Friday 19 March 2021

Monkey Business in Manhattan with Reflex Gaming’s Latest Classic


Krazy Klimber - Reflex Gaming

There’s no business…like monkey business.  Introducing Reflex Gaming’s latest release, Krazy Klimber.  It’s 1933, and high above Manhattan, a gigantic gorilla clings to the walls of the tallest skyscraper.  Ten blocks away, the city Zoo is missing its most prized possession.  In between, the streets are a scene of utter chaos and destruction, with terrified civilians running every which way, escaping the carnage.   

Higher and higher our fearless ape climbs.  His aim, to reach the top of the tower and grab the biggest prize of all.  

Describe the game 

Krazy Klimber is a 5 x 3 Video Slot with 20 pay lines that pay from left to right. Any combination of 3 or more identical symbols on subsequent pay line from the left or right will award a win.

What are the game features?

This game has 2 bonus features. The first is the ‘Krazy Klimb’ bonus game. This is triggered by 3 bonus symbols appearing on reels 1, 3 and 5. At the start of the feature, the gorilla appears at the bottom of Manhattan’s tallest building, and he begins to climb. Prizes are awarded depending on how high he goes, with the award increasing with every new storey reached.  The final prize will either be a cash prize or an amount of free spins.

Krazy Klimb Bonus Feature

The other feature is the free spins bonus game, triggered by the gorilla ending up on one of the two free spins levels during the climb feature.  This free spins bonus features up to 3 sliding super wilds.  The player is awarded 10 or 20 free spins and a bonus win.  During the free spins, at least one Super Wild will be active and can move from reel to reel in between spins where it substitutes for all symbols.  There is no re-trigger available.

What experience can players expect?

The giant gorilla theme is a cultural classic of the mid-20th century, and it’s also an iconic theme we expect to be immensely popular with our players.  Set in 1930s New York, our Gorilla is climbing the city’s tallest tower in search of top prizes.  Players can expect an immersive experience; from the toe-tapping rhythms of the jazz soundtrack to the buzz of circling bi-planes and search lights sweeping across a Manhattan nightscape; all making you feel part of a classic movie. 

Krazy Klimber has been designed as a low-medium volatility game, with a profile focused on giving players a longer time to enjoy the game, in keeping with the overall epic feel of the game.

When is the release date and where can we play it?

The game will be released in mid-June 2021 through the Yggdrasil Masters programme and we expect this to be playable at all the major casino sites.

For more information on this release or any other enquiries, please contact Reflex Gaming Ltd e: game_releases@reflexgaming.com


Yggdrasil partners with Reflex Gaming for daring heists in Desperate Dawgs

 Press Release


Desperate Dawgs - Reflex Gaming

Yggdrasil, the leading worldwide publisher of online gambling content, travels to the Wild West in this new YG Masters release Desperate Dawgs, developed with Reflex Gaming. 

Set in Dodge City, Kansas where the gangs are up to no good, robbing banks and claiming cash, players are invited to join their mischievous antics and assist them on the reels with their heists.

The 5x3, 20 payline slot is packed with features, with three separate bonus games available to trigger, including the Wagon Trail, Crime Spree and Bank Buster rounds.

Wagon Trail is triggered by three or more ‘Chumdance Kid’ yellow character symbols appearing on the reels, with players given a selection of wagons to pick from. A hidden prize is then revealed and awarded.

The Crime Spree feature is launched if three or more green ‘Dog Holliday’ symbols land, awarding 10 free spins with an increasing multiplier on every spin. If the mode is retriggered, the multiplier can reach as high as 30x.

Desperate Dawgs’ Bank Buster bonus triggers when three red ‘Josey Tails’ characters appear, presenting players with three safes – bronze, silver, and gold.

Each safe has a unique code, which must be cracked to win the prize. Players select numbers on a keypad which may, or may not, reveal the lucrative loot, and continue to choose these until one safe is fully opened.

The game is the latest release in partnership with Reflex Gaming, who recently became the latest YG Masters studio to license the Gigablox mechanic from Yggdrasil.

The game is developed through Yggdrasil’s state-of-the-art GATI technology enabling partners to employ the preconfigured, regulation-ready, standardised development toolkit to produce consistently cutting-edge content followed by rapid distribution.

