INSIGHT TENTPOLE GAMES
As part of G3's series of features on the greatest games the industry has ever created, Matt Cole, Managing Director of Blueprint Gaming, explains the significance of Te Goonies in forging a reputation as one of the leading suppliers of slot games.
Prior to delving into the creation and influence of The Goonies, Matt takes us back to the launch of Wish Upon a Jackpot in 2013, the company's first standout performer which set Blueprint on its path to online success.
What made Wish Upon A Jackpot one of the standout games from Blueprint's early online gaming days?
Wish Upon a Jackpot was one of our first original creations that really set the standard for our games going forward.
Te title created a whole new genre which Blueprint fans far and wide are familiar with today. Multiple modifiers, features and layers to the gameplay offered players a gaming journey as much as an entertaining slot. Tis new game format was accepted by many operators as an industry-first concept and continues to be enjoyed by players across multiple markets.
With five reel modifiers, including Gingerbread Man Wild Reels and Fairy Win Spins, as well as four bonus games such as Tree Little Pigs Free Spins and Rapunzel Free Spins, players had multiple ways of engaging with the game. Very quickly players appreciated how the game was different with each session, which resulted in entertainment levels remaining high.
Creating layers of the gameplay that were only accessible within features, such as the Golden Goose Big Money bonus, which can only be triggered by reaching the top of the beanstalk in Jack’s bonus, gave players the opportunity to play for more in the same game, rather than just playing out the feature to the end with no real entertainment value.
created a massive cross-over opportunity for online casinos to attract players from the retail sector.
Mechanical retail games, although less interactive in the presentation than online counterparts, always gave players great value with every spin. Chasing around the lapper board, climbing the feature or cash ladder for the chance of a better prize - these characteristics do not change when moving online.
Many new start-up developers position themselves as storytellers in gaming and offering the player something more than a spin. Wish Upon a Jackpot was at the forefront for this type of game and a format which we perfected and have continued to offer over many years. Te slot remains hugely popular and has created something of a cult following, which for a game in today’s market is extremely hard to produce and maintain.
How influential was Wish Upon a Jackpot in setting Blueprint on the path to delivering more games of this type to the online market?
Wish Upon a Jackpot was hugely influential. We knew from our land-based background that players, especially in the UK, demand value for money and longevity from their gaming sessions. Te game set the bar in the online world and
Packing a game with features, having a softer profile and allowing the player to immerse themselves in the experience was a concept that was new compared to the European style casino slots on offer in the online world. We’ve continued to build on the success of Wish Upon a Jackpot and taken the format further, adding even more modifiers and features into games and creating greater levels for players to achieve. Te Goonies is a prime example of a Blueprint game that’s been inspired by Wish Upon a Jackpot, with multiple features that ensures the game is still popular today.
At what point did you look at the online medium and realise its potential to add to retail games? When did the training wheels come off and you begin to tinker more with your online titles?
Online gaming has its roots in retail, so the switch to the online channel wasn’t such a big jump for us. Many of the features that
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