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Ganapati Malta is an online games developer for the gambling industry, established in September 2016 with a mission to supply the European market with games that combine Japanese design and technology with unique entertainment elements.
After making its ICE debut back in February, Ganapati has gone on to enjoy a breakthrough first full year of operations, by presenting at several key conferences, producing a series of high performing games and receiving nominations for a pair of industry awards.
We caught up with the company’s two sales managers, Mark Mckeown and Zoe Bell, to discuss how Ganapati has been able stand out in such a mature industry, what it has gained from networking opportunities at global events, and some of the innovative ideas to expect from them in the new year.
SBC: How do you reflect on the last year for Ganapati? In what areas have Ganapati products been able to stand out from the crowd?
Mark Mckeown: It only takes you to be at an event like SiGMA in Malta to get feedback from operators and platform providers alike about how much they like the Authentic Japanese content we are developing. They believe we have found a unique niche that has yet to be exploited and so do we. We are very excited for 2018.
Zoe Bell: We’ve definitely had an interesting 2017. We have presented in several key conferences, such as ICE, iGaming Super Show, Betting on Football, Betting on Sports and SiGMA. We’ve also sponsored quite a few industry events like the Global Gaming Awards during G2E in Las-Vegas and the C-level dinner during Betting on Sports in London.
On top of that, Ganapati was also nominated for the ‘Software Rising Star’ category at the EGR B2B Awards and for the ‘Digital Gaming Innovation’ category at the Global Gaming Awards.
We’ve also spent a lot of time on each and every game in order to bring them to the highest level of quality; we’ve also been working on improving internal processes efficiency, as well as expanding each and every branch we have globally by hiring experienced and enthusiastic staff to join our company.
As per our content, it truly does stand out from the crowd and the key to that is being authentic Japanese and so unique. You can play themed content everywhere, but our content actually captures and resonates with the culture we represent. We’ve utilised a number of brands (like the famous Japanese games CryptTract, Dragon Hunter and Pikotaro’s Pineapple Pen) so far with more planned in the future. We don’t want to become a games’ factory, like many other suppliers.
As said, we do appreciate quality over quantity and we invest a tremendous amount of time and resources on each and every game, from the math and logic to the sounds and graphics, through extremely thrilling bonus rounds. We are proud to offer a very exciting gaming experience and confidant enough to guarantee it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before.
SBC: What have you gained from the networking opportunities at global industry events in 2017?
MM: It is incredible in this technological age, where everyone is online 24/7 the ongoing importance of a face-to-face meeting to gain insight and understanding which just can’t be gleaned via a telephone call or via an email. Personal relationships are still critical to forging business in 2017. The important task is to plan your diary carefully as there are so many global industry events in the calendar in 2018!
ZB: We’ve gained so much from all the global industry events in 2017, I don’t even know where to begin! In addition to the conferences mentioned above, where we’ve had our own stand, we’ve also attended many other events, like G2E Las Vegas, EiG Berlin and the GamCrowd Tech Week in London.
The added value is priceless. It’s a great chance to have so many key industry people gathered in one venue, not to mention the possibility to meet face to face with everyone we’ve been in touch with, all in one occasion. It also gives us a sneak peek on what our competitors have in their pipeline and what new technologies and new ideas are out there. But, of course, the most important benefit of attending and participating these events would be the extent exposure and the opportunity to demonstrate our product in the best way possible.
SBC: Since obtaining a Class 4 Licence from the MGA in June, what are the key things you have learned from working with Maltese licensed operators?
MM: The increasing role of regulation in delivering online gaming should not be underestimated. The important role that our Compliance department plays in ensuring we are up-to-date with regulation and compliance has made the process of working with our Malta licenced partners smooth and efficient.
ZB: Maltese licensed operators are definitely straightforward, and I like it. The gaming industry community in Malta is very big, yet everybody knows each other which makes it easy to establish good connections. It’s been the second year we presented at SiGMA and again, it was very successful and productive.
SBC: What technology and innovation do you expect to shake up online game design in 2018?
MM: We are expanding our portfolio to include some very exciting new types of gaming. Make sure to stop by our stand at ICE next year to see what we are up to.
ZB: I can guarantee that we definitely have some great and innovative ideas planned for the new year to come. We are exploring every new concept and technology that can be utilised in our new games as we’ve done so far. We aim to assure the players will be constantly surprised and excited and that Ganapati will continue being a supplier of a top quality authentic Japanese content.
