Lightning Box has experienced a successful year of developments, game launches and expansion. DemoSlot sat down with Lightning Box’s CEO Peter Causley to discuss some hit games that were released in 2022 and a look forward to the coming year, along with their expansion into the US.
With the end of 2022 fast approaching, what have been some of the highlights of the year and standout titles that Lightning Box have created?
One of the biggest highlights of the year for the Lightning Box team has been our 75% growth in North America. The burgeoning marketplace and its player base have found an affinity with our titles and the vast number of high-quality, engaging, and, most of all, entertaining slots within our portfolio.
A key driver of this growth has been the popularity of two slots we released earlier in the year: Lightning Gorilla and Chicken Fox Jr. Both these titles have numerous features that work in tandem to deliver a unique gambling experience. They are also lovingly crafted by our team of designers and artists to provide players with immersive gameplay that can truly pack a punch.
Your recent release Stellar Cash Blown Away saw two features from previous titles being used in one slot. Is this something you are looking to build upon with future releases?
Innovation is something we pride ourselves on at Lightning Box. Both the industry and players have come to expect this from us. We often scour numerous sources to find our initial inspiration or an idea for our next hit game.
In this particular instance, for Stellar Cash-Blown Away, we actually borrowed from our own past releases. Our portfolio is filled with lots of successful games. This allows us to see what aspects worked best for players and can go on to influence future mechanics in upcoming releases. The amalgamation of two popular slot features into one new title, as seen in Stellar Cash Blown Away, provides new gaming experiences using proven mechanics that will be a draw for players.
What do you feel makes Lightning Box unique in the slot market?
That question is reminiscent of what makes a band unique in the music industry. It is certainly difficult to answer. I think we are unique, but to pinpoint our unique flair is hard. Our individuality mostly stems from the wide collection of talented, ambitious, and enthusiastic people we have working here. We also have a largely Australian land-based casino background, and I think that gives us a bit of a different flavour in comparison to other providers, specifically when considering the overseas markets that we are active in.
Last year you were acquired by Light & Wonder. Could you tell us more about the opportunities this acquisition has opened up for Lightning Box?
That’s right! The people at Light & Wonder have been great since we began working with them. We have been given immense support and more opportunities than ever before to get our catalogue of games out to wherever their vast distribution reaches. This has, in turn, allowed us to entertain more players than ever before!
You have been expanding into the US. Can you tell us more about this market and how it differs from Europe?
The European online market is influenced, to some extent, by the various very different regional land-based markets that operate within them. This creates different tastes and influences what may or may not be popular within each jurisdiction. The USA is far more homogeneous in the style of game that is played across all their regions, and hence a game that works well online in one state is highly likely to be a hit online in another.
Looking ahead to 2023, what games do you have on the horizon that you can tease us about?
I don’t know if it’s much of a tease, but following on from your second question, we are doing a massive mash-up in the springtime. This will see the release of a real mouthful, “Stellar Cash-ChickenFox5x Skillstar”. This brings together three of our successful franchises into one game, and we are looking forward to seeing the reaction of players; we certainly hope they are as excited about that one as we are!