What is in a name?

Well, you may be surprised if you are Maltese and you hear the name Lars pronounced properly…. I know I was when I met the next person I would like to acknowledge in my recollections. You all know someone with this name too so if you frequent Malta you may want to read on to save yourself from potential embarrassment…

I had the fortune of hearing how you pronounce Lars properly from my manager Lars Lindqvist when he first joined us at Netent… I quickly told him that he did not want me using the right pronunciation (at least not in the first few days).

He then proceeded to tell me about his first time entering a Maltese bank (you must get him to tell you this when you have a chance, maybe not in a crowded Maltese restaurant though). It was at that point that I knew Lars would be a different kind of leader.

Some middle managers micromanage, some try to please, some want it their way and a rare few are genuine leaders. Lars fits squarely into the latter category. Leading from the back but always ready to jump in front of the team when needed (usually to take the bullet on our behalf).

It was 10 years ago, still relatively early in the Maltese iGaming journey and we’d managed to create a good group of people with our own practices and procedures and we were of course convinced that anyone coming in to manage us would ruin it all.

We could not have been more wrong. Lars did not come in to put us on notice, but to trust us. He made it clear that his job was to lead us not to tell us how to do our jobs but to make sure we were truly empowered to do it. He knew our targets and he knew his job was to help us achieve them, believing that we were employed with the ability to do so.

I realise that sounds obvious but ask yourself, how many times have you seen someone come into an established team and destroy everything? Yes, we have all been there.

Lars was not laissez-faire; he was content to stay out of our way as much as possible though and to offer expert guidance when required. He was careful not to be prescriptive about tasks or schedules and we thrived.  I think we hit 97% tickets resolved in under 24hrs back then, but we worked! We did not need to be told to work. We helped each other and admonished each other when needed and Lars was always there to guide us when we overstepped the line, or he spotted an opportunity to help us improve.

He was also faced with a few tough challenges during his time as head of support. Things that needed to be done that no one would enjoy. Yet he always faced them openly and was ready to answer questions genuinely. I only spent a few months working with Lars as I stepped into Account Management, but those brief months had a big impact on my views of leadership.

Lars shaped a lot of the ways I work with others today. How I view my own leaders. He would be the first to admit he was not perfect, but he was by far one of the most inspirational leaders I have had the pleasure to work with. He was not a pompous ‘look-at-me’ leader but he kept in the background as much as possible and never took credit even where it was clearly due to him. He was more than capable of leading from the front when needed and ensured we had everything we needed to help us all succeed.

For that L-A-R-S (you know I will never pronounce it the right way!), I thank you. I thank you for trusting us and always treating us with respect. Day in day out, even when we wanted to make you scream. Thank you for showing me what a leader should inspire in others.

Also, Lars, if you are still in the habit of answering the phone saying “Lars here” … you really need to rethink that!

The decision to start a business can happen for a multitude of reasons. At times it grows organically and almost happens in the same way. It may be a spark of inspiration that clearly illuminates your future path.

Whatever the reason, I came to realise that the impetus is rarely straightforward but is in fact the sum of the collected experiences you have and the people you meet during your lifetime.

With that in mind I thought I would look back and thank some of the people who directly or otherwise influenced that decision for us. Some might be aware of this and others might not, however you have my heartfelt gratitude, all of you.

The first person that comes to mind is someone I hold in high regard and whom I consider to be a visionary in this industry. One of the co-founders of Alea, Alexandre Tomic.

I have had the pleasure of having multiple conversations with Alex (some deep into the night) and from each occasion I have emerged more knowledgeable and informed. Two conversations really struck a chord. The first was a simple question, that still today influences and guides my decisions around Plank Gaming, the second was a statement Alex made that sowed the very first seed of… What if?

Alex and I have never managed to stick to one scheduled meeting at ICE during our years of being there. Yet we always managed to bump into each other and take a few minutes to catch up. I was working with a supplier back than who had just launched its newest set of tools for in-game gamification. I brought it up proudly and I was taken aback when Alex asked me ONE simple question after I had done my elevator pitch of it. One question. WHY DON’T YOU JUST DO GAMES? AND LET ME DEAL WITH PLAYERS?

I countered with a lot of arguments back then. Arguments I thought were valid. I would have thought operators would have jumped at more inhouse gamification tools. During the weeks, months, and years after that I came to realise one thing… Why don’t we just do games? Operators own the player experience from beginning to end. Games should be there for players to enjoy spending time on their preferred brand.

It’s Ideally a homogenous experience so a player can enjoy that same experience throughout the whole site and all games they might be playing. That belief that operators should lead that gamification experience rather than game providers has been a core aspect of Plank Gaming since the start and one we intend to carry forward. After all there are thousands of providers, do players really want 100s of different experiences when it comes to gamification and promotions? Of course not, so that’s best left to the experts - the operators.

