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Why studios need to promote their games

Published

3 years ago

October 12, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Elliott Resnick, Head of First Look Games, says that due to the highly competitive nature of the industry studios need to get their games in front of players if they are to succeed in the long term

Slot studios are fighting for operator attention in a highly competitive marketplace. There are literally hundreds of developers pushing thousands of games with endless new titles launching every month. So being heard above the noise made by rivals is a vital key to success.

Developers also face fierce competition when it comes to directing players to their games. Operator lobbies are stocked with thousands of titles, with game positioning often the difference between whether a title sinks or swims.

But what if affiliates could not only fulfil their traditional objective of new traffic to operators but also drive awareness of a studio’s content and have players specifically look for the game regardless of where they are positioned in casino lobbies?

To do this, studios must promote their games to players as well as operators, but that isn’t easy given developers take a small proportion of the revenues made on their slots. Above-the-line marketing is simply not an option for the majority of studios, so they have to look to other ways of gaining the attention of operators and players.

But due to the expensive nature of traditional game development, and the time it can take to bring a slot from concept to market (this can take anywhere from four to twelve months) studios must not leave game discovery to chance and instead proactively promote each of their most anticipated titles.

It is also important for studios to provide operators with easy access to information and assets about their games, not just for the purpose of selling their titles but also for other areas such as inclusion in the operator’s marketing and CRM. Without this, developers are missing the final but crucial step in launching their game – which is proactively letting players know about it.

This has led several studios to partner with slot streamers but while that now hangs in the balance pending Twitch’s upcoming announcement on 18 October, others are leveraging the incredible reach that traditional affiliates can provide. But striking partnerships with publishers can be labour intensive – something that already stretched teams have little time to dedicate to unless they hire someone dedicated to affiliate outreach pretty much full-time.

That is where First Look Games comes in, providing the world’s first platform that directly connects studios with all registered affiliates in the iGaming space who regularly craft detailed new game reviews designed to generate referrals to one or more online casino partner.

A publisher’s access to First Look Games is free, allowing all game studios to deploy finished/approved creative packs direct to an entire affiliate community within minutes. It puts the power in the developer’s hands, giving them control over the information and assets they share, and when they share them.

Affiliate marketing allows studios of all sizes to put their games in front of players and potentially build anticipation around future releases. For established studios that have highly sought-after content coming, affiliate marketing can drive large numbers of reviews along with significant awareness that a new game is set to land. For small studios starting out, it can make a difference between being prioritised for an operator integration or being left out. For those in the growth phase, game promotion can assist with realising greater ROI.

Studios can additionally use the feedback they receive from affiliate game reviews to guide future slot development by understanding what has and has not hit the mark with the player community. This feedback is incredibly valuable.

What’s more, affiliates are very cost-effective when compared to other forms of B2C marketing and can help studios to reverse engineer interest in their games where reviews are strong and the audience has a clear appetite for their content.

But right now, studios are not maximising the potential that affiliates provide. The studio-affiliate relationship is still relatively new which is why this marketing channel can be overlooked in terms of the value it can deliver.

First Look Games has been designed to do much of the heavy lifting on behalf of the studio, providing them with access to more than 800 approved publishers with their combined reach being more than 20 million players around the world.

Studios simply upload game information and assets to their dedicated library, and then our network of approved affiliates can access these files and use them to produce content such as game reviews or video content. The entire platform has been designed to be easy to use by any member of a studio’s team.

Despite this, we often find the studios do not know where to position us within their business – sometimes we are seen as a marketing resource, other times as a tool to support the commercial team. We can be both, but it shows just how new this area of game promotion is.

Over time this will change, especially when studios start to see the incredible success their rivals are having in the affiliate space by unlocking more of the potential in their games.

Getting any title in front of more of the right people is simply good business and in such a competitive market, that can be the difference between a studio succeeding or failing.

Francesco Cuzzupoli

REEVO Goes Live with Microgame, Expanding Its Reach in Italy

Published

3 hours ago

October 29, 2025

Niji Narayan

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Reading Time: < 1 minute

REEVO has announced that its innovative portfolio of in-house games is now live with Microgame, one of Italy’s leading gaming service providers.

