Charlotte Miliziano: “Storytelling is what makes our content king”

Charlotte Miliziano, Head of Games at Play’n GO, granted an exclusive interview to Focus Gaming News to talk about highlights of 2021 and challenges for next year.

Exclusive interview.- Charlotte Miliziano is Head of Games at Play’n GO and shared with Focus Gaming which are the most successful products of 2021, the challenges for 2022 for the gaming entertainment supplier, their interest in regulated markets growing globally.

What are the TOP 5 of the most successful products presented this year?

This is like asking me to choose a favourite child or best friend! We released 60 games in 2021, the most in a single year in the history of Play’n GO, and what pleased me most was the strength of our entire portfolio. Recently we’ve released a rocking KISS game, a special Christmas follow up edition to the smash hit Moon Princess, and a super moody new member of our popular Arthur series called Merlin and the Ice Queen Morgana. And that was just in the past three weeks!

Of course, our games are designed to stand the test of time, and players just can’t get enough of them. Our Dynamic Payways titles like Dr Toonz are proving to be as popular as ever. Not to mention our epic grid slots and our IP collection continues to grow with recent additions for sports fans such as Snakebite to join music icons Twisted Sister and ZZ Top. 

Play’n GO has grown considerably in 2021 and our roadmap of games for the year ahead looks mouthwatering too. We can’t wait to bring those titles to the players all around the world who love our titles, and perhaps to a few new jurisdictions too. Watch this space.

What variables do you consider to define the success of these games?

We place a premium on quality, it’s in our DNA. All of our games go above and beyond what is traditionally expected of a slot game – be that specially created sound just for the bonus round of Diamonds of the Realm featuring a famous singer from the world of video games, or adding in-depth narrative to our titles to keep players engaged. 

Of course, the math model needs to be spot on, and the themes and gameplay should attract attention and retain players, but players today want more. They crave backstory. They want to see amazing art. They don’t just want to press spin, they want to feel a part of the story and have a true experience.

We see that this is especially true in jurisdictions where regulations have changed to limit stake sizes, restrict advertising and promotional activity. Play’n GO games are the ones that players keep coming back to play time and time again and our entire portfolio speaks to the success of our approach.

Will you continue the strong focus on gaming narratives in 2022? 

Absolutely! Storytelling is what makes our content king. We believe players invest in more than just the surface of the game; they want to know the who, what, where, why and how. 

Rich narratives pave the way for consistent visuals and characters that players can rely on – experiencing something new while knowing what to expect. And that makes our content sticky. It leaps off the page of casino lobbies to be chosen by players again and again. Everyone loves a good story. 

What were the main features of the Play’n GO games in 2022? What differentiates them from the competitors?

Our diversity within our portfolio for sure. Dynamic Payways titles, classic grid slots, epic IPs, we have them all. But we’ve also been pushing the boundaries when it comes to our player’s visual experiences. Titles such as Sparky & Shortz see two animated 3D robots on the reels – the detail on these characters is epic – adding even more dimension to this already dynamic game.

We especially had fun with KISS: Reels of Rock, we wanted to create the feeling of a real-life gig. As each of the seven original soundtracks plays, pyrotechnics ignite to wow the crowd. The devil is in the details as the animations are synced with the audio to react to the sound in real-time – heightening the experience further still. 

How do you evaluate the process and the project to regulate gambling in Brazil? And the market in Peru? Two markets were under the company’s scrutiny at the end of last year.

Play’n GO is interested in regulated markets globally. Much the same as everyone else in the industry, we’ve been keeping an eye on Brazil and other places too. We were very excited to go live in Argentina earlier in December, which serves as a nice bookend to our phenomenal LATAM success in 2021. It’s clear that players throughout Latin America have really taken to our games this year.

On repeated occasions, the company affirmed the intention to avoid the trend of “buy with a bonus” games. Will they continue in that line?

Absolutely. We won’t be making any ‘bonus buy’ games and we’re very firm on our stance there. Games should be about having fun and entertainment. We don’t think that Bonus Buy games align with that ethos and we won’t be changing our stance on that – plus they are already prohibited in many regulated jurisdictions too.

“Play’n GO will continue to make world class games of unmatched quality in the year ahead and we can’t wait to show everyone what our teams are working on.”

Charlotte Miliziano, Head of Games at Play’n GO

Having a full portfolio of fun and entertaining games has never been more important for operators. Hyper-aggressive promotional activity is being phased out in many places, and it usually doesn’t go hand in hand with successful player retention strategies that are critical to getting right if you want to be a successful operator in our current global regulatory environment.