Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | November 2009 44 Though Tetris has gone through many different versions in two and half decades, the game play style is consistent. A random sequence of shapes composed of four square blocks each falls down the playing field (a rectangular vertical shaft, called the ‘well’ or ‘matrix’). The object of the game is to manipulate these shapes by moving each one sideways and rotating it by 90-degree units, with the aim of creating a horizontal line of blocks without gaps. “In Cascading Reels, the three reels is your line count, if you will, for your 30-line play. It shows you the extra line just so you can anticipate what comes next. As a line fills out, then the symbols drop down. It’s just a matter of player attention and the feeling of control,” explains Mr Gribble. Money Burst™ Series This game series is targeted at players that love high volatility. A total of 60 lines go through just two rows on the first two reels. Money Burst is also excellent value for money, says Stuart Gribble, as players get those 60 lines for the price of just 30 credits. Money Burst also features clumped wilds and a special free spin bonus. “It’s been out on the floor in Macau for about a year or so. Instead of your traditional five-reel, each one of these spins is a separate reel, so it’s almost the equivalent of a seven- reel game. It’s a 60-line game, which means that lower denomination [play] is the most suitable structure. The way you play out on it is you just want to watch the reels while the other ones are spinning, so that you know what your chances are of winning in the next two or three seconds. “You get all the combinations possible out of the 60 pay-lines. It’s not the same old five-reel video some manufacturers produce,” asserts Mr Gribble. Community games—MONOPOLY Big Event™ This community gaming product has been phenomenally successful since it was launched just under two years ago. “If a player starts with 300 credits, for example, he automatically starts with a higher multiplier. Just by playing more I’ve got myself up to a two times multiplier,” explains Mr Gribble. “The concept is that the higher the velocity of play, the higher you bet, the more frequently you’re spinning, the faster that multiplier goes up, and your countdown timer goes up by 30 seconds. WMS “What people [players] have worked out is that if you come with a bunch of friends and you all go into the bonus round together, you’ll all get higher multiples.” Games—Powerball Power Seat™ “It plays very much like a community game,” says Mr Gribble. “The difference is, where everyone in a community game is equal, in the sense that anyone that bets higher gets a higher multiple, in this game, one player gets randomly selected to have their seat designated as the Power Seat. The game actually moves back and forth among the players before deciding who’s in the Power Seat. “Once you’re in the Power Seat, your bet multiples go up.” Games—Cascading Reels™ What makes these games unique is that in place of traditional reel spins, the game symbols in Cascading Reels themes drop down into the reels from above. This allows players to win additional pays as common reel symbols disappear after the initial pay. A second pay is then available on the new winning combinations. “We’ve had Cascading Reels out in the Macau market for more than a year now and they’re very successful,” states Mr Gribble. “The gem symbols have been very popular in Macau particularly. As you play any of these, instead of the standard spinning reels, you see it plays a little bit like Tetris [the classic video puzzle game first launched by a Russian programmer in 1984].”