In a different conversation over skype, way before even the thought of starting a business ever occurred to me, Alex casually stated that he was sure I’d eventually start my own business. I remember vividly saying that I do not see it. It would be impossible. Never even thought about it.  I hung up laughing calling the idea crazy, mad, nonsensical even. But the seed was sown. That same week I started looking into bringing a few ideas to life. The first one never even made it in front of investors. The second one was pitched and failed miserably. Plank was a good measure of luck, pitch and amazing timing that came together less than 6 months after our first conversation.

Would Plank have started if Alex had not sown that seed?

Would it follow the same core aspect as it does now, had I not been challenged?

Who knows? I surely do not. But what I want to do is publicly thank Alexandre Tomic and Charles Gross for being the visionaries that they are and for always finding the time to talk and share. For having been a part of the journey of starting Plank Gaming and equally as importantly for being great people to share a beer and a chat with.

See the world through their eyes on www.slotsmillion.com  & www.alea.com

Thanks guys!

Plank Gaming have paired up with BoyleSports for an exclusive release in the UK market of Plank’s first Microgaming project - SuperSync!
Supersync is a highly accessible and fun slot which is a perfect fit for BoyleSports casino players.

It’s fantastic to have a name like BoyleSports paired with SuperSync. I hope that it is the start of a great partnership between Plank Gaming and BoyleSports!

Get ready for the global release on Microgaming platform on the 22nd June.

Plank Gaming now builds content on Games Incorporated, Microgaming and Playzido! Talk to me for more info on how to get Plank Gaming content live on your sites.
Liam

Super Sync

A fast-paced high adrenaline slot with a twist.

Syncing reels, a wheel of fortune and Super Spins await.

Super Sync game features

Super Sync is a 3-reel slot with a Syncing reels feature.

On any spin two of the three reels may sync up to match each other completely.

This greatly enhances the win potential and can often result in a full screen win.

The bonus wheel is triggered by 2 or 3 Scatters and will award between 10 free spins and 5 Super Spins.

High rollers and hardcore slot fans love the mechanic as it’s all action without lengthy interruptions or superfluous animations.

A future classic.

Max payout is 118k

Game information

3 reels

RTP 96.50%

Volatility – Medium

Desktop, Tablet, Mobile.

Liam Mulvaney, co-founder and CEO at Plank Gaming, says that the developer does not try to be innovative, rather it focuses on delivering the best player experience possible.
In the fiercely competitive world of online casino, game developers spend much of their time locked in battle with each other over who can be the most innovative.
While this has undoubtedly led to several ground-breaking mechanics, functionality, features and tools hitting the market, in most cases developers are simply innovating for the sake of it.
This means that the player experience is not being improved and, if anything, is being spoiled by gimmicks and novelties that distract from the thrill of the base game.
“ONCE THE INITIAL EXCITEMENT HAS WORN OFF, PLAYERS USUALLY RETURN TO STAPLE GAMES”
Of course, in the instances where developers do get it right and bring something truly innovative to a slot, it is often the case that the game is played extensively but for a short period of time.
Once the initial excitement has worn off, players usually return to staple games that offer less in the way of state-of-the-art mechanics and never-seen-before functionality, but deliver on gameplay.
It is these staple games that Plank Gaming focuses its efforts on developing. Why? Because these are the games that truly entertain players and make our operator partners money in the long run.
So, how do we do this?
First, we ensure that the core aspects of a slot game are as good as they absolutely can be, from the design and theme to the math and mechanics.
In short, we make sure that our slots deliver the most engaging and entertaining player experience, without having to rely on any extras.
From concept through to launch, we take the perspective of the player and always ask whether what we are doing delivers the experience they are seeking and deserve.
“BY THINKING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PLAYER … WE CAN CREATE GAMES THAT STAND THE TEST OF TIME.”
We spend up to 50 hours a week playing slot games and streaming our activity across Twitch and social media to the wider slots playing community.
We engage and interact with players and join the conversation about what is popular and what is not, and what players want to see in the latest game launches.
We use this feedback to guide game development and to ensure that the slots we release meet player expectations.
By thinking from the perspective of the player and constantly asking ourselves whether what we are doing is actually what they want, we can create games that stand the test of time.
This is important because it is the long-standing player favourites that deliver stable returns to operators over time.
As mentioned earlier, some of the most innovative games are one hit wonders and once the wow factor has worn off, players return to the same games they have been playing for months or years.
From a player satisfaction and financial perspective, operators must ensure their game lobbies are packed full of these slots as these are the games that ultimately drive retention.
Of course, operators still want to be able to stand out from their rivals and offer their players something a little bit different.
“WE FOCUS ON GETTING THE CORE ASPECTS 100 PER CENT PERFECT ABOVE ANYTHING ELSE”
This is why some of the more “innovative” games are given top positions in game lobbies – the operator simply wants to give their players something they can’t necessarily find elsewhere.
 
