Focus REFLEX GAMING the past, today the situation is reversed.
One of the most important changes that has swept the UK is the cutting of ties between game development and manufacturing. The mega-factories owned and operated by gaming houses have all but disappeared. Reflex's sustainable and scaleable business model insulates the company from the peaks and troughs of the gaming cycle. Simon Dawson explains: "We concentrate upon our R&D and have tried to take as much of the market as we can while making sure to not over-extend ourselves. We sub- contract out some of our machine production and have two build houses that we work with and are on track to double that number into 2013. If volumes drop, we just reduce the numbers with each of the build houses. All this development has been self-funded, we haven't borrowed to expand and always kept cash in the business. We've managed to survive the really tough times and should the market suddenly slow, we're well placed to ride out whatever comes our way."
SUPPORTING EACH OTHER Alice’s Wonderland was the Category C (pub machine) break-through title for Reflex Gaming, not just because it drove cashbox earnings, but because it stayed on site longer – some retailers doubled their top band injection period for the model compared to traditional high performing AWPs. "The introduction of the BFG dongle helped us to gain traction with retailers and operators," says Mr. Stott, "but it's the performance of our games that have kept us there. Lady Luck Double Take created a groundswell of support, interest and a following for our games. We followed that success with Chops & Change with an injection just before Christmas that has out-performed pretty much everything else. All of these games have taken just a few months to conceive and place in the market."
Reflex is currently launching one new pub game per month, a figure unthinkable just 12 months ago for the company. "If you look at the strategy towards the used- market, the big suppliers are currently either not releasing used machines or even crushing their cabinets and destroying boards in response to the demand for rebuilds," outlines Mr. Stott. Having created rebuilds for the marketplace in the UK for over eight years, Reflex knows that the demand for BFG/Barcrest bases will eventually outstrip supply. "As we are gathering momentum, while the numbers of Bell Fruit Eclipse cabinets and Barcrest Horizon cabinets are finite and so we are developing our own technology, our own cabinet to be completely self-sufficient,"
February 2013 PAGE 56
"The introduction of the BFG dongle
helped us to gain traction with retailers and
operators, but it's
the performance of our games that
have kept us there. Lady Luck Double Take created a groundswell of support, interest
and a following for our games. We followed that
success with Chops & Change with an
injection just before Christmas that has out-performed pretty much
everything else. All of these games
have taken just a few months to
conceive and place in the market.”
QUENTIN STOTT, Reflex Gaming.
“All this
development has been self-funded, we haven't
borrowed to expand and
always kept cash in the business. We've managed to
survive the really tough times and
should the market suddenly slow,
we're well placed to ride out
whatever comes our way."
SIMON DAWSON, Reflex Gaming.
explains Mr. Stott. "In addition to recycling BFG and Barcrest cabinets, our own cabinet means that we will become completely self-sufficient - though we will continue to recycle BFG and Barcrest cabinets while the supply continues. The new cabinet means that we become a one-stop-shop in terms of ability. It also insulates us from external sources looking to influence the supply of bases in the market. The new cabinet will change the market perception that Reflex is simply a 'rebuild house'. A lot of our competitors are using Pluto technology, but we are future-proofing ours with network compatibility. The Nemesis platform technology provides us with a serious level of performance and features."
WELCOME TO THE NEW AGE It would be simple to pigeon-hole Reflex if the sum of its talents lay solely in analogue AWP production, but that’s far from the case. Reflex Gaming's DigiSlots digital platform is currently going through its testing phase, but utilising Quixant technology to drive two 23 ins . high definition monitors, the shift from reel- based to digital isn't restricted to the realms of the big manufacturers. Reflex is producing a bespoke digital products for
the pub, club, arcade and bingo market in the UK. What makes the new cabinet special, aside from its HD monitors, tricolour LED lighting, attract mode, and Cat. C games all conforming to the new technical standards - are additions such as 'happy hour' games, which can be set by the operator to be programmable at certain times of day.
Reflex is seeking to create extra revenue during quiet periods and attract not just core players to DigiSlots, but utilise simple game styles to attract a wider player base demographic. "We are using the technology to drive additional revenues," explains Mr. Stott. "The system includes a full back-office with which operators are able to view all the data from the game, the game performance, percentage of use per terminal etc. In addition, and subject to licensing, we will be able to remotely download new game content and software directly to the platform. This will enable operators to remove game X and download game Y directly to a machine on site."
DigiSlots represents 15 months of development for Reflex Gaming. During that time the company has worked in
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140