This month, we interviewed Jerry Wilson, Vice President of Creative at High 5 Games.
In this exclusive interview, Jerry discusses his experience in slot development and answers some of your burning questions about Bonus Buys and Power Bet features, and the top High 5 Games slots to play.
He even shares some upcoming game releases with us, which we’re already excited about, and we think you will be, too!
Firstly, thank you for agreeing to an interview with us. Tell us about your career in slot development and your role at High 5 Games.
Thank you for having me. I have been working in slot content for the past 14 years and have been involved in the creative industry for over 20 years.
My journey at High 5 Games started in 2010 as an illustrator for their games.
I was responsible for creating themes, symbols, and backgrounds for over 30 games that were published by IGT, all of which were land-based.
Later, I transitioned into working on High 5’s B2C app products, where I helped create High 5 Casino from the ground up.
My previous experience with the games helped us design the app in a way that put the focus on content, making it easier for players to discover games that they loved from land-based casinos, now available on the app.
High 5 Casino was a huge success, and we began releasing our games through the app to deliver game content directly to players. As the iGaming market grew, we shifted our focus to that as well.
At one point, we were producing over 52 games a year to meet the demand for our social and gaming products.
Eventually, I took over the production of all our game content once I became Vice President of Creative for High 5 Games.
Today, I oversee the entirety of High 5’s creative endeavors, and I am proud to say that we are creating some of the best games we have ever made as a company.
These are our players’ top 3 slots by High 5 Games:
Does this list align with your knowledge or gathered data of the most-played High 5 Games slots? If not, how do our list and your list differ?
The games you mentioned have been immensely popular, and they all started as land-based games.
We are so proud of their legacy, but we are thrilled to announce that our new games have been leading the charts in the past year.
Our latest games, including 88 Drums, Da Vinci Deluxe Ways, Bankrush Bonanza, and Buffalo Canyon, have proven exceptionally popular with players.
It’s amazing to see that our new games are consistently being chosen by players over our classic titles in recent months.
The team and I are excited that our latest games have the potential to become future classic hits even when compared to big names like Platinum Goddess and Double Da Vinci Diamonds.
Why do you think these top games are loved by players? Is it the RTP, volatility, bonus features, payout potential, or something else?
“Why does a game do well?” is the question we always ask ourselves, not just at High 5 Games but in the entire gaming industry. I believe that everything matters when it comes to creating a successful game.
Factors such as the Return to Player (RTP), volatility, top payout, bonus frequency, and more, all contribute to the overall experience of the game.
We strive to find the perfect balance of all these elements to create a game that wows players with unique features and keeps them entertained for years to come.
The theme of the game is equally important. We carefully consider what world and characters would appeal to players and what music will add thematic depth and intensify the atmosphere of the game.
We focus on creating games with long-lasting appeal and fill them with multiple engaging features to give players variety.
Our goal is to create worlds that players would love to spend time in, with music and characters that will endure for years to come and be enjoyed by our players.
Some of your slots, including Platinum Goddess, have versions with features such as Power Bet, Spin Crease, and Bonus Buy. Can you explain what these features are?
We always strive to develop new features that can be applied to classic brands, providing fans with something new to enjoy.
I am thrilled with the implementation of Power Bets as it is an exciting feature. Power Bets allows you to activate all new features in the game on a spin-by-spin basis.
For instance, you can toggle on a Power Bet for Da Vinci Deluxe Ways and add an all-new reel to the game, which remains active for as long as you want it to be.
Similarly, for Platinum Goddess, you can toggle on random Expanding Wilds, giving players a powerful feature in a super stack game like that.
We have had a lot of fun brainstorming ideas on how we can use Power Bets not only on our new games but also on our classic hits.
It adds so much depth to each title and gives players the freedom to engage with a game in a variety of ways.
Buy a Bonus is an engaging feature, and the basic version we have out now is just the beginning.
We will soon be introducing the High 5 Games Bonus Pass, offering many new exciting features in our content, and giving players the ability to choose how they want to play.
You can expect to see a lot more on Buy a Bonus from us very soon!
Why do you think these features are worth it for players and which one is the best? For example, if a slot had both a Power Bet and a Bonus Buy option, which would you choose?
One of the best things about the features we offer is that they can be used together to customize your gaming experience for each game.
For instance, even if none of the features are activated, you can still enjoy the game, which we believe is just as good as any other game available in the market.
After that, you can try out new features by activating the Power Bet for a few spins, or you can choose to keep it on to enhance your gameplay.
Furthermore, you can activate the Bonus Pass and play any of the bonus modes with or without Power Bets in the bonus rounds.
Ultimately, it’s all about giving the player the freedom to choose and enjoy the most exciting gameplay possible.
Finally, can you divulge any information about any new game(s) that you’re releasing soon that players should be excited about?
We have so much coming up! We’re about to release a game called Money Mayhem, which was a lot of fun to create and is even more fun to play.
It includes a new feature called LootLink HotSpot that I think players will really enjoy. The game has an energetic and enjoyable theme that I’m sure players will love.
Further out still is our new game, Mountain of Zeus, which will evolve the ultra-innovative gameplay we created with Retro Riches and Buffalo Canyon.
At High 5 Games, we always aim to exceed expectations with every new game we create.
Our amazing team is dedicated to improving the gaming experience by introducing innovative features and fresh takes on our classic hits.
Our objective is to provide players with new and exciting ways to engage with the themes they love. We are eagerly looking forward to sharing our upcoming projects with the world!