Stuart McCarthy, Head of Partner Programs at Yggdrasil, said, “Desperate Dawgs is a fun-filled take on some of the craziest crime capers in the Wild West and we’re extremely happy to add it to our YG Masters offering.

“Our partnership with Reflex Gaming is going from strength to strength, and we look forward to more milestones together.”

Mat Ingram, CPO at Reflex Gaming, adds, “Our newest hit adds plenty of bonus rounds into an action-packed slot and gives players a chance to enjoy multiple ways to win big.

“We’ve been able to scale new distribution heights as a YG Masters partner and we’re delighted to unveil our latest title.”


***ENDS***

 

For more information on this release, to arrange an interview, or any other enquiries, please contact Björn Krantz, Chief of Global Market Operations, at bjorn@yggdrasilgaming.com or Robin Becker, Head of Marketing at robin.b@yggdrasilgaming.com.

About Yggdrasil

Yggdrasil is the leading worldwide publisher of online gambling content. The business was founded in 2013 and is today one of the industry’s most respected and acclaimed suppliers. In 2019 Yggdrasil introduced the three pioneering value propositions; YG Franchise, YG Masters and YG Game IP, of which the last two is powered by Yggdrasil’s enabling technology solution GATI (Game Adaptation Tool & Interface. Yggdrasil Affiliation offers affiliates access to their award-winning portfolio of Yggdrasil games and support affiliates in producing highly detailed content that stands out, drives traffic, leads and ultimately new revenue streams. Yggdrasil operates a proven and highly scalable business model. Since its inception, Yggdrasil has embarked on a rapid growth trajectory enabled by a strong corporate culture focused on innovation, creativity, quality and technology leadership. Yggdrasil is headquartered in Sweden and has offices in Malta (operational HQ), Poland and Gibraltar.

For more information: www.yggdrasilgaming.com

About Reflex Gaming

Reflex Gaming’s success spans both the analogue and digital machine sectors, B2B online and B2C social casino and has produced leading blockbuster titles including: Lucky Gems, Wild Princess, Volcano and Celtic Spirit. Reflex Gaming’s expertise includes: game design and development, platforms and systems development, mechanical design and development and production.  

For more information: https://reflexgaming.com/ or email game_releases@reflexgaming.com






Thursday 4 March 2021

Women at Reflex | Surj Stott Interview

Surj Stott - Reflex Gaming

Each year, the 8th March marks International Women’s day (IWD). In 2021, let’s pay attention to this year’s bold theme which is, ‘Choose to challenge’.  The time is now to challenge inequality, call out bias, question stereotypes with the aim to forge an inclusive world.  

It will come as no surprise that the gambling sector is both very white and very male. The lack of women working in senior positions is astounding.  Of the women who do work in the sector, they are more likely to work in retail, HR or administrative functions. The Gambling Commission’s recent annual report has confirmed that women are gambling in similar numbers to men. If we want games to be representative of the players, it’s important that teams creating them offer a diverse and varied perspective. In which case, encouraging more women to work in the sector can only be positive.    

We chat to Surj Stott - Head of Sales at Reflex Gaming to discuss her incredible journey from a run-away, wayward teenager to helping build one of the UK’s leading machine producers.  We get her views on what she would choose to challenge on IWD.

1. Hi Surj, tell us about your role at Reflex Gaming

I head up the sales and marketing function, so customer account management is a big part of the job.   Along with Steve Clark, I help manage our customer relationships.  At Reflex, we pride ourselves on great partnerships with pub retailers, operators and our AGC customer base.

Day-to-day, I also manage our production schedule and liaise closely with our production and logistics teams to ensure that our games are delivered to customers on time.  

I’m also responsible for planning our events, including major expos, such as ICE, EAG and ACOS. I really enjoy this side of things, due to my love of people and socialising. The cancellations of both EAG and ICE this year have been a blow for Reflex, as both events are important marketing platforms for us to showcase our new product lines.  They also provide a great opportunity to speak to our customers and learn their requirements and find out what is performing well on their estates. 

2. How has the global pandemic impacted on Reflex Gaming? 

At the start of 2020, the outlook was positive for Reflex, we were acquired by the Dransfield Group in 2019 and we had established ourselves as one of the country’s leading machine suppliers to the pub and club sectors.  

