INSIGHT TENTPOLE GAMES - THE GOONIES


From a design perspective, how did you approach translating an iconic Hollywood classic into a slot title?


Whenever we develop a licensed game, it has to stay true to the brand and provide a gaming experience that fans would expect to see from the property in question. With Te Goonies, the iconic characters were fundamental to the gameplay and without them included with the IP licence, the brand wouldn’t have been so attractive to us.


Even for those who haven’t seen Te Goonies, they will know the characters involved in some way given how the film has become part of popular culture. Chunk’s truffle shuffle and Sloth’s cry of “Hey you guys!” are referenced in many different ways, which certainly helped us in transforming the film and characters into a slot.


Our designers were able to pick out these famous elements and concentrate them into the game’s features and bonuses. Fans weren’t disappointed with the end product and the game’s proved to be really popular with fans of Te Goonies, as well as seasoned slot players.


What were the key elements in transporting players back to the 1980s? How important was instilling a sense of nostalgia?


Our relationship with Warner Bros. Consumer Products ensured we were given first


refusal on many IPs due to our track record of developing quality branded titles. When it came to our attention that The Goonies licence was available, we were very keen to acquire the rights. That decision has


since been vindicated, with our creation going on to become one of the top-performing games within our portfolio.


Tis was hugely important to us within the development stage. If we attempted to update the film it would have lost the essence of what Te Goonies is about and ended up with an inferior product. Warner Bros. Consumer Products were very clear in their desire to honour the film and the characters in this new slot.


Creating an atmosphere within a game is a real art. Tis ensures players are engaged, increases the retention factor and keeps


them coming back for more. Not just for the gameplay, but also for the experience and memories it creates.


Did you feel any extra pressure reproducing Spielberg's adventure film for the slot medium?


Any pressure was very quickly dispelled by the brand owner’s acceptance and approval of our design and development team’s work. Our vision with all licensed games is to keep the brand at the heart of the slot. Other developers will try and fit the brand around a pre-existing format and simply force it into a reskin of an old game. Tat approach doesn’t work and only results in a poor end product. Te success of Te Goonies is as much to do with the brand and its fans as it is to do with the game underneath the artwork and sound.


With 12 main game and bonus features, Chunk's Truffle Shuffle and Inferno Free Spins proved particularly popular amongst players. Was it simply a case of throwing in as many features as possible and seeing what stuck?


Absolutely not and our decision to incorporate multiple bonus rounds and modifiers was very much influenced by creating a game that would resonate with our target audience. Te Goonies is a strong brand in the UK and we knew it


WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS P29


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