Australian Nextgen Gaming has been in developing games for 20 years

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Not every successful casino game developer is located in Europe or North America. Some, like Nextgen Gaming, have homes elsewhere.

Nextgen Gaming is an Australian casino gambling specialist now closing in on its twentieth year of operations. Although independently operated at first, the company is now part of Scientific Games' SG Digital division.

Nextgen Gaming's profile

Nextgen Gaming was founded in 1999 in Sydney, Australia. The original people behind the company wanted to do more than just develop video slot games with high earning potential. They wanted to combine the gambling paradigm with science and art to create titles that would go beyond generating income to actually reach new players and draw them in. As such, management set forth the following three principles for game development:

• Attract - All titles were to be developed with "captivating themes and stunning artwork" that would be appealing enough to entice players to play.

• Entertain - All titles were to be developed with the goal of providing a complete entertainment experience from start to finish. The goal to entertain covers everything from intro videos to animations that commence when winning combinations are landed.

• Retain - All titles were to be developed in such a way as to retain players by rewarding them above and beyond cash prizes. Developers were to also employ rewarding sights and sounds that complete the gambling experience.

Nextgen Gaming continues to employ these three fundamental principles in their game development. After nearly 2 decades in business, they have more than succeeded in making a name for themselves. They are the world's largest developer of platform independent casino games available to online, land-based, and hybrid operators.

More recently, Nextgen Gaming has been focusing on something they call the 'opportunity cost' model. This game development model recognizes that just about any video slot will make money. Opportunity cost takes things to the next level. The model combines a game's money-making potential with the opportunity to attract, entertain, and retain players.

Nextgen Gaming's products

Nextgen Gaming's products are limited strictly to video slot games. But as part of SG Digital, there is a lot more going on within the larger organization. Below is a list of the core products produced by SG Digital and Nextgen Gaming:

• Casino Games - The company's portfolio of casino games is offered to operators on a platform-independent basis. Games can be hosted locally or via a game network. Omni-channel operation is also possible.

• Sports Betting - SG Digital develops a number of sports betting options covering everything from betting platforms to back office solutions. Sports betting is one of the hottest things in online gambling right now.

• Bingo - The world loves bingo, and SG Digital meets the need with a variety of highly flexible and fully customizable bingo options. The company's bingo products are developed to be modular in design, allowing operators to distinguish themselves via custom deployment.

• Lottery - A variety of different options fill out the company's lottery portfolio. From scratch cards to random draw games, lottery options are a great add-on for both online and land-based operators.

• Probability Games - The company's probability games are "configured in pre-drawn mode" according to their website. These games come with back-office management and administrative tools in order to achieve compliance within different jurisdictions.

• Platforms - Despite Nextgen Gaming's titles being offered as platform-independent, SG Digital develops a number of casino platforms that interested operators can choose to work with. Their Open Platform System (OPS) and Open Gaming System (OGS) are just two of the company's platforms.

As part of the SG Digital division of Scientific Games, Nextgen Gaming provides industry-leading game development for a company whose reach extends across the globe. The entire division works together to provide their operator partners with an optimal gambling experience that keeps players coming back time and again.

Examples of Nextgen Gaming titles

Perhaps you have already played some of Nextgen Gaming's branded video slot titles. Over the years, they have produced amazing titles like 300 Shields, The Codfather, Andre the Giant, Psycho, Judge Dredd, Irish Eyes, and dozens more.

We have chosen a selection of well-known Nextgen Gaming titles to include in this review. Note that some of the games are older titles while others have been more recently released.

• Batman

Nextgen Gaming's version of Batman is one of their older titles released in conjunction with partner Cryptologic. It is a 5-reel, 50-payline slot with a 5 x 4-reel setup. It is themed around the popular caped crusader and his exploits in the legendary city of Gotham.

Batman is an older, arcade-style video slot with cartoonish graphics. Game designers made it as modern as possible for the day, leaning heavily on more recent interpretations of the Batmobile and Batcycle. The theme relies heavily on a Gotham city backdrop and the well-known winged symbol associated with the Batman brand.

In terms of playability, the game more than performs. It plays with both Wild and Bonus symbols and offers a couple of extra features to keep players coming back. Those extra features include the Bonus Bet, Batman Re-Spins, and Descent into Madness Feature.

• Medusa

Medusa is another older title from Nextgen Gaming. When it was first released, it was in direct competition to Medusa's Gaze (Playtech) and Revenge of Medusa (Microgaming). Its theme is a cross between Greek mythology and ancient Rome. An odd combination, but Nextgen Gaming makes it work.

Some of the symbols in this game seem a bit out of place. Take the snake, for example. It is true that Medusa has snakes growing out of her head, but a single snake as a symbol just doesn't work. It detracts from the theme among players who are not familiar with the Medusa legend. The good news is that the overall theming still works very well.

Offering 25 flexible pay lines is a strong point of Medusa. The game is further enhanced with a Gamble feature, a bonus picking game, a free spins bonus, and Nextgen Gaming's well-known Re-Spins feature. Medusa is certainly designed to engage and entertain in a way that brings players back multiple times.

• The Mask

Moving on to Nextgen Gaming's more recent releases brings us to a new title: The Mask. This particular title is a branded title that takes its name from the Jim Carrey film. It is a 20-payline slot with medium volatility and a top prize of 1,500 coins.

Special features in The Mask include a free spins bonus game and a random Wild feature. The former awards free spins as a result of landing at least three Scatter symbols during standard play. The more Scatter symbols landed, the more free spins awarded. Additional free spins can also be triggered during bonus play.

As for the random Wild feature, The Mask plays with extra Wild symbols that can be applied both before and after the reels stop spinning. Random Wilds increase winning potential on any given spin by substituting for all other symbols except Scatter symbols. The thing about them is that you never know when they will pop up. Players love that.

Keeping in mind Nextgen Gaming's commitment to player engagement and retention, we should mention that the video presentation here is outstanding. All your favorite characters from the film are featured, and the visual and audio rewards for winning spins are quite attention-grabbing. Even the user interface is a bit different. You definitely haven't seen anything like this if most of your video slot play is restricted to older titles.

• Foxin' Wins Football

Foxin' Wins Football fever combines football (soccer) with a mischievous fox that looks a lot like another famous fox you may have seen on TV commercials aimed at helping you buy a car. What appears to be a very disjointed theme actually comes together quite nicely after you play for a few minutes. You quickly figure out what it's all about.

What sets Foxin' Wins Football apart is the video animation. For example, every time you land a Wild symbol you will be greeted with a 3D animation featuring the Fox and the symbol itself. It is quite interesting. And when you land a winning combination, the screen can go crazy.

The game includes a free games bonus round, Nextgen Gaming's SUPERBET feature, and two additional bonuses that could mean extra cash added to your bankroll.

If there are any downsides to Foxin' Wins Football, they might be rooted in the cartoonish graphics. Compared to some of the other titles we have seen from Nextgen Gaming recently, the graphics in this game are not necessarily mind blowing. And yet they are delightfully simple. Maybe that's the appeal.

Nextgen Gaming summary

For a company that focuses squarely on video slot games, Nextgen Gaming does it very well. Search reviews of their titles across the internet and you will find plenty of positive comments. Nextgen Gaming management has committed to attracting, entertaining, and retaining video slot players better than anyone else. They appear to be succeeding quite well. Their 2018 acquisition by Scientific Games should help them continue pursuing that vision well into the future.

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