Game Review Q4
News on 4 Apr 2013
News on 4 Apr 2013
888.com kicks off our review with its aptly timed Halloween title: A Nightmare on Elm St. The game, featuring 30-paylines, two jackpots, a four-step bonus round and clips from the well-known movie, should satisfy Freddy Kruger fans as he makes special appearances throughout the game.
Australian gaming firm Ainsworth released an online version of its terrestrial fave Roaming Reels.
Amaya Gaming group launched its Strobe fast-fold online poker product through subsidiary Ongame Poker Network.
Kyoko’s Quest is a new release from Belgian games development studio Angle Gaming Labs, a ninja-themed, 243 Ways-to-Win game.
Aristocrat adapted a myriad of its popular land-based games to the online environment beginning with Imperial House, an Asian-themed feature and graphic-rich game, followed by Pompeii, a 5-reel, 243 ways to win slot featuring ruby-encrusted golden medallions, shields, swords, spartan helmets and other richly themed iconography. More Hearts is a 5-reel, 25-payline game released over the Valentine Day period. It is the online version of the More Hearts terrestrial slot machine.
The primarily land casino supplier Bally Technologies entered into an online content agreement with Openbet. The deal will see Bally content including hits such as Tiger Treasures, Vegas Hits, Cupid, Psyche and Mayan Treasures, made available to OpenBet Casino customers.
Sports and Betting data provider Betradar released Soccer Roulette, a new, incident-based betting product.
Betsoft’s At the Copa and After Night Falls revealed at ICE have been received well. At The Copa is a 5 reel, 30 pay-line game with a festive salsa theme backed by features like a dance-off bonus round between two rivals to decide who will be the lovely Carolina’s salsa partner. The amusing After Night Falls video slot is a 5 reel, 30 pay-line slot accompanied by a jazzy soundtrack and innovative bonus features.
The Bovada group’s latest online slot features a gory but imaginative theme which pitches football cheerleaders against bloodthirsty (and bloodcurdling) zombies in a battle for survival and supremacy. Zombies vs. Cheerleaders sees the cheerleaders, co-skippered by Missy and Julie, stomp, chop and hack their way to safety across the reels of a slot in which winning combinations are paid both left to right and right to left.
Cake Poker’s Cake Dice is the latest addition to a varied games portfolio that embraces both poker and casino gaming. The first games in this portfolio will be Cee-lo and 1-4-24, played against a virtual backdrop of a back-alley in which players can win and lose real money on the roll of the dice. The developers of the new games are not at present known.
We saw some action from Cryptologic over the review period with the release of Armadillo Artie, Valley of the Scarab, Wolverine Action Stacks and Captain America Action Stacks released on the Intercasino website which uses Amaya-Cryptologic software.
Derby Jackpot is an online gambling start-up company that claims to bridge the gap between hardcore horse-betting and online social gaming. It is beta testing an online game that lets players bet real money on live horse races via electronic devices. Live dealer platform provider EntwineTech debuted Super 6, the popular no-commission Baccarat game that has proved a major hit in Asian land-based casinos. Entwine’s version of the game sees the customary 5 percent commission on payouts on Banker bets scrapped – the only deduction now is if the Banker wins at 6, then the payout will be 1:0.5.
Free slot action website Free Slot.com launched a bonus-rich video slot titled Reel De Luxe, a five-reel, 21-payline slot with three bonus features and a theme that will especially appeal to the female demographic – luxury shopping for designer bags, perfumes, jewellery and shoes.
A partnership deal signed last year between GameAccount Network and Incredible Technologies for the adaptation of a suite of its land games to the online environment came to fruition with the first of five titles going live on GameAccount Network. Crazy Money, the first in the series, is a 5-reel, 15 line slot game featuring ClearWin™ symbols where all the winning symbols the player acquires, equate to the credits won and AnglePay™ which allows players the opportunity to win from more than one angle.
Game developer Genesis Gaming’s newest slot is themed on ancient Arabia inspired by the colourful and exotic world of merchant caravans and Arabic bazaars. Arabian Caravan carries the usual high quality, graphic and feature-rich qualities Genesis Gaming is known for, taking the player on a journey into the bazaars where they haggle to hopefully take home some of the caravan’s riches. Arabian Caravan will be the first in a series of upcoming releases developed for the Quickfire Platform powered by Microgaming.
Novomatic’s Astra Games subsidiary GreenTube launched new Novomatic casino games including Diamond 7, Flame Dancer and Knights Quest slots along with Marilyn Poker II, a video poker offering. Other releases over the review period comprised Rumpel Wildspins, the regal Royal Dynasty slot game, Aztec Power, Jackpot Crown, Mayan Moons, Cash Farm, Marilyn’s Diamonds Deluxe, Pharaoh’s Tomb, Hollywood Star and Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy.
