Earlier this month, Evolution claimed the Innovation in Casino Entertainment at the SBC Awards to end the year on a high.
Speaking on the award win, Todd Haushalter, chief product officer at Evolution, exclaimed: “We are delighted to have won this award for Crazy Time.
“Our team worked tirelessly to create what is our most ambitious game to date, integrating multiple cutting-edge technologies in one game, including random number generator multipliers, augmented reality, slots-style and video-gaming elements. To be recognised as one of the foremost innovators within the gaming sector, is testament to their hard work.”
Launched earlier this summer, Crazy Time is the firm’s third money wheel game after Dream Catcher and Monopoly Live which includes the game’s inspiration, bonus rounds and multipliers. Lauded by Haushalter as the company’s ‘most complex, expensive, and labour-intensive’ game yet, the title includes four bonus rounds:
- Cash Hunt: A digital shooting gallery with 108 random RNG multipliers.
- Pachinko: A huge light-up Pachinko wall and light-up puck with 16 drop zones and multipliers.
- Coin Flip: A custom-built coin launcher flips a two-sided coin for multiplier wins on either the red side or the blue side.
- Crazy Time: Players enter through the red door into the augmented reality bonus world, with a gigantic virtual wheel with 64 segments and three flappers with crazy potential multiplier wins.
“In order to stay current, especially in online gaming, you need to be disruptive”
Speaking on the title and why Haushalter believes Evolution won this category, he stated: “Crazy Time is an immersive, action-packed money wheel game, and, in my opinion, the most fun casino game ever created. The aim of the game is simple: A live game host spins the super-sized, vertically mounted wheel and players predict the segment the wheel is going to stop at after the spin.
“Crazy Time is built upon our successful and award-winning money wheel games, including our first ever game show Dream Catcher, which we launched in 2017 and the unique Monopoly Live, launched in 2019, where the world’s most famous board game met live casino.
“These interactive game shows attract a wider variety of online players: some who have never played Live Casino, some who are looking for a more exciting alternative to slots or traditional table games and some who are just looking for something completely new.
“We have truly taken the concept to new heights by creating a game that not only immerses players at every turn, but entertains them, something we feel is a key factor in winning the Innovation in Casino Entertainment award.
“Popularity from this game has grown from a sense of community that was built around the excitement of the bonus games and players sharing in each other’s victories. There are thousands of live-streamed videos dedicated to the huge wins in Crazy Time, demonstrating a massive fan base and you really get the sense of excitement when you see all the comments in the chat channel.”
Haushalter attributed the success of Crazy Time to the company’s ‘Rockstar team’ of approximately 150 people who worked on the title. Explaining how Evolution navigated through a difficult year, the chief product officer praised the employees for working towards ‘a common goal’.
“New technology will play a huge role moving forward and we are watching virtual reality very closely…”
“The global coronavirus outbreak has affected the industry in many ways, and despite this very challenging situation, we have continued to develop and release 12 new games,” Haushalter added.
“In order to continue operating we had to quickly adapt the running of our operations, creating contingency plans to secure a continuous delivery of our products. With over 8,000 employees, we needed to quickly determine how to run our games and offices, while keeping everyone safe.
“We have had to make hundreds of changes but have been able to continue providing an excellent gaming experience to players. Although it has been a complicated process, one positive is to see everyone work towards a common goal during a challenging time.”
Casting an eye onto 2021 following the unpredictability of the last 12 months, Haushalter states that Evolution aims to be ‘disruptive’.
He concluded: “The major trend today is that we live our lives on screens and this affects every aspect of our daily life. In order to stay current, especially in online gaming, you need to be disruptive. By producing a better product that incorporates the way people live, you can disrupt the space in an industry. Innovation is a constant objective of any company within the igaming industry.
“Our latest innovations leverage some of the most advanced technology, creating a unique mix of live casino, RNG, slots-style multipliers, blue screen and augmented reality technology, something we would continue to explore in 2021.
“New technology will play a huge role moving forward and we are watching virtual reality very closely, employing the use of artificial reality in our games now. Players love this, so we will be sure to do more of this in the future.
“We will use new technology wherever it adds value to the game for the player, and wherever it helps drive our evolution and keep us at the forefront of the igaming industry.”