This partnership marks another significant milestone in REEVO’s expansion strategy, bringing its rapidly growing collection of original slot titles to Microgame’s extensive operator network. Known for its cutting-edge technology, immersive mechanics and distinctive themes, REEVO continues to redefine the online casino experience for players worldwide.

Italian operators and players will now gain access to some of REEVO’s most popular and engaging titles, including Bongo Safari, Her Genie Ways and Bullfighting Champion—games that blend striking visuals, fresh concepts and dynamic gameplay designed to captivate audiences.

Francesco Cuzzupoli, Gaming Product Director at Microgame, said: “With REEVO joining our portfolio, we strengthen Microgame’s ability to provide Italian operators with a diverse and high-quality offering. The vast selection of titles and the advanced architecture of REEVO’s platform represent an important competitive lever for us.”

Karl Grech, Head of Business Development at REEVO, said: “We’re delighted to officially go live with Microgame, a market leader in Italy with an impressive operator network. This collaboration is a powerful step forward in our mission to deliver exceptional content and aggregation solutions to operators globally. By combining REEVO’s innovative in-house games with Microgame’s deep local expertise, we’re confident players in Italy will enjoy a truly unique and next-level gaming experience.”

The post REEVO Goes Live with Microgame, Expanding Its Reach in Italy appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Ivelina Balova Product Owner at Sneaky Slots

Sneaky Slots reveals a bunch of freaks in its second release, Freak Show Revelation

Published

5 hours ago

October 29, 2025

George Miller

sneaky-slots-reveals-a-bunch-of-freaks-in-its-second-release,-freak-show-revelation

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The show is about to begin… so find your seats, sit back and enjoy The Freak Show Revelation! B.T Parnum has gathered the freakiest freaks and created a program that is meant to shock the people! This is the second release from Sneaky Slots since the launch of Nip Tuck last month, with Gopnik and Gods Go Pew Pew up next!

Reel Area

The Freak Show unfolds across a 3-3-3-3-3 reel setup with a couple of sneaky Host tricks above the reel. Each linked to a Host symbol that can land anywhere on the reels. When a Host Symbol lands, the corresponding feature above the reel activates:

Host Multiplier: Awards a random Multiplier 5x, 10x, 25x and 50x.
The Generous Host: The Host will expand to cover the entire reel and acts like a wild.
Host Cash: Instant cash prize will be awarded and the Host will add a random multiplier between 2x and 10x.

xBomb®

Well, well, well… look what decided to make an surprise appearance! It’s one of Nolimit City’s iconic xMechanic, xBomb®, making its first ever appearance in another provider’s game!

In Freak Show Revelation, xBomb® explodes removing all adjacent symbols and increases the Multiplier for the next collapse.

Pick Your Bonus!

The beauty of this show is that get to choose between Heaven and Hell. Land 3 Bonus Symbols and choose between either the Heaven Spins or Hell Respins. Landing 4 Bonus Symbols will unlock the choice for the Super Variants of each bonus.

Heaven Spins

So, you think you have a good cocnscious. When selecting the Heaven Spins, you get 10 free spins. During this feature the Host activation increase in frequency. A single Bonus Symbol will activate Super Heaven Spins and will award +3 Spins.

Super Heaven Spins

The difference between Heaven and Super Heaven Spins is that the Host is guaranteed to land at least once in each spin.

Hell Respins

Maybe you’re feeling a little mischievous. When selecting the Hell Respins Bonus, you are award 3 respins where the only symbols that can land are; Multipliers between 1x-10x, Blank, Bonus and the Host.

When a multiplier lands on the reels, it’s value will be added to the current multiplier on top of the relevant reel.

Whenever the Host lands on any reel, he will double the value of the multiplier above that reel.

Landing a Multiplier or the Host will always award +1 respin. At the end of the feature all Multipliers will be added up and added to the bet.

Landing a single Bonus Symbol will upgrade Hell Respins to Super Hell Respins and award +2 respins. Super Hell Respins will also keep the collected Multipliers above the reels.

