we’re making with the studio. Further ahead? You’ll have to wait and see.