IGT SUPERSIZES FEATURES IN NEW LUCKY GONG GAMES
Starting with a game already popular among players, and with sustained longevity, is a sound basis for a game development strategy, but it’s even more interesting if you tweak it and improve it first with a super-sized hold and spin feature, more volatility, new free game features and an extra jackpot level! After almost two years, IGT’s Go for Grand games are still popular among players and performing well in clubs as both a Link, and as SAP games. Using these Go for Grand games as a base, IGT have evolved elements of these games and boosted them with new features, into create their new Lucky Gong game family.
As a gaming specialist I’m always on the lookout for new product where game designers have used math models based on games that remain popular long-term among players – it takes the risk out of a game purchase choice even when you don’t have live data available yet, and you can add it to your floor immediately with confidence. Using the long-term solid performance of their Go for Grand games as a base, the IGT designers have evolved these successful games into their new Lucky Gong game family. The mix of familiarity for players, hold and spin game mechanics and additional features, will see mid and high tier players reacting very positively to these new games.
Lucky Gong is to be released initially with three game titles: Mystical Emperor, Crimson Flower & Emperors Lions, with a fourth, Eastern Riches, to follow within weeks.
Lucky Gong will be available on the Crystal Curve-i as a Link with a choice of a $10,000 or $25,000 Lucky Gong Jackpot, plus an additional $5,000 Grand Jackpot SAP underneath.
The Lucky Gong game family will also be available on the Crystal Dual-i 27 as a SAP with a $8,000 or $5,000 Lucky Gong Jackpot, plus an additional $2,500 Grand Jackpot SAP underneath.
What’s “extra” about Lucky Gong?
- The new Lucky Gong games are a more volatile version of Go for Grand that appeals to the mid and higher tier regular players.
- An additional jackpot level has been included in the Lucky Gong games that include a Lucky Gong Grand Jackpot, the Grand Jackpot, plus Major, Minor and Mini Jackpots and bonuses.
- The full denomination selection of 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c to $1, and the inclusion of the $2 denomination in NSW will appeal to higher denomination players.
- Rich eye-catching graphics and Asian art styles will connect with many mid-higher tier players and many demographic groups.
Lucky Gong feature – familiar with a boost
As with Go for Grand, the Lucky Gong feature will give players a familiar experience. Players are looking for 6 or more coins to get into the hold and spin feature where they then build up, by collecting a frequently appearing dragon symbol, to unlock additional windows. Players need to collect four dragon symbols to unlock each additional window, which expands the screen to help them achieve more chances to win additional credit prizes, bonuses or the jackpots.
When players land a Lucky Gong symbol in the hold and spin feature, they gain access to the extra Lucky Gong Jackpot feature. Once the hold and spin feature has ended a new window opens to reveal a spinning reel where players have a chance to win the top-level Lucky Gong Jackpot, the new SAP Grand Jackpot, or a bonus credit prize. This Lucky Gong symbol can be landed across the standard game play window, or any of the unlocked windows in the feature.
Players can also win the Lucky Gong Grand Jackpot by landing 15 coins in one of the unlocked screens during the hold and spin feature.
Game features
While the Lucky Gong hold and spin feature is common across all four games, the free game features vary to ensure variety for players:
- Crimson Flower and Emperors Lions: players need three or more lanterns (in Crimson Flower) or temples (in Emperors Lions) to trigger 8 free games with a symbol reveal.
- Mystical Emperor: players need three or more gold ingots to trigger 6 free games, with x2 and x3 wild multipliers to build up the line wins.
- Eastern Riches: when a wild symbol lands during the free games it holds for additional spins.
Performance
The original Go for Grand games were launched almost two years ago, and performance is still very consistent after all this time. The graph below shows both the market penetration of Link Vs SAP versions as well as the combined performance levels across NSW and QLD from MAX data. There are historically not many games that show such long-term stability.
Using the popular Go for Grand elements as its base, the Lucky Gong game family, with its boosted features should see even stronger game performance than the original. The increased volatility, stronger graphics, an additional SAP jackpot level and new game features, plus the initial release of 3-4 games, means there is plenty here to interest players and ensure strong performance results in clubs.
For more information contact your IGT representative.
Written by: Justine Channing
Gaming Specialist – Cream Gaming P/L