Original Article

Hi Filip, and thank you for joining us today. It’s been quite the journey so far for Print Studios, but before we talk about the slots, let’s learn more about the team behind them. Currently, how many members are there in the Print Studios team? And do you have an office set up? Or since covid, do you now work remotely, too

We’re 12 people spread out across Europe with a small office in Malta for sales and commercials. We had the idea of remote working even before covid, so we’ve always been remote. What we save on office costs, we spend on meeting up a few times a year somewhere in Europe for a few days of fun. 

As for yourself, Filip, how did you find yourself in the iGaming industry? Was this a path that you had planned, or did you take advantage of some opportunities that came your way?

I studied for my Masters in the UK and stumbled upon the trainee program at Kindred Group. I’ve always been interested in the industry but wasn’t actively pursuing it until I came across that opportunity. A bit of luck and a coincidence, you can say.  

Once you were in the industry, how long was it before you had the idea to start your own studio? And from that initial eureka moment, was it a long process of leaving your role at the time and starting up, or did you dive in and take the plunge straight away?

I met my co-founders at Kindred Group in London, and we soon moved into a flat together. Many late nights gambling and playing computer games got us thinking, and we started to form the idea of a casino studio. Then, a few years later, when we had moved out and continued onwards in our individual careers, we started Print Studios. The idea was there, but it took us a few years to find the timing and gain the experience.

It must have been a nervous time when it came to releasing your first slot, Book of Destiny. How was this received within the industry, and was it a smooth process getting casinos to list the game with it being your first title?

It definitely was nerve-racking! The first game with the team, the framework and platform – everything was unfamiliar, but as a first game, it turned out great. I would say it was well received, and operators were curious about us as a studio and what we had to deliver.

SuperSpinners has been a popular mechanic of your games, featuring in several titles now. Was it always an idea within the company to develop a specific mechanic that would go on to be included in future releases?

Yes, we wanted to introduce a mechanic synonymous with Print Studios, and we had the idea of SuperSpinners even before we started the company. We felt it would be a cool way of introducing multipliers without blocking the reels, which sometimes can take away from the playing experience. 

You’ve recently hit a milestone of ten games that are now live. Did you have a time frame in which you wanted to reach this goal? And has it been a challenging path to get there?

A very big milestone for us indeed. To be honest, we haven’t really thought about it as such. We’ve just enjoyed creating each and every game. It’s the journey that’s the goal for us. Of course, there are challenges, but nothing we haven’t overcome as a team so far. As long as we learn and evolve along the way!

There’s plenty of competition in the industry, but I think it’s fair to say your catalogue of games is quite diverse so far and certainly makes you stand out even at such an early stage in the company's history. Are you planning on more of the same with regard to extreme themes such as that in Darkness and new innovative styles of games like Reapers?

Thank you. We’re always trying to bring something fresh and unique with every release, never reusing anything from previous games. We’re full of game ideas that we want to introduce to the players, and we can’t wait to see how they are received. Much more to come from us!

Could you give us a brief overview of the process you go through in developing games, and how long is it from the initial brainstorming session to the game being completed?

It all starts with the initial idea, which can come from anyone on the team. We then get together and refine the idea with the story, art and mechanics. Once that is completed and we decide to go ahead, the artist starts their work alongside our mathematician. We’re able to get a demo up relatively quickly so we can perfect the gameplay and balance the math as art, animations, and development continue. All in all, it can be a process of six to nine months for the finished product.

We’re going to put you on the spot with this one, Filip. Could you tell us your top three Print Studios games that have been made to date?

Royal Potato is up there. It was our third game, and one can argue it was the game that really put us on the map. I still have the scatter as my lock screen on my phone, actually. I really enjoy Reapers due to its uniqueness as a game, and then I would have to say Crystal Golem as well since it was the first game we created with SuperSpinners. 

Last of all, and something a little different. We all get our inspiration from different aspects of life, and one thing we all love is music. What’s on your current playlist? Top three, please :) Old or new.

I’m a very mixed bag when it comes to music, and it also depends on my mood. However, artists that always seem to be on my playlists are Eminem, Avicii and David Guetta with any songs really.

Thank you for having me on; it’s been a pleasure chatting with you!