Microgaming has entered into a new partnership with Big Time Gaming, its owner, for its Megaways technology. As a result, BTG will be rolling out the Megaways feature to a number of Microgaming slots starting early next year.
For its part, Microgaming will work with a number of independent developers and help them integrate the mechanics for an unspecified number of new casino games. Microgaming will begin using this technology with Shamrock Holmes, an Irish-themed slot machine.
Microgaming, as reported on the specialized site Synergy Casino, has been one of the leading companies in the field of casino software and games production for years. Serving hundreds of online casinos around the world, it must necessarily keep up with new technologies in a business where competition is becoming more fierce every day.
The Megaways feature first debuted in 2016 to significant success. This mechanic creates a dynamic grid interface and increases the number of possible payouts on a slot by thousands at a time. Thanks to a random grid modifier, each spin creates a completely new gaming environment, offering the player a unique experience.
Reasons for the Megaways Technology Deal
Explaining the rationale for the deal, Microgaming CEO John Coleman said the Megaways feature had been hugely successful and integrating this mechanic as a core part of the game offering was an exciting step for his company.
“The developers at Big Time Gaming have proven to be innovators,” Coleman continued, adding that Microgaming considers it a privilege to partner with the company and its unique platform.
Responding to these claims, Big Time Gaming CEO Nik Robinson stated that the company is committed to expanding the reach of its unique slot technology to a wider audience. "Choosing Microgaming as a partner was a great move," Robinson explained, "as their team is a pioneer in the industry."
He further added: “As ardent slots fans, we are delighted to contribute in a small way to the Microgaming story.”
How does Megaways technology work?
Megaways technology is a new way of designing the mechanics of online slot games. While the classic slot framework uses what are called “paylines” on which players can create winning combinations, Megaways slots do away with this setup and offer something completely different. For example, to create a winning combination on a Megaways slot you just need to land identical symbols on adjacent reels.
This already means that there are many more opportunities to win on Megaways slots, and this is increased by the fact that the technology also includes a random reel modifier. This means that different symbols can appear on the reels during any one spin, hence why Megaways slots can often have over 100.000 ways to win. In fact, a game called Holy Diver, also available in many casinos aimed at the Italian public such as Gunsbet, has 586.971 ways to win!
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History of Megaways Technology
Megaways technology is still quite new, with the first games from Big Time Gaming using this technology only being released a few years ago. As you might imagine, it took a lot of software development to implement Megaways, and Big Time Gaming finally got around to developing it around 2016.
It was the Bonanza slot that first introduced this game mechanic to the public. Big Time Gaming still owns the patent for the Megaways technology, so if other developers want to use it they will have to buy a license or sign a long-term agreement, like it happened with Microgaming.
How are Megaways slots different from regular slots?
The main difference between Megaways slots and regular slots is that there are no traditional paylines, and therefore wins are simply made by matching adjacent symbols from left to right. This also means that there are many more ways to win on Megaways slots than on regular slots.
Megaways features 2-7 winning symbols per reel. So, assuming a game features the maximum number of symbols on six reels, you can calculate the number of ways to win a game by multiplying all the icons.
1 x 7 = 7 ways to win on reel one
7 x 7 = 49 ways to win on reels one and two
49 x7 = 343 ways to win on the first three reels
343 X 7 = 2401 ways to win on four reels
2401 x 7 = 16.807 ways to win on five reels
16.807 x 7 = 117.649 ways to win across six reels
The implications of this revolutionary technology for the world of slots are therefore clear: by exponentially increasing the ways to win and consequently the potential amount that a player can win, they involve the player even more, adding adrenaline and fun to the gaming experience.
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