GreenTube also released its first animated 3D online slot, Marilyn’s Diamonds, in collaboration with long-time business partner Game Twist.com
ChaChingo Bingo was launched by GSN Digital, basically an overhaul of its popular Bingo Blitz game. Available on GSN.com, players can win cash jackpots along with Oodles, GSN’s online currency, and Tokens that can be used to play GSN’s virtual casino games.
International Game Technology’s (IGT) skill-based, arcade-style game Star Trek: Against All Odds was launched, followed by Crown of Egypt – a 4×5 reel window with 20 independent reels; 40 pay-lines and 1,024 ways to win through IGT’s MultiWay Xtra wagering feature. Ghostbusters was another much anticipated terrestrial slot adapted to online that went live featuring clips from the iconic movie of the same name.
iSoftBet released the much anticipated Basic Instinct-branded game following a previously announced agreement with producer Studiocanal. The 243 ways to win slot game is based on the hit thriller movie of the 1990’s featuring Sharon Stone and is the latest in a range of branded games that join Rango and The Ladybug on the iSoftBet gaming platform.
Online gambling games developer, JPM Interactive (JPMi) was reportedly pleased with the initial UK response to its first online release under the new Al Murray the Pub Landlord franchise. The first game is themed on the popular beer-swilling English comedian Al Murray. The company additionally launched a progressive slot in the company’s Max Power series online. Titled 4th Dimension Max Power the game is a 3-reel, 8 pay-line internet slot game with a progressive jackpot, bonus round, instant play, auto-play and a sci-fi theme.
Leander Games’ Megadeth slot game launched in October 2012, featuring images of the band members, their instruments, and the Megadeth logo. The 5-reel, 40-payline game will appeal to a specific genre and includes the usual features accompanied by the Hangar 18 Free Spins and Head Crusher bonus rounds.
Microgaming’s blistering pace continued unabated with varied-theme game releases on its Viper, Flash and QuickFire platforms that are designed to appeal to a broad audience.
First up was a new 5-reel, 243 Ways To Win video slot titled Break Away which is themed on the adrenalin-fueled world of Ice Hockey. Octopays followed, a captivating ocean-themed slot allowing players to dive into the colourful, adventurous and treasure filled environment of sunken ships, rusty anchors and hidden treasures.
November 2012 saw the release of Western Frontier, a 15-line Wild West-themed slot on the company’s Flash platform.
Microgaming introduced its eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth multi-player tournament titles Deck the Halls, Sure Win, Avalon and Immortal Romance to its multi-player tourney portfolio. Deck the Halls, released in December, is a 5-reel, 30-line slot featuring Wilds, Scatters, Multipliers and Free Spins in full Christmas regalia. Sure Win, a 5-reel, 25-line slot combines outstanding graphics with a superb, bespoke horse racing soundtrack to deliver a thoroughly entertaining racetrack gaming experience. Avalon is a five reel, 20 pay-line game with colourful graphics and a theme that transports players back to a mystical land of knights and castles. Immortal Romance a five reel, 243 ways-to-win game has been configured for use in the slot tournament environment, and was released to MGS operators in download format.
BattleStar Galactica, a new multi-featured video slot themed on the famous sci-fi television series and licensed through NBC Universal Television Consumer Products, is a five-reel twenty-five line video slot that launched to much acclaim.
Themed on the affluent lifestyle of the rich and famous Microgaming intro-ed Finer Reels of Life, a game that colourfully depicts all the trappings of the super-wealthy. Back tracking in history, Sovereign of the Seven Seas explores the world’s oceans for treasure and fun assisted by a range of rewarding features.
Microgaming launched Starlight Kiss and Jason and the Golden Fleece during the month of February 2013. Starlight Kiss aptly themed for Valentines Day celebrations features a Romance Bonus Game and an on-screen Romance Meter. Jason and the Golden Fleece is an adventure-rich five-reel, 25 pay line slot. The game portrays the Greek tale of a young leader Jason, who sets out on a quest to find the Golden Fleece of a magical ram, in order to claim the throne.
The epic Batman franchise saw the release of a sequel to The Dark Knight titled The Dark Knight Rises. The game features Batman, CatWoman and Bane, the masked mercenary intent on destroying Gotham City.
And it wasn’t all slots, Microgaming released a novel and entertaining blackjack coaching game titled Bronzebeard Blackjack The Strategy Coach. The game is a play-for-fun multi-level card game that teaches players how to play Blackjack, and for the first time Microgaming designed a free-download 3D mobile app specifically designed for Microsoft Windows 8.0 and Xbox.
Microgaming further extended its casino games portfolio with Girls with Guns – Jungle Heat, Tiger Moon, European Blackjack Redeal Gold and Piggy Fortunes, a new 5 reel, 25 pay-line video slot which gives the classic story, ‘Three Little Pigs’, a brand new lease of life.