The first lockdown resulted in our entire customer base being closed which wiped out our forward-looking orders.  We consequently made strategic decisions to fast track our drive to the online space. We have formed strategic alliances with two major distributors, Yggdrasil and Stakelogic. These give us the opportunity to penetrate the online slot market quickly and get our games in front of more players via their vast distribution networks. This is typical of the Reflex psyche in that, being faced with the biggest negative impact imaginable to our existing business, we have leveraged opportunities that have been unaffected by the pandemic.

However, it is very disappointing that the Government have given very little support to manufacturers and suppliers to the leisure and hospitality industry. Supply chain companies like Reflex have simply slipped through the Government’s support net. Other than the furlough scheme, we’ve had no additional support and it has been a real struggle to operate for 14 months with, effectively, no income.  We have tried to lobby for a business support grant and a rates relief, but with no success to date.  

I am a strong character and I’ve managed to remain positive throughout the pandemic.  We need to focus on the future and there is now some light at the end of this long tunnel, through the impressive vaccine rollout which has resulted in the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown.  Right now, it seems that the leisure and hospitality industry will reopen in April/May as planned, and if people opt for “staycations”, these will be positive steps to ease the recovery of the sector. 

3. How did you get into this sector?

I grew up in Leicester in a first-generation Indian family.  At the age of 15, my parents had arranged for my marriage to a goat farmer, based in India.   My instincts told me that it did not feel right, and it certainly wasn’t a life I wanted. I took the drastic step to do a runner, and I haven’t looked back since!

As you can imagine, leaving home at 15 was tough, but I was fortunate to have a good network of friends who helped me through the situation.  I’m thankful that I didn’t end up in the wrong crowd.  

I was running a successful Nottingham city centre pub in my early twenties, following which I established my own bar in Newark. This meant working very long and unsociable hours, and with a young child, often proved to be difficult. I decided that more of a 9-5 job would better suit my home / work life balance and I mentioned this in conversation with one of the customers in my bar, who happened to work at a local gaming machine business called BWB.  An opportunity came up there, so I applied. I was interviewed, got the job, and began my career in gaming at BWB. After a while, I moved into a sales role and it was whilst I was working here that I met my husband, Quentin, (these days the MD of Reflex Gaming).        

4. What would you tell your younger self?

It would be to trust your instincts.  At 15, my decision to leave home was very much a “Sliding doors” moment.  Although it was the risky choice, I went with my instincts. Fortunately, I have no regrets.  

Also understand that sometimes you may have to work harder and apply more attention to detail than some male colleagues.  Enjoy the journey and don’t be afraid to be yourself!

5. What barriers have you faced, as a woman, in becoming successful in your field? How did you overcome them? 

When I first started my career in this sector, sadly, I did experience both racial and sexual discrimination.   I don’t get easily intimidated and the discrimination ultimately made me a stronger person. I have proved myself with great determination irrespective of other people’s prejudices.

However, I have witnessed much progression in the industry since I started. I am seeing an increasing number of women in senior positions who have progressed from junior roles and long may this continue.  

6. The International Women’s day theme is, “Choose to Challenge”, what would you choose to challenge?

I passionately believe that there is no place in the world for bullies. Whether this happens in school, at work or your community. We need to take a collective stand against it. I cannot bare people who belittle others to make themselves look superior! Call them out for what they are. I’ve met a few bullies during my career and behaviour like that should be confined to the Skip of history.

7. What message do you want to send out to young women who are considering a career in this industry?

The i-Gaming sector has opened a huge host of career possibilities.  There are jobs ranging from game design, graphic design, software development, marketing, etc. You will be able to unleash your creativity and let’s face it, the end-product is fun. There is never a dull moment in gaming.  

It’s changed a lot since I started in 1996.  It’s more politically correct without being woke.  This is an exciting vibrant industry with a lot of great people in it.  Although the gambling sector might not be everyone’s first choice of industry as a career, for me, it’s been a blast and I’ve made a lot of friends from it. I met my husband, and I’ve had opportunities to meet some very interesting and successful people along the way.


“I passionately believe that there is no place in the world for bullies…We need to take a collective stand against it.”

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