In a series first, a skill game took centre stage in the latest Beyond the Reels episode, as David Fall, ELA Games’ Business Development Manager, talked viewers through the studio’s homage to retro arcade games, Cash Crab.
Harnessing the mechanics of the claw machines synonymous with arcades, players have 25 seconds to grab a toy from the live claw machine, with each toy providing different prizes.
Recounting the development process of the title, Fall explained that the concept was inspired by ELA’s move to a new office that was once an arcade hall.
He said: “It had lots of arcade machines, and the owner decided to create something instead of wasting such an opportunity. The principle was to create a nostalgic experience for players, [and they can] have a sense of familiarity and nostalgia while playing this game.
“It took two years to develop. It seems like a simple process just to get the little camera and joystick but it was a very complicated process for turning it into an online-based game.”
Although complicated for the developers, Fall emphasised that for the players, simplicity is at the heart of the title.
“They didn’t want to create something that was overly complicated because then that starts to confuse the player or [they] lose interest,” he explained. “It’s just about being simple. Simple is best, and for us, that’s what our go-to was.”
Alongside the base games, Cash Crab has bonus features such as a piggy bank, which allows players to collect cashback from every losing round, as well as a hall of fame leaderboard, which sees players receive experience for every round and rank alongside other players.
Fall said: “This is creating a competitive player experience where players can battle others to get this leaderboard position and, in turn, win more and better prizes.”
During the interview, Fall also spoke about the community engagement features within Cash Crab, as players can interact with others through live chats and emoji reactions, as well as compete in regular tournaments.
He explained that the decision to include such features was driven by an increasing desire from players to have more social interaction included within the games they play.
“We are trying to foster and create this community for the players that we see are interacting. We have the live chat [where] you can talk to each other, we have the leaderboards, and during the game round, you can use the emoji reaction. So you can do a little bit of trolling, or you can be nice to a player.
“We see that players are really enjoying these features, and we see every month it’s going more and more, so we know it’s definitely working and we know it’s being targeted to groups that might normally play something else. But they are playing it because it is bringing engagement and fun interaction to their casino experience.”
Click the video above to see Fall discuss the growing trend of community engagement and how it features in Cash Crab, as well as provide further details on the title’s development process.
