All about NextGen Gaming
This top notch Aussie outfit are one of the biggest names in online game design. Based in Sydney, they have created some of the most popular games around, including one particularly iconic slot character which has truly stood the test of time.
NextGen Gaming – Who Are They and Where Did They Come From?
Founded in 1999, the company have been the subject of several corporate takeovers, and are now a member of one of the world’s biggest gaming conglomerates. Yet all these ownership shenanigans have not prevented the company from retaining its unique Australian character, and it remains a distinct, independent entity, despite being a part of the industrial machine.
Perhaps its relative geographical remoteness helps in this respect: although the World Wide Web has doubtless shrunk the world in many ways, the Australians’ innovative style has meant that its various corporate owners have largely left them to get on with what they do best without too much interference. Meanwhile, NextGen Gaming have benefitted from the extra financial investment and industrial muscle their subsidiary status has granted them.
The first big takeover came in 2011, when their gaming rivals NYX Interactive came calling. The newly merged companies became NYX Gaming and the partnership was a great success. The new entity became one of the most prolific designers of games throughout the 2010s, being responsible for the release of some of the decade’s most popular games.
This success drew the company to the attention of an even bigger industry fish. So it was that in 2017, the giant Las Vegas based Scientific Games Group stepped in with a massive takeover bid. The deal was completed early in 2018, with the new owners paying close to $800 million for the company.
Today, despite its status under the umbrella of its massive Scientific Games owners, NextGen Gaming remains a relatively compact organisation. It has around fifty employees in total, almost all of whom are located within the city of Sydney and the surrounding area.
A Selection of NextGen Slot Games
Any regular player of online slots is almost certain to have played a NextGen Gaming title at some point. Indeed, the company is responsible for the creation of one of the most popular slot characters of all. At the time of its release in 2013, Foxin’ Wins was an instant success. The cheerful Mr Fox is depicted as a wealthy character who lives in a mansion and clearly doesn’t have to worry too much about red coated huntsmen and hounds any more.
It is almost a decade since he first appeared, and the crafty character remains a slot icon. Sequels can be hit and miss affairs, but the second incarnation, Foxin’ Wins Again, was also exceptional, and sealed the character’s status as a regular on many players’ playlists. This time, he was featured on his luxury yacht, along with his family of mischievous pups. Numerous further sequels have followed, including Foxin’ Twins and Christmas and Football special editions.
Other popular NextGen characters include the colourful 1 Can 2 Can, the fearsome Andre the Giant and a medic with a real bedside manner, Doctor Love. But the company has far more strings to its bow than just creating memorable characters. Its brilliant Double Play Super Bet also took the industry by storm on its release in 2015. It remains a player favourite and it too has been followed by a successful sequel: Wild Play Super Bet.
NextGen Gaming games designers tend not to focus too much on popular genre fayre. They do produce the occasional conventionally themed game, but titles like A While on the Nile, Emerald Isle and Irish Eyes are the exception rather than the rule – perhaps an attempt to keep their Egyptian and Irish Luck theme fans sweet. Instead, the majority of their output is more innovative and independently minded – traditional fruit machine style games are notable by their absence for example.
Areas of strength include their visually stunning creations. These include titles like Great Wild Elk, Snowflakes and The Spin Lab. The company also produce an interesting range of officially licenced superhero slots, such as Batman, Judge Dredd, The Flash and The Green Lantern.
Many of their games also have a quirky humour to them, such as Crocodopolis, Gorilla Go Wild and Shaaark! Super Bet. The company also have a love of a good punning title. Examples here include The Codfather and Tootin’ Car Man. What’s more, the quality of these games lives up to the promise of their titles too.
Conclusion of NextGen Gaming Slots
The fantastic fox may well be the headliner, but NextGen Gaming have plenty more brilliant games in their extensive portfolio. There are well over a hundred in total, and as releases continue to roll off the Aussie production line at a regular rate, it may not be long before the double hundred approaches. A bit like watching one of their classy batsmen…
Casino operators using the Nektan platform always have NextGen Gaming slots as an option for their players, so look out for them at your chosen Nektan casino.