LIGHTNING BOX
Lightning Box talks Phoenix Coins
Lightning Box Operations
Manager Michael Maokhamphiou discusses the company’s latest hit Phoenix Coins with GIO
GIO: Ancient and historical themes don’t really age - do online slots have a life-span usually? And is that longer if you use a timeless theme such as ancient Greece?
Michael Maokhamphiou: I see what you’ve done there! I’d like to say yes, particularly after the release of Phoenix Coins, but generally it’s the mechanics and playability of a game that lend it longevity. Clearly players fall in love with the graphics, imagery and sounds of a game. But, like a good marriage, they stay for an awful lot more. If you’re going to play a game over and over again, and not just drop it when the next shiny alternative comes along, it needs to be great fun to play. Whilst the theme is the shop window that draws you in, therefore, the maths is the goods behind the counter. Not that a retail metaphor is great when we’ve all been in lockdown!
GIO: Has Lightning Box explored the ancient Greece theme in other games previously? What makes historical themes so popular, do you think? MM: We released Spartan Fire in June 2020, initially as an exclusive for Kindred before it went network-wide. It was very popular and gave us the idea that it wouldn’t be a bad place to re-visit when we had the right game mechanic. I think players like these games because they are instantly recognisable. We’ve all grown up with myths and legends and those figures from the history that have been a staple part of books, films and popular culture in general, so there is instant familiarity. These stories and the type of imagery we used in Phoenix Coins cross borders too. That widens the demographic, which can never hurt the commercial prospects of a game.
GIO: How does Phoenix Coins use the theme - how is it represented visually? MM: The setting is the Greek mountains which is a very evocative landscape when you think back to tales of Greek Gods and heroic deeds. The aim is to get the Phoenix to rise from the flames in order to soar away with stunning wins. Players will also recognise the mix of creatures and characters from mythology, including warriors, maidens
and the Owl of Minerva that appear on the reels. Combined with the soundtrack, we hope it provides an immersive ancient Greek experience.
GIO: What are the benefits of releasing a game exclusively with one supplier? MM: Operators are looking for an edge in a crowded marketplace and having unique content, even if it’s for a limited amount of time, is very beneficial. Once they have that content, they’re going to give it a good push, otherwise what’s the point of having it? When home pages and placement are at a premium that is beneficial to us as a smaller studio. We’re always confident that our games will be popular with players and produce good commercial returns for our operator partners, but a little extra marketing push never hurts.
GIO: Are there drawbacks to this as well? MM: Really, it’s just the obvious one of scale. When you give a game to one operator it’s only going to be played by its players, clearly. It doesn’t get that mass market exposure when its brand new, as a result. But it does allow you to test drive it before wider release and build up some data on how it plays and whether players like it. That can be handy to have in your locker ahead of mass market distribution, even if it’s just over a two-week period, which is what we have often agreed with operators.
GIO: Who comes up with the theme and game ideas at Lightning Box, what’s the development process? MM: We all do, to be honest. We’re a small team at Lightning Box and so we all chip in. Whilst one person is coming up with game mechanics and maths another will be thinking about the best theme in which to house them. Sometimes we get inspiration from past success, as players like that mixture of familiarity and innovation, or from popular culture. Fans of ours will know that wildlife – and African wildlife and their environment in particular – have been a feature in recent years – but there is no real rhyme or reason to it quite honestly. We pick stuff between us that we like and, more importantly what we think players will like.
10 JULY 2021 GIO
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