A Journey Through Game Development: Evolution, Challenges, and Successes: Interview with Hristo Lazarov, CT Gaming

Q: How long have you been working for CТ Gaming?

HL: I've been with CT Gaming since the very beginning. Our journey has been very diverse and filled with many exciting projects.

Q: How has the game development process changed over the years? What are the most important things when combining the visual part with the mathematics of the game?

HL: The game development process is a complex concept with creative and technical aspects. There has been a noticeable change in technical processes over the past 25 years. When developing the first games, all animations were done frame by frame, which required more thought, attention, and concentration. This led to producing not more than three games a year, which is ten times less than today's production capacity. The advancement of technology and the adoption of various software tools have made the work easier and reduced the workload.

From a creative standpoint, the process of devising characters, concepts, and themes is complex and is affected by various factors. Examples include pop culture - music, cinema, art - as well as global events that actively interest society.

The first slot games created were fruit-themed and featured simple symbols such as "cherries," which remain among the most used and recognized symbols in the industry to this day. Subsequently, various elements began to be incorporated, and there was even a trend towards implementing specific themes from movies. With experience and observation, we concluded that when choosing a game theme, players should not be confined to clearly defined boundaries to freely use their imagination. Additionally, it's crucial when creating a game to ensure it doesn't convey unintended messages and is easy and enjoyable to interpret.

Q: What are the most successful titles you have developed over the years and why do you think they gained success?

HL: The most successful product that revolutionized the market and continues to reap success even after 20 years is Mega Jack. At the time of its creation, it was the first major multigame in Eastern Europe and one of the first products to combine poker and slot games. This combination was unique for the time and precisely because we introduced something exceptionally new and interesting, it managed to gain huge success worldwide.

After the creation of Mega Jack, we spent a long time trying to replicate the formula for success and create an even more successful product, but it proved to be a significant challenge. During this period, we also attempted to create individual games to position them in Western Europe. This strategy showed signs of success with games like Coffee Magic and Duck of Luck, but after several attempts, we concluded that multigame packs are much more successful, so we decided to focus and stick to them.