Making Their Presence Known

Attending industry events isn’t something that every new software provider prioritises due to the considerable costs involved in setting up a stand, however, Ganapati have recognised the importance of getting their name out there early, despite only having a limited number of slot games to demo when they started out, in the hopes of securing partnership deals, plus they have made a significant impact at several of the most popular iGaming shows on the calendar.

They left a lasting impression on many delegates when they debuted their slick story-telling slots at SiGMA in 2016, with feedback from operators and platform providers indicating that they loved the unique niche the company were targeting, while they also ticked G2E Las Vegas, EiG Berlin, the iGaming Super Show in Amsterdam and the GamCrowd Tech Week in London off their list.

However, it was their debut at ICE in 2017 which really saw them emerge as one of the hottest new software providers to keep an eye on – and we aren’t just saying that because we overindulged in sushi, Asahi beer and Sake at their stand.For ICE 2018 they flew in seven authentic Japanese geishas who created a lot of buzz and ensured everyone passing by captured a glimpse of the impressive artwork which is a staple of their games.ICE 2019 was no less impressive, with famous Japanese Kabuki actors putting on a show, and with the company’s recent announcement of their Usain Bolt collaboration and his presence at their stand, ICE 2020 is definitely one not to miss.

Celebrating Japanese Culture Through Slots

The focus of Ganapati's early games was rooted in Japanese culture, with their ever-growing portfolio of story-based online casino slot games a true reflection of this, promising to immerse players through spectacular anime and manga artwork, a unique soundscape, an abundance of bonus features, plus an interesting maths model.

A particular jewel in their crown is Pikotaro’s Pineapple Pen - a highly volatile game based on the hit Japanese single Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen, hailed as the next Gangnam Style after amassing over one billion views on YouTube. Although it didn’t come out on top, the 5x4-reeled slot with 40 paylines reached the final shortlist for Casino Product of the Year at the 2018 Global Gaming Awards in London – quite an honour for a software provider who was relatively new at the time. Since then, the company have managed to scoop the 5 Star iGaming Media Starlet Award in 2018 for Game Innovation of the Year.

You’ll also love working up a sweat playing their sports themed online slot, Wild Sumo, as it boasts a structure of 5 reels with 3 rows of striking symbols, incredible 3D graphics, a mammoth sumo wrestler can randomly appear to chuck a training partner across the reels and leave multiple Wild symbols in his path for you to benefit from, plus you could be crowned champion by accumulating Wilds and filling the Grand Tournament collection bar to subsequently trigger the Grand Sumo Tournament for a round of free spins.

A prime example of Ganapati’s desire to utilise interesting maths models is highlighted in Fireworks Fever as it’s a 9x9 cascading reels slot where winning combinations see you accumulate pachinko balls that help you win a bomb during an explosive bonus feature.

Dragon Hunter, CrypCrusade, CrypBattle, Sushicade, She Ninja Suzu and Ukiyo-e are the other free online slots currently available from Ganapati and you can expect plenty more soon as they seem to be making a new release every month – fingers crossed there are plenty more samurai, sushi and geisha on the menu!

Story-Based Slots at Your Fingertips

Ganapati have vast amounts of experience when it comes to the mobile market as they started out with a focus on developing smartphone apps, before making the transition to game development in the iGaming industry, therefore it should come as no surprise that they realise the importance of ensuring their beautiful story-based slots are mobile-optimised and available across all platforms. For this reason, Ganapati develop all their slots using HTML5 technology, meaning you can get that immersive fun on your smartphone, tablet or desktop.

Considering the resources at their disposal, you’d think Ganapati would also be placing a strong emphasis on being at the forefront of virtual and augmented reality development, however, their CCO Taku Sawada said in an interview and stated that he didn’t think VR and AR will have as big of an impact on the iGaming industry as the entertainment industry - so don’t expect the ability to jump into any of their Japanese-inspired environments anytime soon.

Ganapati’s Invasion Has Begun

We’ve reviewed many new software providers over the years, many of whom burst onto the scene promising us the world before falling off the radar after a year or two, but we have every confidence that Ganapati will prove mightily successful targeting the European online casino market. Just how serious they are about shaking up the iGaming industry is reflected by the vast sum of money they have invested in new offices on the continent and their constant recruitment drives searching for the best talent around, namely genius developers and game artists.

Their quest to conquer Europe took another leap forward in December 2017 when they announced a partnership deal with Bethard. This means their collection of real money online slots will be added to the diverse online gambling site in the very near future and you should expect the number of sites they ink deals with to grow exponentially throughout 2018 and beyond – especially if they manage to secure a UK gambling license.

As of 2020, the Ganapati invasion has continued to pick up the pace. At the end of the year, the company produced the official Manny Pacquiao slot game, Pacquiao One Punch KO, and kicked off this year by unveiling their partnership with world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt – with this lightning slot set to be launched in the summer. The company has continued to secure numerous content agreements with a whole host of big names as well as set into motion various new licensing plans, plus its very own aggregation platform. The platform gives players the chance to enjoy games from other developers, such as Egaming slots, or TopTrend Gaming slots, for example.

Ganapati has begun to move away from solely creating Japanese-themed games, as their global development teams are dedicated to creating content tailored to local markets – whether Europe or Asia.