Microsoft announced the soon to launch World of Series Poker: Full House Pro on the Windows 8 Platform, offering Xbox Live support to play with real competitors online. The game will be distributed via the Windows Store and will be available in the northern hemisphere in Spring at no cost to users, with a free stack of chips given to each user every day.
The Hulk Hogan-themed Hulkamania developed from a tie-up between Endemol Games UK and Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment who partnered with up and coming game developer MX Gaming in January 2012 launched. The 5-reel, 20-payline action-packed slot was reportedly released in the United Kingdom and select European Countries.
Net Entertainment put out a range of quality games during this review beginning with Lucky Angler: A Snowy Catch featuring Win Both Ways, Free Spins and Sticky Wild Substitutions. Another three followed in quick succession Elements – The Awakening, Disco Spins and Wild Rockets all showcasing the firm’s superb graphics and impressive sound effects.
Wild Rockets is the first of Net Entertainment’s online video slots to offer 720 winning ways on a geometrical reel shape where the reels are 3 x 4 x 5 x 4 x 3. Significantly, the game extends the company’s portfolio of Betway games and adds extra value to an already diverse portfolio.
A colourful and feature rich offering titled Thief followed. Set against a futuristic urban background, it’s a fast-moving roller-coaster of a game that includes free spins and other incentives while the company’s newest branded online slot is themed on the American animated television series South Park and contains a number of unique features. Muse, a 5-reel game depicting the nine Muses in Greek Mythology, a 5-reel, 20 payline game titled Wild Turkey and an audio, graphic and feature-rich slot titled Space Wars followed. The Silent Run is the last game to end off this review transporting players back to the Pacific ocean during World War II when submarines hunted enemy ships. Through the authentic submarine sounds of asdic pings and dive klaxons, to the Echo Bonus and Wild features, players get to experience what it’s like to be part of a submarine crew during an underwater attack.
NuWorks launched its latest slot offerings titled Moby Duck, Bank Bandit, Watchdog and Duel of the Deep.
NYX Interactive released its new bingo product in collaboration with the partly Swedish state-owned Svenska Spel lottery and online gaming operator. The company also launched four DC Warner Bros licenced Games which include Superman and The Green Lantern via its NYX OGS product following a strategic partnership deal with Amaya Gaming.
Play’n GO launched the first three games developed by its new Bespoke Game Studio. First up was Vares, a multi-line slot based on a top crime fiction television series in Finland. Play’nGO game developers let their imaginations go wild in its second bespoke offering titled Leprechaun Goes Egypt developed for gambling group Unibet. The result is an innovative and entertaining new slot that combines the popular Irish and ancient Egyptian slots themes. The game is available in Flash for the Web and in HTML5 for smartphone and tablet devices. Gumball 3000 is an exclusive slot developed for Betsson’s Betsafe brand for both desktop and mobile platforms. The game captures the spirit of the well-known car race and its unique cocktail of high style, lavish hospitality and blend of exclusive elite cars.
The company additionally announced a content deal with bet365 that will see four online and mobile games in the initial package, titled Enchanted Meadows, Fortune Teller, Jewel Box and Myth.
Pokerstars launched 4 new Omaha poker variants, naming the new offerings as Courchevel, Courchevel Hi/Lo, 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo and 5 Card Omaha.
Quickspin, the Swedish internet gambling games developer founded by former Net Entertainment managers, launched its new slot Rapunzel’s Tower. The game is based on the children’s classic and features Wilds, Scatters, Multipliers, Bonus Wilds and Free Spins.
An amusing 50-payline slot titled The Elf Wars was released by RealTime Gaming (RTG), the fourth in a series of festive season related slots which include Rudolph’s Revenge, Santa Strikes Back and Return of Rudolph.
RTG also launched a new multi-level slot titled Spirit of Inca which debuts the firm’s new ‘Boiling Point’ facility indicating to players how hot the game’s five networked jackpots are at any given point. Dream Run followed, a 5 reel, two-level jackpot game with a street-racing theme. RTG players will probably recognise it as a successor to the popular Real Series slot ‘Green Light’. Vulcan launched on licensee sites at end February promising hot rewards and fiery prizes and a new Feature Guarantee that assures players that a feature will trigger every 26 spins and last but not least, the 25-payline game Ninja Stars.
Reel Sports launched a non-skill, fixed odds game titled Racing Riches Archive that allows players to wager on embedded video clips of historic sporting action. Reel Sports has acquired the global rights from Pitch International for a range of sports and events, including classic FA Cup ties and England internationals, as well as vintage world championship boxing, to develop the sports roulette casino game across online, mobile and social platforms.
Relax Gaming, better known for its fast poker product, has diversified to include Bingo in its product range. The company launched its bingo product on iGame Malta Ltd’s Finnish-targeted BingoHuone brand and its Fast Poker Android client on iGame Poker and 24hPoker.
