Back in February, while I was on a cruise, I received an email from Ainsworth, which found my write-up on Quick Spin and invited me to check out their facility next time I was in Las Vegas.
COVID-19 of course got in the way, but I ultimately visited Las Vegas a few weeks ago, and with that visit a chance to check out Ainsworth’s facility in Las Vegas.
Their complex houses just about everything that their business depends on – a slot assembly space, engineering and development areas, and of course their marketing showroom, where I got to take a peek at what was on its way.
Originally, Ainsworth US was delivering games that were originally developed in Australia. But beginning with the Quick Spin series of games, an increasing amount of games are now being developed in the US.
With COVID-19 still encouraging work from home scenarios, many of the offices sat vacant during my visit, and game development and testing was being done remotely, a scenario unthinkable even a few years ago. Thankfully, technology has provided new ways to allow work to proceed.
Their space is not all that far from the Las Vegas strip; from their boardroom there is a balcony that offers a beautiful view of the Las Vegas strip, a nice bonus during the tour. Their location is conveniently nearby both a train depot and the airport, making transportation of machines out of Las Vegas into various other markets more viable.
I got to see games that were in development as well as just being released. For instance, new Quick Spin variations are making their way out. This includes another higher multiplier variant similar to Super Wheel 7s but restoring the 50 credit minimum bet (and adding a bonus symbol reveal in the bonus), and an Asian-themed clone of their first persistent state version, Super Lit Vegas.
Along with Cai Fu Journey, which I reviewed recently and is already making its way out to the gaming floor, I got to preview a few other slots with persistent state elements:
- Lucky Empress will see you collecting symbols that ultimately guarantee multipliers on line hits, with the opportunity to collect them (and use them) even faster in the bonus.
- Tiger’s Throne has you collecting borders, but breaks out of the 10 spin cycle. While collecting them you can get full reel wilds if the right symbol lands in the frame (similar to the Sweet Zone mechanic on previous games), and the cycle concludes with the frames turning wild, like others in that game type.
- March of the Zombies offers a full reel-sized Zombie that is wild, and if you land him completely on a reel, he sticks around, moving one reel left each spin until he leaves the board altogether, and he can be upgraded to 2x wild when a brain lands on the reel he’s on.
One thing that was noticeable was the step up in graphic design on the new games, and they were being shown on Ainsworth’s latest cabinet, which has a curved screen that is more comfortable for players. It all looked quite beautiful and will be eye catching.
As the games become available, I’ll be working up some write-ups, but the Ainsworth line-up is definitely something to keep an eye out for on casino floors.
Thanks to Mike Trask for inviting me to check out the facility, and look for more from Ainsworth to come on the site!
