Eurostar Studios - Interview with Tara Townsend
In this archived interview, Tara Townsend talks about Eurostar Studios, its games at the time and the studio’s ambitions. The discussion also explores creative influences, collaborations and future plans.
Q1.: Hi Tara, it’s nice to meet you online. Please introduce yourself to our readers!
Townsend said she had worked in gaming for more than a decade, across real-money gaming, mobile social games, blockchain, NFTs and other areas. She called iGaming’s growth exciting and said she was pleased to be part of the industry.
Q2.: What inspired you and your business partner to start Eurostar Studios?
Townsend said Eurostar Studios was founded to bring the refinement and artistic appeal of leading land-based casino games to mobile. The studio aims to create engaging visual stories that revisit familiar settings from a fresh point of view.
Q3.: What does Eurostar Studios offer that competitors may not?
Townsend said the studio brings a distinctive point of view.
She highlighted business partner Jerry Seelig’s 30 years in senior gaming roles across land-based casinos, lotto, social casino, VLTs and iGaming. He had designed over 1,000 games and written over 100 patents; Townsend said his creative vision was central to Eurostar.
Townsend said her strengths were in partnerships, licensing, marketing and product strategy. She also brought industry connections and access to brands that can be hard to secure.
She said their complementary strengths—careful curation and a knack for distinctive licensing partnerships—help them take brands in new directions and create compelling games.
Q4.: Your studio’s first exclusive release for Microgaming, the deadmau5 online slot, received widespread praise for its sound and graphics. How did the idea come together, and what was it like working with deadmau5?
Townsend recalled meeting Joel, better known as deadmau5, at his home to begin the project. She described him as a prolific creator, artist and technophile. The team watched him work in his recording studio and design lab, where he showed how he made the striking show graphics and presented them through the 3D cube interface he had designed.
After the meeting, the team took on the challenge of bringing the excitement of a live deadmau5 performance to an online slot, Townsend said. The game pairs a signature soundtrack and vibrant visuals with a dancing crowd and two of his hit songs to create an immersive experience.
Q5.: Burlesque by Dita, your new slot inspired by the Queen of Burlesque, Dita Von Teese, looks striking. What inspired the game and your decision to work with her?
Townsend said Eurostar seeks out iconic brands and considers Dita Von Teese a leading figure in burlesque. The team drew on her photo archive and details from her stage productions to create symbols and features that reflected her image and brand while making an entertaining game.
She said the game’s backgrounds were inspired by venues where Von Teese had performed. In one of the free spin bonus games, large white feathers drift across the screen to reveal multipliers, recalling a feather used in one of Von Teese’s signature acts.
Q6.: After two distinctive first releases, what can players look forward to? Will another famous personality appear?
Townsend said the studio planned to introduce more brands and celebrities, combining them with its land-based-inspired art style for players around the world. She confirmed that more brands were in development and hoped players would enjoy them across several casino verticals.
Q8.: Thanks for speaking with us. Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Townsend said the studio hoped its community would enjoy discovering the games’ settings and stories as much as the team enjoyed creating them. She also thanked Al Buraq Regina for the opportunity to talk about Eurostar’s work.
Evan Carrington brings more than 12 years of experience in the iGaming industry, specializing in online casino reviews, slot game analysis, and player safety assessments. Their expertise includes casino licensing, RTP, volatility, bonus terms, and withdrawal policies. Combining hands-on reviews with independent research, Evan provides clear, evidence-based coverage to help players understand gambling platforms, their features, and possible risks.
