Gamers are raising concerns about NetEnt, suggesting alterations in Dead or Alive, although NetEnt insists it remains the same. This discussion highlights issues with transparency.
NetEnt is actively updating their games from Flash to HTML5, a significant move as Flash Media support is being phased out. Various game developers are similarly transitioning, with games such as Montezuma, Immortal Romance, and Raging Rhino being upgraded to this new technology.
Adjusting slot games can be tricky, and some in the gaming community fear developers might use this chance to 'nerf' the slots. There have been complaints about negative impacts on both the imagery and the game's functionality. Raging Rhino The games Zeus III and another popular title had issues that frustrated gamers with longer win count-ups and the removal of stop spins. In the revamped Dead or Alive, there’s a possibility of seeing 2 Scatters close to each other, giving players a misleading belief they can land 2 Scatters on a reel while it’s not actually possible.
While frustrating, these visual changes are considered less concerning compared to potential adjustments to the game's foundational mathematics. Dead or Alive , a prominent online slot, found itself at the center of discussions post its HTML5 update, and debates about it have intensified across internet platforms.
Suspicions arose with the launch of the new version as players thought Dead or Alive was ‘nerfed’ and displayed different gameplay traits. These opinions were often dismissed as baseless, especially as they were made based on a limited number of games (spins and bonuses).
If you glance through gambling forums, players frequently argue that the systems are rigged after losing and blame foul play. Conversely, when winning, such accusations are rarely seen. However, the iGaming sector faces skepticism, and players have their reasons, stemming primarily from the lack of transparency.
To illustrate, more players have become aware that some, potentially many, game developers provide operators with selectable RTP settings, a significant issue in regions like Curacao, lacking requirements to show actual RTP (the UKGC mandates availability of RTP details).
This spurs further questions as players now wonder what else might be altered in games without notifying them. Providers seemingly offer operators payout caps, and while any RTP adjustments require new independent audits, caps and variance alterations don’t seem to undergo stringent checks. In fact, developers might have liberty to modify variance at their discretion.
In general, game developers are quite guarded, serving both competition and security purposes. Someone please correct us if we're mistaken, but those in the iGaming sector aren't sworn to honesty under oath and can downplay variance changes freely without facing regulator scrutiny.
Allegation: the variance in Dead or Alive has significantly changed post Flash-to-HTML5 conversion.
For readers unfamiliar with variance, kindly refer to our casino school article. Dead or Alive is recognized as a very high variance game, commonly granting small rewards and low-value bonuses but having the potential for massive wins. This is why Dead or Alive is often excluded in bonus plays as its immense win possibilities occur relatively frequently (in contrast with many other high variance games).
Several players argue that the variance has been leveled out. Essentially, this results in more smaller wins with fewer large jackpot wins. This suggests fewer wild line hits, which is what largely attracts players to this game.
Multiple player communities reached out to NetEnt regarding this matter, and NetEnt consistently denied any adjustments to the game’s mathematics. But this hasn't quelled the ongoing debate, particularly among players who are certain of these changes, and they remain skeptical of NetEnt's assurances.
Typically, such claims might be easily ignored as mere conspiracy theories or due to insufficient data. However, a sizable amount of gameplay data was gathered by individual players, which was then cross-referenced with the Slot Tracker data. While this doesn't definitively confirm any changes, it hints that a variance shift might not be entirely implausible.
Statistics suggesting this come from a Casinomeister forum member who compiled data from 1,528 bonus spins in the Flash version. Of these, 15 were wins of 1,000x or more – roughly a 1 in 101 chance for such a win. Comparatively, Slot Tracker data from 4,934 bonus rounds (average) in the new HTML5 version noted 18 wins of 1,000x or more, equating to roughly a 1 in 274 chance.
These figures indicate a decrease of nearly 300% in 1,000x wins, supplemented by the detail that numerous casinos have recently ceased excluding Dead or Alive from games available for bonuses. This provides further proof for their argument.
While the sample size is small, could this point to a change? We leave this to your judgment.
Ultimately, without true transparency, skepticism will remain among players. Who could argue with such sentiments when all we are given is the iGaming representatives' statements? Whether or not changes were made, it's insufficient.
Would it be asking too much to consistently showcase the RTP, accompanied by basic stats on max payout, bonus frequency, and volatility index? The landscape of online casinos is continually advancing, and in our view, improving remarkably. Ensuring that the iGaming industry keeps pace is desirable.
Update : In August 2018, a representative from NetEnt rebutted all claims regarding modifications to the game, asserting: “We HAVE NOT changed the Math Model on DoA. Really, WE. HAVE. NOT. We are exploring updates to the DoA game itself (aside from the math/server) to make it more faithful to the original Flash version.”
Update : Dead or Alive 2 slated for launch on April 23rd.
