True innovation means predicting the future

“The world is changing. I feel it in the water, I feel it in the air…” are the first words spoken in Peter Jackson’s epic 2001 adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien’s 1954 classic The Fellowship of the Ring. In fact, these words are lodged in my head as I go through my notes from recent work sessions.

Having recently returned from a four-day ‘future conference’ with my department heads – 40 exceptionally talented and ambitious individuals of 20 nationalities – I was reminded during this inspiring event of some of the most important areas to keep close at heart, including how to turn challenges into opportunities and victories moving forward.

Most readers would be able to nail the keywords referenced over those few days:  regulation, market growth, personalisation and time-to-market… you might have retention on the list as well, both in terms of players and talent.

We all face the same challenges and we can all feel it; the world of egaming is changing. Innovation is on everyone’s mind, even though we have mainly seen iterations of classic mechanics and products over the last decade. To manage true innovation, you need to connect a few more dots than adding another reel to your favourite slot or removing a few clicks to place a bet.

True innovation comes from changing a behaviour for the better in order to improve the user experience in a superior way. It is about understanding where the players will go and then shaping your roadmap accordingly. It is about predicting the future.

Returning to The Fellowship of the Ring, when Frodo looks into the mirror of Galadriel he was able to see thing that were, things that are, and some things that had not yet come to pass. I dare to say this is where we are right now. For instance, the access to user data from AI and machine learning is rapidly improving our capabilities from reactive to predictive actions.

Double down

On top of this, there is Moore’s Law of exponential growth, originating from the observation of how the number of transistors that fit on a chip double every two years. So far, we are coming from rather low numbers, but we are just starting to see the impact of AI around voice-controlled products powered by Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexia.

Trying to comprehend the fact we will double the computer power exponentially going forward means we are at the threshold of dramatic increase in the technological possibilities. Within a few years, our hand-held devices will possess the accumulated human intelligence capital of the entire world. This will have a huge impact on the way we interact with machines and each other.

Within these changes lies great responsibility. Knowing rather than guessing means everything will not only offer laser-sharp behavioural profiling, which in turn will provide optimal targeting and player acquisition, but unquestionable insights to individual player risk levels. Managing true profiling before the customer even registers is already used in other industries to analyse ROI and risk-level probability.

Our ambition is to offer a superior experience in a Green Gaming environment, and reaching this goal means being perceptive to everything that is going on around us and respecting the fact the world is changing, constantly, and it is us who needs to adapt and dare to challenge conventional ways. Knowing our players and making sure we leverage the exponential technological growth means we are soon able to look into Galadriel’s mirror and shape the future of the egaming industry.

Jesper Kärrbrink’s career in the gaming industry stretches back to 2004 when he assumed the role of CEO at state-owned Swedish operator Svenska Spel. From 2008 onwards, he held various positions outside the sector before being appointed CEO of Mr Green in April 2016.