Interview: Inside Slot Game Production Across Global Casino Markets

A Conversation With Tony Perry, Head of Production at FG Game Studios

Q: Tony, for people who don’t know you, what do you actually do as Head of Production? In simple terms, I make sure the games actually work in the real world. Ideas are great, but my job is to get those ideas onto real machines, on real casino floors, without problems.

Q: How different is working on physical slot machines compared to digital games? Very different. With physical machines, you don’t get a second chance once they’re out there. The hardware is what it is. Screens, buttons, processors, speakers, they all behave differently. You have to work around that.

Q: You work across UK, European, Asian, and American markets. What’s the biggest challenge there? Nothing is the same twice. Different countries use different cabinets, different rules, and different player expectations. Something that works fine in the UK might not work at all in the US or Asia without changes.

Q: Can you give an example of those differences? In the UK, things need to be very clear and straightforward. Players want to understand what’s going on quickly. In Asia, presentation matters a lot more. Bigger visuals, stronger themes. In America, the hardware side is huge. Everything has to integrate properly or it just won’t fly.

Q: How much testing goes into a machine before it goes live? A lot. We test on the actual machines, not just on a PC. We’ll run them for long periods, check for heat, check how the buttons feel, see how the sound carries on a busy floor. Little things matter.

Q: What sort of problems do you see during testing? Things you wouldn’t expect. A game might run fine for an hour but struggle after a day. Or a cabinet might handle sound differently. Sometimes a button delay that seems tiny suddenly feels annoying when you’re playing for real.

Q: What’s the hardest part of your job? Getting everything lined up at the same time. Hardware, software, art, approvals. If one thing slips, it affects everything else.

Q: And what do you enjoy most? Walking onto a casino floor and seeing one of our machines running properly. No errors, no complaints. That’s when you know the work’s paid off.