Who are NetEnt?
If there is one name that any casino site will definitely want to include on their roster of game providers, that name is NetEnt. NetEnt is the shortened brand name of Net Entertainment, and this software provider is without doubt the biggest name around when it comes to designing games in the online slot industry today.
This is because NetEnt are responsible for the creation of many of the most popular games amongst casino players – the sort of marquee titles that no leading casino site can afford to be without. These include essential slots like Aliens, Gonzo’s Quest, Spinata Grande and Starburst. But there are close to two hundred different slots in the NetEnt catalogue, and the consistent quality of these games is astoundingly high. There is no filler amongst this range: its superb features, smooth gameplay and top notch graphics mean it’s Net Entertainment all the way.
NetEnt slots are all created using the very latest HTML5 technology. This means that they can be played on any device, from the most compact smartphone to the widest screened Mac. And with its international team of software developers, animators and graphic designers, there are more exciting games being produced all the while. It is rare for a month to go by without another great addition to the NetEnt roster.
Some Background to the NetEnt Empire
But before we get to explore some of these iconic titles, let’s take a look at the company itself: who are they, and where do they come from? Well, NetEnt is originally a Swedish firm, and it still has its headquarters based in Stockholm. It is still barely twenty years old, having been founded back in the dawn of online gaming, in 1996.
From humble beginnings, it grew slowly at first, launching its first online casino in 2002. By 2009, it was listed on the Nasdaq OMX, which is the regional stock market listing for technology companies in the Scandinavian and Baltic area. This listing enabled it to massively increase its rate of development, which really took off shortly after this injection of investment capital.
The progress of the company toward its current seemingly unassailable position of number one in the business was aided when it placed itself at the forefront of developing games for mobile play. It produced its first mobile game in 2011, which proved to be a very smart move indeed. At that time, the vast majority of games were played at a desk, on a PC or Mac, or at the very least on a laptop. Today, the world is very different, and the majority of gaming now takes place on the move, on smartphones or tablets.
By being an early adopter of the new technology, NetEnt was at the vanguard of developing these new phone friendly games and was therefore perfectly placed to take advantage of this new trend. Today, it has around a thousand employees based all over Europe, in Gibraltar, Malta, Poland and Ukraine, as well as back home in Sweden. It also has an office in the United States, as it begins its expansion into regulated markets in the US and Canada.
Just Some of the NetEnt Slots You’ll Discover
What about the games themselves? Well with over two hundred already on the company’s roster, it is difficult to know where to start. Here, we’ll take a look at just three. Why not begin with a couple of its most iconic titles: games which almost all regular gamers will be familiar with.
Gonzo’s Quest is a mainstay of virtually every major online casino. Set in the Peruvian jungle, this steamy slot features the Spanish conquistador, who makes off with a treasure map showing the way to the hidden treasure of El Dorado. You are tasked with finding the loot, but fear not, because the swarthy Gonzo is with you all the way. He stands to the left of the reels as they spin. Or rather, as they don’t. Because, instead of the usual rotating format, in this innovative game, the reels feature masonry blocks from some unspecified native monument, which tumble and explode. All the while Gonzo stands, watching your progress, scratching his beard and offering occasional mutterings of disapproval or enthusiasm, dependent on your level of success. He even checks his map now and again and, when he’s got it the right way up, nods his approval of your attempts to win your own fortune.
It really is an excellent game, thoroughly deserving its high regard amongst players. The atmospheric soundtrack adds to the steamy atmosphere, and the innovative features add to the fun of the game: there are no conventional “free spins” as such. Instead, each time you achieve a winning combination, the successful bricks explode, while the bricks overhead tumble down into place in an avalanche of falling masonry. The process continues until you fail to add to your win. And what’s more, each successive avalanche increases your prize multiple, up to a maximum of x 15.
On the other hand, Starburst is something completely different. This simple game is a glossy, contemporary game featuring differently shaped and coloured sparkling gemstones. These run in clusters, adding to the visual appeal of the game. The synthesiser soundtrack bubbles away in the background providing a modernist theme as the jewels spin. The Starburst Wilds can appear at any time, at which point they expand to cover the entire reel. They can trigger up to three automatic re-spins to give you some regular pay outs.
But with NetEnt, they are not satisfied with just resting on their laurels. In addition to these and countless other popular player favourites, newer games are being produced. These two must surely be destined to become the classics of the future. One of the more recent additions is the stunningly beautiful Butterfly Staxx. This too features a futuristic synthesised soundtrack, this time with a kind of oriental flavour. The transparent reels run in front of a background of a duskily lit night time mountain scene, with blossoming trees and fireflies drifting across the star lit sky. The symbols are colourful pastel shaded lilies and other flowers, plus of course, the butterflies. When you get a stack of these on your reels, your re-spins are automatically activated, and you can win more and more as the triggering butterflies make their way from right to left across your reels with each successive spin.
While it is most definitely the slots which have enabled the company to earn their formidable reputation, they also have a good range of more traditional casino games in their roster. In fact, their live gaming provision is also regarded as being among the best in the industry. NetEnt were one of the first companies to enable live gaming to be played on smartphones as well as on deskbound devices. Their Roulette and Blackjack live rooms are certainly very highly regarded amongst live gaming players.
So rest assured that all the best apple pay casino sites are likely to carry a varied selection of great NetEnt games. And you can play these games safe in the knowledge that the entire range of games is designed to be of the highest quality: games you can play anytime, anywhere, and on any kind of device you choose.