We Are Trying to Strike a Balance Between Quality and Quantity

Habanero is a leading gaming content provider that started creating high-quality casino games in 2010. Today, the company has offices in various countries, over 100 outstanding games, and a large group of players waiting for new releases every month.

Habanero offers slots and table games popular in Western and Asian gaming markets, as well as video poker.

Slotegrator conducted an interview with Toni Karapetrov, Head of Corporate Communications at Habanero and an expert with eight years of experience in the iGaming industry. He shared Habanero’s vision of high-quality slots and told us how the company manages to create the fascinating games that make it so well-loved by players from so many countries.

Listening to players enables providers to create good content

“Habanero puts a lot of time into ensuring that its games are appealing to players, and one of the ways we do this is by making them topical in order to capitalize on upcoming events in the calendar. Christmas, Halloween, and other holidays are great examples, and our theory has been proven with titles such as Happiest Christmas Tree and Pumpkin Patch performing really well and gaining rave reviews. We also look to lean on major events, where we know slot games can prove to be a successful cross-selling tool. For example, during last year’s World Cup, we launched Knockout Football, which not only helped us to appeal to football fans during downtimes between or during matches but also helped operators cross-sell casino offerings to sports bettors.

“The iGaming industry prides itself on being reactive and tech-savvy, so of course, it’s important that suppliers and operators alike are quick to react in order to capitalize on the momentum and the latest trends. Listening to your players allows you to create, edit, and adapt your content for the better, and following these trends ensures maximum growth.”

Find a balance between quality and quantity

“As for releasing new games, there isn’t a proven theory of how much is too much, and lots of different suppliers are successful at what they do regardless of whether they release games every couple of weeks or quarterly.

“At Habanero, we strive to release 12 games a year, but it’s imperative that we strike that balance between quality and quantity. An average of one game per month means we have time to create slots of the highest quality, while not bombarding players with new yet repetitive content.”

Creating games that appeal to everyone comes with experience

“It’s always a bit of a balancing act - creating content that will appeal to a range of different players, especially when it comes to volatility. This is something we have learned a great deal about since expanding into Europe. Taking Italy as an example, we found that there is a craving for entertainment-fueled play rather than high-volatility gameplay. It means players tend to favor games where they hit the bonus rounds more often, regardless of whether the potential winnings are as high. Creating games for different players is certainly a learning curve, but it is achievable by creating a varied portfolio.”

A great slot combines engaging themes, exciting math, and outstanding graphics

“There’s no exact model as to what constitutes an engaging slot as all markets and players are different. Instead, the territory in question is worth researching to ensure you create a portfolio of games that are appealing. After all, just because a certain release is doing really well in Italy, that doesn’t mean it will prove as popular in a market elsewhere in Europe. At Habanero, we devote a lot of resources to ensuring that our games feature engaging themes, exciting math models, and top-of-the-range graphics and sounds.”

Tournaments are great retention tools

“We are tournament aficionados and believe they are great retention tools for operators, as they help to boost players’ loyalty, rewarding them in turn. It’s for that reason we created Jackpot Race, a fully customizable tournament offering prizes in a poker tournament-style breakdown, with the prize pool divided among multiple instant winners in a descending style. Players, engaged in spins across selected Habanero titles throughout the week, see a percentage rollover into the prize pool, with those playing at the end of the jackpot race given the chance to take home a slice of the pool.”

Slots are fast and exciting forms of entertainment

“Slots remain popular because of the ease of play and their enjoyment factor. Many bettors steer clear of daunting sports betting such as football and horse racing because they fear they need some type of prior knowledge to play, while slot offerings need no knowledge or expertise to enjoy and are really just fast and exciting forms of entertainment. Players can now choose from thousands of different styles as well as stakes and volatility levels. But more importantly, these types of games can all be enjoyed on mobile, giving players the chance to enjoy their favorite game on their commute home from work or on the sofa when relaxing at home.”