Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming June 2014 32 Feature on the vaunted math of 5 Dragons with an optional 10-credit ante bet that triggers a Super Feature bonus that randomly adds up to 15 free games to the player’s chosen multiplier. Super Feature can also remove the two lowest multipliers from any selection, ratcheting up the volatility to the point where if you’ve opted for the biggest gamble—10 free games and a multiplier up to 40 times—you could end up with 25 free games, all times 40. The global perspective was evident at the show with Sunset King, which incorporates the North American edition of Super Feature popular with Buffalo repackaged for Asian audiences and supported by a second title, Indian Dreaming, thus allowing casinos to cluster Super Feature in banks of games. “It’s a great math model from the US,” says Mr Drane. “The idea is to find a theme that works in this market.” Standalone progressives were another highlight. A new Jackpot Streak game was shown (Sparkling Royal) along with two new Jackpot Reel Power titles (Choy Sun Jackpots and White Tiger), a new Quick Fire title (Golden Peach) and two new titles, Golden Festival and Golden Princess, in the popular Gold Pays series, which extends to the player a Hyperlink-style invitation to bet up “Gold” symbols to buy better pay tables. The concept is developed further in a new Hyperlink—Good Fortune—featuring the return of Choy Sun Doa, the Chinese god of wealth best known for his starring role in FA FA FA, the game that established the linked progressive in Macau. “This is our latest iteration of that character,” explains Mr Drane, “and in this instance we use him not only to host the jackpot, but he’ll also deliver wealth to the players; so he’ll come in and deliver jackpots, coin showers and free games.” Good Fortune features the return of Choy Sun Doa, the Chinese god of wealth best known for his starring role in FA FA FA, supported by an exclusive edition of 5 Dragons underneath and a new title called Dragons of the East. Both are uniquely integrated into the five prize levels with stacked wilds on reels 2, 3 and 4 on any spin, and they also function independently as standalones with their own jackpots within the link. A bank of Super Feature games featuring the newly launched 5 Frogs on the right. Underneath is a Good Fortune edition of 5 Dragons developed specifically for the link and a new title called Dragons of the East. Both are uniquely integrated into the five prize levels with stacked wilds on reels 2, 3 and 4 on any spin. Each also functions independently as a standalone with its own jackpot within the link. And unlike previous Hyperlink games the jackpot trigger is symbol-driven by four “Gold Reels”. “It’s all about wealth,” saysMr Drane. “It’s all about creating wealth. It is ‘good fortune’. We’re really using that god of wealth character that resonates across the Asia-Pacific market. It’s a proven model for us.” In all, it was a show that will be remembered as a turning point for Aristocrat in the region, the one when the company’s longstanding commitment to maintain its connection with its core players became a two-pronged strategy dedicated to penetrating new player segments. It will find the company in a better position to expand beyond China and will ensure that it has what it takes for making fans of the Chinese players of tomorrow. “Our traditional strength has always been the core gambler-style product,” says Mr Aubrey, “and while that will continue to remain a key focus for us, this is a market that is maturing, it’s a market that is evolving, and as the leader in it, if we want to maintain our position in this space, we need to continue to innovate and evolve as well.”