Building on the success of its Revel mechanical reel slots introduced in 2024, AGS will expand its classics-with-a-twist offerings throughout this year and beyond.
Six of the initial titles with widespread placement rank among the top 10 performers of all mechanical games launched in that time frame, said Loren Rosenberg, vice president of commercial slot strategy and operations for AGS. Those include Liberty Diamond, Triple Treasure, and Flaming Reels. Another half-dozen titles for the Revel cabinet are in the early stages of deployment on casino floors, and a batch of new games will be introduced in the fall.
“We have three pillars of design philosophy in our mechanicals,” Rosenberg said. “The first is Trust, (which is) staying true to the experiences players have known and loved for all these years.” Another is “Evolution,” by enhancing traditional stepper mechanics with video-inspired features. The third is “Differentiation” by building new twists on “win-what-you-see” game play.
He described the second pillar as “Evolution” because it combines classic mechanics with elements especially popular among video slot players. For example, Flaming Reels and Diamond Reels offer cash-on-reel payouts, three tiers of progressive jackpots, and wild symbols.
“It’s really kind of straddling that line of what’s going to translate to a mechanical player,” said Rosenberg, who joined AGS in April after holding senior leadership roles at Aristocrat and Everi. He explained that the challenge lies in finding the optimal method of incorporating new elements while staying true to the “subtleties” of traditional mechanical slots.
Although mechanicals generally account for about 10 percent of a floor’s slot inventory, he called it a “meaningful” segment because of players’ devotion to the games. “These players are extremely loyal; they’re ingrained in the legacy experiences and consistency. It’s that deep-rooted player we specifically targeted.”
Content on video slot games tends to have a “much shorter” shelf life than mechanicals, he said, while long-lasting stepper games usually show a gradual climb in popularity. Because most top-performing high-denomination mechanical games have been established for a decade or more, new offerings need to first foster a relationship with the player, Rosenberg said.
“Introducing a new game or even a new hardware platform is a big challenge. It’s an uphill climb, and I think the success we’ve had early on shows that we’re aligning to what the players’ needs are. That’s where I see that velocity coming. Players are going to be much more engaged in our new gaming experiences as we push them forward.”
The Revel cabinet features a 27.6-inch HD monitor, a jackpot bell, and game state-controlled reel LEDs, which instantaneously adjust colors and flash patterns based on results of a spin.
Games currently in the early stage of deployment include the nine-line Grand Diamond; Straight Cash Triple Double Spin, a win-what-you-see game with a respin feature; and Crystal Reels, which offers both cash-on-reels payouts and wins based on standard stepper symbols.
“Players are gravitating to our games,” Rosenberg said. “Our formula is spot on, our design philosophy is there, and our place in the market is going to continue to climb.”
