THE SEQUEL BLUEPRINT GAMING: THE GOONIES RETURN Goonies Never Say Die!
As part of G3's 'Tentpole Games' feature earlier this year, we sat down with Matt Cole, Managing Director of Blueprint Gaming, to discuss the significance of Te Goonies in forging a reputation as one of the leading suppliers of slot games.
Six months on, Blueprint has unveiled the launch of The Goonies Return, a sequel to the hit game. Jo Purvis, Director of Key Accounts and Marketing UK, explains the developer's rationale for the release, how it differs from the original and whether it can match the success of its predecessor.
What is the rationale for producing a sequel?
Sequel slots can be incredibly powerful in attracting player interest, particularly when the original game is so successful, such as Te Goonies. Tere is also an element of wanting to take an existing concept and making it even better. Sometimes making small tweaks to the gameplay and adding new layers is just as important as creating a concept from scratch.
Why now?
Traditionally, Blueprint has steered away from releasing direct sequels. We have focused more on giving a slightly different offering to the player by utilising proven mechanics such as our Jackpot King progressive pot system, Megaways, or our latest creation Prize Lines. However, some games are more suited to having a sequel and Te Goonies is a classic example of this. Within the industry, there has been a resurgence in direct sequels over the last 12 months. We are constantly asked about sequels and the demand was very strong for a follow up title to Te Goonies, so the time was right to bring a new instalment to market.
When did you make the decision to create a sequel? What has been the development process?
Once we pinpointed a suitable moment in our product roadmap to release such a title, thoughts then turned to how we would approach the sequel. Producing a new version of an award-winning game comes with huge responsibility. Te last
Traditionally, Blueprint has steered away from releasing
direct sequels. We have focused more on giving a slightly
different offering to the player by utilising proven mechanics such as our Jackpot King progressive pot system, Megaways, or our latest creation Prize Lines.
thing we wanted to do is disappoint our fans and the licence holder with an inferior product. We identified the best approach to a sequel would be to keep it in line with all-action bonus slots that Blueprint fans truly appreciate. Te amount of iconic moments in the film means we had plenty of storylines available to refresh the slot’s narrative and offer a new experience for players to enjoy.
What were the main technical challenges you faced updating The Goonies for the 2021 player?
Jo Purvis, Director of Key Accounts and Marketing UK, Blueprint Gaming
Player behavioural trends are constantly changing and so while we wanted to keep the popular characteristics found in the original game, we also knew the importance of changing certain aspects to make it even more appealing to modern day players.
With that in mind, we created a new mechanism called One-Eyed Willy Exchange that makes the game’s bonus rounds more accessible. Tis lets the player collect a win over a certain amount or choose to exchange it and try and win one of three levels of bonus. Tis is very much driven by the existing trend of players wanting to trigger bonuses in alternative ways than the traditional formula of hitting three or four scatters, which can often take longer.
How much licence have you taken iterating upon the original's formula?
Of course we wanted to create something different for players to experience, but the success of the original meant there was no need to rip up the formula and create something from scratch. Subtle changes can make all the difference.
Upon first glance of the gameplay, you can tell the key elements of the original have remain intact. In particular, the legendary Skeleton Key located on the right hand screen can still be activated off any spin, but this time with even more random modifiers. Te appearance of the red Skeleton Key was a special moment for
P50 WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS
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