But there is another way of doing this, and that is for operators to work with game developers to create slots that have been designed to appeal to their own player base.
Again, this is something that Plank Gaming is able to offer. As a developer, we can create games based on operator needs and requirements quickly without sacrificing on quality.
We take them same approach to these games as we do to the ones in our own development pipeline – we focus on getting the core aspects 100 per cent perfect above anything else.
This means that our partners can offer their players unique and exclusive games, that also have the potential to become long-standing player favourites.
 
In an industry where everyone seems so focused on pushing the boundaries, reining things in and getting the basics right presents a huge opportunity.

Plank Gaming enters the arena with new title Neptune Rising

  • Neptune Rising Feature & Free Spins Bonus

  • Guaranteed wins in the bonus

Neptune Rising (Plank Gaming): Review

As is typically the case nowadays, Microgaming lets its minions of independent developers churn out most of the content while we picture them doing other stuff, like chasing each other around on a sunny beach or throwing bags of money at each other.

With a total of six studios currently enlisted in the Microgaming partnering program, most of the content produced as been mediocre at best and seeing that Microgaming has failed to deliver anything of interest since, what feels like the days of 56k dial-up modems, our enthusiasm for its coming releases is on a steady decline. However, due to Microgaming’s strong past having designed some of the best slot titles in the history of gambling (Immortal Romance, we’re looking at you), there’s always a “what if” thought attached to the projects they’re involved in.

Plank Gaming is the insipid name of the most recent addition to the Microgaming lineup, a studio so fresh out of the oven its yet to open its official website. Plank, what does that have to do with anything? Who knows, maybe it’s Maltese slang for “Hotshot”. We did try to do some research, but all we learned was that this little studio currently only has two titles in its portfolio of games - Puffer Goes Wild and Neptune Rising.

Right of the bat we could tell that Neptune Rising is a rather basic slot, utilising a standard setup of 5 reels3 rows and 10 paylines. Playable on all devices from between 0.20 to 50€ per spin, the 95.92% RTP is marginally lower than the 96% industry standard. There’s only one feature included in the game, the Neptune Rising feature, which can trigger randomly on any non-winning spins to produce modifier extras for enhanced wins.

Though there are many games making use of the Atlantis-theme, such as the recently released Master of Atlantis by Blueprint Gaming, we definitely get some Novomatic vibes looking at this slot. Neptune, which is the Roman name for the Greek god of the sea Poseidon, appears to be in better shape than ever before in this Plank Gaming’s version and although not a visual masterpiece, Neptune Rising is surprisingly well-designed. Blue being the dominant colour, the transparent reels are your window to the ocean. You’ll see waves roll in and break up on the shore, animated lightning strikes and godly sunbeams breaking through the clouds. Sure, some of the wave animations look a bit cheap, but it’s a detail we can live with.

Symbols on the reels include 9, 10, J, Q, K and A card suit symbols as well as more lucrative treasure chests, dolphins, sea horses and mermaids. Neptune is the top symbol, however, giving you 75 times your stake for 5 across a full payline.

Neptune Rising (Plank Gaming): Features

neptune rising
Free spins with Neptune Rising feature in action

Indicated by a lightning strike and Neptune popping his mug up from under the grid, the Neptune Rising feature can trigger randomly on any spin to enhance the reels with stacks of identical symbols or even modify the reels to add extra scatter symbols as well as regular symbols on a near miss. There is a crazy amount of teasing going on, however, leading you to believe the Neptune Rising feature is about to activate only to disappear again.

Landing 3 or more gold coin scatters anywhere on the reels triggers the Free Spins bonus. Starting with 10 spins, you’ll benefit from the Neptune Rising feature activating on each spin, adding winning stacks to give you guaranteed winning combinations. A full screen of then Neptune/wild symbol will give you 750 times your stake and the game itself is capped at 250 000€. In true Novomatic fashion, the free spins feature seems to retrigger relatively often with 3 or more scatter symbols granting you 10 extra spins.

Neptune Rising (Plank Gaming): Verdict

Coming from an independent studio, we’re quite impressed. There’s nothing we haven’t seen before here and it’s in no way a game changer or something that is going to lead to a big breakthrough for Plank Gaming, but a cocky entry nonetheless. Furthermore, Plank Gaming knows visual design AND gambling, which is more than can be said for some of the other Microgaming partners.

