Focus
MICROGAMING
TheiGamingFellowship Microgaming’s launch of new slots game, Lord of the Rings:
Fellowship of the Rings, revealed new gaming technology and insights into one of igaming’s leading innovation companies
An invitation to the secret island base of a world-dominating online games creator has more than a touch of the James Bond about it. To celebrate the launch of its latest licensed slots game, The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring™, Isle of Man-based Microgaming opened its doors to a privileged number of journalists in an unprecedented access-all-areas event that failed to deliver only in the sense that Microgaming's office is an actual building, rather than mechanical fake volcano.
BLOCK-BUSTING The Microgaming launch for its new The Lord of The Rings slot game granted industry press unprecedented access to the Isle of Man-based private business, its key staff and the revolutionary technology powering its latest game. Located in Douglas, capital of the Isle of Man, the launch of this high profile game from a company about which is known very little, apart from creating 60 games per year for its network of 180+ operators was also the perfect opportunity for Microgaming to talk more about its business, past, present and future.
MIDDLE-EARTH The Isle of Man backdrop featured prominently in the presentations and it is evident that island life, spirit and culture is an integral part of Microgaming's ethos. It's close-knit 80 strong Isle of Man based team waxes lyrical about life and work on the Isle of Man, though with a talent pool of over 1,000 developers and software designers to call upon around the world, the company is every bit the global
powerhouse that its profile suggests.
Just days before the visit, Microgaming's Mega Moolah progressive jackpot paid out a £4.16m jackpot to a lucky player, and in that same week, the company also released slot games Enchanted Wood and Gold Mine. However, the headline act was The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, the first game in a trilogy of titles to be released by Microgaming as part of its brand licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Entertainment. The video slots incorporate animation material, themes, and characters, from The Lord of the Rings Trilogy motion pictures. In addition to the attractive licensing deal, Microgaming's use of the material from the films has been combined with new innovative technology. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring is the first slot game to utilise Microgaming’s new Cinematic Spins technology, allowing gamers to see clips from the film with every spin. It features famous scenes from the film, including Ringwraiths during the attack at Weathertop, Balrog in the Mines of Moria, and Uruk-hai in the woods of Middle-earth.
The game begins with a brief intro movie, a feature Microgaming creates for each of its big headline games. Once the intro fades Cinematic Spins is immediately evident as the movie continues to unfold as a backdrop to the spinning reels in the foreground. It's a simple, elegant use of the classic movie's footage. Speaking to Microgaming's product specialist, Jean- Luc Ferriere about the creation of this new slots technology, he explained that it
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