Super Hell Spins

The difference between Hell and Super Hell Respins is that in Super Hell Spins you start with 4 free respins . During Super Hell Spins whenever the Host lands it will triple the value of the Multipliers above that reel. Landing at least 1 Multiplier Symbol or Host will award +1 respin.

Sneaky Buy

Do you want the best seat in the house? The Sneaky Buy feature lets you jump straight into the action:

The Host – Guaranteed to land at least 1 Host symbol
Bonus – Guaranteed to land 3 Bonus Symbols and pick either Heaven Spins or Hell Respins
Super Bonus – Guaranteed to land 4 Bonus Symbols and pick either Super Heaven Spins or Super Hell Respins

Sneaky Boost

Sneaky Boost makes for an unforgettable performance in Freak Show Revelation.

Sneaky Boost is activated for 2 times the base bet, where there is an increased chance of triggering the Bonus rounds. Landing 1 or 2 active Sneaky Symbols in a spin trigger a normal bonus feature.

Super Sneaky Boost can be activated for 5 times the base bet for an increased chance of triggering the Super Bonus feature. Landing 1 Super Sneaky symbol will trigger a normal Bonus and landing 2 Super Sneaky symbols will trigger a Super Bonus.

The Stats

Max Win: 13,000x

Volatility: Extremely Volatile

Ivelina Balova, Product Owner at Sneaky Slots, said: “We’ve gotten great reception after our first release and now we’re looking to capitalise off that momentum. Freak Show Revelation has been in the works for a while, we have even changed the name a few times, but the Host? He has always been the star of the show. Sit back, enjoy the spectacle and keep an eye out for those easter eggs!”

‘Freak Show Revelation’ will be available to all Sneaky Slots partners on October 29th, 2025.

The post Sneaky Slots reveals a bunch of freaks in its second release, Freak Show Revelation appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

BGaming

Land Colourful Cluster Wins in BGaming’s Merge Up™ 2

Published

5 hours ago

October 29, 2025

George Miller

land-colourful-cluster-wins-in-bgaming’s-merge-up-2

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Rapidly expanding content provider delivers data-driven sequel to improve on popular hit

Popular iGaming content provider BGaming is proud to announce the release of Merge Up 2, the long-awaited sequel to the hugely popular cluster-pay title, Merge Up. The new release elevates the original’s gameplay mechanics and design, using data-driven insights and research to give players exactly what they want.

The company has collaborated with Strmlytics, which provided factual streaming data and direct feedback from the streaming community playing Merge Up. These insights have enabled BGaming to enhance gameplay without losing the charm and appeal of the original title.

This data-first approach has resulted in a visually modernised and polished slot experience. Merge Up 2 features an eye-pleasing pastel theme, with simplified visuals and mechanics that are now even easier for players to read.

Gameplay has seen the most significant enhancements. Cell Multipliers are now a central part of the base game, while consecutive clusters can trigger the all-new Bomb symbols, an idea inspired by a more rewarding experience compared to the original title.

Bonus features have also been made more accessible. The Free Spins bonus is triggered with three Scatters, as opposed to four, while three Bonus Buy options now offer different entry levels for players with a brand new bonus with maximum potential.

Merge Up 2 also boasts an explosive math model, offering a 10,000x maximum win and an impressive 98% RTP, enhancing the overall entertainment experience.

Yana Drabianok, Game Designer at BGaming, said, “We aimed to keep the merging mechanic as dynamic as before and make it even more engaging, but in the end, we knew the game must also have a heart. Merge Up 2 is more than a set of soulless features – it’s a game made with love for detail. We want the feeling of it to be precisely that of a game with a soul: with a smooth flow, understandable rhythm, instant readability, and pleasant “micro-rewards” at every step.

Sebastian Khalighy, CEO at Strmlytics, said, “We are delighted to work alongside BGaming again, and we are excited to see how players react to Merge Up 2. Our data, expertise and research identified key areas improvements of the original gaming experience focusing on improving the overall player experience, and we believe the final product addresses all of them, both for the fans of the original and also new players.

Data-driven insights and player research are going to play a key role in gaming development in the coming years, and titles like Merge Up 2 are an excellent example of what they are capable of helping to produce.”

The post Land Colourful Cluster Wins in BGaming’s Merge Up™ 2 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.