London-based development studio Revolver Gaming released “Cash Cow Farm”, a 45-line 5 x 5 reel feature-rich slot game themed on farm life that include the bonus games Mooo-lah! triggered by herding three or more cows for a bonus milking game, and Pigchinko triggered by filling a sty with three or more pigs.
Internet gambling software developer Rival Gaming released its latest 5 reel, 50 pay-line video slot, titled Wild Carnival. The game features expanding wilds and three bonus features. Zombies appear to be the theme de jour at the moment, and this developer is among those releasing new games based on the concept. Its Zombiezee Money slot, is described as “a frightfully fun game that will have you rolling over in your grave.”
Popular Eindhoven-based developer Sheriff Gaming has had a busy period with a variety of game supply deals signed in both the online and terrestrial sectors. It also followed up its Cars & Cash game release with Bugs, a 3D graphic-rich progressive slot game.
Billion Dollar Movie and In Cash were also released to Sheriff’s 3D portfolio featuring the studio’s signature graphic-rich entertaining animations. The innovative Beauty and the Nerd, Abra Cadabra, One Million Ants, Lucky Farmer and two engaging scratchcard games called Robbers and The Golden Eggs followed soon after.
Frog Royale marked the company’s thirty-seventh slot release offering players bonus features, expanding Wilds, free spins, click me bonuses and Scatters, all with their own magical twist.
Ending off Sheriff Gaming’s review, the company added a classic casino favourite “Craps” to its new and improved table game line and its latest 3D animated slot game “Piggy Bank”, a bank heist-themed feature-rich offering that follows a group of bank robbers who have stashed their loot in an abandoned aircraft hanger.
Slotland augmented its proprietary portfolio with the addition of Ice Queen and Turbo GT, a fast paced game themed on the auto racing industry. Slotland.com now has around twenty-eight real money proprietary online slots, most of which are networked to one progressive jackpot.
Redbeard & Co., a 3D 5-reel pirate-themed game featuring a Treasure Chest Quest Tournament was launched by TopGame. The company additionally provided many previously unreported games to Slots Village that include Beauty Salon, Bee Land, Black Diamond 25 Line, Cool Stone Age, Crazy Jungle, Forest Treasure, Happy Circus, Lost Inca’s Gold, Lucky Day At The Races, Lucky Fishing, Lucky Number, Mad Orchestra, Merry Bells, Reel Gangsters, Wild Sevens 15 Line and Witches Cauldron.
TopGame’s review ends off with Lost Gems of Brussels, a 5-reel, 20-payline game themed on an international hunt for precious jewels that disappeared in Brussels. Coincidently, the release came at the same time as the real-life Brussels Diamond Heist that took place in the latter half of February.
TopJack Games, the UK-based mega-jackpot supplier, extended its mega-jackpot concept to blackjack and roulette, announcing that its Lloyds-insured Euro 2 million jackpots are available on latest releases Blackjack Millions and Zero-2-Hero.
Chumba World is the unusual title chosen for a new online and mobile social game based on gambling and developed by Australian start-up Virtual Gaming World, which hopes to generate enough interest to garner financial support for the massively multi-player, freeplay offering. Chumba World is a social casino through which players can build their own digital Bellagios, customise their avatars, and create their own individual digital variations of slot machines and table games, including Blackjack, Roulette, Bingo, Keno, Baccarat and Video Poker.
vsJack is a new P2P multiplayer game launched by Vooxn on the Firebase platform developed by Sweden’s Cubeia software firm. Claimed to be the only player vs player online blackjack game, vsJack is a variation on blackjack’s basic rules where the players take turns being the dealer and play in real time against others.
WinaDay Casino launched its 34th and 35th proprietary slots titled Gladiator Games and Wild Alaska. The new 5-reel, 30 payline Gladiator Games features an animated bonus game which once triggered transforms the screen into a Roman arena where players are tasked to select a gladiator to battle for their Trophy Chest. Wild Alaska, a 5 reel, 20 pay-line game transports punters to the wild and beautiful northern wilderness in a feature-rich slot offering free spins and multipliers up to 3x in its bonus rounds.
WinADay Casino also released five new proprietary games to its recently launched penny slot dedicated portfolio. The new games titled Aztec Adventure, City Girls, Deep Blue, Sam’s Burger and Touch Down have minimal bets starting at $.001 per pay-line and are always less than two cents per spin.
WMS Gaming (currently being acquired by Scientific Games) debuted Lancelot and Star Trek: Trek Through Time. Episode 6 in WMS’ Star Trek series picks up from previous Star Trek Episodes “A Piece of the Action”, “Trap A Tribble”, “The Trouble with Tribbles”, “Explore New Worlds and “Red Alert” and allows players to earn additional Starfleet medals.
