Behind the Scenes: Play’n GO – iGB
## Behind the Scenes: Play’n GO – iGB
Play’n GO’s recent partnership with the doom metal band Candlemass provided a fantastic opportunity to understand their commercial and creative objectives. Thus, iGB Deputy Editor Hannah Gannagé-Stewart traveled to Malta to visit the slot provider’s new headquarters.
Doom metal might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you consider slot games, but a new connection is emerging between these two realms. iGaming Business visited Play’n Go’s new home in Malta in June.
NetEnt has previously utilized music from Motorhead, Jimi Hendrix, and Guns’n Roses to develop music-themed slots, but Play’n Go has taken this concept further by collaborating directly with the Swedish metal band Candlemass.
Candlemass, alongside Black Sabbath, helped initiate the doom metal movement in the 1970s. They crafted the entire soundtrack for Play’n Go’s House of Doom slot, lending their name to the game, and even influencing the visual and aesthetic aspects of the final product.
A special EP was released to publicize the collaboration with fans and metal media. A 9-minute vinyl version, featuring Ghost frontman Tobias Forge, is accessible exclusively through the game.
This is a daring partnership, Play’n Go CEO Johan Törnqvist states, as the provider could have been “rather restricted” if they had opted for the traditional IP path. “We believed we desired to do something unique,” he clarifies. “Something with more artistic liberty, and certainly more band participation, and here we have an extraordinary partnership.”
Play’n Go is no stranger to branded games, the provider has previously signed IP agreements with Scandinavian TV troll Hugo to use his likeness in games, but Doom’s Day at the End of the World was designed as a genuine collaboration. “To feel, theme and music with the band, in their studio, having our producers work closely with the band, it’s been a wonderful journey. That’s what generates the creativity and entertainment value that we believe this type of partnership can achieve,” Törnqvist adds.
The band’s songwriter and bassist Leif Edling admits he was reluctant about a creative collaboration with an igaming company when the concept was initially proposed, but he was pleasantly surprised by the fan reaction.
“It’s a fantastic idea to build on Candlemass, for me, as a songwriter and a new promotional tool, it’s intriguing because we’re preparing to make another record,” Edling says. “I’m interested in how to promote things when it’s not the 70s or 80s anymore, record companies don’t have funds for marketing anymore. I view it from that perspective.”
Törnqvist remained tight-lipped about any other musical groups that might team up with the provider in the future, but he was clear about the allure of these collaborations.
“When you have a fantastic band, playing fantastic music, and they’re truly eager to work together, that’s where the enchantment occurs,” he stated. “It doesn’t have to be the latest chart-topper, it’s the enchantment between the individuals who create it.”
Scaling the Charts
Substantial investments in products, coupled with an increasing emphasis on mobile offerings, signify that Play’n Go, after 13 years in the market, is beginning to experience substantial growth. “We’re pouring a significant amount of resources into our personnel, and in terms of office space, we’re expanding at all of our current locations. I don’t envision us establishing new offices in new locations,
but we’ll undoubtedly be expanding our existing offices,” he mentioned.
Human Resources Business Partner Liana Mifsud is spearheading this growth, and she emphasizes that finding the right individuals at the opportune moment is crucial to successfully managing this expansion. “We’re growing rapidly, but at a consistent pace. We consistently have open positions, but we’re progressively adding to the team,” she expressed.
“We don’t recruit 20 individuals at once. We integrate them one at a time, train them within that team, and then we proceed.”
Over the past few years, Play’n Go’s clientele has expanded considerably, and Lena Yasir’s group of international account executives has welcomed numerous new individuals, expanding from four to fourteen in just two years.
To fulfill the rising customer demand, Yasir recently reorganized the team to guarantee that customers receive the same quality of service as when the company was smaller. “We now have various tiers of account executives, we have senior account executives who typically manage three clients, these are our primary key clients,” she explained.
“Then we have key account executives who manage three to five clients, and then account executives who each manage up to ten clients. This ensures each account executive has sufficient time to serve each client.”
New regions
As part of its growth, Play’n Go is actively expanding into Latin America, striking a content agreement with Logrand Entertainment Group in Mexico earlier this year. “We believe there is a massive opportunity there, particularly with our omni-channel product and online business,” said Törnqvist.
Omni-channel is another area where Play’n Go sees itself making a difference in the future. Törnqvist says the company has been successful in bridging the gap between land-based and online. “We are working to break new ground, creating things that don’t exist today, and utilizing our omni-channel product,” he said.
By merging advanced online platforms, these games bridge the gap with conventional land-based games, providing the same experience across all devices.
He doesn’t believe Play’n Go will lessen its annual game releases, but he stresses that the quality and entertainment value of these games must be paramount. He mentioned their collaboration with Candlemass, suggesting more similar partnerships in the future. “We can certainly move towards developing more game series and addressing the requirements of the player community – we see this as a significant opportunity for the future.”
Sweden, the supplier’s headquarters, is on the brink of regulation. Törnqvist welcomes the clarity the new structure brings and hopes for a seamless transition, likely based on the British and Danish models. “This will aid with marketing,” he said, adding that the Swedish government’s efforts to fight gambling addiction are “a major step forward.”
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