Although there’s a max win potential of 5000 times your stake on offer here, it would have been a bit more thrilling to play knowing the payouts were a bit more explosive. We can’t help to feel that 750x is a rather low reward for landing a full-screen of the top symbol and to do it more than once in the same bonus, good luck with that.

All in all, Neptune Rising is an ok slot with ok potential. Unfortunately, it lacks that little extra that will keep us coming back for more. Once will be enough, unless we win of course, then we’ll come back again.

Final Score
neptune rising

Game title: Neptune Rising

Game description:
● Reels: 5
● Rows: 3
● Paylines: 10
● RTP: 95.92%
● Max Payout: 5,000x
● Variance: M/H
● Bets: 0.20 - 50 EUR
● Features: Neptune Rising Feature, Free Spins
● Release Date: Out Now

Overall
5.4

Rich Geyser Slot – It’s a gusher!

This 10-line slot from Plank Gaming seems to have divided opinion somewhat.
The truth is, you need to give it some time. This is a pretty volatile game and the bulk of the value is in the Gushing Wild feature.Re-Spin

The base game is a decent-looking, if standard, affair.
The almost-eponymous Rich Geezer (with a geyser, yes, you’ve got it) is the highest paying symbol.
Land 2 or more Wilds on the reels and you’ll be rewarded with gushing re-spins.
If you’re familiar with Wizard’s Gold, or perhaps Blaze of Ra then you’ll know the drill, no pun intended.

Base Game Rich Geyser

Wild symbols will roll down the screen triggering re-spins at every drop. The wilds can of course trigger at any time so with a bit of luck you can keep going for quite a while, and for multiple wins.
Land 5 wilds on the top of the reels and you’re laughing all the way to the bank as you trigger 10,000x+
Symbols are stacked on all reels so even if you don’t land the big one there’s plenty of potential for other hefty wins.

Patience is a virtue in Rich Geyser

As I said in the opener you need to give this game a bit of time. Think of it in the same way as Book of Ra for example. Faced with that game for the first time and without seeing a feature you’d wonder what all the fuss is about. Land a bonus feature with a few Tens and your opinion wouldn’t change. Same here, it will take personal experience of the game’s potential to really bring home the point of the slot – I think it’s well worth it.

Good stuff Plank!

We’ve put a fair few spins through this and we return to it often during our streaming sessions.
There’ll be a video coming soon, so watch this space!
At the time of writing, Rich Geyser is exclusive to the Betsson brands – we played at Casinoeuro.
There will be a larger roll-out across casinos very soon though.

Puffer Goes Wild

 

Puffer Goes Wild is a bright and playful underwater slot which will delight players.

The action takes place in a colourful underwater world populated by happy peace-loving fish, and their smirking nemesis - Sharky.

 

About puffer goes wild slot 

Dive to the heart of the ocean with Puffer Goes Wild Slot! This 178 ways to win game comes with a soothing soundtrack to entertain you. Once you set going, you will come across fishy symbols which float in clear water close to the sea bed. The graphics are also appealing and are such a feast to the eyes. Discover more by opening the game at Regal Wins Casino!

Game in Action

Bonus Rounds and Features

The Wild Symbol on Puffer Goes Wild Slot is represented by the large air bubble. It takes the place of all other symbols when landing on reels 2, 3 and 4 to achieve winning combinations. But the Sharky and Puffer special/wild symbols cannot be taken the place of. Want to explore the Puffer Goes Wild Respins Feature? Let’s get going!

This bonus feature on Puffer Goes Wild Slot is activated by landing Sharky on reel 1 and Puffer on reel 5 during the same spin! Once it becomes active, you will earn 5 spins. During the round, Puffer changes direction to the left on each spin until he gets on reel 1. For the duration of the feature, you will notice that the special symbols serve as Wilds. If more Sharkys land on reel 1, the Puffer can expand – first to 2×2, then 3×3 and finally 4×4 symbol.

Symbols Available 

Symbols that you will find rolling on the reels of Puffer Goes Wild Slot are as follows: fish in green, orange and blue, as well as gold, bronze and silver coins. These symbols will help you achieve winning combinations during the game.

Betting Options

Plunge into the depth of the ocean by selecting the bet amount of your preference! Stakes range from a minimum of 0.20 to a maximum of 20 in the Bet field. Puffer Goes Wild Slot also comes with a Max Bet button. If you want to play high, simply click on it to automatically select the highest bet amount. Finally, there’s an Autoplay Feature which is found next to the Spin button. Once you enable it, the reels will play on its own without the need to intervene in-between each spin!

Why You Should Play Puffer Goes Wild Slot

Puffer Goes Wild Slot comes with a very cute theme. This underwater-themed game boasts some interesting features and symbols. What’s more? It is fully optimised for any iOS and Android devices. Get ready to experience some thrilling gaming episodes!

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