WMS Industries’ operational website Jackpot Party released its latest Money Burst online slot game titled “Glitz” and a 30-line feature-rich slot adventure titled “Alice and the Mad Tea Party” based on the classic tale of Alice in Wonderland. The website also added traditional land-based games to its exclusive online portfolio including Zeus, Enchanted Dragon, Egyptian Riches, Invaders from the Planet Moolah, Reel Rich Devil, Samurai Master and The Palace of Riches II.
WMS’ new Colossal Reels slot game KISS Shout It Out Loud features the iconic rock ‘n roll band KISS and band members Starchild, Demon, Spaceman and Catman debuting with a Free Spin Feature that sees Wild Reels transfer to Colossal Reels and expanding Wilds that will fill a reel set – giving the player more opportunities to win.
Ending off WMS’ review is a new five-reel, twenty-line slot game titled Fairy’s Fortune. This game introduces three interesting features – a Butterfly Feature where caterpillars become butterflies that shuffle into a multiplier on bet per line, the Magic Mushroom Feature where a single choice offers free spins, a multiplier on total bet or a cash prize and the Fairy’s Fortune feature where the player enters a magical world with items that reveal rewards.
World Match (WM) churned them out re-designing thirty-two existing games in HD. Re-vamped games include Aquarium HD, Bikini Beach HD, Burlesque HD, Circus HD, Cowboys Go West HD, Diamond Croupier HD, Disco Slot 80 HD, Fruits Dimension HD, Gentleman Thief HD, Ghosts’ Night HD, Glamour Hills HD, Hero’s War HD, Hollywood Film HD, Horror Castle HD , Into Woods HD , King Tut’s Chamber HD , Love Lab HD, Magic Quest HD , Maximum HD , Monkeys vs. Sharks HD, NYC Real Estate HD, Olympus Classic Slot HD, Polar Adventure HD, Slot Contraption Game HD, Super Bikes HD, Super Cars Challenge HD, The Last Crusade HD , The Mad Hatter HD, Touch Down HD, Vitamina Slot HD, Xcalibur HD and Zen Blade HD.
Other newly developed games included Gentleman Thief, Craps, and Freaky Fortune HD, all featuring strong social network tie-in’s.
The company also partnered with Sportradar to develop the Sportradar SoccerClub on WM’s Cloud Gaming Centre. SoccerClub is a real-money pool-betting soccer manager application that falls into the skill games genre.
World Match’s most recent launches include a military-themed 3D multi-line slot titled Elite Commandos, The Pirate’s Tavern HD, Vampire Killers and a dozen HD Video Poker games titled Joker Poker Aces HD, Double Joker Poker HD, Joker Poker Kings HD, Double Bonus Poker HD, All American HD, 10’s or better HD, Jack or Better HD, Deuces Wild HD, Aces and Faces HD, Mega Jack HD, The Saloon HD and Super Las Vegas HD.
Malta-based start-up development studio Yggdrasil Gaming released its numbers-based instant lottery games marketed under its ‘NUMB3R LOV3RS’ concept which comprises a portfolio of 19 online games. Yggdrasil was founded by Net Entertainment’s former head of global market operations Fredrik Elmqvist and takes its name from Norse mythology meaning Tree of Life.
Barcelona-based mainly online bingo games developer Zitro announced it is to launch around twenty new games this year to accompany its recent releases Stiffany’s and Tony the Lobster.
32Red online casino’s in-house development team released “Space Blast” on the mobile platform. The HTML5 game initially released on its web platform.
Athens-based games developer AbZorba Games, who launched its Hub of Fun mobile social casino product last year in 2012, augmented its offering with a new Android and iOS device compatible app called Slot-A-Lot.
The app presents in five distinct themes ‘Classic’ targeted at the male demographic and ‘Glam’ for the female gender. Level up comprises Scream, Space and Myth themes with others to be added in the future. These multiplayer casino games have integrated social features with Facebook and Twitter, lucky spins, avatar creators and chat functionality.
Sheffield-based AlchemyBet’s Pocket Fruity brand completed development on its Bar-X7 mobile game in partnership with Bar-X Fruit Machines. Bar-X 5 and Bar-X 7’s are popular arcade fruit machines in the UK which have already been adapted to online by Electrocoin. The company also released “Red Hot Rolling 7s” built using HTML5 technology for the latest smartphones and tablets and a head-banging, rock ‘n roll mobile slot titled Stairway to 7 in partnership with Kerrang! Radio, a specialist UK-based rock-music radio station.
AlchemyBet’s most recent launch comprises two new mobile fruit machine games to its Pocket Fruity portfolio. As a follow-on to its popular “Lucky Charm”, “Diddly Diddly Dosh” stays with the jolly Irish-theme and delivers a special pot o’gold feature. “Bar-X Diamond 7” is a successor to Bar-X7, the first mobile version of Electrocoin’s Bar-X arcade fruit machines. The game is Pocket Fruity’s second exclusive Bar-X mobile slot and has been optimised for smartphones and tablets.
