GLOBAL GAMES 2024
Three-Reel Hold-And-Spin
Pot collection features aren ’ t the only popular game mechanic to which Ainsworth is applying its own twist this year . Super Charged Link — with base games Super Charged 7s and Reel Hot 7s — brings a particular Ainsworth vibe to the hold-and-re-spin bonus .
At first glance , it looks like a classic Ainsworth threereel , high-denomination video slot . The base game is a three-reel , five- or nine-line game with classic bar and 7 combinations and a four-level jackpot . But lining up three or more orbs on the reels transforms the game into a fivereel slot for the hold-and-re-spin bonus .
The triggering orbs lock in place as cash-on-reels symbols in the center of the five-line array for a three-spin cycle , during which every additional orb returns the spin meter to three . In addition to the cash-on-reels orbs , the player can land any or all of the three lower-level jackpots during the lock-and-spin feature . Filling all 15 spots return the top Grand jackpot , resetting at $ 10,000 .
All the tried-and-true mechanics are accompanied by Kruczynski ’ s “ big swings ,” and one of the best of those “ calculated risks ” is the game Rocket Frenzy .
Available on the A-STAR or Raptor cabinet — base games Diner and Drive-In — Rocket Frenzy offers constant action in the form of blasting rockets . A prize grid of cash symbols sits above the reels . When rockets land on the reels , they shoot up to the prize board to reveal instant credit awards .
There are special “ Bunker Buster ” rockets that fly up to take out four cash spots on the board . There are bomb symbols that explode to reveal several cash awards at a time . And there is the Rocket Frenzy Bonus , which grants five initial free spins plus extra spins to extend the feature , the object being to send rockets up to the progressive meter to fill coins that will award the Major or Grand jackpots .
Kruczynski says Rocket Frenzy is the 20 percent side of the “ 80 / 20 rule ”— that 20 percent of games that represent the big swing . “ It ’ s the 20 percent that represents trying new things ,” he says . “ I ’ ve been in the industry 20 years , and when I first started it was free games . Then it was the ways game , and then it was hold-and-spin , and now we ’ re in perceived persistence . What ’ s going to be the next big thing ?”
Rocket Frenzy is the first Ainsworth game to be developed on the Unity platform , the format on which “ a ton of video games are developed ,” says Kruczynski . “ It gives you the ability to do more cool stuff graphically , but with sound , and easier than before . It represents a pretty big investment for the company over the past four years . When you get a new platform like that , you don ’ t want to jump on there right away with all your games , because it takes time .
“ So now we ’ re doing a really good trickle-down effect where we ’ re starting to see one or two games ( on Unity ). Next year you ’ ll probably see 60 / 40 , where 40 percent of the games are on Unity and 60 percent are on our old platform . But by the time 2026 comes around , 90 percent will be on Unity .”
Evans adds that Ainsworth has worked to perfect the platform for all game styles — notably , Class II and historical horse racing in addition to the Class III games . He says it will speed up the development process in all genres . In fact , Rocket Link is being offered in both Class II and Class III versions . “ That speed to market hasn ’ t happened in the past ,” he says . “ Formerly , if we had a good ( Class III ) game we wanted to port to Class II , you ’ d see the Class II version nine months later .”
Evans says G2E will also will provide a coming-out party for the Raptor cabinet . “ We launched Raptor originally in December of last year ,” he says . “ This year , we ’ re going to have five themes with 12 unique titles available on the Raptor . Three more themes and seven unique titles will be available by Q1 next year — so , not bad for a rollout when you can get to eight parent themes and 19 unique games in that space of time .”
This year ’ s Ainsworth display also represents the largest-yet contingent of new titles . “ We ’ ve actually added 20 percent more machines ; we ’ ve gone from 60 to 72 ,” Evans says .
This year ’ s display is only the beginning . The roadmap for Class II and HHR — on the system Ainsworth partnered with Churchill Downs to create — stands to accelerate rapidly thanks to the Unity platform . Kruczynski says the company also is experimenting with artificial intelligence as a way to speed up the development process by aiding in the creation of game art .
When considering Ainsworth , it ’ s safe to say there are still many big swings to come .
46 Global Gaming Business OCTOBER 2024