Eurostar Studios - Interview with Tara Townsend
In this archived interview, Tara Townsend discusses Eurostar Studios, the slots it had released at the time and the studio’s ambitions. The conversation also covers its creative influences, collaborations and future direction.
Q1.: Hi Tara, nice e-meeting you. Please introduce yourself to our readers!
Townsend said she had spent more than a decade in gaming, with work spanning real money gaming, mobile social games, blockchain, NFTs and other areas. She described iGaming’s growth as exciting and said she was glad to be part of the industry.
Q2.: What led you and your business partner to establish Eurostar Studios?
Townsend explained that Eurostar Studios was formed to bring the polish and artistic appeal of leading land-based casino games to mobile. The studio aims to build engaging visual stories that revisit familiar settings with a fresh perspective.
Q3.: What does Eurostar Studios bring that competitors may not?
Townsend pointed to the studio’s distinctive perspective.
She credited business partner Jerry Seelig’s 30 years in senior roles across gaming, including land-based casinos, lotto, social casino, VLTs and iGaming. He had designed over 1,000 games and authored over 100 patents; Townsend described his creative vision as central to Eurostar.
Townsend said her own strengths lay in partnerships, licensing, marketing and product strategy. She also brought industry connections and access to brands that can be difficult to secure.
She said their combined strengths—careful curation and a talent for distinctive licensing partnerships—help them take brands in new directions and develop engaging games.
Q4.: Your studio’s first exclusive release for Microgaming, the deadmau5 online slot, was widely praised for its sound and graphics. How did the concept take shape, and what was it like collaborating with deadmau5?
Townsend recalled meeting Joel, also known as deadmau5, at his home to launch the project. She described him as a prolific creator, artist and technophile. During the visit, the team watched him work in his recording studio and design lab, where he demonstrated how he created the striking show graphics and displayed them through the 3D cube interface he had designed.
After that meeting, the team set out to bring the energy of a live deadmau5 performance to the reels of an online slot, a challenging brief, Townsend said. The result combined an iconic soundtrack and vivid graphics with a dancing crowd and two of his hit songs to create an immersive game.
Q5.: Burlesque by Dita, your new slot based on the Queen of Burlesque, Dita Von Teese, looks striking. What inspired the game and the decision to work with her?
Townsend said Eurostar looks for iconic brands and sees Dita Von Teese as a leading figure in burlesque. The team drew on her photo archive and the details of her stage productions to shape symbols and features that reflected her image and brand while supporting an entertaining game.
She noted that the game’s backgrounds took inspiration from venues where Von Teese had performed. In one of the free spin bonus games, large white feathers drift across the screen to uncover multipliers, echoing a feather central to one of Von Teese’s signature acts.
Q6.: With two distinctive first releases, what can players expect next? Will another famous figure feature?
Townsend said the studio planned to keep introducing new brands and celebrities, pairing them with its land-based-inspired art style for players around the world. She confirmed that further brands were in development and said Eurostar hoped players would enjoy them across several casino verticals.
Q8.: Thanks for speaking with us. Is there anything else you would like readers to know?
Townsend said the studio hoped its community would enjoy exploring the games’ settings and stories as much as the team had enjoyed creating them. She also thanked GCCans for the opportunity to discuss Eurostar’s work.
With 12+ years of experience in the iGaming industry, Evan specializes in reviewing online casinos, analyzing slot games, and evaluating player safety. Their expertise covers casino licensing, RTP, volatility, bonus conditions, and withdrawal policies. Through hands-on testing and independent research, Evan delivers transparent, fact-based reviews to help players better understand gambling platforms, their features, and potential risks.