Amaya Gaming group released its Strobe fast-fold poker product on its Ongame Poker Network fully supported on both Android and iOS mobile platforms.
BetOnSoft released Mobile Web Client 1.2, an updated version of its software for Android, iOS and Windows Phone. The update is a major platform increment to the HTML 5 client and accompanies the addition of seven new slot games, bringing the total number of mobile games offered by BetOnSoft to 19. The seven new games released to its portfolio are: Rising Sun Video Slot, Wild Wizards Slot, Alpha Squad Origins Captain Shockwave Video Slot, Front Side Spins Slot, Road Trip Video Slot, Spartan Warrior Slot and Trick Or Treat Video Slot.
BetSoft Gaming launched two classic casino games to its iOS mobile client – Roulette and Blackjack along with popular 3D slot Three Wishes. SlotFather To Go and Safari Sam To Go. Most recent developments have seen the launch of After Night Falls ToGo and At the Copa ToGo. After Night Falls boasts a jazzy soundtrack and many bonus features, such as the Five-Rooms Click-Me, the inspector’s own Magnifying Glass Wilds and Collapsing Reels, while At the Copa is notable for its revolutionary three-tier jackpot and an exciting Dance-Off bonus round, where salsa dancers Rico and Pedro must compete to see who will win the beautiful Carolina’s favour and the privilege of dancing at her side.
A deal between Seattle-based Big Fish Games and Betable inked in August 2012 came to fruition with the launch of the Big Fish Casino app for real money online gambling becoming available in Britain. The app gives players the option of play-for-fun games or serious real cash action on slots. It uses technology from Betable, which has big ambitions for other deals that will bring gambling to the social gaming environment. Big Fish Games later added Big Fish Bingo on the iOS platform to its line of mobile social multi-player games.
Blue Ox Entertainment, LLC launched a new iOS and Android social sports betting app titled Sidebets using virtual currency along with the social and bragging interactivity that this involves on sites like Facebook and Twitter. The app provides up-to-date real game lines, keeps a running tally of overall wins and losses, and is promoted with the slogan “Screw the Bookie, Bet Your Friends.” As such, it essentially appears to be based on a peer-to-peer betting exchange model.
San Francisco-based start-up Bunker Mode launched its “High Limit Sports” application on the iOS platform in free-to-play mode. The app brings sports betting into the casual mobile world, adding a social spin and other features where players can compete for virtual currency that can be used to unlock in-game options and items to level-up within the game.
bwin.party digital entertainment launched its Road To Brazil Football App in partnership with Sportfive International to provide World Cup qualifier matches direct to mobile devices. The partnership also yielded Qualifiers 2014 – Road to Brazil, a digital multi-platform app that brings live matches directly to football fans’ phones, tablets and PCs.
Nevada-based Cantor Gaming’s Mobile Casino platform released Kill the Number at Colusa Casino Resort, a variation of KENO along with Slottery and Mobile Millions, two new casino games for patrons of the resort.
Clickfun Casino, the internet social gaming casino played on Facebook, launched an iOS app carrying free-play games suitable for mobile devices. The app is fully synchronised with the web and Facebook-based versions, which means that players can play with one balance and maintain their status and achievements across all platforms.
Cozy Games’ released its mobile slot game “The X Factor – Steps to Stardom” in conjunction with Openbet. One of four popular slot titles from FremantleMedia Enterprises, The X Factor – Steps to Stardom mobile game has been deployed utilising Cozy Connect Platform technology.
Evolution Gaming launched its range of mobile gaming iPad solutions which it said will allow licensees’ to offer live dealer online casino games on the tablet along with PC and laptops. Games include Mobile Live Roulette for iPad, Mobile Live Blackjack and Mobile Live Baccarat.
Asian live dealer provider Ho Gaming continued its expansion into the European market with the launch of an innovative and immersive live dealer product designed for tablet devices. The service embraces Roulette, Blackjack and Baccarat.
International Game Technology released its popular web-based titles “Elvis A Little More Action”, “Wolf Run” and “Kitty Glitter” to its mobile portfolio, strengthening the offering with iOS and Android smartphone and tablet versions that support portrait and landscape orientation and their own unique audio.
International Game Technology subsidiary DoubleDown Casino launched the popular terrestrial slot “Cleopatra” for mobile, IGT’s second land-based title to move to DoubleDown Casino for mobile. A new Texas Hold’em poker product for iOS phones and tablets titled Bold Poker was launched. An innovative concept that replaces the need for a deck of cards and acts as the dealer. Available on the Apple Store, the developer is named as kater calling GmbH.
Konami’s Dragon Collection of social card games, which has generated an enthusiastic Japanese and US following of over 7 million users since it was launched two years ago, has a new game with a poker aim. Quaintly titled Dracolle and Poker, the game combines the card battling elements typical of the Dragon Collection with the familiar structure of poker rules. Available on iOS and Android platforms.
