Putting the maths first
Australian slot developer Lightning Box Games has come a long way since its launch in 2004. The company has become a mainstay of the iGaming industry, now providing its games to markets all across the world, including Europe and North America.
a medieval-themed slot with an edge
Demonstrating the firm’s continued success, Lightning Box’s upcoming release recently made it into VegasSlotsOnline News’ Slots of the Week. Blood and Gold is a medieval-themed slot with an edge, featuring two warring kingdoms, Battle Rounds, heart symbols, and five reels.
VSO News spoke with Lightning Box’s founder and chief executive Peter Causley to get his insight into the upcoming game, along with the company’s interesting maths-based strategy for game development.
Lightning Box Games has now been providing online slots to the industry for more than a decade. How has the company grown in that time?
The company began life in 2004 when we started supplying US land-based operators. We then dipped our toe into online waters in 2010. We partnered with NYX five years later to help us do that. From then on, our focus has always been online and we have grown accordingly.
Of course, our big break came when the US and Canadian markets began opening up for online gaming. We have really benefitted from having US content design in our DNA from our land-based days, hence we had very little trouble getting our European games quickly approved for US and Canadian online casinos.
Have the demands of the modern online slot gamer shifted since 2010?
No and Yes. Players still want the same thing, in that they love to be taken on an emotional ride with the chance of a win. But they also want new ways of experiencing this. As a result, we’ll always keep the core of our design the same but will always try something new alongside it. These things have remained the same in any gaming experience since the first “fruit machine” was rolled out by Charles Fey over 100 years ago. They will probably be the same in another hundred years too!
Lightning Box prides itself on the fact it was founded by mathematicians. How does this benefit the games you produce?
We have a math-first focused design. That is where we start, and we then pull together other key attributes around that. The math, or key game mechanic, commonly dictates what illustrations, animations, and audio will go into the game.
it’s the maths that gets the player to continue playing
Other studios do it the other way around, but we believe it’s the maths that gets the player to continue playing when the novelty of the theme and graphics has worn off.
Now, onto Blood and Gold. What makes this new slot different to Lightning Box’s previous products?
Blood and Gold has the popular Cash on Reels re-spin feature. What is unique here is that the player chooses a side and a battle round takes place during each respin. If your chosen side wins the battle, you win all the prizes shown for that spin. If you lose the round, you also lose the prizes on that spin. If you also collect a heart on any winning spin, you are awarded another life. The spins end when you have no lives left.
When can our readers expect to officially try their hand at the game?
The game will launch into the European market on September 21.
Which other slots are your most successful to date?
Our ChickenFox series, three games, and our four-game “Lightning” franchise have all smashed it for us. In the past, Silver Lion was our first big hit.
What’s next for Lightning Box? Any other upcoming releases you can share with us?
We have a game in the Lightning & ChickenFox franchises, as well as a brand-new born again franchise coming in December, which we’re excited about. For the details of that, you will have to wait and see!