Q&A: Benjamin Spiss, producer - gambling, Rabcat

EGR: Casino providers licensing video game brands, Bwin buying massive multiplayer online games (MMOG) publisher UnitedGames“¦why are the egaming and video gaming spaces converging?

BS: Video gaming companies produce astonishing looking content that keeps people playing without the possibility of winning any money, with the dominant business model being pay once, play as long as you wish.

But there is a trend ““ perhaps started by MMOG game World of Warcraft ““ from one-time fees towards monthly payments to use the games-server infrastructure and pay for additional downloadable content.

This demands know-how in online payments, fraud detection and, as such games can become addictive, responsible gaming, all covered by gambling operators.

The latter are also realising real-time 3D graphics, competitive multiplayer elements and higher game quality and interactivity will become more important to younger players.

The target group is still small, but companies such as Bwin, with its lifestyle-brand approach, must consider these players crucial to their strategy.

EGR: How do you see this emerging relationship transforming existing egaming products?

BS: The quality of branded games will increase ““ video-game brands in the gambling industry don’t currently reflect the quality of the name-giving game ““ and any younger adults they attract will likely be disappointed by another standard five-reel video slot.

But game producers will need first to get used to 3D production and real-time 3D engines, as well as higher production costs.

EGR: Beyond branded content, how else do you see the convergence of egaming and
videogaming transforming offerings?

BS: The gambling industry will develop its own virtual gambling worlds. Sony’s Playstation Home ““ a basic Second Life ““ could lead to an interactive, virtual environment where you can do everything that is allowed by Sony.

Operators may similarly develop worlds where players can customise avatars, interact, watch and bet on live football streams and visit a full casino.

LeCroupier.com points in that direction, but misses the community aspect. You can incorporate everything on a modern operator’s website into an interactive real-time 3D environment, combining it with functionalities from Facebook, The Sims, Second Life and video-streaming platforms like YouTube.

A third area with potential is betting on the outcome of multiplayer video games. There are already several professional and semi-professional e-sports leagues for games like Counterstrike and Call of Duty, where thousands of other gamers watch live feeds of games. So in future, we may see e-sportsbooks as well as sportsbooks.

EGR: Rabcat is primarily a producer of 3D content for the video gaming industry. How did Rabcat Gambling come about?

BS: While I was casino product manager at Bwin, Rabcat was producing new 3D poker environments and avatars for the Bwin and Ongame Network P5 poker clients and supplying graphics for Bwin’s mini-games.

Bwin was also turning into an inflexible colossus with casino a lower priority than the trendier lifestyle products of poker and sportsbook. I talked with Rabcat and we realised growth potential existed in approaching a wider audience of potential clients in egaming. Creating separate business division Rabcat Gambling was the next logical step.

EGR: It would take a serious paradigm shift in the thinking of most operators before they invested in developing such content. Do you agree with this statement?

BS: Most operators and casino software companies are in a waiting position; understandable given the huge costs and unknowns.

More time may be required to convince more operators this paradigm shift will happen. This will once again show who the real drivers and innovators in the gambling industry are.