Microgaming’s mobile offering underwent a number of major developments in 2012; including the launch of Microgaming Go, a dedicated brand for mobile and the expansion of its HTML5 and Mobile Air products.
Microgaming Go released numerous mobile titles across HTML5, Android and iOS platforms including the launch of its hugely popular “Mega Moolah, Agent Jane Blonde, European Roulette Gold, Thunderstruck II and Avalon all featuring swipe and tap interfaces, innovative features and graphic-rich smooth gameplay.
The company launched “Immortal Romance” to its Mobile Air client delivering significant performance improvements to graphics and usability utilising hardware acceleration along with the launch of a trio of HTML5 games in December titled Burning Desire, Adventure Palace and Deck the Halls.
Neomobile Group gaming brand Casino Planet.it launched a suite of mobile slots to the Italian market, in partnership with Playyoo. The first three mobile slots in HTML5, iOS and Android to go live in the market were The Kingdom of Poseidon, The Reindeer of Fortune and The Treasure of the Pirates.
Net Entertainment launched two of its popular web-based games, Frankenstein and Jack Hammer 2 on its Touch mobile portfolio which features a strong focus on the user interface and functionality to allow for a seamless transition between mobile and desktop. Starburst Touch and Fruit Shop Touch followed.
NYX Interactive added an additional five online slots to its OGS MOVE mobile games inventory. Cherry Blossoms, Dolphin Reef and Venetian Rose are the fruits of a content agreement between NYX, iGaming2go and NextGen Gaming. The group also made two new games from NextGen Gaming and the latest title from Sheriff available to mobile licensees. Irish Eyes 2 was released in both HTML5 and internet versions along with Joker Jester and Sheriff Gaming’s Spartania.
Irish social games developer OteetO released a mobile app version of its popular Texas Ask’Em Poker game. Texas Ask’Em Poker is a card game with a trivia twist.
Proprietary software-powered 3D online poker room PKR.com released its second online gambling app, 3D Blackjack on the iOS platform for mobile and tablets.
Playsino launched its Bingo World HD application in an iphone-optimised version. Online gaming software developer Play’n GO added four new mobile games, converted from existing web games, to its mobile portfolio.
Probability’s Playyoo subsidiary launched an iPhone/iPad football betting app for SNAI to coincide with the Italian football session. Probability also partnered with Paddy Power in launching a tongue-in-cheek offering based on the best-seller Fifty Shades series. 40 Shades of Santa, is an amusing 50-line mobile slot with a claimed RTP of 94.49 percent and a theme redolent with a red-faced Santa, a saucy Mrs. Claus and a toy sack with some pretty adult content.
US game developer Glu Mobile announced that it has launched its first real-money gambling offering in the U.K. in partnership with Probability. The mobile slot game features intellectual property from its Samurai vs. Zombies Defense title.
RealNetworks Incorporated’s GameHouse slot games, previous launched on Facebook, are now available as an iOS app at the iTunes App Store.
Sheriff Gaming’s SMART mobile portfolio saw the launch of Spartania featuring wheel of fortune, double up and animated bonus features.
Dragonfish-powered Sparkling Bingo debuted its iPhone mobile bingo application saying Android and other platforms are soon to follow.
Online gambling operator 888 launched its first real money casino app, MAGIC888, on Facebook, following the availability in December 2012 of its BingoAppy, its first real money gaming application on the social network. The casino includes the full range of 888’s in-house developed slots and table games, as well as its popular Live Casino.
British social games developer Arooga launched Camelot-King Arthur’s Quest on Facebook. The 25-line game boasts an up to 15X multiplier, free spins Wilds and a wheel of fortune. The game joins Midnight and Lovecats in a growing mobile social gaming portfolio.
Social betting game Bookie Mania released on Facebook a non-gambling freemium social betting product. Bookie Mania Ltd was founded by online gambling veteran and managing director of Boofel Enterprises Rohin Malhotra who previously held positions as chief executive officer of World Poker Tour Enterprises and was a director of Chiligaming.
The game performs as a betting exchange allowing friends to place bets against one another, or fixed odds bets against the ‘house’. Players can also gain experience points and become bookies themselves, allowing them to offer their own odds to other players.
A collaboration between Caesars Interactive Entertainment and Electronic Arts saw the launch of World Series of Poker for Facebook. The cross-platform initiative allows fans to login, access their chip stacks, or play a game.
Irish gaming provider Paddy Power ventured into the social slot space with an app developed by subsidiary Cayetano Gaming. The slots app launched on Facebook offers video slots Fun Fair, Time Warp, Marines, Red Riding Hood, Wild Bugs and Fruit Stack. Paddy Power also launched a new social sports betting game titled BetDash offering both real money and free play options in which players have ten days to turn a virtual GBP 100 000 into GBP 1 million using their betting instinct and sporting knowledge. BetDash pays out 25X the player’s initial stake if they achieve the GBP 1 million goal.
