It doesn’t get much more American than a burger, does it? In fact, it’s what inspired the Gameburger Studios name. The online slots development company hit the ground running in 2019 and scored a partnership with Microgaming not long after. They’ve reimagined classics such as Break Da Bank with Break Da Bank Again and a Megaways version coming soon. We reached out to them and had the pleasure of interviewing Matt Carvajal, Creative Designer at Gameburger Studios. Learn more about this talented U.S. game designer in the following Q&A.
Q: We’d like to begin with an introduction to the company including the story behind the fun logo and name.
A: Hello - I'm Matt Carvajal - creative lead for Gameburger, which was established back in 2019. Our name and logo were inspired by the U.S.A. where we have A LOT of burger joints! We came up with Gameburger because it was a fun name that's also iconic to the American industry; we wanted to make it fun, flavorful and bold, just like our games.
Q: The first game, Break da Bank Again Respin, was an exclusive release for Microgaming back in 2019. How did this partnership impact your young company?
A: It had a very positive impact. We wanted to bring something that the players knew, and Break Da Bank Again was a Microgaming release that went really well. We wanted to refresh it - we wanted to bring that old-time classic but with a twist. Obviously, the graphics were improved and we added the Hyperspins™ feature which gave the players more control in the game. We also wanted to have more exciting features and more wins. The fact that it was already a game released by Microgaming helped us give Gameburger broad visibility and great distribution and coverage. The relationship with Microgaming has been phenomenal.
Q: Describe your vision of the classic US-style and how it’s been incorporated into your gaming content.
A: The U.S. classic style brings a high level of entertainment and action-packed content. If you think about the movie industry and the gaming industry, a lot of people have high expectations when it comes to a studio's output. So we make sure we deliver that action-packed content and that high level of entertainment. We have a lot of team members from all over the country, which helps to create spice and variety in our days and ultimately in our games too. They're very talented and committed to making sure that the player enjoys a fully immersive experience that’s a lot of fun for the player, with a clear understanding of the game potential, with a lot of excitement.
Q: Your primary focus seems to be slots at the moment. Are there plans to expand the portfolio into other game types?
A: We like to listen to our players and their needs. We like to read reviews to understand how they feel when they play our games. We're open to opportunities in the market, but we think that the slot industry has a lot more to offer - there's so much more opportunity and potential there that we haven’t yet tapped into so we will keep focusing on what we know best.
Q: Features and bonus rounds are an important aspect of any great slot. Tell us about the innovations included in your titles.
A: 9 Masks of Fire is a perfect example of true immersion, where the players fully engage, obtaining rewards directly from the base game. We want the players to understand how the game works; it's easy to play, clear to understand and very engaging. Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar is another good example of simple mechanics where it's easy to understand what's going on. That's what we strive for, something that's very exciting and has big win potential.
Q: What is the licensing process like to develop branded titles such as PLAYBOY® Fortunes™?
A: We’ve had the opportunity to work with licensed brands and we've been successful, as you mention, with Playboy. Our award-winning products and features speak for themselves. It does require additional work when it comes to producing branded content, obviously, because we have to go back and forth with the licensor on approvals to make sure the product is as they want. But it's also a collaborative effort, so it's a mix between the licensor, what the studio wants and what the player wants. It is a little bit more challenging, but we've done it successfully in the past and we're looking forward to other opportunities in the future and to streamline this process.
Q: Finally, what do you have in store for us in 2021?
A: I'm really excited about the current game that we have - Hyper Strike - and we're also very excited about our new vibrant Hyper Gold Link&Win. Also, as you mentioned, our upcoming Break Da Bank Again Megaways™ game. Our players love the original game, so we're excited that this is going to have the Megaways™ feature taking it to a whole new level with some massive win potential.