What does the igaming industry have to do with the Diablo game series?
The popular Diablo game series by Blizzard got the premiere of its fourth edition a few days ago. This inspired us to write an article on the subject, because as we well know classic gaming and igaming stand side by side very closely. The gameplay mechanisms, the curiosity of the player and the way to keep him in the game are very often the same. So, what does Diablo have to do with igaming?
Blizzard is to the gaming industry what brands like NetEnt, Pragmatic Play and Playtech are to the igaming industry. If Blizzard has ever released a production in its history, it has been an absolute success. Games such as Diablo, Starcraft and Warcraft have already entered the canon of global PC games. Analogous productions would be games like Sweet Bonanza, Starburst, Gonzo’s Quest, or the Age of Gods series of games.
So, what do these two worlds have in common?
First of all, the fact that players are willing to spend dozens, if not hundreds of hours on relatively repetitive gameplay. The mechanisms of individual productions make the player curious about what each successive click will bring.
To thoroughly analyze the mechanisms that are used in both of these industries, it is necessary to refer to issues related to gamification. In this matter, it is worth recommending perhaps the best book on the subject, “Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges, and Leaderboards” by Yu-kai Chou. This is definitely the book that should be read by anyone who wants to achieve above-average results in the igaming industry.
The book systematizes knowledge in a very good way and accurately describes the elements that keep a player in the game.
What does the Diablo game series have?
For those who totally do not know what a Diablo game is, we come with an explanation. Diablo is a role-playing game in which we decide to choose a character with a certain profession, such as a warrior, sorceress or necromancer. We develop it, defeat enemies from which valuable items like armor, sword or helmet fall out. With each defeated enemy we collect experience, and for a certain amount of experience we move up levels.
In Diablo, many things are predictable and repetitive, i.e., places to explore or bosses to defeat. The main unknown is, for example, the items that fall out of defeated enemies. Items can be magical, unique, and elite. Does this remind you of anything? Isn’t this the everyday life of slot players?
The right gameplay design, the development of a community, the marketing packaging make the player want to spend more hours in digital gameplay.
Leaderboards – we love it!
In Diablo, there is no lack of leaderboards for players who gain the fastest successive levels of their characters in the shortest possible time, often referred to as seasons. How do we know this? Well, after all, leaderboards and time-based tournaments are one of the most effective methods of engaging players in the igaming world.
We can divide leaderboards in Diablo by time, professions, or the type of gameplay in which we participate (a special hardcore mode means that our character dies permanently after death and is not resurrected).
In the case of casino games, we can organize weekly, monthly, or quarterly tournaments. We can divide them by slot title or required type of stakes. The time spent in a given game and the resources devoted automatically reflect the position in a given game.
The player buys time spent in the game
What we often tend to forget is that both in the world of classic gaming and in the world of igaming, the customer simply buys good entertainment with his means. He wants to buy time spent in the game.
Curiosity about the world, unexpected events (element of randomness), competition with other players and the possibility, or rather the chance to be remembered builds player’s motivation to play.
Being present and playing gives him a chance or a substitute for the possibility of achieving something that in real life would not even be touched.
The element of randomness is key
Igaming and Diablo have mainly one thing in common – randomness. In the case of Diablo, we don’t know what the next opponent will be lurking around the corner or what item will fall out of this opponent. Will a certain number of healing potions be enough for our next quest? Will we be able to reach the desired level and when?
When entering a slot game, the player also wonders what will meet him on a given day. The type of fields in a given game is known in advance, but no one knows how the fields will line up. Will the player be able to take advantage of the bonus game? Will free spins give the player gold? And who knows, maybe the player will, like in Diablo, defeat the biggest boss in the game and hit the jackpot?