SlotoBOOM, a social network and iOS platform casino-style application initially developed for the Russian market was localised for English users by Russian firm Creara. SlotoBOOM offers slot machine games Crazy Monkey, Resident and Freaky Fruits.
Tabcorp-backed Australian bookmaker LuxBet launched a social betting app in partnership with social sportsbetting network Favourit. The partnership allows Luxbet customers to compete and copy expert punters on the Favourit platform as well as tapping the crowd’s knowledge on outcomes of popular sports events.
Social casino offering GameHouse augmented its offering with a variety of slots, blackjack, roulette and video poker games on Facebook. Its titles feature themed-slot machines, three or six hand blackjack as well as American and European Roulette.
Gamesys, the UK online gambling group that recently acquired the Virgin Games brand, launched a new social gaming slot featuring the well-worn Playboy theme of scantily-clad hot girls.
Fresh Deck Poker is a new free mobile and social gaming app developed by Idle Gaming, which was ranked third in the Facebook popularity poll after only a month in operation.
A licence renewal agreement between International Game Technology (IGT) and Hasbro covering provisions for game developments of popular Hasbro brands led to the release of Dungeons & Dragons Crystal Caverns on DoubleDown Casino. Double Down Casino also launched a new Facebook slot themed on the famous and popular television series House MD. The game was developed through a licence deal with Universal Partnerships and Licensing and NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products, and captures the irreverent nature of the show in an easy, free-to-play casino slot game.
Net Entertainment entered into a social gambling content agreement with Bonza Gaming, a joint venture between Sportingbet and Plumbee that will see Net Entertainment deliver a wide range of slots and casino games made available for real money play on Facebook under Bonza Slots.
Betsson AB launched its first mobile social game in partnership with Florida-based social sports gaming firm OneUp Games. MyFootball Connect enables players to compete against their friends during live football matches in a bingo style game.
California and Ukraine-based social gaming developer Playsino launched two games under the Playsino Publishing Network, featuring poker and a Middle Eastern card game in its initial offerings. Five-O Poker, a particularly creative take on poker, and Yalla Tarneeb, a popular Middle Eastern card game were developed in collaboration with Chiki Gaming out of Israel and Yallah Games, a company founded and run by entrepreneur, game and Internet industry expert, HRH Prince Fahad bin Faisal Al-Saud.
PlayStudios’ myVEGAS social media site, which operates in partnership with MGM Resorts International, launched New York-New York, Studio City and Around the World in 80 plays to its social casino app on Facebook. Its most recent release is titled Luxor Gods of Odds marking the ninth title to be integrated into the myVEGAS Facebook application.
Social casino gaming firm Plumbee integrated two new games into its Mirrorball Slots social casino offering on Facebook. Beowulf, based on the legendary poem set in Scandinavia of the same name, and Supernova were developed by Stockholm-based partner studio Quickspin.
SHFL launched its first social casino game titled Mississippi Stud. The game was designed to enhance operators’ free-to-play ecosystem by promoting synergies between the land-based and online environments with new user sign-up’s and incorporating casino rewards points.
RockYou, a cross-platform gaming company published its RockYou Bingo game on Slingo’s social gaming portal following a recently signed distribution partnership deal. Free-to-play RockYou Bingo uses its own rewards platform for instant-win cash and prizes which it says are often derived from corporate sponsors. It claims to be the first on Slingo’s portal to offer instant-win gameplay.
NYX Gaming’s web-based slot Oil Mania was launched by free-to-play casino app Trophy Slots into the social environment. The 5-reel, 25-line social slot is exclusive to Trophy Slots, augmenting a portfolio of sixteen other games. It features UPWILD’s which afford players winning opportunities across multiple lines.
Dutch online gambling games developer Sheriff Gaming entered into an agreement with Playtika, a social and mobile play-for-fun casino games subsidiary of Caesars Interactive Entertainment, Inc. that will see the launch of the Slotomania Adventures on Facebook using Sheriff’s innovative slots and combining them with the casino-entertainment style game on Facebook, Slotomania.
Cheeky Bingo went live on Facebook to an American audience with an online social bingo game based on its U.K. online brand. The game co-produced by bwin.party digital entertainment backed Win and Murka features integrated chat functionality, 75-ball bingo, quick bingo and slots in a variety of rooms.
Alex Dreyfus’ Zokay Entertainment launched an innovative fantasy game titled Fantasy Poker Manager. The product is a free social game powered by GPI that offers poker fans a simple to learn and easy to use fantasy game based on live poker tournaments.
San Francisco-based online social games developer Zynga introduced its latest free product titled Zynga Elite Slots.
